global roaming - how long stays active

Stu · 18-06-2009, 17:18

Mobal uses the 02 network which is the gold standard in roaming, but you will be paying with "gold." If your first stop on your trip is the UK, I'd get a Vodafone SIM. You'll get free incoming throughout Western Europe this summer and all calls to the UK from a Voda affiliate will be local calls. (Your phone will default to Vodafone's European network). I'd get a cheap US calling card with European dial-in numbers and use it. You'll probably be able to keep your SIM swapping to a minimum.

petkow · 18-06-2009, 17:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu

If your first stop on your trip is the UK, I'd get a Vodafone SIM.

Excellent advice! Or even if it isn't your first stop I'd try to get one of these anyhow.

Doesn't Mobal offer you a UK number in any case? I recall that with Mobal only UK is free incoming, and it even gets quite steep for incoming elswhere in Europe. This is not the same of any European SIM who are bound by EU caps.

kitesurfer · 18-06-2009, 19:05

hey - thanks for all the replies. i'm starting my trip in ecuador, then on to central america, southeast asia, and ending up around the mediteranean (greece,turkey, and europe), so it doesn't really make sense to start with vodafone.

i have verizon and while they will get me an international phone, it will have an internal sim which means that i can't swap in a local sim card so would have to carry two phones. also, to get their international plan, i have to keep a domestic plan which will cost me at least $20/month (which is a decent amount when you're not even going to be in the US). Instead, i'm going to switch my verizon plan to prepaid, which works out much cheaper since i'm going to be out of the country for much of the year.

the mobal really is just going to be in case of emergencies (makes my parents happier since i'm female traveling alone and kitesurfing so there is potential for injuries). i think i'll either swap in local sims or not use my cell much for normal calling. i was thinking about whether it made sense to get a Global Roaming (aka celtrek or something similar) sim card as well for more frequent use than the mobal since the mobal is so expensive per minute. But, that depends on how long the Global Roaming sim card stays active - if I have to top it off every 30 days to keep it active, its too expensive and not worth it. If i only have to top it off every year to keep it active, then its not a bad second back-up.

powerlifter · 18-06-2009, 21:26

Did you think about skype? If you are have a computer or go to an internet cafe you can talk to the parents for very little money. You can get a subscription, and get something like 10,000 minutes a month. Or you can pay as you go your choice. If your parents download skype to their computer the call is free if you call their computer. You can call your home number or a cell phone again the options are endless. If I am in a country for a week or more I get a local sim card. If you use an international sim no one will want to call you as they have to pay for the call as well as you. You will meet friends, and you will want to be able to contact them. Look at skype as they have a lot of ways to stay in touch. Just something to think about.

kitesurfer · 18-06-2009, 22:06

sorry - i should have clarified. i'm definitely going to do skype as my primary means of talking with family and friends back home. free is a very appealing price

the cell phone will be used for 1) emergencies (i.e. i'm on a beach in ecuador and got lofted kiteboarding and slammed into a tree so am figuring out where/how to get somewhere to fix a broken bone) and 2) occasionally for setting up a hostel/hotel reservation when i first get into a country.

bylo · 19-06-2009, 02:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitesurfer

the cell phone will be used for 1) emergencies ... and 2) occasionally for setting up a hostel/hotel reservation when i first get into a country.

Mobal is still your best bet even though it's more expensive. If you have an emergency cost won't be the issue. Reliability and convenience will. None of the global SIMs are as reliable and convenient as Mobal.

Depending on how much you will use the phone "occasionally" the added expense of another global SIM may or may not offset the higher airtime of Mobal.

andy · 18-06-2009, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu

If your first stop on your trip is the UK, I'd get a Vodafone SIM. You'll get free incoming throughout Western Europe this summer and all calls to the UK from a Voda affiliate will be local calls.

In fact it seems that in some countries there are several or even all the local networks available on Passport now.

adam917 · 23-06-2009, 01:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu

Mobal uses the 02 network which is the gold standard in roaming, but you will be paying with "gold." If your first stop on your trip is the UK, I'd get a Vodafone SIM. You'll get free incoming throughout Western Europe this summer and all calls to the UK from a Voda affiliate will be local calls. (Your phone will default to Vodafone's European network). I'd get a cheap US calling card with European dial-in numbers and use it. You'll probably be able to keep your SIM swapping to a minimum.

What is so special about O2's roaming agreements that makes it the 'gold standard' when compared to other operators' roaming agreements? What about Vodafone or other multi-nationals like Orange or just large operators like China Mobile, AT&T, and Rogers Wireless?

	(#1)
Stu (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Guru Posts: 1,091 Join Date: 11 Feb 2004 Location: Detroit (formerly Dubai) Country:	18-06-2009, 17:18 Mobal uses the 02 network which is the gold standard in roaming, but you will be paying with "gold." If your first stop on your trip is the UK, I'd get a Vodafone SIM. You'll get free incoming throughout Western Europe this summer and all calls to the UK from a Voda affiliate will be local calls. (Your phone will default to Vodafone's European network). I'd get a cheap US calling card with European dial-in numbers and use it. You'll probably be able to keep your SIM swapping to a minimum.

	(#3)
kitesurfer (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 3 Join Date: 18 Jun 2009 Country:	18-06-2009, 19:05 hey - thanks for all the replies. i'm starting my trip in ecuador, then on to central america, southeast asia, and ending up around the mediteranean (greece,turkey, and europe), so it doesn't really make sense to start with vodafone. i have verizon and while they will get me an international phone, it will have an internal sim which means that i can't swap in a local sim card so would have to carry two phones. also, to get their international plan, i have to keep a domestic plan which will cost me at least $20/month (which is a decent amount when you're not even going to be in the US). Instead, i'm going to switch my verizon plan to prepaid, which works out much cheaper since i'm going to be out of the country for much of the year. the mobal really is just going to be in case of emergencies (makes my parents happier since i'm female traveling alone and kitesurfing so there is potential for injuries). i think i'll either swap in local sims or not use my cell much for normal calling. i was thinking about whether it made sense to get a Global Roaming (aka celtrek or something similar) sim card as well for more frequent use than the mobal since the mobal is so expensive per minute. But, that depends on how long the Global Roaming sim card stays active - if I have to top it off every 30 days to keep it active, its too expensive and not worth it. If i only have to top it off every year to keep it active, then its not a bad second back-up.

	(#4)
powerlifter (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Fan Posts: 174 Join Date: 06 Jan 2005 Country:	18-06-2009, 21:26 Did you think about skype? If you are have a computer or go to an internet cafe you can talk to the parents for very little money. You can get a subscription, and get something like 10,000 minutes a month. Or you can pay as you go your choice. If your parents download skype to their computer the call is free if you call their computer. You can call your home number or a cell phone again the options are endless. If I am in a country for a week or more I get a local sim card. If you use an international sim no one will want to call you as they have to pay for the call as well as you. You will meet friends, and you will want to be able to contact them. Look at skype as they have a lot of ways to stay in touch. Just something to think about. [size=1]Prepaid cards, Moldova Tempo, Kyrg Republic BiTel, India Hutch, Bulgaria Mtel, Vodafone, UK. Etisalat. UAE. Afghan Wireless, Afghanistan. Three, UK. T-mobile post-paid. Phones Gsm Iphone6+

	(#5)
kitesurfer (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 3 Join Date: 18 Jun 2009 Country:	18-06-2009, 22:06 sorry - i should have clarified. i'm definitely going to do skype as my primary means of talking with family and friends back home. free is a very appealing price the cell phone will be used for 1) emergencies (i.e. i'm on a beach in ecuador and got lofted kiteboarding and slammed into a tree so am figuring out where/how to get somewhere to fix a broken bone) and 2) occasionally for setting up a hostel/hotel reservation when i first get into a country.