I must admit I have a second phone just for that and use it as my sat nav and backup of apps etc
Fraction of the cost of a sat nav and does way more.
Fraction of the cost of a sat nav and does way more.
Thanks to @Bigcats and several other contributers to this thread for the recommendation of an e-sim when travelling.
I went with @Arsey and bought an Airalo Europe sim with 10Gb coverage for $37 and it was absolutely flawless. Easy to install and use.
Bosnia, Kosovo and North Macedonia weren't included with the Europe sim so I simply downloaded these separately onto an old Pixel 4a then used it as a hot-spot to my Pixel 8 Pro.
Three would have charged me over £90 for coverage on my three week trip but I had full 5G coverage in every country visited for just over half of that.
Thanks again for this thread all, I certainly appreciate it.
I went with @Arsey and bought an Airalo Europe sim with 10Gb coverage for $37 and it was absolutely flawless. Easy to install and use.
Bosnia, Kosovo and North Macedonia weren't included with the Europe sim so I simply downloaded these separately onto an old Pixel 4a then used it as a hot-spot to my Pixel 8 Pro.
Three would have charged me over £90 for coverage on my three week trip but I had full 5G coverage in every country visited for just over half of that.
Thanks again for this thread all, I certainly appreciate it.
Thats brilliant to hear and glad the info helped (and saved)Thanks to @Bigcats and several other contributers to this thread for the recommendation of an e-sim when travelling.
I went with @Arsey and bought an Airalo Europe sim with 10Gb coverage for $37 and it was absolutely flawless. Easy to install and use.
Bosnia, Kosovo and North Macedonia weren't included with the Europe sim so I simply downloaded these separately onto an old Pixel 4a then used it as a hot-spot to my Pixel 8 Pro.
Three would have charged me over £90 for coverage on my three week trip but I had full 5G coverage in every country visited for just over half of that.
Thanks again for this thread all, I certainly appreciate it.
Just came across this thread and thought I’d throw in my two peneth. I have an Orange eSIM which is fantastic. I bought it when working in the Netherlands as it worked out the cheapest. I am on Vodafone so initially went to one of their Amsterdam branch’s and after what felt like a long time, I left with a sim which was expensive and clunky to top up. On realising that there are no roaming charges in Europe and spending a lot of time in France, I got on to Orange. The system is very easy to nav and 100gb top up cost €35-ish. The only problems are: the top up must be used within 30 days and you need to register your sim if you want to keep the number (some personal data required). I regularly check speeds and I get 200+ mbps on Orange and when abroad I open up my hot spot and my wife connects to it which saves us both having to have an eSIM. I also connect my fire stick to it so I can watch tv and listen to music which makes the 100gb last the usual 2 week holiday. I can run my maps all day every day and it’s far cheaper than going over your data allowance (25gb per month when roaming with Vodafone). The added bonus is, only vetted people get my French number so, I don’t get pestered on hols, there’s just a mountain of voice mail when I get back.
I was paying over £40 per month for a Vodafone contract in UK,so nearly £500 per year.This included the Feel at Home package which gave me roaming in MOST places I go, but not all, such as South America etc. For those places I would buy an individual eSIM from Airalo which would be about $5 for a week.
But I’ve now ditched Vodafone and bought a 50gb eSIM from Flexiroam with calls and texts add on valid for a year.They were on special offer with 30% off and cost me £104. It works pretty much everywhere worldwide.
So about 20% of what I was paying . Even if 50gb doesn’t last me a year, I can top it up and still pay far less than I was with Vodafone.
But I’ve now ditched Vodafone and bought a 50gb eSIM from Flexiroam with calls and texts add on valid for a year.They were on special offer with 30% off and cost me £104. It works pretty much everywhere worldwide.
So about 20% of what I was paying . Even if 50gb doesn’t last me a year, I can top it up and still pay far less than I was with Vodafone.
I guess it’s not for you but may be of interest to those who don’t spend all day on PornHub.50gb a year, wow, that wouldn’t last me a week
I use about 5gb a month
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Here is a website to use to get more info on what sim cards are available in countries all around the world
Remember if you buy a sim card in any EU country it will work all across the EU so you don't need to buy one per country.
This website has much more info on best carriers for each country and what sim cards they offer, especially for tourists
prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com
Remember if you buy a sim card in any EU country it will work all across the EU so you don't need to buy one per country.
This website has much more info on best carriers for each country and what sim cards they offer, especially for tourists
Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki
This wiki collects information about prepaid mobile phone plans from all over the world. Not just any plans though, they must include decent data rates, perfect for iPhone, iPad and Android smart phone travellers, as well as mifi users.
I have a spare unlocked Samsung phone..does not take an Esim..
My lebara uk sim is not big on 5g for a month and only €5 a month
Just need it for say,,,Directions, walking/Ebiking from my campervan or say in a city for walking directions,park4night,search for sites type stuff....
Having a French phone number I am not worried about...
Don't need it for weeks on end,say just 2 weeks at a time...would not be using it for uk ringing home either....
Just france only..
Then ditch it buy another on the next trip...
Am I right in thinking that..
If I buy whilst in France at a supermarket the type you buy at the counters over here,,,
Do I just pop it in and away you go.....?..
I have never bought this type from the till area so have no knowledge on how it works
Mike..
My lebara uk sim is not big on 5g for a month and only €5 a month
Just need it for say,,,Directions, walking/Ebiking from my campervan or say in a city for walking directions,park4night,search for sites type stuff....
Having a French phone number I am not worried about...
Don't need it for weeks on end,say just 2 weeks at a time...would not be using it for uk ringing home either....
Just france only..
Then ditch it buy another on the next trip...
Am I right in thinking that..
If I buy whilst in France at a supermarket the type you buy at the counters over here,,,
Do I just pop it in and away you go.....?..
I have never bought this type from the till area so have no knowledge on how it works
Mike..
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I have a sacrificial Android phone and a sacrificial iPhone. Neither of them have SIM cards. I use them for GPS navigation only, which I think is all you want it for, too. Just download the off line maps and away you go.
In other words, you might well not need a SIM card at all.
In other words, you might well not need a SIM card at all.
How long are you away for? I have a Lebara UK SIM for £5 a month. 5GB data. This is more than enough for 2 weeks in Spain, although I am using hotel wifi in the evenings. As Wapping says, for Google Maps you can download local maps in advance or using free wifi in a cafe etc.
If you need a second SIM, get another UK one from Lebara using the MSE referral link https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheap-mobile-finder/sim-only/ - they are rolling 30 days and have a discounted rate for at least 6 months. 10GB per month for £1.10 a month for first 8 months.
If you need a second SIM, get another UK one from Lebara using the MSE referral link https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheap-mobile-finder/sim-only/ - they are rolling 30 days and have a discounted rate for at least 6 months. 10GB per month for £1.10 a month for first 8 months.
Haa,if I manged too do that,,,
Can I see where I am if I open the phone up...as it would have no signal..or do I not need a signal for it too work..
I am definitely not tech savvy...
Replying too Richard's thread.
Can I see where I am if I open the phone up...as it would have no signal..or do I not need a signal for it too work..
I am definitely not tech savvy...
Replying too Richard's thread.
I have the Lebara PAYG 50gb sim - £2 p/mnth for the first 3 months then £10p/mnth. Cancel at any time- no notice required.
I’ve travelled down to just N of Limoges at the moment and the signal has always been good, mainly 4/5g.
(I’m off grid so no regular wifi available.)
Perfick!
I’ve travelled down to just N of Limoges at the moment and the signal has always been good, mainly 4/5g.
(I’m off grid so no regular wifi available.)
Perfick!
Wessie....
It would be adhoc travel. No set time or away on a specific date...
Just when I felt like it..
I might not go for a few months then go mad
It would be adhoc travel. No set time or away on a specific date...
Just when I felt like it..
I might not go for a few months then go mad
The Lebara SIM that Wessie (and now Okdrat) mentions, is very good. I had one for a long while and would gladly have another.
The phone will ‘work’ without a SIM card, in as much as it will know where you are and display your position on a downloaded map. All it won’t do is:
Make / receive calls / texts / emails and the like.
Access the internet. To do this, just go into anywhere with free wi-fi. For example, McDonald’s or most hotels.
For what you intend to use the phone for, you’ll be fine. To check, take your existing phone (with, I assume a SIM card in it) and take the SIM card out. It won’t blow up!
The phone will ‘work’ without a SIM card, in as much as it will know where you are and display your position on a downloaded map. All it won’t do is:
Make / receive calls / texts / emails and the like.
Access the internet. To do this, just go into anywhere with free wi-fi. For example, McDonald’s or most hotels.
For what you intend to use the phone for, you’ll be fine. To check, take your existing phone (with, I assume a SIM card in it) and take the SIM card out. It won’t blow up!
I have used my phone abroad but have roaming/data turned off,,,,
Just didn't want too turn everything on for a 5 minute look about and then forget it having done so....
Memory/thinking is not my best point....everything I do has too be written down as I forget passwords and such like....
Or even what I was doing next......
Just didn't want too turn everything on for a 5 minute look about and then forget it having done so....
Memory/thinking is not my best point....everything I do has too be written down as I forget passwords and such like....
Or even what I was doing next......
or just practice close to home with the old Samsung - connect the old phone to wifi, charge the battery, download the Google Map tile for home and ask the phone to guide you for a walk to the local Greggs, pub, mosque etc.
If @crumbles struggles with the technology, employ a grandchild or local scout looking to achieve a care in the community badge
The Samsung can be left in "no data" mode as the Google maps app will use the inbuilt GPS chip and downloaded mapping data not 4G to find out where it is located.
I think I would need Internet at somestage,
as if I am out in the sticks and say need too search for a campsite nearby perhaps..
Having no Internet isn't going too show up sites...
as if I am out in the sticks and say need too search for a campsite nearby perhaps..
Having no Internet isn't going too show up sites...
Just buy the very cheap Labara SIM and all your worries will fade away.
Put the spare phone into aeroplane mode, when you do not want to have the phone active, other than as a GPS device.
Leave it in aeroplane mode but turn on the internet, whilst you are in McDonald’s or wherever.
Turn off aeroplane mode if you so urgently need a phone signal, that only that very moment will do.
Or just use your UK phone as as hotspot, the data use will be minimal. In fact, if you don’t want to make calls (other than in an emergency) you hardly need the second phone at all.
but you have 5GB of data on your main phone for this purpose?
