monksb

I will shortly be taking a short vacation in England and am thinking of purchasing a phone while there. I do not need internet but would like the ability to text and call back to the USA. Also as I will be flying via Amsterdam, service from and to Europe will be needed. Any sugestions?

Thanks in advance.

Ash UK/US

A few years ago I bought a cheapo PAYG on eBay (Tesco) for £10 it can also be used in main land Europe. With a £10 refill they where giving £10 free.

Jan Alaska

If your phone over here uses a Sim and is unlocked you can just get a Sim card over there and service. I got an O2 card with talk time, texts and a ton of data for 15 quid when I was over in June. As long as I use activate the Sim once a month I get to keep the number so I can use it next time I visit too.

RICH

Is it so expensive to take and use a US phone in UK? I know it used to be, but things change? I have not been back for about 4 years.

Ash UK/US

The phone I got kept its balance between trips, no need to activate but all i was looking for was a cheapy to keep in touch with my UK family while I was there.

Charma1ne

If you are looking to call the USA a lot then O2 have a special top up sim that means for £10 a month (it’s just a whenever you top up deal) you get like 1000 mins to the USA (maybe not that many but something like that)

My friend who moved from Canada uses it to stay in touch with her parents and she highly recommends it

Cx

Ja5on

I went back a few weeks ago. I took my unlocked USA cell phone with me and bought an ASDA sim card. It cost 20 pounds for 500mb data, 500mins and unlimited txt. Which was plenty for the week I was staying.

I would suggest using a call through service like rebtel and just getting something that has a lot of normal mins. The international deals that I came across where like 5-10pounds a month but only got you like 60min to cell phones. It was a lot more to land lines, but I don't really call them.

monksb

Thanks to everyone for the info, I have done some checking on line and am leaning towards buying a cheap phone when I get to the UK. Does anyone have any information on Carphone Warehouse?

Charma1ne

Yeah what would you like to know about them?

Cx

monksb

Just general stuff. How good the service is, what kind of phones they offer, how easy is it to buy a phone, etc. Also if people have a better option, I do not have a phone that takes a SIM card so taking my own phone is not an option. I am looking for something that will do what I need and will not cost me an arm and a leg. Sounds simple, does'nt it.

Englishmum

A few years ago when I was on a trip to England I went to a Carphone Warehouse and bought one of their most basic, cheap Nokia phones, which came with about 10 pounds credited on the pay-as-you-go basis. It's great for using the phone for local UK calls and texting overseas.

It's a bit hazy now, I'm pretty sure it was on the Vodaphone network but you can choose which network you would like your new phone to be on. A couple of years ago I lost the original SIM card so I went to another Carphone Warehouse near Liverpool St. Station in London and got another SIM card, but this time chose to go with the Orange network (as my daughter and sister are on it on their phones in England).

I just top it up at LloydsTSB Bank ATMs (I have an account with Lloyds) or buy the top up scratchcards in Tescos (they sell them in lots of other places too).

I still use this phone whenever I'm out of the US; when I was spending a lot of time in Singapore I just went to a local phone shop and bought a new SIM Card (in Singapore I had to produce a passport for ID) and used to buy scratch cards at 7-11 stores to top up the credit.

I also use this very same phone when I'm in Switzerland; I just went into an Orange telephone shop there and got another Swisscom Sim card.

I love my little Nokia....as it is so basic the battery charge lasts for days, unlike my blooming useless Samsung Charge android 'smart' phone which I have here in the US. I always put it in aircraft mode and turn off data roaming as soon as I get on a plane departing the States...the charges are horrendous overseas.....but I use it if there is free wifi if I'm out and about and use Skype to call the US or other countries on this phone (and also in our apartment in Switzerland).

Charma1ne

Carphone Warehouse isnt a coverage provider it just promotes like Orange, O2, T-mobile etc it depends on the person in the shop on what service you get. They offer a wide range of phones to suit everyones needs although, as most phone shops, they limit the pay as you go phones so that you are more inclined to go onto a contract.

One thing that just came to me!

http://www.onesimcard.com/international-cell-phones/

You could order this international phone/sim card to your house before you leave. It works all over the world costs $59.95 and comes with $10 prepaid credit so you can use it straight away. That way you have a phone for Amsterdam and the UK fromt he moment you land. They have cheap international rates for calling all major countries such as the USA and the UK etc. Its maybe worth looking into for you

Cx

Englishmum

But if you bought a phone with this 'international' sim card, presumably you would have a phone with a US phone number?

When I'm in, say the UK and making phone calls and need someone to call me back, they would most definitely not want (or indeed be able to) make a return call to me on a phone number which has an international dialling code....