If you’re an American iPhone user getting ready to take a trip to Europe, you’ve likely been warned about using your iPhone abroad. After all, AT&T’s rates for international data use can be confusing, and misunderstanding your usage or iPhone setup could be a very costly mistake.
I just returned from two weeks in Europe, one spent in Paris and one in Venice. This was a work trip, during which I visited about 90 hotels for EuroCheapo. I brought along my laptop, but what to do with my iPhone? Was there an economical way to use it in France and Italy? Should I pay for one of the international data packages offered by AT&T? Should I just leave the thing in New York?
When taking a pleasure trip, I usually turn off my phone before blast-off and leave it off until I return to JFK. (This has become increasingly inconvenient, however, in recent years as connecting with friends abroad is obviously aided by sending text messages. Those, however, don’t always work with American cell phones and require international roaming, which puts you at risk of receiving phone calls from home — which will cost you.)
In any case, I realized that my iPhone could be handy. It’s nice to stay on top of emails, download the latest news from the New York Times, and be on my way. But how to do it without going broke?
Advice from AT&T
AT&T, the exclusive US carrier for the iPhone, offers a number of international phone and data packages for Americans taking their phones abroad. The day before take-off, I called and spoke to a customer service representative about my options.
Two weeks later I’m still “processing” that conversation. Let’s just say there are a lot of variables at play, including whether or not you expect to use your iPhone abroad to a) place international phone calls, b) receive international phone calls, c) send and receive emails, d) browse the web, and e) use iPhone applications. Each of these points carries its own possible traps and, of course, AT&T offers a “package” to address each issue.
Just want to make calls on your iPhone from abroad?
If you plan to use your phone to make and receive calls, you can opt for the AT&T World Traveler feature (currently $5.99 month), which gives you a discounted price for making and receiving calls. Using this feature, placing or receiving a call from France and Italy would drop from $1.29 to $.99 per minute. Not exactly cheap.
Don’t forget that receiving a call will also cost you – even if you don’t answer it. If the call connects to your phone, it’s billable.
Important: If you choose to only make and receive calls abroad, don’t forget to deactivate your data roaming. But we’ll get to that…
Sending and receiving emails and browsing the Web from abroad
For sending and receiving emails, browsing the web, and using applications, AT&T advises you to purchase an international data roaming package. Stay with me here. These packages are available in four sizes, from 20 MB of international data transfer (for $24.99) to 200 MB of international data transfer (for $199). (Prices current as of March 2010.)
So, say you go with the $24.99 package. What exactly does that mean? How many emails can you send and receive with 20 MB of “data transfer”? How many web pages can you browse? Which applications can you use? That, of course, depends…
Hence, my headache. I had read horror stories of travelers buying a data package only to find that they surpassed it early in their trip by opening some “heavy” email messages or browsing image-rich websites.
AT&T’s tips for avoiding a billing “surprise”
In AT&T’s customer service center, the carrier offers tips for avoiding these sorts of surprise. The tips, which are quite helpful, include:
1) Turn off data roaming.
You’ll find this under Settings > General > Network > Data Roaming. (To make it easy, the iPhone even says “Turn data roaming off when abroad to avoid substantial roaming charges when using email, web browsing, and other data services.) If you’re using your iPhone to simply make and receive phone calls, make sure you do this.
2) Turn fetch data “Off”.
This prevents your iPhone from automatically checking for emails. To access this, go to Setting > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data. Switch “Push” to “Off” and click “Manually”. Once switched, you’ll have to manually tell your phone to send and receive emails.
3) Consider purchasing an international data package.
As I mentioned above, AT&T offers four data packages, ranging from $29.99 to $199. If you are planning, at any point during your trip, to use a data network to access the web or use emails, you are strongly advised to get some sort of plan.
4) Reset the usage tracker to zero.
This is interesting. Under Settings > Usage, you can see how many MB of data you’ve sent and received since you last reset the statistics. Theoretically, then, you could reset your statistics, and then track your subsequent bandwidth – perfect for those who have purchased an international bandwidth plan, right?
The only hiccup with this, unfortunately, is that the stats aren’t always up-to-date. It turns out that AT&T can have substantial delays in reporting international data usage (as international carriers are actually providing you with the network and then, later, reporting it back to AT&T). This means, well, that you certainly can’t rely on this metric for tracking your use in real-time.
5) Switch to Wi-Fi instead of data networks.
Bingo.
Airplane is my answer
Having discussed the options to the point of delirium, I basically threw in the towel and chose the most extreme option. Unfortunately, I had this sneaking suspicion that even with an international roaming package in place, I’d carelessly open an email with a dozen photos of my cats and wind up with a $4,000 phone bill.
Thus, frustrated and paranoid, I opted for “Airplane Mode.”
Airplane Mode blocks phone and data networks from going into and out of your iPhone. Wi-Fi networks, however, are accessible. It basically turns your iPhone into an iPod Touch. Airplane Mode is accessible under Settings > Airplane Mode.
Flying solo
The decision to use my iPhone for two weeks in Airplane Mode meant, of course, that to send and receive emails I needed to access a free Wi-Fi network. It also meant that I wouldn’t be able to send and receive text messages or make phone calls. In a separate post, I’ll explain how I went about finding free Wi-Fi networks in Paris and Venice.
Of course, my simple “Airplane Mode” solution won’t work for everyone. Some travelers will obviously need to use their phones to send and receive calls and texts. Others will need predictable email and web service. For these users, I’d suggest calling AT&T, adding some international services, turning off “fetch,” and still using “airplane mode” whenever possible.
However, for Cheapos like me who simply need an occasional connection, consider flying on “Airplane Mode” during your trip. You’ll relax about charges and still have basic services.
Tell us: Have you taken your iPhone abroad? Do you have any tips for avoiding surprise charges? Do you think I’m a big wimp for relying on Airplane Mode for two weeks? Tell us about your experience in the comments section.
Has anyone figured out how to use the free wifi all over Rome with their American iphone? Apparently you need an Italian SIM card and then you need to register your phone number with them. iphones are locked so this won’t work.
Depends on the iphone – if you have an older iphone, or a newer one with the appropriate older baseband, you can jailbreak it – AND you can unlock it to use a SIM card. That’s the reason I can’t, because my iphone 4 has the newer software (4.3.1) which can be jailbroken, but CAN’T be unlocked (yet), so I will have to use my iPad2 while there, since all ipads are unlocked, and can take SIM cards from Europe just fine. I’ve decided to use the iPad2, with local carrier SIM cards, and use skype to keep in touch with my office while away. Maybe they will figure out a software way to unlock my iphone before going in May, but I doubt it, and everyone has said to stay away from the “circuit board sandwich” sim cards and unlocking companies who promise to unlock your phone by using your IMEI numbers (which can easily be circumvented by Apple at any time). I’ll wait until a foolproof software unlocking program is developed, or, if not, just use my ipad exclusively while away.
Does anyone know if I can forward my cell phone to a skype number and receive and make calls for free on my IPhone 4 while in Europe?
yes you can use skype or google phones while in Europe on wi-fi without any additional cost from your carrier. Just pre-pay for your calls through there. Very cheap. make sure you aren’t using data roaming and all the other things. Wi-Fi only.
I’ve done it in France, Brussels, Netherlands, and Germany. (And probably India, but I don’t remember now as wi-fi isn’t as available to me when I travel there.)
That’s very simple look here http://www.iphone4g-pro.com/jailbreak-4-3-3-iphone-avec-redsn0w-0-9-6-rc-15-t8140.html
Hi, I am travelling to Turkey in less than a week. I’m just verifying-can I use my iphone 4 to use all apps and browse internet while there for free as long as I am connected to a wifi network?
We have iphone 4′s, but the original ipad. Will ipad #1 take a SIM? If it does, I assume I have to have it installed by a phone store, but I don’t know how you could activate the Roma Wireless card because you need an Italian phone #. (I am only talking about Rome)
Yes the sim should work just fine in the ipad1 (assuming it has a sim card, since I don’t know if the wifi only versions had sim cards). All ipad1′s and ipad2′s are unlocked by Apple, so I’m told.
I have a 3G iPhone. I couldn’t connect on the Roma Wireless either. What I did was open by Settingsand turned on wi-fi in the Airplane mode. Then, while walking through Rome, I search for unlocked wireless routers and connected that way. Once I connected, I stopped and checked my mail and used Skype. Worked like a charm.
So are you saying that if you use Skype on your Iphone3G or new Iphone when you are traveling that there is no international charge? Does you phone have to be on a particular setting to assure there are no charges involved, and I am assuming you must be in a WIFI area. Is this also true of the IPAD?
I can’t speak to the iPad, as I don’t have one.
I have an AT&T 3G iPhone with the Skype app. It is not jailbroken. I was able to use it in Airplane mode, with wi-fi on and find a free wi-fi signal and call back to the United States. I was billed at the rate of $0.023 a minute, according to my call log. A 6 minute call from Italy cost me 20 cents. I have the Skype plan where I pay $10 as I go and it automatically recharges when it gets low.
I had Airplane mode on, wi-fi on (it defaults to off when you select airplane mode) and data transfer off. I just went to my wi-fi in settings and wandered around a neighborhood in Venice until I picked up an unlocked wi-fi router and made the calls.
With an iPhone 3G, would I be better off doing the above (Airplane mode/Wifi on/Skype) in London for 10 days (given the ubiquitous free wifi) OR jailbreaking it and buying a PAYG sim card once I get there? TIA!
Can anyone please help me unlock my old Nokia 6102i ? I will be in France for two weeks and intend to buy a Sim card for the phone, but I’m told I must first unlock it.
I’m doing what Wayne stated. Works well for short term traveling or vacations.
AIRPLANE MODE is turned on to disable the cellular and WiFi radios. Then we only turn on the WiFi (via the settings menu of course) so the iPhone is now displaying an airplane where it used to display AT&T-(BARS) but the WiFi indicator is now on.
Now we see it’s time to travel around in search of open WiFi networks with your iPhone and connect to one. I cannot confirm what WiFI is currently available in europe but in Canada, certain cities have limited city-wide WiFi (within a certain geographical region) for about $7.00 a month. The cheapest AT&T data add on is $24.95 per handset. Are you doing the math?
Cellular Voice and Text Messaging will not work because we are in Airplane Mode…. However and we know if we turn off Airplane Mode the chances of our bill increasing exponentially is huge. Best workaround I found was to download the Skype App. Skype works by placing your voice call over the WiFi radio for almost free. It has a keypad just like the default iPhone keypad.
There are also free Apps from the App Store that allow text messaging over WiFi for free.
I paid approximately $7.00 for a month of WiFi service and $3.99 for a month of Skype last time I traveled abroad with my iPhone.
AT&T add-on data plans are $24.99-$199.99 depending on size.
AT&T International voice roaming is between roughly $.79 and $2.99 per minute depending on what International add-on plan you have selected.
AT&T Text Messaging abroad can be be between $.09 to $1.50 PER TEXT MESSAGE!
AT&T’s way requires you to get out your checkbook.
This way requires you to get to know your phones capabilities but saves you some ching !!!!!!!!!
Good Luck.
Hannah…….As for the Nokia unlock…..I’d call AT&T and ask them first. They’ve been known to give out unlock codes for specific phones if you tell them you’re moving for a few months. Keep asking.
The 6102i can be unlocked….google it.
Wow, I am heading to England and Scotland in August and have been trying to figure out a work around for the last month. These tips are super valuable.
I agree with Tom, and I would go as far as saying: Don’t use your Iphone at all.
Bring your laptop and whenever you have free internet connection, make calls on Skype. Either Skype to Skype (free) or Skype Out (just a small charge). Here you can also do your email correspondence and browsing.
Then bring an old cellphone that has been “opened”. It must be a GSM phone, meaning a phone that has worked on the AT&T or T-Mobile system. The GSM system is everywhere in the world, except Japan. You cannot use a phone that has worked on Verizon, Sprint or Nextel.
Then, when you arrive in the country in Europe where you are going to spend the most time, buy a local SIM card and make inexpensive calls within the country you are in, or, at somewhat more expensive rates , country to country. You can also buy a “disposable” phone inexpensively.
Is this too complicated for you? Then pay the high charges from AT&T!!!!!!!!
I am headed to France for a vacation in a few weeks. I have 2 iphones – my original iphone3 which was configured for use with AT&T service, but now is disabled for cell usage. I still use it a little as an Ipod touch and wi-fi device and children are allowed to play with it
, and my replacement iphone4 which is currently my active cell phone on Verizon service. While in France, I will figure out some other way to make phone calls, I certainly don’t want to incur any roaming charges, and it sounds like my verizon phone won’t work at all anyway. But I would like to take advantage of wi-fi service where I can find it, to check email and so forth – perhaps to download travel maps and do some research, and so forth.
Am I better off to carry around the formerly at&t iphone3? or to carry around the iphone4/verizon in airplane mode with wi-fi enabled? Somehow the iphone3 seems safer since it is no longer associated with a phone number and service.
Are there any caveats? Such as possible scenarios where I could unwittingly rack up a bill that is larger than the cost of the trip?
Or is either of the scenarios unworkable for some reason?
thanks in advance for any feedback on this question.
Kay Casavant,
It really depends on how “connected” you want to be. If you don’t care if people are able to reach you, you can just take any of your iPhones and put it in airplane mode…then calls can be made/received via Skype (or other similar VoIP service) only when you are connected to a wifi service.
If you want to be reachable via at least some phone number at all times, you should jailbreak and unlock your old iPhone…then purchase a SIM card when you get to France. If your SIM card includes data, then you can always receive calls both with your French number and through Skype (you could have your American phone number forward calls to your Skype number so people can reach you with a local call). If your SIM card does NOT include data, then people will be able to reach you on your French number at any time, and on your Skype number only when you are connected to wifi.
FYI, there are some VoIP services that give you a phone number and allow FREE incoming calls, such as sipgate. Since it’s VoIP, the calls are sent over the Internet…so it doesn’t matter where you are in the world as long as you have an Internet (data) connection. If you sign up for that, you would need a VoIP app on your phone (I use one called fringe in combination with sipgate). Sipgate’s call quality is mediocre, and there is a lag (as there is with most VoIP services). But it’s FREE for incoming calls (and like 1 or 2 cents a minute for outgoing calls to US numbers…even though you’re in France). If you want simplicity though, go with Skype.
Thanks, all, for the helpful advice. I’m still looking for a little clarification, though, if someone can oblige me.
The last time I went to Europe, cell phones may have existed but they were probably still big as bricks. This summer I’m headed to Germany for four weeks and would like to take my iPhone 3GS for the convenience of keeping in touch with family and friends via Skype, Facebook, etc. (using Airplane Mode with WiFi on, thanks to your excellent suggestions).
The group I’m going with plans to buy cheap phones and SIM cards when we get to Germany and use those to keep in touch. If I go ahead and get an AT&T international plan for my iPhone… and here’s my dumb question… will they be able to call me without using up all their minutes? It would be a local call for them, effectively, yes? I don’t mind joining the bandwagon and getting the PAYG phone, but it seems silly to have it PLUS the iPhone if a one-month international plan is going to cost me roughly the same.
Please advise, and point out any obvious logical flaws I’m not seeing. Thanks!
Squirrelhenge,
Why don’t you jailbreak and unlock your 3gs (free) and purchase a SIM card there. If your SIM card doesn’t include data, just disable data in the settings…then you can use data only when you’re connected to a wifi…so they can call you locally, and vice versa. If you’re using Skype, you could have your American phone number forwarded to your Skype number and your friends/family in the States can still reach you (on your phone) as if you were at home by using a local call. This is assuming you’re either connected to a wifi when they call, or data is included in your German SIM card. If you need more specific help with the jailbreak/unlock, post your iOS version and baseband version. And if you haven’t updated your phone recently, do NOT update. If you update, you might not be able to jailbreak and/or unlock (the important one) your phone. Jailbreaking /unlocking is not dangerous. If you run into issues, you simply put it in DFU mode and restore it….very simple. When you return from Germany, you can restore it and nobody will ever know it was jailbroken (including AT&T/Apple…not that it matters, since it’s not illegal to jailbreak). Or you can get an expensive international plan through AT&T.
Anthony,
Which jailbreaking/unlocking method do you suggest for AT&T iPhone 3GS v.4.3.3 (8J2) {don’t know what baseband is?}
I’m touring a number of countries in EU, will I need local SIMS for all of them?
Thanks in advance
We are travelling to France and would like to use the iPhone 3G for occasional calls, but especially would like to use the map app/GPS to supplement paper maps when we’re driving. Do we need an international plan for that? I don’t think ti would work if the phone is on airplane mode. Any ideas? I think renting a GPS is quite pricey. Thanks!
To pay almost nothing for your outgoing calls from Europe to the US, follow the directions about turning off data roaming and fetch and then turn on airplane mode. This will turn off wi-fi but then turn wi-fi back on, leaving the phone in airplane mode. Hot spots are everywhere, including in McDonalds. Use Skype for your voice connection and, Voila, you have very inexpensive outgoing voice calling without fear of other charges.
I am currently visiting in Germany, bought the 20MG package from AT&T, my phone is not working to recive data. Not sure what to do!! Anyone can help?
My spendthrift husband bought the AT&T data plan for an upcoming trip to France. Based on posts here I tried out the airplane wi-fi option at home on my iphone3 and it works perfectly for allowing wi-fi internet access but blocking text and data. My hubby will think I’m brilliant and my Facebook dependent teen will be able to keep in touch on the trip too. Thank you!!!!!
Hi thanks so much for the great ideas. I have an iPhone 3GS and my sister the iPhone 4 we will be in Dublin , Ireland and France for a couple weeks and looking for a solution. I also heard something about google voice being free to use when overseas … Is this true ? Has anyone tried this ?
Thank you so much! You just saved me a lot of $$$ and worry about my teen and her iphone in Germany for three weeks. I think with Skype we have it covered. Bless you!
Just talked to AT&T. The airplane mode seems great unless you want to receive text, which might be important to you if you have someone in the country you are visiting needing to text you. Skype text will only work if you are in wifi. For $10 you can get 50 outgoing text and incoming text are on your normal plan (so I’m told). But airplane mode won’t work…here’s what ATT told me to do…turn fetch off and only fetch email when in WIFI, call fwd phone to US number…like house phone…skype etc, google voice etc. Turn data roaming off. So you can get text but won’t be hit with international roaming for calls or data. Should work. Any thoughts to the contrary?
Also, I wonder if people in the foreign country could send a text to a google voice number? Again, you won’t see it unless in Wifi so the text international plan seems nice.
Is this for AT&T iPhone 4? Can the iphone4 use uk and eu wifi? I’m so confused! I’ve never been to Europe before and am having a hard time understanding all of this!
The suggestions I have read have been very educational. I hope to use my Iphone using the tips suggested above in a few days during my European trip, but I need some help.
My situation doesn’t require that I call the US from Europe often, but be able to call and receive calls from numbers in Europe. We have rented a few apartments during our stay. I need to provide the owners with a contact number, and call them when we arrive.
Do I just buy Skype credit? Can I receive calls or do I need a number?
Do I get an online number with Skype? If so, I have to make it a US number and then am I, and the apartment owners, making long distance calls and wasting both my and their money?
I have read suggestions about getting a prepaid phone once I arrive, but as we are traveling to several different countries, this means changing SIM cards each time and still doesn’t give me a reliable number to be reached at.
Being able to communicate with my group in Europe would be nice, but doesn’t have to be in real time so Skype credit and online resources should work fine. Being able to call back home would be welcome, but i can get a calling card for that if neccessary. Having the ability to call and receive calls from my European hosts is my dilemna. Thank you for any help you can provide.
HI Enjoyed your thoughts on using an iphone in Europe ( I’m planning a trip for spring 2012 ).
A very scary thought that I could incur charges while my phone is ‘fetching’ and ‘pushing’ while I sleep, you offer some good ideas ( airplane ) etc., dumbing the iphone down to an ipod touch works for me as i use skype alot and can survive — I think — with FB and Skype. Did I read somewhere that skype and FB were merging? Maybe Skype credit for those calls would be nice too.
We’ll see. What I do rely on is internet access to get information needed while traveling.
Anyway … no I liked your idea about airplane mode. The trip is costly enough
All good suggestions. Wifi is not quite as ubiquitous in Paris as in London. In London St. Pancras RR Station has wifi everywhere and free! In Paris, Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC though they don’t all work seamlessly. Each mairie (town hall) in each arrondissement (district) has free wifi during the day which often works. Some cafes have it as do some large hotel lobbies but very variable. Download a wifi finder app (free) from the App store. They are flat files and do not search real time wifi but most are up to date and worth a try. Once you are on wifi the iphone works very well with Skype. If you have an unlocked older phone (I have a Nokia) you can buy a sim card for about $10 or $20 in Paris (or London but works only in the country you buy it). Beware though that the rates both within France, EU and to the US are not cheap. Better than AT&T but much more than Skype. On the other hand you have a phone and a local number.
Before leaving for Italy, I was informed by an AT&T representative that I would not be charged for incoming calls from the US to Italy because it was a US number calling a US number. I repeated what the person said to me because it sounded unreal. And it was. I came home to a bill of $118.00 of calls because I would call home and tell them to call me back because it was no charge. Just want to put this out there for anyone who so you don’t get mis-informed. I did purchase a text package for outgoing text messages. Incoming text messages were no charge. I think……
Hi, We are in Germany now, in the Kaiserslautern area and have had no success with finding wi-fi hotspots that we don’t need to pay for just out and about. The hotels have it, but most restaurants don’t provide the free wi-fi here and so we have had no success with the plan of going to lunch connect to internet and check email. Very frustrating as I was hoping to use this method until the 5 came out in Oct. Instead I will be getting the 4 in the next couple of days so I have some sort of internet access.
hope you have better luck in different areas.
SajMom and Wes Smith, you guys realize that the version of your iPhone will have ZERO impact on free wifi networks available to you in any country, right? The only things that could impact your Internet access (aside from the obvious…free wifi networks being available) is your data plan through your cell provider and their coverage in the area that you are visiting.
And since AT&T is outrageously expensive overseas, it’s probably a much cheaper option to either live off of the free wifi (if you can cope with it) or jailbreak AND unlock your phone so you can purchase a SIM card (with a data plan, of course) for the country you’re visiting.
If you choose the 2nd option, you should research the SIM provider to make sure their coverage is good, etc. If, however, you keep your iPhone’s software up-to-date (most recent iOS and firmware), then there’s a good chance that you will NOT be able to unlock your phone for usage on other cell provider’s networks.
Nice thread. I’ve been all around Asia and it’s not much better.
Maybe they’ll get it right on i5.
I am in the UK right now and I have turned off my data roam, disabled my international roaming/international calls, turned fetch off, and put my phone in airplane mode with wifi enabled; however, under time (I think this is what it is called) it says usage and the number keeps going up even when I have the phone in airplane mode. I reset the data tracker and those numbers are staying at zero (for the data) why is that one usage section under settings /general stating usage time? I dont want to get hit with a hge bill, help!
I will be cycling the French and Swiss alps with a buddy in September. The previous suggestions for inexpensively using my iphone4 are invaluable, and I appreciate the comments that you all have made.
One questions: I am sure I will be able to get by for the 5-week trip using the wifi only method for connectivity. However, once in a while my friend and I get separated and need to make a phone call to locate each other. Of course, the per minute charge for these calls would be high, but only infrequently used. In this situation the wifi-only method cannot be used. What changes should I make in my phone settings on the spot so that I can make the occasional direct phone call to his rented phone without inadvertently downloading emails and phone messages thereby racking up a huge bill?
By the way, any comments from cyclists would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
I plan on using my iPhone 3GS for SpeechTrans (translation service) in France as well as using the phone of GPS. I will be using Skype for phone calls.
Since both the GPS and the translator require internet access, I assume I have to buy a data plan from AT&T. Any idea of how big a data plan I need to buy for eight days?
I am going to Spain soon and I called ATT to find out what my best options were….here is what I decided to do:
1. I purchased for $10 the International text plan. This allows me to SEND 50 texts from my phone to any US phone number while abroad. I am able to receive as many texts as my current plan allows (mine is 200/mo) at no additional cost. The only problem with this is that your phone cannot be in airplane mode to send/receive texts and therefore is open for incoming calls which will cost you whether you answer them or not. To avoid this, simply forward your cell phone number to a US based land line, and also do not forget to diable any fetch/push settings on your phone. Also, (unless you are on wifi) avoid opening any apps that require data streams to work such as maps, Google, etc….I would make sure the phone is in airplane mode before opening ANY apps just to be safe. You can always reconnect to wifi once you have put the phone in airplane mode.
2. As for making the few calls I will need to make, there are several options, but all require a wifi connection. Skype is good and offers inexpensive international rates, but I have found an app that actually gives you some limited minutes for free: TextFree with Voice. It’s a free app in the app store and you can load it up with minutes just by trying other apps it recommends. I have 140 minutes banked up with it right now and that will be MORE than enough for my 10 day trip. Again, the only caveat here is that you must be on wifi in order to use it.
If anyone knows of any free wifi spots in Sitges Spain, I’d love to hear about them!
Rather than forward your calls to a US based land line, forward your phone to Google Voice. It gives you a new phone number and your calls are recorded and transcribed and accessible via the Internet. Google Voice is free. If you forward to a US land line, you’ll incur charges accessing your voice mail.
As for free wi-fi spots, as I mentioned earlier, just wander around with your internet enabled phone until you find one. Almost all the unsecured ones I found were on private (personal) wireless routers.
That’s very good advice, but as my home “land” line is actually internet based service, all my voicemails are also accessible online
Thanks for the tip!
I am traveling to and around Lesser Poland (southern section around Krakow) for a week. I have an iPhone 3GS and will bring my laptop. The two hotels in which I’m staying offer free WiFi. I want to call the US just 3 or 4 times. What’s the best/cheapest route for me? Anyone have experience with Eastern European countries in terms of calls, WiFi, etc.?
If that’s all you need to do, I’d suggest getting the Skype iPhone app, and purchasing a $10 credit (lowest available) in Skype minutes. Make sure you set phone to Airplane mode, WiFi only. Worked perfectly for me in Prague.
Will do, Chris. I’m doing a cooking journey – too bad I can’t send you some mushrooms and dumplings as a way of saying “thanks”!
OK, I get the Airplane ON mode and then using WiFi spots to use Skype scenario. But unless there is some basic point i’m misunderstanding, that will only serve for outgoing calls. Anyone needing to contact you i.e. for an emergency would not be able to reach you, unless by coincidence they were using skype just when you happened to be in a WiFi spot.
That is the danger of putting your phone in airplane mode and leaving it there. People trying to get ahold of you in an emergency will be out of luck. You can purchase a pay as you go phone for dirt cheap on any corner in most cities…why not just get one and give your family and friends the number in case? Also, if you need to make European calls to friends you can do it until the minutes card you purchased runs out.
I got a Google Voice number (it’s free). Before you leave, forward your cell to your Google Voice and it will record and transcribe all your calls and they will be available on the Internet for you to retrieve for free any time you are able to access the Internet. There’s no advantage in getting messages from the U.S. in real time because of the time difference.
I am going to France and Morocco next month..I do have the skype app on my iphone as well as Skype on my Macbook..I know about the airplane mode and turning Wifi on..What I do not know…I have several peps I am meeting that live in Europe that I will need to meet up with /communicate..Is there a way to either check my messages briefly on my iphone so I can call them back on my skype or either get messages from my iphone number forwarded to my skype ?
i currently speak to my brother who lives in Germany with a free app on my iPhone 4 called Heytell. It’s like a walkie-talkie, records a brief message then uses Internet – so it would only work via wifi if you have data disabled. But if you found wifi for a minute you can “call” them free. Also any messages that they have sent you would be waiting for you when you open the app. Just DONT set it to “push data,” or you’ll be using int. roaming.
Heytell for the wifi win in a quick pinch.
also I’m going to see him next week in Germany and Switzerland.
The plan: 1- airplane mode 2- buy $10 text and $25 lowest mb data plan = $35 3- use his phone for local german calls (hotels, emergencies etc)
This way I can keep it in airplane/wifi only for most of the time, switch over o regular when I reaaaally need to text or check the internet, and I get the best of both worlds for $35 bucks. Yay.
Thanks for all the posts!
I am going hiking in Nepal for a month. My plan is to purchase an international sim card and use it in my inexpensive phone that has all 4 GSM bands. The sim card will have a US number. I plan to forward my cell number to the new US number so if my family needs to call me, they can dial my regular number and reach me at no charge. It will cost me Incoming calls from the US: $ 1.15 / min. It will cost me: Outgoing to a Landline: $ 1.45 / min. Outgoing to a Cell Phone: $ 1.70 / min. Incoming text messages are free and outgoing are $0.60/message
My question is: If I purchase an Iphone to bring with me and keep it in airplane mode, with wi fi enabled, will I still be able to receive calls on my other phone? I really only want to be able to check my email occasionally and maybe check on what is going on in the world. I am sure there are very few places where I will even be able to access wi fi since I will be mostly hiking the Anapurna Sanctuary Trek.
Any advice, especially from someone that has been to Nepal, would be appreciated. I leave in 2 weeks.
I am going to Ireland in November…I am so confused by reading all of this (senior citizen). I have a 3g iPhone and I get it that I can turn off my email but isn’t there a way to suspend my text, voicemail for 2 weeks? I just want to be able to check in daily with my husband. Thank you as any insight you can give me would be awsome.
Susan — I’m sure all the scenarios do get confusing. Will you have access to Wi-Fi? If yes, then set your phone to Airplane Mode. That cuts it off from cellular networks, and you only can use Wi-Fi.
You’ll have access to email. You can make calls if you get some kind of VOIP calling account, like Skype. Get a $10 credit, download the app to your phone, and you are good to go. Of course, no one will be able to call you unless you happen to be connected.
Be really careful with T-Mobile. They tell you that even if data roaming is turned off, you could still connect and you’ll have to pay. There are TWO data roaming things on my phone that must be disabled – Data roaming and Use packet data. We found that out after our trip to Munich: http://class-factotum.blogspot.com/2011/09/marriage-401-lecture-512-how-terminator.html
This post was EXTREMELY helpful. I’m an iPhone 4 user about to study abroad in Madrid for 4 months and have been endlessly reading the AT&T Int’l Packages on their website — but have only ended up with a headache.
Thanks for this!
Most mobile companies should allow a locked iphone to use an overseas sim if you give them plenty of notice. I’ve heard AT&T & T-Mobile do this now in America, and Australian Telecoms allow this as well.
You can also head down to the nearest tech area of a major city and get the iphone unlocked.
Both scenarios should allow an overseas sim.
I’m studying abroad from Feb to May in Austria (plus traveling to other countries), and from a friend who studied in England and Greece (two separate semesters) told me that getting Skype credit was a great idea. So, I plan on using my iPhone as a glorified iTouch for Skyping home (both my Mom’s computer and my Nana’s home phone) and getting a local cell so I can call/text my classmates.
I’m not even going to attempt to jailbreak my phone, because I’m terrified I’d mess something up. It’s better than what I did when I was in London for 10 days. I got AT&T’s plan, and only had my Nana and Mom call me, and the bill was $500. Granted, I believe I went over my text limit, but either way, it was ridiculously expensive, and I’m not taking that chance again.