Cell phones in Europe [telecom]

- J
- John Mayson
  
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posted
14 years ago

Sat, Apr 24, 2010 3:55 AM

I know this has been discussed before. I went through the archives and didn't get an exact answer, so I'll ask it again. Not complaining mind you. :-)

My daughter wants to study abroad for a semester in The Netherlands. Her school requires she have a cell phone in case they need to get a hold of her. I think this is utter nonsense and there's no reason email couldn't be used. But I digress.

She has an iPhone. I've heard too many horror stories of people taking their iPhones (and other smart phones) abroad and coming home to bills more expensive than their trips. My suggestion was to order a pre-paid cell phone from The Netherlands and have her carry that. AFAIK it's not possible to change the SIM in an iPhone (at least it's not very easy).

Can anyone suggest something affordable?

Thanks, John

- M
- Mark Smith
  
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posted
13 years ago

Sat, Apr 24, 2010 5:14 PM

One of the cheaper ways to go is a basic phone from Trackfone (or Virgin or any GSM pay as you go company.) I have heard that in Europe you can buy the GSM card by itself. Remove the pay as you go card and replace with the European card. I got a Nokia from Trackfone for $19.95. If the European company will only give service if you buy a phone, buy it there. You can then use it as a pay as you go phone when she returns.

Mark L. Smith

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- J
- John Levine
  
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posted
13 years ago

Sat, Apr 24, 2010 10:03 PM

Don't do that. Tracfones are programemd only to work in the US; they don't even work in Canada which is technically compatible, there's no possibility of them working in Europe where the frequency bands are different. Ditto Virgin Mobile.

The way you get a cheap phone in the Netherlands is simple. You walk into a phone store, of which there is one approximately every 10 meters from one end of the country to the other, and buy one. I've bought prepaid phones in the UK and France for under $20 and I expect the price in the Netherlands would be similar.

A Netherlands phone will work all over Europe, at somewhat higher roaming rates, but not in North America due to different bands. But for $20, what do you want?

R's, John