SIM card vs international plan

[Cruiser1862]

I have Verizon. They informed me that I can get an international plan for $20 for the month and use that for calling home. I’m curious why everyone gets SIM cards?  Is it for data?  Would I be able to get free WiFi places?  Thanks for educating me. I’m not as savvy electronically as some others!

[euro cruiser]

I used to get SIM cards when the international plans offered were so expensive, in recent years I haven't bothered.  Does your Verizon plan not include data?

[Cruiser1862]

It does include unlimited data. It’s not expensive at all. That’s why I was questioning why all suggestions were for SIM card

[CruiserBruce]

You will get wifi...that has nothing to do with phone calls and cellular data.

 

I agree...while sim cards have their uses, I think they are over rated. I would define the best use of a sim card is large numbers of phone calls or data use. Personally, My phone doesn't get used that often outside the country.

[euro cruiser]

I've been doing this so long I remember when you had to get a special cell phone mailed to you to use in Italy.  We graduated from that to buying a local SIM card for your unlocked US phone, and now the carriers seemed to have figured out they do better by offering a competitively priced package.  No need for the SIM card solution any more, at least not for me.

[Cruiser1862]

Thank you, appreciate the feedback. I’ll be just getting the international plan!

[-Lew-]

20 hours ago, Cruiser1862 said:

I have Verizon. They informed me that I can get an international plan for $20 for the month and use that for calling home. I’m curious why everyone gets SIM cards?  Is it for data?  Would I be able to get free WiFi places?  Thanks for educating me. I’m not as savvy electronically as some others!

 

Verizon is not my service provider...I'm on AT&T.  We'll be purchasing new iPhones in the fall and I have been comparing plans offered by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

 

I have been especially researching international plans offered by all three and I can tell you I haven't come across anything close to a $20 per month offer from Verizon.  This offer may be very new, but I recommend you contact Verizon again to confirm.  At $20 I'd be using cell service with abandon and wouldn't want to have a heart attack when I received my next bill.

 

By the way, if you do learn it's legit please post the particulars here.  Thanks...

[-Lew-]

I delved into the $20 plan some more and came up with the following.  It appears it's limited to some ships and airlines.  For us, Wi-Fi works just fine onboard cruise ships...for surfing, email, and calling.

 

[Torquer]

I have Verizon in the US.  I looked at that $20 Verizon plan mentioned.  Yikes it is horrible...only 50MB of data and no calling/texting.  Don't even consider it.

 

My main reason for having a phone on a cruise is for emergencies while in a port (for example, I am going to be a few minutes late getting back to the ship, or a medical emergency).  For this usage, calling is the most important thing, but I have also used data a lot since I have it...with a foreign SIM card it is usually really cheap data and avoids having to find WiFi when in port.

 

For a cruise this summer, we are embarking/disembarking in Italy, but the cruise also goes to several stops in Greece and Turkey.  Can someone suggest a SIM card to buy in Italy (or before we leave, from the US) that will cover those three counties?  Greece should be easy because of EU phone roaming policies, but less sure of Turkey.

[Cruiser1862]

On 4/21/2022 at 10:41 AM, -Lew- said:

 

Verizon is not my service provider...I'm on AT&T.  We'll be purchasing new iPhones in the fall and I have been comparing plans offered by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

 

I have been especially researching international plans offered by all three and I can tell you I haven't come across anything close to a $20 per month offer from Verizon.  This offer may be very new, but I recommend you contact Verizon again to confirm.  At $20 I'd be using cell service with abandon and wouldn't want to have a heart attack when I received my next bill.

 

By the way, if you do learn it's legit please post the particulars here.  Thanks...

I am planning on going to Verizon next week since my husband needs a new phone. I will definitely come back and report what I find out

[marazul]

1 hour ago, Cruiser1862 said:

I am planning on going to Verizon next week since my husband needs a new phone. I will definitely come back and report what I find out

We use T-Mobile.  You get free text and data in over 100 countries. No need to sign up for a travel plan. There is a charge for phone calls.

[SUESEABE]

Orange Holiday – Europe Prepaid SIM Card COMBO Deal Official Authorized 8GB Internet Data in 4G/LTE (Data tethering Allowed) + 30min International Calls + 200 Texts from Europe to Any Country World.

I bought it on Amazon for $29. I used it Europe 2019. Plan to use this May. 4 days land Italy and I download Google maps to where I want to go. Lots of data. Enough calls and text. Only good for 14 days. I register it once I activate in Europe then when time up I top up to extend which I will do this May (too up good for 6 months) so I can use it again when so return to Europe in October. All details explained well on Orange SIM Card site. Good in over 30 countries but Turkey is not one of them. 

[SWACK]

On 4/22/2022 at 2:22 PM, Cruiser1862 said:

I am planning on going to Verizon next week since my husband needs a new phone. I will definitely come back and report what I find out

Don't do that if you're within  60 days of your trip- you will NOT be able to put an international sim in that for at least 60 days. 

Edited September 7, 2022 by SWACK
check

[SWACK]

no

[Host Jazzbeau]

Instead of going to Verizon, go to T-Mobile and ask about their plans.  For a little less than Verizon you can get unlimited everything – including Internationally – and as a new customer they will give you new iPhones for free!  We were loyal Verizon customers for years, but switched in April and have been blown away by how much better the T-Mobile deal is.

[mchell810]

The T-Mobile offer of a "free phone" depends on what phone you are trading in; they give a discount based on how they value your trade in.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, mchell810 said:

The T-Mobile offer of a "free phone" depends on what phone you are trading in; they give a discount based on how they value your trade in.

They were VERY generous on our trade-ins.  An old iPhone XR got the top $800, and my son's crappy little Google 4something got $700.

[slidergirl]

i've been with T-Mo  since it was Voicestream back in the 90s.  

If you do any international travel, T-Mo is good: no fees for data and very little for phone calls.  if you need/want more high-speed data than what is offered on the international, you can up it for about $20, I think.  Unless you are doing intense things with your phone overseas, you don't need the extra.

 

As far as US coverage, they have no more 'dead' spots than any other, I think.  I have one where i work, but it is up in the mountains at 8100 ft.  not really an issue because i just do wifi calling when I'm there.  Found a few  spots in Southern Colorado, but my AT&T that i have for my iPad didn't work, either.

 

if you are thinking of switching, definitely check out T-Mo.

[spunks]

The cheapest way to go is WhatsAp....all you need is internet and someone on the other end with the Whatsap Ap, you can call and talk for free. You can only get calls or make calls to someone that has that Ap, but that is easy. We tell our kids if they want to talk to us to get the Ap or write a letter....

 

Doug

[slidergirl]

6 minutes ago, spunks said:

The cheapest way to go is WhatsAp....all you need is internet and someone on the other end with the Whatsap Ap, you can call and talk for free. You can only get calls or make calls to someone that has that Ap, but that is easy. We tell our kids if they want to talk to us to get the Ap or write a letter....

 

Doug

i did use that with my travel group for the first week of my month-long trip this summer.  it was nice in that we could text regardless of which provider we had.  But, for data use, you need something else.

Edited September 8, 2022 by slidergirl

[Torquer]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

As far as US coverage, they have no more 'dead' spots than any other, I think.

Sorry but I have to disagree...Verizon does have the best network for out-of-the-way places in the US.  At our summer home in Pennsylvania, Verizon has good coverage, but it is poor or non-existent on T-mobile and AT&T.  In a trip earlier this year in the middle of nowhere in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, Verizon on my phone was far superior than my wife's T-mobile.  If you live in a city and never go to these kinds of places, any of the three cell phone companies is fine.  But I specifically have Verizon because it has coverage in remote places where the others do not.

[slidergirl]

18 hours ago, Torquer said:

Sorry but I have to disagree...Verizon does have the best network for out-of-the-way places in the US.  At our summer home in Pennsylvania, Verizon has good coverage, but it is poor or non-existent on T-mobile and AT&T.  In a trip earlier this year in the middle of nowhere in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, Verizon on my phone was far superior than my wife's T-mobile.  If you live in a city and never go to these kinds of places, any of the three cell phone companies is fine.  But I specifically have Verizon because it has coverage in remote places where the others do not.

i don't live in a metropolitan area, so I am aware of dead spots on all the platforms.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

On 9/8/2022 at 6:56 PM, Torquer said:

Sorry but I have to disagree...Verizon does have the best network for out-of-the-way places in the US.  At our summer home in Pennsylvania, Verizon has good coverage, but it is poor or non-existent on T-mobile and AT&T.  In a trip earlier this year in the middle of nowhere in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, Verizon on my phone was far superior than my wife's T-mobile.  If you live in a city and never go to these kinds of places, any of the three cell phone companies is fine.  But I specifically have Verizon because it has coverage in remote places where the others do not.

Not all remote places.  We vacation in Acadia National Park in Maine, and T-Mobile was better there this year than Verizon.  The merger with Sprint has really improved their network.

[-Lew-]

On 9/8/2022 at 6:56 PM, Torquer said:

Verizon does have the best network for out-of-the-way places in the US.

 

You're fortunate Verizon is available at the remote locations you frequent.  But to say Verizon is the best for everyone is pushing it a bit.

 

We're currently using the iPhone X...new iPhone 14 Pros are to be delivered next Friday.  I'm excited to try eSims for our upcoming trip to Europe later this month.  We're signed up for AT&T's International Day Pass which would cost upwards of $250-$300 for the two of us.  eSims for the entire 40-day trip will cost a maximum of ~$100 depending which ones we go with.

 

As for coverage in the US...  If I find locations I visit do not have good coverage with the new phone, I can purchase and install eSims that use Verizon's or T-Mobile's network and activate them when needed for just a few dollars per day.

[SWACK]

6 hours ago, -Lew- said:

 

You're fortunate Verizon is available at the remote locations you frequent.  But to say Verizon is the best for everyone is pushing it a bit.

 

We're currently using the iPhone X...new iPhone 14 Pros are to be delivered next Friday.  I'm excited to try eSims for our upcoming trip to Europe later this month.  We're signed up for AT&T's International Day Pass which would cost upwards of $250-$300 for the two of us.  eSims for the entire 40-day trip will cost a maximum of ~$100 depending which ones we go with.

 

As for coverage in the US...  If I find locations I visit do not have good coverage with the new phone, I can purchase and install eSims that use Verizon's or T-Mobile's network and activate them when needed for just a few dollars per day.

 

 

You may have an issue using that esim for the new iPhones, Verizon and most services lock the device for the 1st 60 days...