Recommended International SIM card?

demonboy

demonboy

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Good afternoon,

I am after an international phone card. I have heard GymSIM is a good one as it comes with a UK phone number. Although we are abroad many of the numbers we phone are to the UK so that could be useful.

Thanks in advance.
 
I like Tesco Mobile PAYG. The middle tariff has roaming switched on as standard and has worked well in the Eastern Med, Mexico and the US.
Soon as you enter another country, they send you a txt telling you how much a text or phone call to blighty is and confirming your phone is ok to use. You can even top up from abroad.

No mucking about, switch phone on getting out the airport, soon as it finds a signal and locks on, use it just as if back in Blighty.

Tesco uses the O2 network so good coverage.

Hated vodaphone, have had loads of trouble and foreign bought top up vouchers that didn't work abroad, or back in the UK.
 
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Thanks for that, TK. I was hoping for an international solution as I'm not based in the UK but as it happens SWMBO is back there at the moment, so we can always look in to this.

My main issue is going to be sourcing a phone that is cheapest overall in a number of countries that we'll be visiting in the next few months. They're off the beaten track too (Sudan, Oman etc). I wonder if Tesco publishes its charges anywhere?
 
You would be best purchasing prepay SIM cards locally and using an unlocked phone.
You can't be sure of what roaming agreements the local carriers have with your provider, and the local coverage may not be any good for the recommended roaming partner.

You'll need ID (passport) to purchase the SIM, and some places (e.g. airtel in India) also require a photograph. The bundles are pretty good value, and you can topup easily.

Zain are fairly widespread in the Middle East and are rolling out their 3G networks; AlJawal or Mobily in Saudi. Charges are similar to the UK.

Typical cost: AlJawal (Saudi telecom SAWA visit) SIM 40 SR (£6.50) , 40 SR credit, calls are 60h/ minute (£0.10 / minute).

All SIMs allow international roaming, so you'll be able to use your credit as you travel around.
 
Thanks for your reply, Alisdair. What I didn't make clear was that I want to keep the same phone number. We have business cards printed up and, more importantly, have a cat who wears a collar with our telephone number. It has already proved useful so when we leave Turkey I'm looking for one number I can keep and get her tag printed up again one more time.
 
I left the UK in 2004 and have visited most European countries (Additionally Croatia and Montenegro), we are in Greece at the moment. I tried a number of international solutions including Gymsim but gave up in the end. In the end we purchased a PAYG from every country we visited. These days sim cards are usually free or sold for X Euro with X Euro credit so although you may have to spend X Euro you get it all back on calls, if you see what I mean. We found it the only way to get reasonable internet as well (Using a dongle) and try and stick with Vodafone.
 
we use gymsim and at first had teething probs, but all ok now we also travel internationally and everyone has one number to call us on. go for the uk number it goes via Gibralter. It is easy to top up pay as u go. No probs
 
Jamie

Use a Skype-In number (UK or EU) to provide a permanent tel # for kitty and others to call you on, forwarded to a local PAYG Sim - you can prepay €x/month and all calls from/to the UK/EU?World are free. Easy to administer; cheap and flexible.
 
Here is the one I use, free to receive calls in most places and 25p per minute to call anywhere. The only complication is that you have to dial out using their service which rings you back when the call is answered.

All the details are here:
http://www.sim4travel.com/what_is_sim4travel/

Edit: Looking through their website I find that the credit runs out after 90 days whereas it was permanent, so it is no longer good just for emergency use which is what we used it for.
 
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I have come to regard the GYMSIM sims I have been using for 4 years as a necessary evil. If you want one number and have no base then put up with its foibles and costs you must.
expect it to be ultimately more expensive than using local sims; to suddenly lose service were it was working fine; for bizarre things to happen with text messages; for locals to be reluctant to call you due to the higher cost to them and ditto for you to make local calls; for GYMSIM to make significant changes to the service or periodically turn off the service for maintenance whilst neglecting to warn their customers in advance.
GYMSIM is one guy with some telecomms flair with his mum and dad doing sales and marketing. When it works, it is great but it is on the fringes of the possible and as a customer you become part of the development process, a process as likely to go backwards as forwards
I will be looking into the skype idea myself.
 
I have to agree with laurance. Gymsim sounds great in theory but the service is poor.

Since purchasing a GymSim World sim card I have had problems. I have had numerous occasions when friends and family tell me that they have been unable to contact me and that they hear a high pitched screeching noise when the call is made. I have been billed incorrectly and although Gymsim have admitted the mistake have failed to refund me. Even after several attempts at making a complaint they now just ignore me.

It is a shame because if it delivered what it promises it would be an excellent service.

Wishing you better luck!
 
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