In Canada, the company I selected was Fido, which is now merged with Rogers/AT&T cellular anyway but still has lower prices.

• Naked SIM card is just $25 CDN
• 100 anytime minutes for $15 CDN, 10 cents/minute more to USA
• Number expires in about 6 months
• Here are the airtime packs
• Can’t refill with non-Canadian credit card (boo)
• Also try Rogers (now owns Fido)
• Cards hard to get, must go to Fido store or order by mail. Stores only in major malls.
• Minutes not usable outside Canada
• Can use Rogers network (a must outside Ontario) but remember to buy $5/month rogers roaming plan and turn it off when you leave. Cheaper than Rogers directly.

Note, presently $CDN = $0.81 USD, but add 15% tax in many places, making the discount more like 7% off USD.

Choices are T-Mobile To Go and Cingular/AT&T. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, Nextel (now with sprint) is its own deal

• 130 minutes for $25 USD, 1000 minutes for $100
• Minutes usable only on T-mobile network, not outside USA
• Number normally expires in 6 months, sometimes expire is much longer due to promotions.
• Long distance to Canada +40 cents, overseas +$1.50 (total rip-off)
• $50 for SIM card includes $30 of minutes (ie. $20)

Cingular Gophone Pay as you Go:

• Either 10 cents/minute plus $1/day on days used, or 25 cents/minute
• +15 cents to Canada, +10 cents to mexico, Europe +39 cents (way better than T-mobile to go)
• Phones as cheap as $25, SIM card is free if you buy minutes
• Lots of stores

So: Which is cheaper depends on how much usage. T-Mobile to go has the remarkable feature that once you put $100 into an account, minutes last for a full year. In theory you can keep a cell phone and number for $10/year, which I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world.

In Hong Kong, it is very easy to get pre-paid SIM card locally so you don't need to get it ahead of the trip. The mobile carriers are Orange, Sunday, People. You can find the pre-paid SIM cards in convenient stores or book stores at the airport, or numerous small cell phone shops through out Hong Kong. The cost is HK$100 (about US$12.5) and it gives you approx 300 min of local calls. The SIM cards are also available in higher denominations for more covered minutes. I am not sure about the international call rates but it is on the small booklet that comes with the SIM. If it is expansive, you can always get the phone cards that give you very low international rate to use on any land line or cell phones. Most pre-paid SIM you get in Hong Kong only work in HK, but there are a few special kinds that work both in HK and China (of course less minutes). Just ask the sales person about it.

Our company can offer sim cards to many countries. If you are traveling let us know your destination and I will get back to you ASAP with what we can offer. Prices are better then TELESTIAL

Visit us at:www.sim-service-ny.com

Happy travels

Kate :)

I just wanted to let you know that your blog post on this topic was the most useful place I found information about SIM services in the USA. I live overseas and I'm visiting the US for a short time and wanted a cell phone...way too much information out there with all these people trying to sell you something sketchy...your information was right on the money. I'm going to go to a Cingular store tomorrow and get one of their pre-paid cards. I find their plan better for me with what I'll be using my phone for while I'm here.

Jesse

I'm going to be in the UK for 5 days, and would love to be able to make local calls while I'm there, and possibly a few calls back to the States. I don't care about having a local number, if that's an issue, and I don't imagine needing more than 100 minutes of calling.
Any suggestions for minimizing my cost? I've got a GSM phone.
Thanks! Neil

Going to be based in Germany for 3 - 6 month and will travel in Europe mostly. Looking for a cheap solution to call from my cell phone (GSM) anywhere within Europe, and a good deal to call back home to the US. Any suggestions?
Thank you. Nika

I have found a couple of sites to purchase Mexico Telcel Amigo sim cards in the U.S. prior to departure: www.cellularabroad.com and www.telestial.com (these also provide sim cards for other countries around the world). However, I am curious to know if sim cards are easy to purchase in Mexico, and if the prices are more competitive. Does anyone know if I would get a better deal if I just waited until I got to Mexico before purchasing a sim card, instead of buying one from a U.S. provider before departure? Thanks for your help.

the Netherlands:

KPN Mobile (best Network coverage)
(www.kpn.com)
2 plans:
1 same price (0.35) mobile and landline
1 day & night difference from from 0.15 up to 0.40
Telfort
(www.telfort.nl)
2 plans:
1 same price (0.35) mobile and landline
1 day & night difference from from 0.10 up to 0.45
Vodafone
(www.vodafone.nl)
2 plans:
1 "much SMS" (0.35) and 0.09 for SMS
1 "much phonecalls" (0.29) and (0.19) for SMS
Orange
(www.orange.nl)
1 plan:
depends on how long you call: (the longer you call the lower the cost per minute)
0.17 up to 0.35 per minute and 0.09 SMS
T-Mobile
(www.t-mobile.nl)
a few plans
from 0.10 up to 0.45 p/minute for day & night difference
fixed priced 0.35 p/minute and 0.23 SMS

Then you have a few resellers like: Debitel, HEMA, easymobile, etc.

All prices are Euro, Price for SIM, depends on shop, sometimes you get fully refunded with phonecredit. Probably you will pay 5 Euro. All SIM cards are relatively easy to obtain. I don't know if it is possible to refill with foreign credit card. If not possible, it is easy to buy refill cards. A lot shops sell them including supermarkets, and newspaper stands. Although some resellers cards are only by internet, or only in 1 brand of shop. (that is the reason why I didn't list them.

Hi,

Also glad to have found this blog!
I've been researching telestial and other companies and trying to decide whether picking up a sim card locally in Australia and then Hong Kong or buy one that is good in both... Having one number isn't so much and issue, but price is.

Also - telestial needs to ship to me, and I was thinking of just getting it when I arrived.

Any recommendations? Please and thanks in advance!

i'll be leaving for greece in sept.06 and will be purchasing a quad band phone to use. whats the best choice for sim cards i found cosmote anyone heard of it? plus ill be ther 5 yrs but traveling between the u.s. and greece evry 4-6mos. please advise

Hey Brad,

This blog is exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to Tokyo and need to know if its cheaper for me to buy a sim for my unlocked GSM phone or rent a cell phone at the airport. I'll be there for 20 days.

Thanks,
jp lover

I've never seen a rental that's not a ripoff. Sims can be bought on every street in Japan from what I recall, but I didn't shop. I think you'll do fine. See the algorithms above for finding companies if you want to pre-check on the web.

I didn't exhaustively research the options, but did buy two NRJ mobile SIM cards in France. Paid 30 euros for the first one at a tabbaco shop (aka independent newsagent) but found a second one for 15 euros at a small mobile shop in a mall. Both came with about 5 euros worth of call credit. Can't remember the exact rates, but they were reasonable with a discount for in-network calling or texting. As in the UK and perhaps the most of Europe, incoming calls are free.

Orange is also quite popular in France and their SIM cards cost 30 euros as well. There is a Phone Warehouse in France with apparent connections to the UK Carphone Warehouse, but they didn't have any SIMs for less than 30 euros or the great deals on unlocked phones that Carphone Warehouse offers in the UK.

There is a company in Japan called GoMobile and can be reached at www.gomobile.co.jp
I've recently visited Tokyo on two separate trips and wondered how I would keep in touch and wether or not it would be even possible to get a cell phone while in country. It was only after I returned home to Hong Kong and was browsing an English magazine I'd picked up in Tokyo that I discovered GoMobile. They seem to have excellent rates and high quality phones available with very little hassle involved in the actual transaction of paying for the phone, having it delivered, and ease of use. And for those living in Japan and traveling abroad, there are also packages that are offered.

As for Hong Kong - as other people have posted on this website - it is extremely easy to find temporary SIM cards. In fact, you can simply pick one up from the 7-Eleven on most street corners for 100 HKD to 200 HKD and up to 400 HKD I believe is the limit. These cards are so simple to use and make it possible to have a phone number, text message, voice mail, and other options depending on the actual SIM that you purchase. Phones can also be had quite cheap here in Hong Kong, depending on wether you purchase a brand new phone or something of a model a little older. Obviously, older models, which I may add are fully functional and right out of package, are far cheaper than the newest of those on the market. Most can be had from a huge electronics store called FRONTIER, but one can also find smaller shops where older models can be purchased for under $100 USD. SIM cards purchased in Hong Kong often carry coverage in surrounding countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. This makes it quite easy for anyone traveling on a short vacation to Southeast Asia to have a phone and SIM card.

Hope this helps!

Hi. My parents are traveling out from Australia for 8 weeks and going to UK/France/Italy/Germany/Spain etc. Can anyone recommend a good/reliable pre-paid SIM card they can use so people back home can contact them and one that works all over Europe?
Thanks in advance.

Leaving for France today.. need to get sim card. IN FRANCE .can ANYONE buy a prepaid Sim Card ? If so where? I heard that you had to show local address in France and ID to buy one in France. There are providers on the Net that have the cards.. how do they get them.. or is it easy to stop at some cell phone store and buy a prepaid sim card... Please let me know asap.

Thanks

Hi Brad,

Great idea & wonderful of you to help people. God Bless YOU!

Could U pls. tell me what are the 2 or 3 best(cheapest!) SIM cards that I can buy in Swizerland to call overseas (mainly Australia!)I will be in Switzerland for only 9 days, totally.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards

Darshak Mehta,
Sydney

Hi mate, I am travelling to Toronto and Montreal in late July thru August. I have done some research and it looks like FIDO is the best option for a prepaid SIM. My question is whether or not buying the SIM in Toronto will mean that I pay higher call rates when I am using the phone in Montreal? Toronto is my first stop, so I would obviously like to be contactable there. However I am uncertain if, when I arrive in Montreal and make local calls there,(and because the number I'm using will have a Toronto prefix) I will in fact be charged more per call if the call is deemed to be "long distance?" Hope this does not sound too confusing!!

Just check this website out: www.rentmyphone.com
Brand new company based in Munich
Remember that with a prepaid sim card the rates are around 2 euros per minute to call to the states. This one starts at 15 cent per minute.
Prices are very flexible depending on quantity and lenght of renting time...
VPN Possible (less than 8 cent from cell to cell)
24/7 Personal service.

I have purchased a cell ph in Ecuador (during a trip) and would like to activate it in Canada (i.e. buy a SIM card) and keep it as back up cell to be switched on any time is needed

would anyone suggest any method?

cell is a regular NOKIA

Thanks

m

I have been down the purchase pre paid before going to Canada route before and although the customer service from Rogers was excellent, the coverage that they had was not the same as Telus in certain areas that I visited.

Does anybody know if it is possible to purchase a sim only from Telus before visiting Canada, or should you just buy a pre paid sim when you arrive.

Thanks for any help in this matter.

Graham.

THAILAND

You can get a new sim just anywhere (convenient store, department stores and shopping malls). There are 3 networks in Thailand for pre-paid mobile; One-2-Call, Happy and True Move. Each offer different packages at different prices. Call charges are normall most expensive during 5PM to 10PM when traffic is the heaviest. For one-time visitor, I would suggest True Move, cause they normally have the best rate. For frequent visitor, I would suggest you get "SIMPLE" sim from Happy. "Simple" charge 2 Baht per minute 24 hours, and the benefit is that every time you top-up your sim, they will extend your number for 2 years, so you can keep the same number for your next visit. Receiving calls is free in Thailand.

For Traveller to Japan. System used in Japan is CDMA, so you will have to get a quad-band phone to be able to use your phone in Japan. Certain Nokia has this feature.

I have a mobile from Greece (COSMOTE) whose pre-paid card is running out of talk time. I will be in France, and would like to use it. Can I buy a SIM card in France to recharge it? Also, if someone from France needs to call me while I am in France, do they need to dial any digit before the country code of Greece (30)? Any info will be appreciated...leaving tomorrow!!!! Thanks.

This card is like a prepay card but has the rates and features of a postpay card. This is one of the few no-contract cards that lets you get data.

Company and their URL: call4care in USA (www.call4care.us)
Type: naked SIM
Networks used: Uses any available GSM network in USA
Price for GSM SIM: $25 for activation
Cost of minutes: 15c to US and 20c to Europe (40c mobile)
Services: Data (50c per 100kbytes), SMS (15c)
Auto load: $10 per month gives bundled 60 mins of calling
Contract: none - cancel anytime, no termination
Expiry of minutes: 30 days
Expiry of number: never (if no cancelation)
Ease of getting the card: via web - no SSN needed, just credit card
Refill from overseas: (ie. with non-local credit card): yes (auto)
Phone: requires unlocked GSM phone (850/1900MHz)

There are three main GSM operators in Russia: MTS, Beeline, Megafon. You can choose any, each company may provide free SIM cards: the money you pay for SIM will be put to your account. The minimal price is usually not higher than 10$. There are always new tariffs available, so the terms of card's availability period may vary. You can also experience difficulty paying by credit card. There are specialized shops everywhere in the city, in which you can buy the SIM card. Passport may be required.

How would I go about buying a SIM card so I can use my New Zealand bought phone in Canada?

Can be bought at any roadside shop that exhibits a mobile company logo (Airtel, Reliance, Hutch, Spice, ...).
You are required to provide a photograph, an address, and a proof of that address. Technically, the address can be anywhere in the world. Practically, it would be best to have it in India (and for this reason, getting a local acquaintance would be the way to go). The government has become stricter about the photo and proof in light of recent security situations, and the phone companies comply.

Prepaids are useable in a "circle" which is usually a state in India. So, if you buy your prepaid in Bangalore, you would be roaming if you go to Chennai, Mumbai or anywhere outside the state of Karnataka. Airtel & Reliance have the best coverage. Others are not as widely deployed, but are probably a bit cheaper.

When within the home "circle," inbound calls are free. Outbound calls are Rs. 1-2 per min (which works out to be about 1.25-2.5c/min) anywhere in India. Calling the US or other international destinations works out to be around 20c/min--your mileage will vary. Roaming charges apply to both inbound and outbound calls. Outbound calls when roaming cost a bit higher.

Practically speaking, if you spend any time in India, get a local SIM card and make sure you have a tri-band unlocked phone.

It is most useful to have a mobile phone when using a local hired car (which comes with driver). The driver usually has a cell phone, but is loath to make calls to you. You can call him if needed. However, the "missed" call concept works well--indicate to him that you are ready for pick up by letting it ring twice before hanging up.

For Ireland, go with meteor if you are going to do a lot of international sms as their rate is half that of other providers. I wouldn't really recommend any of the networks for international call rates, but meteor is better than others on that too

I've heard that their coverage isn't so good in more remote areas, but I was based in Dublin so it was fine.

an added bonus is they have an agreement with t-mobile in the UK that gives good rates there, you just have to make sure you tell them you want to access their good UK roaming rates (this is important if you'll be going over the border to northern ireland, as much as if you'll be going to england etc)

Anyone know of a good place to buy a sim in Portugal? I'll be in the Porto/Braga area. My phone is quad-band and already unlocked.
Thanks!

On a recent trip to Germany, I chose the smobil SIM available at Schlecker drugstores. The stores are everywhere. At the time they had a 2 for 1 deal on their regular SIM deal, which is 15 euros with 10 euros of airtime. The 2 for 1 was a fabulous deal, and the really good thing about it was that they only charge 1 cent/minute for on-network calls for the first 30 days, so since we got 2 SIMs for our two phones, we could all each other for effectively nothing. This is handy if you often use cell phones as a couple to meet up after you go in two directions, or if you lose each other. However, there is no English documentation.

(However, if this is all you need you may simply look for a plan that has affordable texting between the two of you, which smobil also does.)

Some other good SIMs to look at include tchibo, which includes unlimited on-network for 4 euros and 89 cents to the USA. Most companies are quite expensive for calls out of Europe, up to 2 euros/minute. One exception is the blauworld SIM which is sold in the airport, it is 9 cents/minute to the USA or other countries with the ever-sneaky 15 cent connection charge. However, if you think most of your calls will be to your home country, this is a good one to look up. Blau has a regular card too, with 20 euros credit for 20 euros, ie. a free SIM.

The MVNOs seem to do much better deals on a short term SIM, in particular wrt how much credit you get when you buy the SIM. In the end you largely care about how many minutes to the places you want you get for the price of the SIM, since you may never refill.

When I went to Austria, smobil charged me 58 cents to make calls, 29 to receive. Not too bad. Of course, calling European mobile phones is always expensive from the USA, 30 US cents/minute is about as cheap as you will find it.

Prepaid SIM cards can be bought at just about every neighborhood grocery or supermarket; Globe and Smart are the best providers. A SIM usually should cost no more than 100 pesos; it can be reloaded for any amount over 10 pesos.

I have a GSM unlocked phone. I am travelling to Argentina and Chile in about two weeks. Should I buy a SIM card before I leave or wait and buy it there? I looked at a couple of sites for buying SIM cards online for specific countries. Most seem to be based in the USA. I am in Canada. There isn't time to get the SIM card delivered before I leave unless I pay significant shipping charges to ensure speedy arrival.

Any comments would be most welcome. Thanks in advance

I am traveling from the USA to Romanina this summer and want to take my t mobile phone but just want to buy a prepaid sim card. I sure don't want to use the t mobile intnational from here as I will be broke. Any body know if they sell them in the airports or where at?

Thanks

What is the best prepaid simple card in Poland with easy capability to increase minutes. Am I better buying the SIM card in Poland Vs. buying them in the US?