European cell phone query

[nwaite]

Hi – My daughter will be travelling in Europe from Sept 2013 – March 2014. We live in Canada. (Nova Scotia) My cell phone provider has suggested I get an unlocked phone like an iphone 4 so that my daughter can i-message/facetime with us, but not use it for calls, as it’s expensive. However, that’s no good for non-Apple people, so what she really needs is an international texting plan so that she can contact all friends and family in Europe. Should she buy a cheap disposable phone over in Austria and get a SIM card, where she begins her trip, or should she take an iphone with her and get a texting plan or app over there. Who has some good advice? THanks!

[admin]

Hello,

With an unlocked iPhone your daughter can use any SIM card, including a European SIM. In addition, there are so many apps she could use. For example, she could place calls or send texts using Rebtel or Skype ( https://www.rebtel.com and https://www.skype.com ). Both charge reasonable rates – of course, she would have to have access to a WIFI connection to use these apps without paying extra.

Using a European SIM either with the unlocked iPhone or with a cheap phone bought over there to place calls within Europe may be a good idea because roaming charges in Europe are not too high. Still, placing calls/sending texts via the apps mentioned above would be cheaper. In other words, use the apps via WIFI when possible and for other more urgent needs use the local SIM.

[Author]

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