Caching Abroad - data service

[+bflentje]

I am not sure if it's allowed to post a link to Amazon. I am not selling anything rather looking to buy. Anyone have any experience with these 3-in-1 European SIM cards? I am looking at a possible multiple country trip this summer and wanted to know if anyone has an experience with something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Cellhire-Prepaid-Europe-Data-Card/dp/B017HVV2FG/ref=br_lf_m_eyy9dectrpjk4br_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&s=wireless

I traveled to Spain a couple of years ago and bought a Spain specific SIM card at the airport. It worked well but was very expensive. And I never left Spain where I needed data. This trip will span from Amsterdam to Austria. Thoughts?

[+speakers-corner]

From 15.06.2017 there has been a change in the use of data roaming in Europe. Depending on the type of SIM-Card you have you can travel around Europe without having to have cards for each country. Have a look at these links. There is a lot of helpful Information there:

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Netherlands

http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Austria

[Blue Square Thing]

It really depends on how reliant you are on data. I never use any data if I can hep it - my plan is so data poor that I save it for emergencies. I do regularly piggy back on wifi all over Europe though. If you're in cities with hotels and coffee shops and the like that won't be a problem at all. It may not be much of a problem in smaller places either. It might take a little more planning and you may even havet to jot down some coordinates and so on beforehand and leave logging until you have wifi. Old school...

If you do need data then any European SIM should work fine nowadays. 

[+pingurus]

My advice would be getting a SIM card once you're in Amsterdam, but make sure that:

* You can use all the data volume outside the Netherlands (but still in the EU) (there are laws how much the service provider has to grant you in the EU, but that depends how much you pay for the SIM card)

* If you intend to visit non EU  countries (for example Switzerland), make sure they are covered too

[+on4bam]

Also, keep an eye on which country your phone connects to when close to a non-covered country. Some non-EU countries may or may not be included in the EU roaming area. Switzerland may or may not be included as is Lichtenstein, Andorra, Vatican city.

In some countries it may seem strange to have "local" rates. Azores, Canary Islands, French Guyana, Martinique and Reunion are "local" for my provider,

Good to know: 112 is the EU emergency number.

 

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

4 hours ago, Blue Square Thing said:

It really depends on how reliant you are on data. I never use any data if I can hep it - my plan is so data poor that I save it for emergencies. I do regularly piggy back on wifi all over Europe though. If you're in cities with hotels and coffee shops and the like that won't be a problem at all. It may not be much of a problem in smaller places either. It might take a little more planning and you may even havet to jot down some coordinates and so on beforehand and leave logging until you have wifi. Old school...

If you do need data then any European SIM should work fine nowadays. 

I've managed to find caches in 27 countries without using any data.  Sure, I probably could find a lot more with real time access to data, but I'm perfectly fine with not finding a ton of caches while traveling abroad.  Old school works just fine.  I do take advantage of wifi access when it's available but somehow manage to survive without it for several hours at a time.  

When I went to Cuba a couple of years ago (may go back in March) I bought an Etesca (the Cuban telecommunications company) card which is used to purchase "minutes" on wifi hotspots.  There was a good size group of people hanging out just outside the Etesca office using their wifi.  As I was walking through Old Havana the next day on a narrow street I saw a bunch of younger people leaning against a wall with their smartphones.  As I got closer I saw that there was a fairly new hotel there and lots of people were taking advantage of the wifi cloud that must have extended out onto the street.

[+Viajero Perdido]

I'm formulating a crazy plan that includes the desire to have data service for all 7 countries of Central America in a single SIM.  Not for ease of caching; I've already downloaded maps for the entire region, and I'm sure all the caches would fit into a single PQ.

I'd love to be able to check tripadvisor or booking.com for hotel reviews when I'm approaching a town by bus.  And weather: what's that dark cloud going to do?

My home SIM doesn't support roaming at all (I pay so little I don't care), so it'd have to be a new SIM.  (But not 7 new ones!)  Time to start researching...

[+on4bam]

33 minutes ago, Viajero Perdido said:

I'm formulating a crazy plan that includes the desire to have data service for all 7 countries of Central America in a single SIM.

Take a look at CNT (Ecuador). We bought a SIM in Quito (US$25) and couldn't get it working until I activated "roaming".

The APN settings had alegro.net.ec in it and the provider name was shown as Porta which is kind of strange as this is the old name of Claro (another provider). I asked about this a few times and locals had no explanation as to why a provider would show a competitor's old name. Since my mobile hotspot did not have all recent frequency bands I only had 2G but as a backup this was good enough. Point is, since it seemed I was "roaming" inside Ecuador chances are there's some kind of arrangement between S-American countries to use these SIM's (they call it "chip") across borders.

It looks like Claro has roaming packages 2GB valid for 15 days @US$35 to use on their S-American network.

 

[+on4bam]

5 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

I've managed to find caches in 27 countries without using any data.  Sure, I probably could find a lot more with real time access to data, but I'm perfectly fine with not finding a ton of caches while traveling abroad.  Old school works just fine.  I do take advantage of wifi access when it's available but somehow manage to survive without it for several hours at a time. 

I always come prepared.. all caches loaded and cache updates/downloads and logging via WiFi, however I use data for quick lookups and mail sometimes. Since the extra roaming costs disappeared last year within the EU I tend to go online when crossing the border (the Netherlands is only a short drive from here). So while not "needing" data when caching, it nice to be able to check mails when taking a break during the day. Since I connect to my home VPN I can even use my home phone system if I need to make a call (don't use a cell phone). Driving to some areas having Waze in the car is also nice to have.

How did we get by on holiday, without cell phones or internet driving through Death Valley (in summer), almost no traffic and no reservations in a motel/hotel so someone would expect us to be somewhere at a certain time... Same goes for Iceland, Northern Scandinavia and WA (Western Australia). It could have been days before someone missed us...

 

 

[+Viajero Perdido]

2 hours ago, on4bam said:

It looks like Claro has roaming packages 2GB valid for 15 days @US$35 to use on their S-American network.

Thanks; I'll take a look.  Although I'm actually going the other way, north through the skinny part, instead of south into the fat part. 

Oh, and other reasons I like having a SIM even though fully set up with maps and PQs:  Loading spoiler pictures (if I forgot that morning), or reading extra logs for a really desperate search.  Also, why is that volcano smoking?  It wasn't doing that yesterday, was it?

Sorry for distracting the topic away from the OP's issue, which is Europe.  But I think the generalities of data connection are universal.

[+on4bam]

3 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

Thanks; I'll take a look.  Although I'm actually going the other way, north through the skinny part, instead of south into the fat part. 

Looks like they have that covered too.

 

[+bflentje]

I am well versed on the fact that I don't need data to successfully cache in Europe. I've done it before. I don't need data. I desire data. My question was specific in that I am looking for opinions on one of these catch-all SIM cards based on a path between Amsterdam and Austria.

[+Viajero Perdido]

To that I don't know the answer, but do know the TripAdvisor gadgets-and-gear forum has a number of threads on the subject, including one I see currently on the first page.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i12530-Travel_Gadgets_and_Gear.html

Hope it helps.  Good luck and happy travels. 

[+pingurus]

7 hours ago, bflentje said:

I am well versed on the fact that I don't need data to successfully cache in Europe. I've done it before. I don't need data. I desire data. My question was specific in that I am looking for opinions on one of these catch-all SIM cards based on a path between Amsterdam and Austria.

If I understand you correct, than any EU SIM card should meet your needs, as the service provider is legally obliged to grant you the data you bought in the EU countries. As said before, be careful if the data is valid also in Switzerland and Liechtenstein

[+on4bam]

Any SIM will do, just compare prices and see which one is better for your needs (data, text,calls) included and check, if needed, if Switzerland is included.

Here's a list of operators, but there are only 4 networks. KPN, Vodaphone, T-Mobile and Tele2 others are resellers using these on of these 4 networks.