vB Easy Archive - Prepaid phones in Germany?

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Prepaid phones in Germany?
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Posted by: Thorn

I'm going to Oktoberfest in Munich this year, and will be travelling throughout Bavaria and the Rhine area. I've heard that T-mo customers from North America should buy a local sim card rather than use the roaming rates, but I don't know if I'll have a world mode phone at that time or not.

Anyway, how expensive would it be to get a prepaid phone and a sim with a few minutes? I just want it for the convenience and safety of always having a cell phone, but it could get expensive, especially if I want to move around a lot. Anyone have any experience with this?

This thread mentioned the xtra prepaid card:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...threadid=375367

I suppose I could ebay a cheap phone to use with it.

Thanks

Posted by: TriBand81

All 4 German providers have good deals on prepaid phones. If you're just after a SIM card, they run between 30 and 40 € but come with €15 of airtime to get you started. If you're looking to get a phone with a SIM, check out the provider shops as well as the large German electronics giants Saturn, Mediamarkt and Pro Markt.

More info about prepaid rates in Germany can be found here:

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/germania.html

Enjoy

Posted by: Erminius

Hi, I bought a german prepaid SIM card on www.germansimcard.net and am very satisfied with it, because they have a 1 GB data package for 10 Euros.
UMTS is fast (like 200 kbps) and the network coverage in the cities were I have been is perfect.
My wife went last year in Germany with her IPhone (AT&T) and the data bill was more than the airfare

Posted by: rockjock

I found it far easier to simply buy a Vodafone callya sim and be done with it. It was cheaper and worked far better. If I had an issue I could go to vodafone and get service. On a second visit my sim was deactivated. I simply went to a vodafone shop and they simply said we will send you another one in the mail. The very next day it came, with a 10 euro fill up on the card as a thank you.

G

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erminius

Hi, I bought a german prepaid SIM card on www.germansimcard.net and am very satisfied with it, because they have a 1 GB data package for 10 Euros.
UMTS is fast (like 200 kbps) and the network coverage in the cities were I have been is perfect.
My wife went last year in Germany with her IPhone (AT&T) and the data bill was more than the airfare

Posted by: Erminius

The only issue with Vodafone is that both the voice and the data plan are far more expensive.
10 Kb cost 10 cents.
With Blau, 1 MB costs 24 cents.
1 MB = 102,4 units from Vodafone > 10 Euros
1 GB with Blau costs 9,90 Euros and this means, that the same amount of data with Call Ya would cost...How much?

Posted by: Ajaxus

This thread is a godsend, as I am looking into moving to Germany for work for awhile.

My only thing is I am looking into how I would bring a phone back with me (time to junk the krzr k1m).

Anyways, some good gouge in here, I'll read up on these sites and see what I can come up with. If anyone has more tips, I'm open and listening.

As for how long I plan to be there (since I'm trying to figure out how best to budget this) it will be at the least 15 months..could possibly be a bit longer. So short term cell options just don't work.

Posted by: rockjock

Well there are many shops in Germany that sell unlocked ( sim free ) phones, since you are a tourist so to speak you will not be able to get onto a normal monthly plan. But don't let that get you down alot of the paygo plans are excellent. Or have your compnay purchse the plan for you and have the monthy bills removed from your pay. Also do not tell them you are from the US, Tell them you are from Canada it will save you alot of hassels. I am in Germany alot for work so I have seen it first hand, they simply do not like the US.. well most of europe does not like the US so its best to keep that under your hat. Also depends on where you are going to be working. If its near some of the US bases I would say try and get a phone from a returning member of the military there. I believe they have to leave by mid 2009 so I am sure alot of deals can be had. It will save you some money for sure. Failing that as I said there are alot of shops that sell phones at a good price so good luck if you need any help let me know.

G

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajaxus

This thread is a godsend, as I am looking into moving to Germany for work for awhile.

My only thing is I am looking into how I would bring a phone back with me (time to junk the krzr k1m).

Anyways, some good gouge in here, I'll read up on these sites and see what I can come up with. If anyone has more tips, I'm open and listening.

As for how long I plan to be there (since I'm trying to figure out how best to budget this) it will be at the least 15 months..could possibly be a bit longer. So short term cell options just don't work.

Posted by: Erminius

Or just get an unlocked phone in the US and order the SIM-Card, so that you have the number before you arrive and can give it to friends and partners.
To call the US from Germany, you can use Goobercall (www.goobercall.blogspot.com)

Posted by: Ajaxus

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockjock

Well there are many shops in Germany that sell unlocked ( sim free ) phones, since you are a tourist so to speak you will not be able to get onto a normal monthly plan. But don't let that get you down alot of the paygo plans are excellent. Or have your compnay purchse the plan for you and have the monthy bills removed from your pay. Also do not tell them you are from the US, Tell them you are from Canada it will save you alot of hassels. I am in Germany alot for work so I have seen it first hand, they simply do not like the US.. well most of europe does not like the US so its best to keep that under your hat. Also depends on where you are going to be working. If its near some of the US bases I would say try and get a phone from a returning member of the military there. I believe they have to leave by mid 2009 so I am sure alot of deals can be had. It will save you some money for sure. Failing that as I said there are alot of shops that sell phones at a good price so good luck if you need any help let me know.

G

Thanks for the advice, I already plan to wear knee-high socks under my sandals and say "eh" every other word so I can pass for Canadian.

I'm actually headed to a small village there, Grossenluder, so we'll see what the reaction to being an American is. I don't plan to hide it, I'd rather try to change the perspective of a few more than anything.

As for the cellphone advice, thank you for it. You are right, the pay as you go plans are fairly appealing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erminius

Or just get an unlocked phone in the US and order the SIM-Card, so that you have the number before you arrive and can give it to friends and partners.
To call the US from Germany, you can use Goobercall (www.goobercall.blogspot.com)

Check out t-mobile.de and look at the phones you can get there compared to the US. I'd really like to get one I can unlock and bring home with me when I'm done.

I already have one friend requesting I bring a Nokia N97 back with me..which will depend on whether or not my second job (which I'll find when I get there) pays well enough.

I've been told to focus more on GSM than 3G when picking a phone, so I'm picking my way through and figuring out what works best for my needs and budget.

Posted by: xiregulatorix

so to recap, if i were visiting europe and i owned a GSM 'world' phone, i would have to do the following:

1. pre-order a local sim card (is this country specific? or is there one for all of EU? and i'm guessing to buy one i would go to one of the big phone carriers like vodafone?)
2. install the sim card in my phone
3. activate it online?

while i'm not visiting germany specifically, my travels may bring me there at some point and i'd like to be prepared in advance - thanks

Posted by: rockjock

Umm No

You do not have to preorder it. You can pick it up at many retail outlets. and it will come with time on the card. YOU will have to give them an address but the hotel you are staying at is just fine. an unlocked gsm phone will work, there are some " Worldphones " that have roaming agreements with the euro carriers and it just costs more. once you slip in your sim its activated. Any q's just ask I am in europe and the UK alot so I can answer them

G

Quote:

Originally Posted by xiregulatorix

so to recap, if i were visiting europe and i owned a GSM 'world' phone, i would have to do the following:

1. pre-order a local sim card (is this country specific? or is there one for all of EU? and i'm guessing to buy one i would go to one of the big phone carriers like vodafone?)
2. install the sim card in my phone
3. activate it online?

while i'm not visiting germany specifically, my travels may bring me there at some point and i'd like to be prepared in advance - thanks