Best cellular data options for Europe?

[SD ///M4]

I started a long post asking people what they've used or plan to use for cellular data while on a Euro Delivery, but I've scrapped that because I've pretty much narrowed it down to Travel WiFi, which is the current PC Magazine Editor's Choice. They have a referral program, so I'm looking for anyone that already has a Travel WiFi account to give them a referral and also get the 10€ credit for using a referral.

EDITED TO ADD: I've discovered what seems to be a better option. See my next post below.

We're going to be in Europe for 3 weeks. For the record, I have a Samsung S8 on Verizon. I've looked at their international data plan and while their 1 month plan is $40 with 100MB of data, they only offer 3G/2G speeds and every additional 100MB is $25, so a total of 1GB of data would be an additional $225.

I've looked at Skyroam Solis, which offers "unlimited data" at 4G, but they throttle to 256kbps after the first 500MB. Cost for three weeks would be $150 to buy the Solis + 4 5-day Daypasses at $40 ea., or $200, total cost $350. You can also now buy a one-month plan for $99, bringing the cost to $249. I've read numerous reviews about how finicky and unreliable it is, and PC Magazine ranks everything else they tested higher. Renting for 20 days would run about $200 with the same data limits.

Roaming Man would cost $200 for 20 days for 1GB of 4G data/day. They also throttle after 500 MB. They were ranked #2 after Travel WiFi.

My Webspot offers 1GB of 4G data/day in Europe, 5GB of 4G in France, with throttling after. Cost is 180.00€ or about $211. (Not rated by PC Mag)

Hippocket WiFi (with a cute hippo logo) offers 1GB of 4GB for each day of rental, with the full amount usable over the entire rental period (use 3 GB on the first day if you need it with no penalty). After that, they throttle. Cost would be 144.90€ or about $170. (Not rated by PC Mag)

Travel WiFi has plans that are cheaper per day the longer you rent, making it more attractive for longer trips, 8€ or about $9.38/day for our trip. They also offer 5GB of 4G/day or unlimited 4G data in France (we'll be there for the last 5 days of our trip). Based in France, they charge 15€ to deliver to your European hotel outside of France, and for return in France, their pre-paid mailer is 3.5€. Total cost is 178.5€ or about $209.

All of the above rentals will delivery to a US address and/or European hotel and return is by a free or prepaid mailer, mailed from the EU. Most are currently offering discounts of 10%-20% and/or free shipping.

The PC Magazine reviews, dated March 16, 2018, are here: https://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,1055639,00.asp

If anyone has any experience with any of these, your feedback would be appreciated.

If anyone is interested in Travel WiFi for their upcoming Euro Delivery, here's my referral link. If you use this link we both get 10€ credit: https://www.travel-wifi.com/en/r?godfather_id=d322c\

(BTW, if you're using an iPhone on T-Mobile, then you can just use your phone anywhere in Europe just like you do at home. Not an option for us.)

['Cane]

When I went for my ED I added an international data plan from AT&T, it was like 100mb for $25. I mostly turned off cell data except when I didn't have hotel or city wifi. It was fine, though I relied on the car for Nav and we got turned around a bit in Zurich.

[SD ///M4]

I just found this option on Amazon for $50 (click image for link):



After checking out their FAQ at topup.orange.com, I found this info: Orange Holiday Europe is a pre-paid SIM card that offers 10GB of 4G data for 14 days, including 2 hours of calls from Europe to the world, and 1000 texts from Europe to the world.

A 14-day top-up is available for €20, about $24, that offers another 5GB, 60 minutes of calls, and 500 texts, and is cumulative with the initial credits, kind of like topping up a parking meter.

Tethering is allowed, so if your phone has this feature, you can create your own hotspot and connect other devices, like your spouse's phone, and your tablets.

This seems like the best deal yet.

[uniqueMR]

AT&T

[SuckaGDog]

Check out Tep Wireless. I used them when I went to South Africa a few months ago.

Also, make sure your phone is unlocked before you use a prepaid sim otherwise it won't work.

[Space gray]

I've been happy with Project Fi. Works in many countries around the world. You pay the same rate overseas as domestic rate for data, $10 per GB.
It's a google product so you need a google phone. I got mine when they had a promotion for a Nexus 5X(?) for $99.

[Thescout13]

Verizon doesn't have the $10/day and you just use your US data anymore? I used that with AT&T who copied Verizon.

[chriszach1]

I live in Germany and have T-Mobile. The EU changed the laws last summer and we no longer pay roaming charges when we go into other EU countries. That being said, if your phone is already unlocked, when you get here just go buy a SIM card and swap it out while you are here. There are several options you can choose from to fit your needs while you are here. There are stores like Saturn or Media Markt that sell all kinds of sims.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Verizon doesn't have the $10/day and you just use your US data anymore? I used that with AT&T who copied Verizon.

$10/day x 20 days = $200 for 3G speeds and 100 MB of data/day. Really bad deal! I dismissed this idea pretty quickly. Everything else beats this.

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

$10/day x 20 days = $200 for 3G speeds and 100 MB of data/day. Really bad deal! I dismissed this idea pretty quickly. Everything else beats this.

Wait your data plan is 100 MB in the US? What I'm saying is that ATT (and Verizon used to) just let you use your at home data plan, not limited to 100MB/day.

For example, our data plan is 30GB/month in the US. When we travel abroad we pay $10 a day and use our normal data plan and minutes at LTE or 4G speeds from the US. So we pay $200 for 20 days to use our phone just like we are in the US. See what I mean?

[EALm4]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I just found this option on Amazon for $50 (click image for link):



After checking out their FAQ at topup.orange.com, I found this info: Orange Holiday Europe is a pre-paid SIM card that offers 10GB of 4G data for 14 days, including 2 hours of calls from Europe to the world, and 1000 texts from Europe to the world.

A 14-day top-up is available for €20, about $24, that offers another 5GB, 60 minutes of calls, and 500 texts, and is cumulative with the initial credits, kind of like topping up a parking meter.

Tethering is allowed, so if your phone has this feature, you can create your own hotspot and connect other devices, like your spouse's phone, and your tablets.

This seems like the best deal yet.

I'm headed to Spain next month and this is what I'm using. As far as I know you dont need to change the APN settings after you've installed it. Just have to register the sim card online before heading out.

Previously when I did ED I used Lebara Mobile for just Germany. Data speeds were great. I think it was 3gb for 30euro

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Wait your data plan is 100 MB in the US? What I'm saying is that ATT (and Verizon used to) just let you use your at home data plan, not limited to 100MB/day.

For example, our data plan is 30GB/month in the US. When we travel abroad we pay $10 a day and use our normal data plan and minutes at LTE or 4G speeds from the US. So we pay $200 for 20 days to use our phone just like we are in the US. See what I mean?

I went back to the Verizon site and checked to see if I missed anything.
Nope, for $25/month (or $40/month, same cap) on the international plan for Europe, your monthly data cap is 100 MB. "Overages: $25 per 100 MB". As I calculated above, to get to 1GB for the month (100MB included + 900 MB overage), it would cost 9 x $25 = $225. Completely ridiculous. Like I said, everything else is cheaper with way more data. For less than that I can get 1GB/day!

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solu...tional-travel/

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by chriszach1

I live in Germany and have T-Mobile. The EU changed the laws last summer and we no longer pay roaming charges when we go into other EU countries. That being said, if your phone is already unlocked, when you get here just go buy a SIM card and swap it out while you are here. There are several options you can choose from to fit your needs while you are here. There are stores like Saturn or Media Markt that sell all kinds of sims.

In 2016, before the new regulation, that's what we did. We bought an "All Euro" SIM from Ortel and it worked great, until we ran out of data. Then we couldn't understand the text messages in German telling us how to get a top-up. We were part of a group delivery and things were pretty hectic when we left Munich, so we didn't have time to try and get things translated before we left. Now we'll be on our own time, so we'll be able to get the top-up procedure done while still on hotel wi-fi.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by SuckaGDog

Check out Tep Wireless. I used them when I went to South Africa a few months ago.

Also, make sure your phone is unlocked before you use a prepaid sim otherwise it won't work.

When you rent a Teppy, you have to pay extra for 4G speed at $1.95/day. Total came to $218, one of the priciest.

Later model Samsung phones from Verizon are "international phones", have CDMA and GSM capability, and will accept Euro SIMs. We did that with our Samsung S7 Edges in 2016.

[TXSoxFan]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Wait your data plan is 100 MB in the US? What I'm saying is that ATT (and Verizon used to) just let you use your at home data plan, not limited to 100MB/day.

For example, our data plan is 30GB/month in the US. When we travel abroad we pay $10 a day and use our normal data plan and minutes at LTE or 4G speeds from the US. So we pay $200 for 20 days to use our phone just like we are in the US. See what I mean?

This ^.

I travel for work frequently and have this plan. I pay $10/day and tap into my home plan. You get up to 0.5GB/day high speed, then you are throttled to 2G or you can opt to get another 0.5GB for $5 for that day.

https://www.verizonwireless.com/supp...avelpass-faqs/

[TXSoxFan]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I went back to the Verizon site and checked to see if I missed anything.
Nope, for $25/month (or $40/month, same cap) on the international plan for Europe, your monthly data cap is 100 MB. "Overages: $25 per 100 MB". As I calculated above, to get to 1GB for the month (100MB included + 900 MB overage), it would cost 9 x $25 = $225. Completely ridiculous. Like I said, everything else is cheaper with way more data. For less than that I can get 1GB/day!

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solu...tional-travel/

You are not looking at the right thing. Search on Verizon for "TravelPass"

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

I went back to the Verizon site and checked to see if I missed anything.
Nope, for $25/month (or $40/month, same cap) on the international plan for Europe, your monthly data cap is 100 MB. "Overages: $25 per 100 MB". As I calculated above, to get to 1GB for the month (100MB included + 900 MB overage), it would cost 9 x $25 = $225. Completely ridiculous. Like I said, everything else is cheaper with way more data. For less than that I can get 1GB/day!

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solu...tional-travel/

Did you search for the travel pass? https://www.verizonwireless.com/supp...avelpass-faqs/

Edit: just saw I beat a dead horse

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by CASoxFan

You are not looking at the right thing. Search on Verizon for "TravelPass"

TravelPass is a pay-as-you-go plan, at $10/day. This is the only Verizon plan that allows you to use your domestic data limits. The monthly plan for $25 that I was looking at has the 100MB data cap. If I activate both my phone and my wife's phone on the Travel Pass plan, then it's $10/day x 2 x 20 days, or $400, assuming that we both use it each day.

But the thing that you're missing is the speed/data caps:

"4G LTE World Devices are capable of roaming at 4G LTE speeds where available. In other countries, data service is on our roaming partner's GSM network at 3G/2G speeds.

If you're using TravelPass in one of the 130+ countries...then high speed data applies for the first 512 MB/day with 2G reduced speeds thereafter."

2G is really, really slow (<0.1Mbit/s compared to 4G at 15Mbit/s typical speeds) so this is not at all like using your phone at home! This makes your phone virtually unusable for data!

Euro SIMS are generally cheaper than $10/day, allow 4G speed with no speed throttling, and still have all the advantages of using your own phone. If I bought two Orange SIMS for $50 each for 14 days and paid the additional ~$24 for another 14 days and 5GB more, the total cost is only about $150. Or I could just buy one for my phone and set it up as a personal hotspot (allowed on the Orange card) and tether my wife's phone and our tablets. 4G speed, and 15GB for 30 days.

We used an Ortel SIM in 2016 and it worked great, until we ran out of data and couldn't figure out how to do a top-up. Orange offers English support.

I'm still not seeing anything that offers the speed, data, and relative ease of use of the Orange SIM.

[dzvero]

I have T-mobile, free data and text in EU and other parts of the world . then I use viber or whatsup to call friends, relatives

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

(BTW, if you're using an iPhone on T-Mobile, then you can just use your phone anywhere in Europe just like you do at home. Not an option for us.)

Originally Posted by dzvero

I have T-mobile, free data and text in EU and other parts of the world . then I use viber or whatsup to call friends, relatives

Yeah, I know. Thanks for playing...

[TXSoxFan]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

TravelPass is a pay-as-you-go plan, at $10/day. This is the only Verizon plan that allows you to use your domestic data limits. The monthly plan for $25 that I was looking at has the 100MB data cap. If I activate both my phone and my wife's phone on the Travel Pass plan, then it's $10/day x 2 x 20 days, or $400, assuming that we both use it each day.

But the thing that you're missing is the speed/data caps:

"4G LTE World Devices are capable of roaming at 4G LTE speeds where available. In other countries, data service is on our roaming partner's GSM network at 3G/2G speeds.

If you're using TravelPass in one of the 130+ countries...then high speed data applies for the first 512 MB/day with 2G reduced speeds thereafter."

2G is really, really slow (<0.1Mbit/s compared to 4G at 15Mbit/s typical speeds) so this is not at all like using your phone at home! This makes your phone virtually unusable for data!

Euro SIMS are generally cheaper than $10/day, allow 4G speed with no speed throttling, and still have all the advantages of using your own phone. If I bought two Orange SIMS for $50 each for 14 days and paid the additional ~$24 for another 14 days and 5GB more, the total cost is only about $150. Or I could just buy one for my phone and set it up as a personal hotspot (allowed on the Orange card) and tether my wife's phone and our tablets. 4G speed, and 15GB for 30 days.

We used an Ortel SIM in 2016 and it worked great, until we ran out of data and couldn't figure out how to do a top-up. Orange offers English support.

I'm still not seeing anything that offers the speed, data, and relative ease of use of the Orange SIM.

I wasn't missing anything. Given that most hotels have wi-fi, I would think that 0.5GB would be sufficient for time not in the hotel, unless you are doing a lot of streaming (I plan on spending my time in Europe enjoying Europe, not looking at my phone).

We will turn off my wife's phone during the day and wait until back on wi-fi for non-emergency calls. Anyone needing to reach us in an emergency can just call my phone, or if that isn't an option you can always forward calls from one phone to another.

Like many things, you have to evaluate your situation and decide what's best for you.

[FC]

I have AT&T and I think I’m gonna go with the $60 for 1GB over 30 days plan (“AT&T Passport 1GB”).

https://www.att.com/offers/internati.../passport.html