Phone in London, Spain, and Morocco

[randster2]

What is the best way to call the United States on a 12 day trip to London, Spain, ahd Morocco? Skype will not be practical. Thanks.

 

[Passepartout]

Probably a pre-paid European cell phone. If you have an unlocked quad band GSM phone, you may be able to get a local SIM to slip into it. Check with your cell carrier- they may have a plan you can live with or a rental/loaner phone that would bill to your regular number. Here's a Rick Steves' article on the subject: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/cell-phone-europe.htm

Jim Ricks

 

[MALC9990]

Unfortunately there is no European wide cell-phone service as such. What you get is roaming across national borders.

If you are arriving in the UK first then you could buy a local SIM card at the arrival airport but this would be a UK number. It might also allow roaming across Europe but then there would be roaming charges incurred.

I would check with our own cell phone service provider for roaming costs in Europe first and then decide what you plan to do.

An unlocked cell phone would be required for local SIM cards and you might then need one for each country.

For travel across Europe I use my UK number and accept the roaming costs since these have been forced down by UK government action over the years. Still slightly more than local UK usage but now much cheaper than before and really makes a local SIM card not worth the hassle but Morocco would be a different matter.