Traveling Abroad

[gilbenl]

FYI...
Parents just took a trip to Paris, and after some research, found that it would be cheaper to use my father's storm for data using VZW (said data was dirt cheap), and then buy some cheap phone cards or a throw-away preloaded phone for limited voice.

In any case, if you tell VZW that you're going to England/France, they're likely going to say that you need to use VZW service or it's partner's. Tell them you're going somewhere way off the grid...I didn't even go anywhere, and I just told the rep that I was going to Budapest for a week, and they immediately said "We don't have service there, but if you would like, you can purchase another SIM...*unlock code follows*"

Just $0.02

[djp952]

All I can say about this is that having a phone that works when you get off that plane can be priceless. My wife has been deployed (Navy) to Germany for 7 months now, and when I landed in Munich back in December to see her, I was *devastated* that the phone I brought with me (An old AT&T GoPhone I reactivated just for that trip since I bought the Imagio literally 2 days prior) was completely useless and couldn't even sent an IM let alone make a call, no matter what the morons at the AT&T store said. I couldn't figure out how to use the damn payphones [side note: just drop the leading "0" from a German cell phone # you might call from the US], and had absolutely no way of contacting my wife. Dumb luck prevailed and she was right there on a bench 10 feet from me when I slammed the Deutsche Telekom payphone receiver down for the final time in frustration, so it worked out. I'm man enough to admit that I was very close to tears at that point.

Long boring story short, I highly recommend you call Verizon and make sure you have something that will work when you get there, be it a SIM unlock or International Roaming or whatever. It's not a good feeling to be thousands of miles from home and be completely disconnected when it matters most.

As a matter of fact, I'm going back there next week, time to hit verizonwireless.com and sign up for something that will work this time! I don't care how much it costs, it was really the absolute worst feeling in the world to be so suddenly and totally without a means of communication. How did people even live 5 years ago? Geez

[fluidj]

Originally Posted by makryger

The SIM card is already in your phone. You just have to phone verizon and ask them to activate the global roaming plan.

As I said in this post http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=109585...

I used the Imagio in Global mode while I was in Turkey. Verizon has a great plan that is basically $2 a day for unlimited internet abroad. I was worried, because the Verizon map did not show 3G service in Turkey. But as it turns out, everything worked VERY well. Fast enough speeds for all basic activities. I was able to use it via Skype to make phone calls without issue. I was able to tether it to my laptop and get internet on my computer basically anywhere. The most life-saving part was that I was able to use Google maps to navigate the very confusing streets of Istanbul. Everything just worked.

I can't say the same thing about blackberry phones though- other members of my family have the Tour and Storm 2, both World Phones. For some reason, they could not connect to 3G service abroad- the phones ended up freezing every few minutes and had to be restarted. The only way to fix it was to switch the phone to 2G mode.

Thanks. That would definately be helpful. Is that $2/day plan listed on their site? I'm finding it kinda cumbersome to find any information on their World usage. But I primarily will need it to keep in touch with the rest of our party and use google maps for getting around. I'm more concerned about Data than Voice..so this is helpful. Thanks.

[fluidj]

Originally Posted by gilbenl

FYI...
Parents just took a trip to Paris, and after some research, found that it would be cheaper to use my father's storm for data using VZW (said data was dirt cheap), and then buy some cheap phone cards or a throw-away preloaded phone for limited voice.

In any case, if you tell VZW that you're going to England/France, they're likely going to say that you need to use VZW service or it's partner's. Tell them you're going somewhere way off the grid...I didn't even go anywhere, and I just told the rep that I was going to Budapest for a week, and they immediately said "We don't have service there, but if you would like, you can purchase another SIM...*unlock code follows*"

Just $0.02

Hahaa...hmmm. so they won't unlock the SIM unless you are going to a place where they don't have a partnership coverage?

[fluidj]

Originally Posted by djp952

... Dumb luck prevailed and she was right there on a bench 10 feet from me when I slammed the Deutsche Telekom payphone receiver down for the final time in frustration, so it worked out. I'm man enough to admit that I was very close to tears at that point.

Touching lol...

[gokudre]

ok question for you guys. If i call verizon and get my phone "sim unlocked", will that stay inm place if i hard reset or flash a custom rom? I dont have the verizon/vodaphone sim card for my imagio. But im thinking of agoing on vacation to europe this fall. Im constantly modding my phone (im currently running manilla sense 2.5 on it now) so i wanna know if a hard reset & rom flash will kill my sim unlock?

[makryger]

Originally Posted by fluidj

Thanks. That would definately be helpful. Is that $2/day plan listed on their site? I'm finding it kinda cumbersome to find any information on their World usage. But I primarily will need it to keep in touch with the rest of our party and use google maps for getting around. I'm more concerned about Data than Voice..so this is helpful. Thanks.

Its actually like $65 a month. But they pro-rate the charges. So it ends up being around $2 a day, as long as you cancel the plan the day you get back to the US.

[fluidj]

Originally Posted by makryger

Its actually like $65 a month. But they pro-rate the charges. So it ends up being around $2 a day, as long as you cancel the plan the day you get back to the US.

Can this plan be activated on the website or do I have to call directly?

[cslawren]

Originally Posted by fluidj

Can this plan be activated on the website or do I have to call directly?

Call Global Services to do this. Plus you get a real person to hammer out any questions you may have. They're some of the most helpful VZW people I've talked to on the phone. Their number is 1-800-711-8300.

[blue_94_trooper]

Originally Posted by gokudre

ok question for you guys. If i call verizon and get my phone "sim unlocked", will that stay inm place if i hard reset or flash a custom rom?

No, the SIM unlock should stay. It always did with my previous HTC phones.

I've got a SIM from Mobal Communications that I've used when travelling and their rates are pretty good, especially for calling back to the States and for making local calls w/in Europe. The SIM I got from them has a UK phone number tied to it.