Traveling to Europe w/ iPhone

KLT

New member
Oct 1, 2009
2
0
0
Visit site
Hey Everyone! Question...

I'm looking to travel to London and Paris in the near future with the ole iphone... Only for a bout a week or so... I was thinking since I only want to use the phone for emailing and browsing the web, could I just put the phone in airplane mode and use Wifi instead of getting an expensive plan via ATT?

Are there any Cons (money wise) if I were to go this route? Not looking to make phone calls or anything.
 

Alli

Well-known member
Apr 28, 2009
10,927
370
0
Visit site
Yes you can do this. Definitely put it in airplane mode, and don't take it off. (Even vvm can cost you a small fortune!)
 

dawggg63

Well-known member
Jul 31, 2009
72
1
0
Visit site
Wouldn't turning off data roaming have the same effect of avoiding data usage charges. I'm going to Canada next week, and would like to make calls (I can handle the $0.40/min fees), but want to avoid the surprise data charges. The plan is to keep the data roaming off, but access data through wifi, and leave the phone avaiable for call (ie. no Airplane Mode). Does this sound right? Rogers says it is, but...
 

Brickman

Well-known member
Nov 28, 2008
836
16
0
Visit site
Turn Data Roaming "off" and be sure that "Push" is turned "off". I would also keep in Airplane Mode when I did not have to make/take a call just in case I got a text message.

When I recently traveled to the Bahamas that is what I did. Actually I kept it in Airplane Mode most of the time and just used WiFi for Data. that way I could still use Skype for calls and Gtalk for IM.
 

Alli

Well-known member
Apr 28, 2009
10,927
370
0
Visit site
Again, even something simple like visual voicemail will wind up costing you as it actually requires two connections to get it to your phone. Unless there is an emergency requiring a phone call, leave it in airplane mode. Switch your voicemail to YouMail so that you can check voicemail via a WiFi data connection while you're gone.
 

obee1

Well-known member
Aug 26, 2008
98
0
0
Visit site
I don't use airplane mode very often, so maybe I'm wrong here, but doesn't airplane mode shut off wi-fi too?
 

hobanma

Active member
Sep 18, 2009
27
0
0
Visit site
Does anyone else think that it stinks that the rates are so high? You go overseas where you are most likely to need the features of your $300 device but you can't afford to use them.

Grrr!

M
 

duhneiz

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2009
55
0
0
Visit site
recieving text while roaming comes out of ur bundled feature
so say you have unlimited messaging... u will have unlimited recieving of messages while there... it would just cost u .50 per message to send them out...


i would just turn of data roaming... if u plan on making calls...
but putting it in airplane mode will turn it all off... so if u dont plan on making any calls whatsoever then thatwould be the best option to avoid any charges
 

flyingember

Well-known member
Jun 18, 2009
1,983
2
0
Visit site
Receiving text messages internationally is an addin feature. It's not included in the domestic text message plan

call ATT with any plan questions to get your account specific answers
 

duhneiz

Well-known member
Sep 30, 2009
55
0
0
Visit site
whenever u add any intl voice feature if it be standard roaming or the world travelers... then data capability comes with it automatically...

its not an addin feature

Sending Text, Picture, and Video Messages When Outside the U.S.
Text Messages $0.50 per message sent
Picture and Video Messages $1.30 per message sent
Home pay-per-use or package rates apply to all text, picture, or video messages received when roaming internationally. See your Rate Plan Brochure for details.


from this link

Wireless International Rates | Wireless from AT&T, formerly Cingular
 

hobanma

Active member
Sep 18, 2009
27
0
0
Visit site
Don't forget that messages to a distribution list or multiple numbers will incur the charge for each recipient. Send a text to 10 people at it will cost $5.00.

M
 
Nov 18, 2009
6
0
0
Visit site
To travel to europe with iPhone you can just rent european iphone before your trip, migrate all data from your iphone to the rented one and travel with the rented iphone.
The benefits of rented iPhone are that you use local voice rates and 3G data is absolutely free, like you have it in the USA.

Just use iPhone in Europe like you do it in the USA. I just want to mention it, because most of the people here think that the only option is to unlock iPhone. Search for rent iphone in google.
 

flyingember

Well-known member
Jun 18, 2009
1,983
2
0
Visit site
Receiving costs more money. And how much depends on the country. For anyone who likes Verizon more they have no addon feature so it costs more It's a premium per text always

I'm asking our corporate ATT rep about visual voice mail and data roaming
 
Nov 18, 2009
6
0
0
Visit site
Well, I've checked a website of some iPhone rental company. They sell voice packages, so you can have a package with pre-paid incoming and outgoing calls. Texts are also included. It's very useful, as you know the exact price you will pay for the usage abroad. And the data is unlimited....
 

longshadows

Well-known member
Dec 27, 2009
55
1
0
Visit site
If you have an unlocked iPhone, has anyone had experience with buying a short-term, pre-paid cellular account w/SIM from a European provider? Before my iPhone life, I had an unlocked Nokia phone and traveled to Ireland. Vodafone offered a pre-paid with SIM for about $25, which included 50 minutes and a local (Irish) phone number. (Talk about customer service, the Irish Vodafone CSR even faxed a long instruction sheet on how to configure my phone model for their network to my hotel and actually called me back a couple of hours later to ask if I had any questions!! :)) Anyway, I had the same experience a few years later in France. Now, that was just phone calls and no data plans involved. So, I"m wondering what's possible and manageable these days, with an unlocked iPhone.
 

matthew23

Well-known member
Jan 5, 2009
173
0
0
Visit site
Hey all...I just wanted to chime in on this. I am traveling to Europe (Ireland, Croatia and Italy) next week. I want to bring my iPhone 4 to use in wifi hotspots, hotel wifi, etc. I mainly want to bring the iPhone to use the nifty camera rather than bring a separate one. I also want to use it to check emails, Facebook, etc.

Am I correct that if I put it in airplane mode And keep item there em wqhole trip I shouldn't get any roaming charges? I do not need to make calls and have Skype account if I need to thru wifi. Is there anyway my phone could come out of airplane mode? Does visual voicemail work over wifi without the phone function on?

Also, anyone know if wifi hotspots (free) are easy to find in Dublin and Rome?

Thanks for any advice!!
 

Fausty82

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2010
8,484
286
0
Visit site
Ps anyone have any advice on cool things to see in Dublin and Rome?

We were in Ireland several years ago... Dublin is great... lots of history and beauty there...

You should definitely check out:

  • The Book of Kells at Trinity University
  • Christ Church Cathedral
  • Phoenix Park and the Uachtarain (the Irish "white house") which was the inspiration for the US White House in Washington DC
  • Dublin Castle
  • Dublinia - a series of exhibits that depict Dublin in midieval times
  • St Patrick's Cathedral
  • Guinness Tour
  • Old Jameson Distillery
  • Irish Museum of Modern Art
  • The Dublin Writer's Museum
  • James Joyce Center
  • There are also a lot of tours - walking, motorcoach, horse-drawn coach, etc.

Ireland is a beautiful country, and Dublin is a great place. Most of Ireland is comprised of small villages, and Dublin is the largest and most cultured city... and as much as we enjoyed Dublin, we also loved the small town, countryside, etc. If you can get out to the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry and the Rock of Cashel, I highly recommend going - you won't be sorry.

But I've never been to Italy (yet).


Apologies for hijacking the thread - but Matthew asked, and I got carried away :)
 
Last edited:

Trending Posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
260,011
Messages
1,765,308
Members
441,221
Latest member
CØR