Traveling to London; can I just buy a UK micro sim?

Yes you can pick up a Micro Sim card but probably only after the 28th.

I'm curious to know the answer to this also since I am UK bound this summer. It's one of the main reasons I bought the 3G, for when traveling, especially abroad.

mcdj said:

Thanks. So if I walk into a Vodafone store (their site says you can buy them in store now, but they won't work til the 28th...doesn't matter to me since I won't be there til June), I don't have to be a UK resident to buy one? Seems I have to be a resident to buy one online...

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I think for Vodafone you will need to be a UK resident as it is a rolling 30 day contract (cancellable at anytime).

You can get a microsim from O2 and you will not be credit checked as you will only pay at the time you request service. This would seem to be proved by the fact that if you order an O2 sim online you just fill in your name and address and they send you one. If you go to Vodafone's site you need your addresses for the last 3 years.

http://freesim.o2.co.uk/sKTLPi92

You can walk into any of the three main networks after the 28th and get a micro SIM. They should be free. I'd reccomend that you go for o2, their plans are much better than the vodafone ones IMO

DKatri said:

You can walk into any of the three main networks after the 28th and get a micro SIM. They should be free. I'd reccomend that you go for o2, their plans are much better than the vodafone ones IMO

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Completely agree - the O2 sims may not offer the 3G best value (since the 3 packages were launched) but they have far and away the best free wifi coverage, and if you're in London there are BT Openzone or Cloud hotspots everywhere. Which is why I'm sticking with them despite having naff 3G reception at work.

As far as I know all sims are free, just pick them up in shop.

DKatri said:

You can walk into any of the three main networks after the 28th and get a micro SIM. They should be free. I'd reccomend that you go for o2, their plans are much better than the vodafone ones IMO

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If you want Vodafone or Orange you will need to set up an account and be credit checked, main reason being that they will bill you after for the package you pick and chearge you if you go over your bundle. O2's I believe will just stop working if you exceed your purchased bundle.

If you apply for Orange, Vodafone or even 3 online you will say that they are taking you through a process that will credit check you.

I'm traveling to the UK next week so I'm interested in whether this is available to me when I'm over there. I just sent O2 an email to see if it's possible and how it would work. I will post what I learn from their response.

You should be fine as you pay upfront for the O2 packages, so you should just have to pick up a sim in a store. O2 encourage incoming international travellers to pick up one of their sims for the duration of their stay in the UK and advertise this fact on some airlines.

I guess I will be looking for an O2 store upon my arrival. I don't suppose O2 is the carrier in Ireland as well. Thanks for the info.

jon snow said:

I guess I will be looking for an O2 store upon my arrival. I don't suppose O2 is the carrier in Ireland as well. Thanks for the info.

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They are - although I'm not entirely sure if the packages will carry though (especially if you're off to the Republic)...

The £1M Question:

Maybe someone w/ a US iPad in the UK can answer this one:

Is activation of the O2 or Vodafone MicroSIM possible w/o a UK iPad? For example, w/ my US iPad when I hit the Cellular Data -> View Account I get an ATT account set up and 3G plan price list. Is this something embedded into the OS or is it something that the iPad reads from the SIM; i.e., if I were to install an O2 SIM then I would see an O2 account set up and 3G plan price list or would the ATT info remain?

jon snow said:

I'm traveling to the UK next week so I'm interested in whether this is available to me when I'm over there. I just sent O2 an email to see if it's possible and how it would work. I will post what I learn from their response.

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Waiting to hear what they say, I've got upcoming UK travel.

Just Got back from UK

So I bought a US AT&T iPhone 4 before heading to the UK in September 2010. I am a US based traveler.

I got to London and went to a mall and tried to get a micro sim from EVERY carrier. At the time they ALL required a credit check and thus required a UK address to buy.

I left VERY disappointed. I could only buy a pay as you go phone which had a regular sim so I guess if I brought my 3G phone I could have used it.

BE AWARE that as of September 2010 you could NOT buy an iPhone 4 micro sim nor an iPad micro sim unless you had a UK address. I tried every angle and could not get one.

They now have new pay as you go plans so this may have changed. I am hoping that someone can tell me HOW I can get a UK iPhone micro sim for my US iPhone? I am heading off to the UK again in September 2011 so I'm hoping things change or maybe someone knows how I can get one... possibly criags list or ?

Chupa Chupa said:

Maybe someone w/ a US iPad in the UK can answer this one:

Is activation of the O2 or Vodafone MicroSIM possible w/o a UK iPad? For example, w/ my US iPad when I hit the Cellular Data -> View Account I get an ATT account set up and 3G plan price list. Is this something embedded into the OS or is it something that the iPad reads from the SIM; i.e., if I were to install an O2 SIM then I would see an O2 account set up and 3G plan price list or would the ATT info remain?

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I know on phones it's the SIM that holds that info. When I put my O2 SIM in my AT&T iPhone 4, I get all new options for calling Orange.

The best option is to grab a 3 broadband sim which comes pre-loaded with 3gb data which lasts for 3 months upon first use. as soon as the 3gb is up you just chuck it away.

There is absolutely no activation or checks of any kind - you just put it in and start to surf.

Available now on eBay for example: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400175474555#ht_1479wt_982

This is also the cheapest way.

The only caveat is that you have to cut them down to micro-sim size. I've been using them for months and so does everyone I know with an iPad. In the end I just got one of those micro-sim cutters from China and did a load for me and anyone who asks.

No brainer.

Tested and definitely works on US iPad.

I went to the UK (Scotland) with an iPad in December 2010. iPad was purchased in US in June 2010. I live in South Korea so have a KT Monthly Data Package.

I walked into a 3 store in Scotland and purchased an iPad Micro Sim Pay as you go, Preloaded with 3GB of Data, valid for 3 months. I was only there 3 weeks and used a little less than 2GB. I did not need a UK address. Cost £20.

http://threestore.three.co.uk/broadband/?ipad=1

When I inserted the Micro Sim, I did not need to do anything, the iPad recognized the 3 Network and my Sim was already activated.

On returning to Korea, I inserted my KT Sim again. No problems.

Oh yeah, had great coverage with 3.

Hope this helps.

Some more info that may be useful.

http://paygsimwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/UK