Europe Travel Question- iPad and iPhone

[Macaddict16]

Next summer I will be going on my honeymoon to Europe. Currently I live in the US. We are likely to spend a month overseas traveling to various countries. My question is, what is the best route to go for a traveler for an iPhone and an iPad 1 3G. My iPhone is currently a 3GS, but I am planning on upgrading as soon as the iPhone 5 comes out (whenever that is) and I plan on getting the next iPad when it comes out as well. I am planning on traveling to Germany, England, Ireland, France, Spain, and Italy.

My options as I see it:

1. Keep ATT and set up an international plan. I know that data is outrageous so I would just have to use wifi. Is cheap wifi easy to come by? I would have to really limit my voice min and texting.

2. Keep ATT and don't sent up an international plan, but remove the SIM card and use wifi only. Use FaceTime and Skype to make calls only when at a wifi zone.

3. Unlock iPhone and get PAYG sims from the different countries I am visiting. The 3GS is able to be unlocked?

Any of you that have traveled to multiple countries have an idea as to my best options? Any options I have forgotten or didn't think of? I was planning on selling my old equipment when I upgrade. Are my current items better suited for traveling than the new ones will be?

Thanks for all of your help!

Macaddict16

 

[wordoflife]

Personally, I would just rely on your iPad for internet. The iPhone is probably not unlockable and AT&T international rates are expensive.

Whichever country you are in, just take the iPad to the cellular store, and they'll hook you up accordingly.

My friend took his iPad to Italy and went to a Vodafone kiosk at the airport. They charged him $25 on his credit card, gave him a microSIM, and he was on his way. Make sure you have a computer to plug the iPad in because I think it needs to update the carrier settings over iTunes (cant remember).

There's no need to sell or buy anything new right now - you already have the equipment you need ... it just depends how much you want to pay. Depending on how much internet you use, it might be cheaper to buy an international data plan with AT&t instead of buying a new SIM/PAYG upon entering each country. Alternatively, you could buy an international data plan for your iPad as well.

 

[sbddude]

The iphone 3Gs can be unlocked depending on which baseband version you have. The ipad is always unlocked.

If I were in your situation I would get a cheap unlocked phone - either an iphone 2g, or some dumbphone, and get a SIM for the local provider. Use your ipad for data and the other phone for texting and voice.

 

[pugnut]

Travel

Travel a lot and grew tired of tracking down a SIM card, was in Spain and Italy recently and used a MiFI rental from Xcom global. Worked perfectly for me and my Wife's iPhone and iPad. Had not one issue. Used Skype for voice calls- For having four devices connected all the time , $15.00 per day was a steal.

http://www.xcomglobal.com/