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So I am traveling internationally...have a few questions!

Texxy

Texxy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 16, 2011
435
86
Hey guys so I have an iPad 2 Wi-Fi and 3G AT&T. I am going for the first time internationally (France, Cannes and I am from the U.S.) with my iPad and wanted to see what was the best plan to use data internationally?

Is it only through carrier? Is there some secret way I can make this work cheaper? Help me out please :confused::)
 
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It depends where you're from and where you're going! I assume you're from the US but I have no idea where you're going. Are you staying in one country for the duration? If so, your best bet would be a local SIM card pre-loaded with data. Are you roaming around various countries? If so, maybe something like a Maxroam SIM that offers a set amount of data for a price and works across various countries.

More detail please!
 
Zcott said:
It depends where you're from and where you're going! I assume you're from the US but I have no idea where you're going. Are you staying in one country for the duration? If so, your best bet would be a local SIM card pre-loaded with data. Are you roaming around various countries? If so, maybe something like a Maxroam SIM that offers a set amount of data for a price and works across various countries.

More detail please!
Click to expand...

Lol, yeah. I'm taking a flight tomorrow, can someone tell me how long it will take? Thanks!
 
Texxy said:
Hey guys so I have an iPad 2 Wi-Fi and 3G AT&T. I am going for the first time internationally with my iPad and wanted to see what was the best plan to use data internationally?

Is it only through carrier? Is there some secret way I can make this work cheaper? Help me out please :confused::)
Click to expand...

1. Figure out your destination.
2. Google "using iPad in [destination]"

You're likely not the first to travel to [destination]. If we had a sense of where you were going we could be more helpful, but "international" leaves it somewhat open-ended.
 
It really depends on where you are going.

The best deal will almost always to buy a "Pay-As-You-Go" plan from one of the mobile phone companies in the country you are visiting.

This probably will take some research, but its worth looking up the various mobile companies in each country and see if they offer an iPad SIM card, and how much it costs. Typically these are cheaper than data plans here in the USA (go figure..)

You will also get the best deal if you buy the SIM card from a mobile phone store in the country itself. This means you'll be offline the moment your plane lands - but mobile phone stores are pretty easy to find in most cities. Don't buy them from vending machines in the airport - they usually charge (at least) twice the rate you'd pay away from the airport.

Coverage and plans vary, tremendously, by country. The UK and Germany, for instance, are fairly easy to get SIM cards. France- for reasons best known to itself - requires you have a French bank account, which is inconvenient for most travelers.

Most modern hotels do offer wi-fi to their guests. Bear in mind that speeds on shred wi-fi will be unreliable, but generally good enough to check e-mail and download your favorite websites. Many cafes and bars offer wi-fi, but again this seems to be true only in larger cities.
 
I travel to Europe a lot and it is real easy to cut a "normal" sim card to fit the ipad. NO need to buy an "iPad" version, carriers just charge you extra for nothing.
print out a good template from the internet before you go so you know how to cut it once you buy it.
Real easy! (yes, I have done it)

:D
 
Texxy said:
Hey guys so I have an iPad 2 Wi-Fi and 3G AT&T. I am going for the first time internationally with my iPad and wanted to see what was the best plan to use data internationally?

Is it only through carrier? Is there some secret way I can make this work cheaper? Help me out please :confused::)
Click to expand...

As others have said, it depends entirely on where you are going. You will be able to buy a SIM card from a local 3G provider and activate your iPad on their plan just like the locals would.

I was in Singapore last month, so I went to the local SingTel shop and bought a SIM card that came with unlimited 3G data for 7 days, for about $20. That was a great little deal, and it came in very handy (they do have WiFi all over the place too).
 
why does it matter where he is going??
getting a local 3G sim is always the best option.
 
Depends where u go, if they don't offer iPad specific plans,nthen mobile broadband plans are the next thing to look for.
 
bbmiLo said:
why does it matter where he is going??
getting a local 3G sim is always the best option.
Click to expand...

Not all countries have unlimited data like in the U.S, and even there, the service providers whine about their regrets for providing it ("boohoo, the market required us to undersell each other so that we lost money"). In some countries, you still pay per kilobyte even with the major providers, and there may not even be any other 3G plans either. This applies in particular to pre-paid users. You may as well forget about getting a post-paid subscription if you don't have work permit for that specific country.

That's why it matters. Getting a local 3G sim may not even be possible, depending on where he's going.
 
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To answer the "WHERE ARE YOU GOING QUESTION"

I am traveling to France, Cannes and will be there for a month
 
shinobi-81 said:
Not all countries have unlimited data like in the U.S, and even there, the service providers whine about their regrets for providing it ("boohoo, the market required us to undersell each other so that we lost money"). In some countries, you still pay per kilobyte even with the major providers, and there may not even be any other 3G plans either. This applies in particular to pre-paid users. You may as well forget about getting a post-paid subscription if you don't have work permit for that specific country.

That's why it matters. Getting a local 3G sim may not even be possible, depending on where he's going.
Click to expand...


I understand all that.
but if it's a remote area where there isn't 3G or wireless network at all, AT&T international roaming is not gonna work either.
for the places that do have wireless network, local carrier is usually cheaper than going on roaming, afterall roaming means letting you get on local carrier but with AT&T charging a premium.

I have been to many countries, I honestly don't recall a single one that local carrier is more expensive than international roaming.
 
bbmiLo said:
I understand all that.
but if it's a remote area where there isn't 3G or wireless network at all, AT&T international roaming is not gonna work either.
for the places that do have wireless network, local carrier is usually cheaper than going on roaming, afterall roaming means letting you get on local carrier but with AT&T charging a premium.

I have been to many countries, I honestly don't recall a single one that local carrier is more expensive than international roaming.
Click to expand...

Oh, I see. Yes, compared to using AT&T for roaming, using a local 3G sim will always be cheaper.
 
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