UK o2 pay monthly - but going to Holland

[cjbryce]

I'm going to be in Holland four days a week for the next few months. I have an O2 monthly contract and even with their International Traveller deal it's still 35p per minute with no free minutes/data/texts.

My iPhone 3G is not jailbroken.

Any tips on how I can reduce my costs (other than switching the phone off!)?

 

[Kardashian]

Reduce your tariff (if possible).

Unlock the iPhone. When you're in Holland, use a sim card from there. That way, yes its more expensive for people to call you - but at least you won't get charged to receive the actual call, plus its probably cheaper to call from foreign > UK, rather than UK on roaming > back to the UK.

 

[Daveoc64]

I'm going to be in Holland four days a week for the next few months. I have an O2 monthly contract and even with their International Traveller deal it's still 35p per minute with no free minutes/data/texts.

My iPhone 3G is not jailbroken.

Any tips on how I can reduce my costs (other than switching the phone off!)?

O2's Text Allowances can be used while abroad (with 1 text using up 4 messaging credits).

 

[cjbryce]

Sad, answering my own topic, but...

...a tip for other UK O2 "EuroCommuters":-

MyEurope Extra from O2 gives back-to-the-UK calls at 25p per minute for a £10 per month fee and all incoming calls are free of charge! This compares very well to the 35p/minute outbound and 18p to receive a call even after the International Traveller Service discount!! That could make a big difference depending on your phone usage pattern. It'll certainly pay for itself for me

The bad news is that the data roaming package at £50 per month for 50Mb (no rollover) is way too expensive (I average about 80Mb/month anyway so would still end up paying the standard £3/Mb once I'd gone over the 50Mb allowance). So it's data roaming permanently switched off and WiFi hotspots for me - mmm, I wonder just how many of Amsterdam's brown cafes have free WiFi?

 

[synagence]

If you have access to Wifi use something like Truphone or Fring to talk via Skype

They do cheaper call rates and work well (i use both)