Verizon’s International Plan Debacle

[peregrina2000]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

 

[witsendwv]

We use AT&T- same price $100 per billing cycle. Never have had a problem with the service. I am investigating T-Mobile because they have better coverage locally, but I am not sure about international yet.

 

[peregrina2000]

We use AT&T- same price $100 per billing cycle. Never have had a problem with the service. I am investigating T-Mobile because they have better coverage locally, but I am not sure about international yet.

I know that there are many people who have no problem with this plan, otherwise it would not be in existence.

I think it’s kind of like the decision about whether to carry your pack on the plane — there may be a very low risk, but if it happens, the consequences are pretty bad. So I’m really just throwing this out there so that there’s more information about possible downsides. Maybe very unlikely but it did happen!

For me, it just reinforces my commitment to a Vodafone sim.

 

[trecile]

I am investigating T-Mobile because they have better coverage locally, but I am not sure about international yet.

I've been using T-mobile for years, and it works wonderfully while I'm abroad - at a much lower price than Verizon or AT&T. In fact, unless I buy a high speed data package with them I pay no extra fees for unlimited data and texting to/from US numbers.

My current plan (Magenta 55+) also gives me 5GB international data per billing cycle while I'm traveling.



The last couple of years I bought a 30 day international plan because I got hooked on the high speed data, but in the past I had no problems using navigation and other apps when I had slower data speeds.

 

[witsendwv]

I've been using T-mobile for years, and it works wonderfully while I'm abroad - at a much lower price than Verizon or AT&T. In fact, unless I buy a high speed data package with them I pay no extra fees for unlimited data and texting to/from US numbers.

My current plan (Magenta 55+) also gives me 5GB international data per billing cycle while I'm traveling.

View attachment 178922

The last couple of years I bought a 30 day international plan because I got hooked on the high speed data, but in the past I had no problems using navigation and other apps when I had slower data speeds.

View attachment 178924

I'd like to try the TMobile Magenta plan. The problem is that the price is per line for two lines, and my husband refuses to pay monthly for his phone after having to be attached to a cell phone for years for his work. He carries a Trac Phone that he only turns on when absolutely necessary ie- when we are in a large box store and I can't find him. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[trecile]

I'd like to try the TMobile Magenta plan. The problem is that the price is per line for two lines, and my husband refuses to pay monthly for his phone after having to be attached to a cell phone for years for his work. He carries a Trac Phone that he only turns on when absolutely necessary ie- when we are in a large box store and I can't find him. Thanks for the suggestion.

Can't you just have a single line on the Magenta plan? And if the cost of two lines is the same or less than you are paying with AT&T what's his argument?

 

[witsendwv]

Can't you just have a single line on the Magenta plan? And if the cost of two lines is the same or less than you are paying with AT&T what's his argument?

He purchases the minimum number of prepaid minutes possible once a year and hardly ever even turns his phone on! One of my sons is on my AT &T plan, but he can't be on the Magenta 55 plan because he is only 29. So, I stick with AT&T as it is mostly reliable (except at my house where I have to use the WIFI).

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

It is possible that the configuration settings on your phone are causing some issues.

Settings related to the SIM or eSIM such as Roaming for data and Voice service. There sometimes also is a Roaming setting at the Telco end that needs to be turned on.

Also when you arrive in Portugal your phone will search for a Telco to connect to locally. Verizon doesn't operate a network in Portugal, they have an agreement with one or more local Telcos.

There is a somewhat technical setting that most people don't see that manages which local network your phone connects to. This setting has two or more choices.

One choice is to connect to the "best" local network when roaming. A second option is to connect to a particular local Telco network that you specify.

I know that you are undoubtedly sick of this but for others who encounter this problem it may be worth asking Verizon who their preferred partner is in Portugal and setting your phone to connect to this Telco network.

With the first and usually default choice "best" can mean different things. Sometimes the strongest signal and sometimes it can actually negotiate to connect to Verizon's partner even if it isn't the strongest signal at that geographic point.

That is why it is normally the default setting.

You often see this after you turn on your phone after landing and you get a flood of SMS text messages from local Telco networks offering to allow your phone to connect.

I hope that this helps someone.

 

[trecile]

One of my sons is on my AT &T plan, but he can't be on the Magenta 55 plan because he is only 29.

It looks like T-Mobile is offering different plans than the one that I have, but both users do not have to be over for the 55+ plans. Only the primary account holder needs to be over 55.

T-Mobile Senior Plan & Cell Phones | T-Mobile 55 Plus Cost & Pricing

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies an “older worker” as anyone who is over the age of 55. In the last decade, older workers have continued to make up an exponentially increasing part of the workforce in the U.S. Retirement is being put off longer and post-...

www.seniorliving.org

 

[witsendwv]

It looks like T-Mobile is offering different plans than the one that I have, but both users do not have to be over for the 55+ plans. Only the primary account holder needs to be over 55.

T-Mobile Senior Plan & Cell Phones | T-Mobile 55 Plus Cost & Pricing

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classifies an “older worker” as anyone who is over the age of 55. In the last decade, older workers have continued to make up an exponentially increasing part of the workforce in the U.S. Retirement is being put off longer and post-...

www.seniorliving.org

Thank you, I did not realize that only the primary had to be over 55.

 

[OzAnnie]

For me, it just reinforces my commitment to a Vodafone sim.

Hi Laurie
If the Vodafone sim has worked perfectly before - I’m confused as to why you’d bother looking at anything else?? The cost of the Vodafone sim (and what inclusions you receive for 15€ for 28days) is hard to beat .
I do realise tho that if you have a newer phone that doesn’t take a physical sim - this may not be possible ? But if you previously were using the Vodafone sim system and were able to contact home and operate successfully whilst in Europe ….. why change ?

Good of you to explain your experience to give others the opportunity to research better if it could happen to them. Grrrr I would have been cranky too having to find wifi to communicate after having paid 200€ to Verizon

 

[peregrina2000]

If the Vodafone sim has worked perfectly before - I’m confused as to why you’d bother looking at anything else??

It’s just because of the different circumstances. For two of the trips, I was with my husband and I just wanted him to be able to contact me easily without having to learn how to navigate calling in a different country. And for this most recent trip, I knew I was arriving on a Sunday and wanted to have the phone set up for making calls home right away. It just seemed like an easier way to deal with it. Never again!!!

 

[C clearly]

he only turns on when absolutely necessary ie- when we are in a large box store and I can't find him.

My husband would not consider that to be a necessary situation!

 

[witsendwv]

My husband would not consider that to be a necessary situation!

He does not think it is a necessary (or emergency) situation- I am the one often walking the four corners of the store looking for him only to find him in a place where I would only think to look as a last resort!

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

Laurie,
I can’t even get Verizon to work at my house (even with the booster “satellite dish” they sent me) and even 911 won’t go through. It frequently tells me I am in Canada and need to purchase an American plan. I often wish I could be in Canada—I’m three hours from the border. So close, yet so far! It’s dangerous not to have a phone system that works. I’m thinking of switching to T Mobile, even though they’re not exactly reliable, at least their international plan, I’m told, works!

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

Laurie, you remember how we used to do Zoom meetings for sharing info on different routes, etc? Trecile has always had great info on phone plans and DoughnutANZ has even more knowledge on how the inner workings are managed. Can we harness their energy for a ZOOM or two to help the techno/phone challenged? I usually don’t use a phone when I’m on Camino to call, but I’m sure there are so many who just don’t know the ins and outs of SIM, eSIM, and other headaches. I can read the instructions, but I’m much better at hearing someone explain who is not trying to sell me their useless product! We’ve got a wealth of smarts here!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Can we harness their energy for a ZOOM or two to help the techno/phone challenged?

Add me in; I know a bit and use both Google Fi and the free Google Voice, both good for international calling. Fi actually uses T-Mobile but sometimes can connect to US Cellular and thus might be useful in Maine.

@DoughnutANZ would be great too but is 17 time zones away. I texted him to point to these posts.

 

[tcmiller3]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

I just returned from Norway. Had a similar experience with Verizon. After talking to several people it seems to me that Verizon has taken an unethical position. After being a Verizon customer for 20+ years I have canceled my service (or lack of) from Verizon.

 

[t2andreo]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there. sider

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

Consider switching to t-Mobile for your US cellular needs. They offer plans that provide FREE, UNLIMITED data and text in over 150 foreign countries - including all the Camino countries - when you travel. I have a plan for persons 55+ that costs USD 54 monthly. In the US, I enjoy unlimited voice, data and text.

I have used my free overseas resources since 2015. Switching off the cellular phone capability in favor of using WI-Fi to place voice phone calls makes those calls free. Otherwise, voice calls are USD .25 per minute. I just don't answer the phone for incoming calls unless I need to. And then, I keep the call to one or two minutes - basically telling the person to text or e-mail me.

It works seamlessly. As soon as the plane lands at Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, etc, I turn my phone on. It immediately connects to one of the many t-Mobile roaming partners in Europe. As t-Mobile is originally a German telecommunications company, their partnerships across Europe are second to none.

You can find other, cheaper programs if you never travel. But if you travel outside the US, I suggest this is the best coverage you will find.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We have a T-Mobile plan and have had no problems at home. I do not need to buy overseas plans, and for the few calls I make to talk with hubby, we use Signal calling, which has worked great. I think T-Mobile charges 25 cents per minute on calls, but is no big deal really.

 

[Jack L]

I switched from Verizon to ATT after finding the Verizon monthly charge started on the date of your billing cycle, not the first of the month.
With ATT when my wife and I travel the maximum charge per month is $100 for me and $50 for her (my military discount reduces that by 15%). Also, my data and voice plan is the same for international use as it is in the USA.
Another benefit is the per day charge is $10 for the fist phone and $5 for the second instead of the Verizon $100 per month per phone no matter how few days you use it.
I used ATT in the UK and several countries in Europe and never had a problem.

 

[RicardoCostaMesa]

Sorry to hear about your Verizon issues @peregrina2000 …we have Verizon too and my wife was in Europe recently. Our plan offers $10 a day (if used) international (we’re in California) and we had no issues communicating and sending data. There must be different plans offered throughout the US?

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

Add me in; I know a bit and use both Google Fi and the free Google Voice, both good for international calling. Fi actually uses T-Mobile but sometimes can connect to US Cellular and thus might be useful in Maine.

@DoughnutANZ would be great too but is 17 time zones away. I texted him to point to these posts.

I know there are many who could use your expertise!

 

[JerryStroebele]

I use a French SIM when In Spain. I am in Burgos tonight but just finished talking to my wife in the US using WhatsApp. Sounded like she was in the next room. Buen Camino

 

[trecile]

Laurie, you remember how we used to do Zoom meetings for sharing info on different routes, etc? Trecile has always had great info on phone plans and DoughnutANZ has even more knowledge on how the inner workings are managed. Can we harness their energy for a ZOOM or two to help the techno/phone challenged?

I'm in!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Laurie, you remember how we used to do Zoom meetings for sharing info on different routes, etc? Trecile has always had great info on phone plans and DoughnutANZ has even more knowledge on how the inner workings are managed. Can we harness their energy for a ZOOM or two to help the techno/phone challenged? I usually don’t use a phone when I’m on Camino to call, but I’m sure there are so many who just don’t know the ins and outs of SIM, eSIM, and other headaches. I can read the instructions, but I’m much better at hearing someone explain who is not trying to sell me their useless product! We’ve got a wealth of smarts here!

Hi Lynn, thank you for your suggestion. It sounds like a useful idea. Unfortunately it isn't going to work for me in the near future. I am currently juggling at least four things that are important to me and which are soaking up almost all of my time at the moment.

I sometimes sneak in a forum post just after I have woken up (such as now) or just before I go to sleep. Nice idea though and thank you for thinking of me. @Rick of Rick and Peg has great knowledge and possibly @dougfitz may have a Telco background as I noticed that he used to answer many of the telephone questions before Ric and I started our duet

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Also, @trecile obviously but you had already included her and so that is why I didn't mention her above

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Also also, one of the regular Kiwi ladies used to work on a Telco help desk (sorry I don't remember her name) and so she can undoubtedly contribute lots of knowledge

 

[Nanners]

I used the same Verizon international plan on the Portuguese Camino last year, as did my husband, kids and friends who walking with us. None of us had issues. I suspect it may be the settings on your phone. I did not turn off data when I walked.

5,10 years ago I had problems with Verizon when traveling internationally but lately it works the way it's supposed to, as it did on my most recent trips to France & Germany. Last year, to save $, I bought and tried to use an eSim. Setup was complicated and I never got it to work, so back to Verizon I went for one of their international plans.

The good news is that Verizon has a new series of phone plans, one of which allows virtually unlimited international calling, data and text, for $10-$20 more per month than the standard monthly plans. And one can easily switch to a less expensive plan when not traveling internationally. Sounds too good to be true, but we confirmed all this at a Verizon store. I'm going to test it in Italy in a few weeks.

 

[trecile]

The good news is that Verizon has a new series of phone plans, one of which allows virtually unlimited international calling, data and text, for $10-$20 more per month than the standard monthly plans. And one can easily switch to a less expensive plan when not traveling internationally. Sounds too good to be true, but we confirmed all this at a Verizon store. I'm going to test it in Italy in a few weeks.

What speed is the service at, and do they "throttle" it after you reach a certain amount of data usage?

 

[Nanners]

What speed is the service at, and do they "throttle" it after you reach a certain amount of data usage?

Data is throttled after 10GB, which is a lot of data. I assume the speed of service depends on the local network.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Last year, to save $, I bought and tried to use an eSim. Setup was complicated and I never got it to work, so back to Verizon I went for one of their international plans.

Last December I wrote a post about installing Airalo on eSIMs. Well, actually, it was links to three YouTube videos that I thought did very good jobs on how to do this. Here's the post:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/esim-for-spain.84326/#post-1205342

I have used my eSIM with an installation of Airalo via its app (easy) and occasionally domestically with Tello for cheaper data than my Google Fi plan by a browser and entering a registration number. Just slightly better documentation from Tello would have made things much easier. I never used the QR code method.

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

Hi Lynn, thank you for your suggestion. It sounds like a useful idea. Unfortunately it isn't going to work for me in the near future. I am currently juggling at least four things that are important to me and which are soaking up almost all of my time at the moment.

I sometimes sneak in a forum post just after I have woken up (such as now) or just before I go to sleep. Nice idea though and thank you for thinking of me. @Rick of Rick and Peg has great knowledge and possibly @dougfitz may have a Telco background as I noticed that he used to answer many of the telephone questions before Ric and I started our duet

I copied your original message into my notes so I can refer back to it! There’s always something new to learn and I can’t commit anything to memory anymore! I think even my iPhone is going to need a better memory with all this tech stuff I’m trying to understand and save. I do appreciate all of you with knowledge to share and glad you’re tag-teaming with Rick to keep us on our toes! I’ll be walking the Mozárabe, VdlP, and Sanabrés next April and know a useful phone (and What’s App) will be invaluable.
Careful with all that juggling!!
Lynn

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

Last December I wrote a post about installing Airalo on eSIMs. Well, actually, it was links to three YouTube videos that I thought did very good jobs on how to do this. Here's the post:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/esim-for-spain.84326/#post-1205342

I have used my eSIM with an installation of Airalo via its app (easy) and occasionally domestically with Tello for cheaper data than my Google Fi plan by a browser and entering a registration number. Just slightly better documentation from Tello would have made things much easier. I never used the QR code method.

Yes, I saved that info, too!! Thanks!

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Sorry, I don't understand why you changed from using a local SIM. If it worked fine why would you pay more for something that doesn't work? And after the first time it was a problem, why use it again?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Sorry, I don't understand why you changed from using a local SIM. If it worked fine why would you pay more for something that doesn't work? And after the first time it was a problem, why use it again?

See Laurie's post #12 above.

 

[CWBuff]

He purchases the minimum number of prepaid minutes possible once a year and hardly ever even turns his phone on! One of my sons is on my AT &T plan, but he can't be on the Magenta 55 plan because he is only 29. So, I stick with AT&T as it is mostly reliable (except at my house where I have to use the WIFI).

One - I am completely with @trecile as I have been using T-Mobile for the last 6 years. No "undue" problems. Yes sometime the data is slow and phone connections can go awry but NOTHING that would make me dich the plan. I pay $90.00/month for 2 lines (Unlimited talk, unlimited texts, 5G when in N America so yes Canada & Mexico, includes subscription to Netflix and Hulu; unlimited data and text when otherwise outside US the only eh is $.25/minute no matter where and who you call. Easily solved by using Viper, WhatsApp and other apps but if truly need be in emergency - I just had to make couple of emergency calls while we were in Italy this past July. when everything was said and done a "WHOOPING" $10.00 extra was on my bill - I think I can survive that)

Two - @witsendwv - that is not entirely correct. The main account holder MUST be 55+ but the other line can go absolutely to anyone (if you would look up the acccount online you would see that both phone numbers are assigned to you). When we started my wife was either 51 or 52; I honestly do not remember but I was over the threshold. 2 phones we got and nobody ever asked us where did that 2nd phone went - I could've given it to my 3yo grandson for all I care!
So if that's at least one of your setbacks - fear not.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

See Laurie's post #12 above.

That doesn't really make a lot of sense. Obviously if you need to make a couple of calls before you get your local SIM set up it's reasonable to expect to pay for that. It doesn't explain using the expensive plan for the whole trip. I don't understand why the husband being in the same country would make the more expensive plan attractive.

 

[CWBuff]

That doesn't really make a lot of sense. Obviously if you need to make a couple of calls before you get your local SIM set up it's reasonable to expect to pay for that. It doesn't explain using the expensive plan for the whole trip. I don't understand why the husband being in the same country would make the more expensive plan attractive.

As Laurie said she didnt want to going through all the troubles trying to show the man how to operate on international phones. If you retain your US phone number (which BTW is what we do with T-Mobile) then he can dial your phone just the same way he always does.
The Path of lesser resistance or "never try to teach a pig to sing as it wastes your time and annoys the pig"

 

[trecile]

That doesn't really make a lot of sense. Obviously if you need to make a couple of calls before you get your local SIM set up it's reasonable to expect to pay for that. It doesn't explain using the expensive plan for the whole trip. I don't understand why the husband being in the same country would make the more expensive plan attractive.

If @peregrina2000 bought a local SIM then she would have a Portuguese phone number which she would have had to notify people who needed to phone her of. It could be confusing for some older people to remember the new number and how to dial internationally. I think that @peregrina2000 was trying to make communications easier for those who rely on her back home.

 

[trecile]

I think what may have worked better for peregrina2000, assuming that she has a phone which accepts eSim would have been to purchase a data only eSim to be able to use the phone for maps, requesting an Uber, etc. I believe that with her physical Verizon sim card also installed that those phone calls would still ring through. Is this correct @Rick of Rick and Peg and @DoughnutANZ?

 

[Marbe2]

Can't you just have a single line on the Magenta plan? And if the cost of two lines is the same or less than you are paying with AT&T what's his argument?

Based on your experience and prior recommendation we switched to TMobile. We have two phones. In USA it is unlimited text,data and phone for $90 dollars a month. When overseas we have 5G . If you go over that it in a cycle it can get expensive. In addition, phone calls in Europe are 25 cents per minute. But I contact almost everyone with What’s app…. I’m really happy with T Mobile. As soon as we arrive overseas, the phones welcome and we are automatically on their system.

https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans

 

[naplesdon]

I would not blame it on the US carrier, which ever one you are using. I have lots of experience living in France and Portugal and while purchasing a Orange or similar provider's simcard sounds really smart, and it can be for a short period of time or while walking the Camino, it becomes impractical for staying touch for short stays. I just spent the better part of 3 weeks in France, Spain and Portugal using my T-Mobile Magenta 55+ plan which I supplemented with an additional layer of service for $93 for 30 days. It gave me unlimited data and calling as well as free wifi without having to ask everyone for their passcode for connections both inside and outside of the Eurozone. The caveat is that Portugal's two notoriously terrible telcos (NOS and MEO) don't support this concept of integrated services. I was never able to get uninhibited wifi walking down the street in Cascais or Portimao, I needed to be in a hot spot and I need a passcode. So beware of thinking going to Portugal gives anyone a free pass unless you have one of their simcards. I know because I lived there for a year with an iPhone 15 and had to buy an annual plan with MEO get seamless service.

 

[trecile]

When overseas we have 5G . If you go over that it in a cycle it can get expensive.

You get 5GB of high-speed (5G) data with your plan. After you use that up you still have unlimited data, but at slower speeds. You can buy a high speed travel package that includes 15GB of high speed data, texting and phone calls for $50.

 

[Thomas Yingst]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

I had trouble in France with Verizon while walking via Podiensis last May … I got an eSIM … that didn’t work either … the GPS worked fine … that was my biggest worry … for all else, I used WiFi …

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I had trouble in France with Verizon while walking via Podiensis last May … I got an eSIM … that didn’t work either … the GPS worked fine … that was my biggest worry … for all else, I used WiFi …

Just for information, GPS receives radio signals from satellites and doesn't need to transmit anything so it doesn't use telephone networks, cellular data or wifi.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I think what may have worked better for peregrina2000, assuming that she has a phone which accepts eSim would have been to purchase a data only eSim to be able to use the phone for maps, requesting an Uber, etc. I believe that with her physical Verizon sim card also installed that those phone calls would still ring through. Is this correct @Rick of Rick and Peg and @DoughnutANZ?

Yes.

But it can be even better. The eSIM could be installed with a plan that includes both a local number and cellular data. @DoughnutANZ does this and often recommends an incredible Vodaphone plan. You can switch between your country's data and the local network's with phone settings although generally you would keep it set to use the cheaper local data. Similarly you would switch between phone numbers as needed. I think* incoming calls would ring no matter which of your numbers was called but you would need to select the number you want for outgoing calls. Instead of you having to go into your phone's settings each time the phone may ask you which number to use when you dial (to help folks who have two SIMs for personal and business use and often switch between them).

* I've always used my eSIM with a data only plan except for once five years ago when eSIMs were new and using them was handled differently.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I think what may have worked better for peregrina2000, assuming that she has a phone which accepts eSim would have been to purchase a data only eSim to be able to use the phone for maps, requesting an Uber, etc. I believe that with her physical Verizon sim card also installed that those phone calls would still ring through. Is this correct @Rick of Rick and Peg and @DoughnutANZ?

Yes, but she could also just buy a local plan from Vodafone Spain and use both numbers.

SIM vs eSIM is irrelevant, both offer the same services. If you really want to you can get a data only SIM. Most people don't bother because for the same money or less you can get data, voice and SMS texting.

One of the few touted benefits of those eSIMs that they advertise to tourists is the ease of setting up (if that works, see prior post).

The same thing can be achieved if you travel to Spain regularly and have a dual SIM phone. Just leave your Spanish SIM card in the phone until you return to Spain.

A key concept is to be clear that the card is separate from the account.

If you don't put money into your Vodafone Spain account after you leave then the account just goes on hold (for two years from memory) and so just before you return to Spain put enough money into the Vodafone Spain account to be able to renew it and renew it either before you get on the plane, on the plane if they have Internet service or as soon as you land.

If your Spanish SIM card is still in your phone then it starts working again AND you get to keep your Spanish number.

I guess that one of the reasons that this might be confusing for people from North America is that many of you have monthly accounts with your Telco and so when you are away you keep paying and the Nth Am. number keeps working. For most of you that is what you want.

I operate two numbers with different Telcos in ANZ, both are pay as I go. One of my numbers I only use in ANZ for business purposes and so when I leave I make sure that the balance is below the level for an automatic renewal and so that number is suspended once the renewal date comes up and there is insufficient funds. When I return I just put some money in and renew and the number starts working again.

I don't have to pay for the time that I am away.

My suggestion is that @peregrina2000 and others that regularly travel to Spain do the same but in reverse.

Simple, cheap solution with a number that doesn't change and which can be turned on the moment that you land.

 

[t2andreo]

I would not blame it on the US carrier, which ever one you are using. I have lots of experience living in France and Portugal and while purchasing a Orange or similar provider's simcard sounds really smart, and it can be for a short period of time or while walking the Camino, it becomes impractical for staying touch for short stays. I just spent the better part of 3 weeks in France, Spain and Portugal using my T-Mobile Magenta 55+ plan which I supplemented with an additional layer of service for $93 for 30 days. It gave me unlimited data and calling as well as free wifi without having to ask everyone for their passcode for connections both inside and outside of the Eurozone. The caveat is that Portugal's two notoriously terrible telcos (NOS and MEO) don't support this concept of integrated services. I was never able to get uninhibited wifi walking down the street in Cascais or Portimao, I needed to be in a hot spot and I need a passcode. So beware of thinking going to Portugal gives anyone a free pass unless you have one of their simcards. I know because I lived there for a year with an iPhone 15 and had to buy an annual plan with MEO get seamless service.

Don is correct. But, I suspect the additional 30 days for USD $93 "package" he bought supported unlimited voice calling.

I go without expanded voice service (beyond the .25 USD per minute) and I pay USD $54 per month (single line) regardless of where in the world I am. Then again, I am not a big phone talker. Most of my data use is to support Camino apps while walking, as well as mapping programs. I will usually use free Wi-Fi at my accommodations. I rely on text messages to remain in contact with people while away.

Also, while I appreciate Don's first-hand accounts of telecommunication issues in Portugal, I have never had problems when I am there, walking a Camino or playing tourist, while relying on the flat, free unlimited data and texting in my basic t-Mobile plan.

t-Mobile only start to hassle me about using the FREE services after I have been in another country for 30 or more calendar days. The reminders are polite. I have NEVER been cut off - even after six weeks foreign use.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[rollintex]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

We used Verizon International Plan last year on the Camino and it was flawless! We used our phones so much that we had to recharge along the way.

 

[hieudovan]

I use a French SIM when In Spain. I am in Burgos tonight but just finished talking to my wife in the US using WhatsApp. Sounded like she was in the next room. Buen Camino

I too use WhatsApp on my Caminos. My last Camino, Via Podiensis, was a problem. I had to make reservations with gites. Many do not use WhatsApp. I have Verizon and will be switching. Given the information on this thread, I most likely will switch to T-Mobile. Seems like a cheap price for phone calls. Thanks everyone for your wealth of information on this forum.

 

[trecile]

I have Verizon and will be switching. Given the information on this thread, I most likely will switch to T-Mobile. Seems like a cheap price for phone calls.

You can make even cheaper phone calls (2¢ a minute) by using the Viber app.

Cheap International Calls Worldwide | Viber Out

Make free internet calls with Viber. Call friends and family on any landline or mobile phone with Viber credit, sign up today at Viber.com

account.viber.com

 

[hieudovan]

You can make even cheaper phone calls (2¢ a minute) by using the Viber app.

Cheap International Calls Worldwide | Viber Out

Make free internet calls with Viber. Call friends and family on any landline or mobile phone with Viber credit, sign up today at Viber.com

account.viber.com

Thanks. What an incredible forum. I have never heard of Viber before. I will definitely look into this. Let's say I'm in France. I can call a gite using Viber. However, can they call me back when I have my Verizon roaming data turned off?

 

[trecile]

Thanks. What an incredible forum. I have never heard of Viber before. I will definitely look into this. Let's say I'm in France. I can call a gite using Viber. However, can they call me back when I have my Verizon roaming data turned off?

They will try to call you back on the number that they received the call on, which would be your Verizon number. I don't know if you can turn off your roaming data but still have calls ring through or not. Another question for @DoughnutANZ or @Rick of Rick and Peg

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

However, can they call me back when I have my Verizon roaming data turned off?

Viber calls are made over the Internet so you need cellular data and/or wifi active to make or receive those calls.

I use either Google Fi or Google Voice to make cheap international calls. Fi normally charges $0.25 a minute for international calls but you can force it to use the internet (Voice calls - a VOIP service like Viber - requires internet and cannot use the telephone system). The cost of the calls through the internet varies depending on country and the service type of the called number (cell, landline, other weird types). I think my calls from Spain to our landline in the US was billed at 2 cents a minute. For Fi they are added to my bill, for Voice a prepaid pool of funds is debited (like Viber). I'm hoping to get around to describing Fi and Viber later.

 

[CA_Pilgrim]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

I'm sorry that you had this problem with the VERIZON plan. It must have been very frustrating! Both my wife and I used it on the Portuguese Camino earlier this year and it worked seamlessly. I liked that I could travel with my normal phone number. Apparently, they have some bugs still to work out with this plan. We plan on using it again in a few months hiking in New Zealand. I hope it works as well there/then as it did for us in Portugal/Spain. Now you got me thinking.....

 

[IntlGuyJim]

I hope I don’t sound like one of those agitated new forum members who just gets on the forum to vent about an awful experience and then goes away and never comes back. I am agitated and I do want to vent, though!

When I go to the Camino, I always get a Spanish sim card and have never had a problem. Great price, tons of data, great phone service.

For three different international non-camino trips now, I have paid for Verizon’s $100/billing cycle International Plan.

Two of the trips were last year. My husband came with me and it just seemed like the easiest way to keep in touch with him when we were in different places. And since there were two phones with this plan, the cost was $200/billing cycle. The plans failed spectacularly, and both times Verizon refunded my payments. (They can see every time you dial, so they can corroborate whether the plan was working or not).

I have just returned from a trip to Portugal. My husband stayed home, and though I was extremely reluctant to go with Verizon again, the customer service rep on the phone was so confident and supportive that I thought it would be the easiest way for me to have phone service in Portugal, both for calls to Portugal and calls to the US. And the easiest way for my husband to be in touch with me. And the easiest way to use data when I wasn’t on wireless.

The plan supposedly comes with 20GB of high speed data, lots of minutes, everything I would need.

NOTHING worked.

Calling the US — I was able to make one call to the US. Every other time, the call either didn’t connect or I got a recording in Portuguese telling me that my plan didn’t allow this call.

Calling Portugal — I was also able to make one call within Portugal. This was to reserve a room in a place in Santarém, where I was walking. I had to call to confirm before noon on the day of my pre-paid reservation because they wanted to know when to come open up for me. I was never able to contact them, despite calling at least 30 times. So I lost my $$ and had to find somewhere else to stay when I got there.

Data - I was occasionally able to use data to get an Uber, but many times had to go into hotels in random places and ask to use their wifi. And even when my phone showed I had LTE service, I could never connect to the Internet with that service. And frequently the phone showed E service. This happened regularly not only in small places out of town but also in Lisbon. I had data turned off whenever I wasn’t using it just to be sure I wouldn’t go through my GB allotment. But I was never once able to connect to the internet on data while I was there.

I know some forum members have used this plan, and I hope their experience has been better than this, but I have to say there is no way that I would ever consider using this Verizon plan again. In fact, I am so peeved I’m going to start investigating switching carriers completely!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three times, I am an idiot!

Well, I hope this post serves two purposes — one, a way for me to vent; and two, a way for other forum members to avoid this issue.

Sad to hear that, but not surprised. Back 10-20 years ago, when I was traveling all over the world for business, the flat down best service was the partnership between Verizon and Vodafone (British). When that partnership ended Verizon seemed clueless. I got different service after they refused to bring my bills down to a reasonable level.
I would suggest getting a local phone, and reserving your US phone for when you have WiFi access.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Speaking about wifi access smartphones are now coming out more and more with the ability to do wifi calling. So instead of calling via phone networks the call is placed over the Internet. I'm going to give you a homework assignment to hide the fact that I can't tell you much about this. The reason for that is because there are too many variables. It is probably very easy to do for any phone where it works but things that make it difficult to describe are that it all depends on the manufacturer of your phone and its model, the operating system and its version, the country you are in or calling, your network provider and plan, clarity of signals and, possibly, the phase of the moon.

No, really, it can be easy. I can call overseas for pennies per minute with my Google Pixel phone and my Google Fi plan by getting into airplane mode to prevent the call from going over phone lines, making sure wifi is enabled and then dialing.

I'll direct to a webpage that will give you a good start on understanding this. It is geared to businesses but replace any use of the word co-workers with friends and family.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of WiFi Calling Guide

What are the disadvantages of Wifi calling? What are the advantages of wifi calling? In this guide, you'll get all the answers you need. Learn more here.

www.onestopcomm.com

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Viber calls are made over the Internet so you need cellular data and/or wifi active to make or receive those calls.

You are undoubtedly correct but some VOIP service providers have a way around this but it is complex and so only really useful where you often call the same number and is somewhat redundant these days.

In 2008 (the year that the 1st iPhone came out) I spent 8 months living in Sweden while doing a research project at the Wireless@KTH lab at KTH University at the Krista campus in Stockholm.

Back in those days I didn't have a smartphone and so my mobile phone (classic Nokia, probably still in a drawer somewhere) couldn't connect to the internet.

At the same time international calls were very expensive and I wanted to call back to Aotearoa New Zealand reasonably often.

I found an innovative Swedish company that was offering cheap international VOIP calls.

In Sweden, ANZ and much of the rest of the world outside Nth Am. local calls were free and receiving calls was free.

The process was that you signed up to the service then set up a local pseudo number that mapped to the international number that you wanted to call. The service provider then generated another local number in the city/area of the person overseas that you were calling.

When I wanted to call a person who I had set up in the system then I called the local Swedish pseudo number. This went to the Service Provider who routed the call over the Internet via VOIP to their service in ANZ and thence back onto the normal voice network and made a local connection to the person who I called.

The number that showed up for the ANZ person was the ANZ locally generated number and so it was possible for that person to call me back by simply phoning that local (ANZ) number and they didn't have to have an account with the Swedish Service Provider.

As I said, it was complicated to set up but once set up it worked fine. These days with Smartphones that have Internet connections this long-winded process is mostly redundant but it would still work if it was set up.

Bye-the-bye, this routing from VOIP back onto the normal voice network is how modern Service Providers like Viper allow you to call a landline or non-smartphone from the VOIP network.

Doug

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Speaking about wifi access smartphones are now coming out more and more with the ability to do wifi calling. So instead of calling via phone networks the call is placed over the Internet. I'm going to give you a homework assignment to hide the fact that I can't tell you much about this. The reason for that is because there are too many variables.

From my Pixel 8



I have Wifi calling turned on on this SIM. It is completely transparent. When I am at home or on Wifi it tests the quality of the connection in the background and if it is good enough it places the call over Wifi, if it isn't good enough then it places the call over the Mobile Network.

Usually my phone number is at the top but I have obscured it for privacy.

I am at home at the moment. I live in a large house, two storey, 280 squ metres and so I run a mesh Wifi network to distribute the signal throughout the house and garage.

Nevertheless the signal strength and speed is still dependent on where I am in the house or yard. Currently I have 267Mbps up and 892.7Mbps down.



Both speeds are more than sufficient for good quality VOIP.

 

[trecile]

Viber calls are made over the Internet so you need cellular data and/or wifi active to make or receive those calls.

Right, sorry that I didn't say that you do need an internet connection of some kind - wifi or cellular data to make calls with Viber. I have always used the free cellular data from my T-Mobile plan.

 

[Bob Howard]

We use AT&T- same price $100 per billing cycle. Never have had a problem with the service. I am investigating T-Mobile because they have better coverage locally, but I am not sure about international yet.

ATT has an interesting approach. It's $10 per day, but capped at $100 per billing cycle.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Yes, but she could also just buy a local plan from Vodafone Spain and use both numbers.

SIM vs eSIM is irrelevant, both offer the same services. If you really want to you can get a data only SIM. Most people don't bother because for the same money or less you can get data, voice and SMS texting.

One of the few touted benefits of those eSIMs that they advertise to tourists is the ease of setting up (if that works, see prior post).

The same thing can be achieved if you travel to Spain regularly and have a dual SIM phone. Just leave your Spanish SIM card in the phone until you return to Spain.

A key concept is to be clear that the card is separate from the account.

If you don't put money into your Vodafone Spain account after you leave then the account just goes on hold (for two years from memory) and so just before you return to Spain put enough money into the Vodafone Spain account to be able to renew it and renew it either before you get on the plane, on the plane if they have Internet service or as soon as you land.

If your Spanish SIM card is still in your phone then it starts working again AND you get to keep your Spanish number.

I guess that one of the reasons that this might be confusing for people from North America is that many of you have monthly accounts with your Telco and so when you are away you keep paying and the Nth Am. number keeps working. For most of you that is what you want.

I operate two numbers with different Telcos in ANZ, both are pay as I go. One of my numbers I only use in ANZ for business purposes and so when I leave I make sure that the balance is below the level for an automatic renewal and so that number is suspended once the renewal date comes up and there is insufficient funds. When I return I just put some money in and renew and the number starts working again.

I don't have to pay for the time that I am away.

My suggestion is that @peregrina2000 and others that regularly travel to Spain do the same but in reverse.

Simple, cheap solution with a number that doesn't change and which can be turned on the moment that you land.

I just checked the Vodafone Spain website and my statement about their account staying active for two years is incorrect. On their website they say that if you have six months from when you last recharged your balance, after that you have 30 days to get a refund of any outstanding balance on your account.

However ...... the minimum recharge amount is 5 Euros and so if you wanted to keep your account active you could make a payment of 5 Euros every 5-6 months.

It is important to remember that making a payment into your account (a recharge) doesn't mean that you have to use any of that money to buy a current plan. This means that if you travel to Spain annually or biennially you could accumulate all those recharge amounts and use them to purchase a 28 day plan just before you leave home without having to put much more money into your account once you get to Spain.

Recharging your account on the Vodafone website is simple using a credit card.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I have Wifi calling turned on on this SIM. It is completely transparent. When I am at home or on Wifi it tests the quality of the connection in the background and if it is good enough it places the call over Wifi, if it isn't good enough then it places the call over the Mobile Network.

It's the transparency that can be a nuisance on a camino. When making a call from a crowded albergue the phone may keep switching between wifi and phone roaming as the wifi gets more than less traffic. That might end up getting you a daily international usage charge from your home network. Putting your phone in airplane first would prevent the switching. Be sure the switch on wifi right after (on my phone I've both seen wifi remain on and be switched off when I've gone into airplane mode). Check with your network before you leave home because they may have charges for international wifi use; Google Fi does but generally calls will be cheaper anyway.

I can’t even get Verizon to work at my house (even with the booster “satellite dish” they sent me) and even 911 won’t go through. It frequently tells me I am in Canada and need to purchase an American plan. I often wish I could be in Canada—I’m three hours from the border. So close, yet so far! It’s dangerous not to have a phone system that works. I’m thinking of switching to T Mobile, even though they’re not exactly reliable, at least their international plan, I’m told, works!

Lynn, the wifi calling feature, if everything falls into place, may be what you need to get better mobile phone calls at home and work though it won't help you at the supermarket (unless they supply wifi for customers).

As for T-Mobile, I read that they have an agreement with US Cellular so you could use their towers too without roaming charges. Check with them, I'm not reliable here. Google Fi uses T-Mobile for its service. They used to have an agreement to use US Cellular in addition. Though the agreement is formally over with I think it is informally still used. So that may help your connection problems too. Fi is only a month by month plan so you could install it on a second SIM and try it out (with a new number). If it works for you cancel the plan and then add it again but with a transfer of your current number. Or, if it works you know T-Mobile will too and you could use them.

Maybe check what plan first responders in your area use. They need reliable service to get activation calls in emergencies.

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

It's the transparency that can be a nuisance on a camino. When making a call from a crowded albergue the phone may keep switching between wifi and phone roaming as the wifi gets more than less traffic. That might ending up getting you a daily international usage charge from your home network. Putting your phone in airplane first would prevent the switching. Be sure the switch on wifi right after (on my phone I've both seen wifi remain on and be switched off when I've gone into airplane mode). Check with your network before you leave home because they may have charges for international wifi use; Google Fi does but generally calls will be cheaper anyway.


Lynn, the wifi calling feature, if everything falls into place, may be what you need to get better mobile phone calls at home and work though it won't help you at the supermarket (unless they supply wifi for customers).

As for T-Mobile, I read that they have an agreement with US Cellular so you could use their towers too without roaming charges. Check with them, I'm not reliable here. Google Fi uses T-Mobile for its service. They used to have an agreement to use US Cellular in addition. Though the agreement is formally over with I think it is informally still used. So that may help your connection problems too. Fi is only a month by month plan so you could install it on a second SIM and try it out (with a new number). If it works for you cancel the plan and then add it again but with a transfer of your current number. Or, if it works you know T-Mobile will too and you could use them.

Maybe check what plan first responders in your area use. They need reliable service to get activation calls in emergencies.

Thanks, Rick! You’ve given me options! US Cellular used to be great here in Maine, but Verizon has taken away most of their territory, so they’ve kind of fallen apart. But, Verizon is hopeless, so…. I’ve saved your posts! Much appreciated!
Lynn

 

[Lynn C O'Hara]

You are undoubtedly correct but some VOIP service providers have a way around this but it is complex and so only really useful where you often call the same number and is somewhat redundant these days.

In 2008 (the year that the 1st iPhone came out) I spent 8 months living in Sweden while doing a research project at the Wireless@KTH lab at KTH University at the Krista campus in Stockholm.

Back in those days I didn't have a smartphone and so my mobile phone (classic Nokia, probably still in a drawer somewhere) couldn't connect to the internet.

At the same time international calls were very expensive and I wanted to call back to Aotearoa New Zealand reasonably often.

I found an innovative Swedish company that was offering cheap international VOIP calls.

In Sweden, ANZ and much of the rest of the world outside Nth Am. local calls were free and receiving calls was free.

The process was that you signed up to the service then set up a local pseudo number that mapped to the international number that you wanted to call. The service provider then generated another local number in the city/area of the person overseas that you were calling.

When I wanted to call a person who I had set up in the system then I called the local Swedish pseudo number. This went to the Service Provider who routed the call over the Internet via VOIP to their service in ANZ and thence back onto the normal voice network and made a local connection to the person who I called.

The number that showed up for the ANZ person was the ANZ locally generated number and so it was possible for that person to call me back by simply phoning that local (ANZ) number and they didn't have to have an account with the Swedish Service Provider.

As I said, it was complicated to set up but once set up it worked fine. These days with Smartphones that have Internet connections this long-winded process is mostly redundant but it would still work if it was set up.

Bye-the-bye, this routing from VOIP back onto the normal voice network is how modern Service Providers like Viper allow you to call a landline or non-smartphone from the VOIP network.

Doug

Ok, I have just decided I need to adopt a teenager to translate that! I’m part Native American (indigenous), so, I think I’ll go back to smoke signals!! You guys still have brain cells firing! I fried mine long ago dealing with plane loads of passengers!! I suppose carrier pigeons might work on the Mozárabe…. I do appreciate your smarts! I want to go back to tin cans with string.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

You guys still have brain cells firing! I fried mine long ago dealing with plane loads of passengers!!

Good to hear since I've mentioned to a few people that I figured my last job was causing me to drop an IQ point a month. And I'm with you on phone calls, I hate them, but they are cheaper than postage so whatcha going to do?

 

[peregrina2000]

I love how this thread takes the typical meandering path and in the process, hopefully, has helped a lot of pilgrims.

Just a follow-up to say, after my own crashing and burnning, that I think that the problem may have been a setting inside my phone that got messed up. Because when I got back to the US, guess what, my data wouldn’t work even though I was on my US plan again. Resetting the settings with the helpful Verizon guy on the phone finally worked. But it took more than three hours and two different sessions.

Whatever the source of the problem, there was no way I could get help from over in Portugal, and the same would be true in Spain. That just makes me even more comfortable with my longstanding practice of getting a Vodafone SIM card when I walk a camino. Things have occasionally caused problems for me, but since there are tons of actual Vodafone stores on every camino I’ve walked (except maybe the Olvidado), if you have a problem, you can get help.

 

[Robo]

I keep it simple and just buy a local SIM card, wherever I go.
I generally order 2 different ones (different carriers) well before I travel.
They are very cheap and can be topped up locally in stores / tabacs.
Any problems and a local supplier can fix it for me.
I have my home SIM card with me as a further backup.

Tried eSIMS a couple of times this year. They didn't work.
Impossible trying to fix them whilst overseas.
(But of course I had ordered a physical SIM as a backup anyway)

 

[DoughnutANZ]

That might ending up getting you a daily international usage charge from your home network.

This is an interesting issue.

I have always assumed that diverting my phone calls to WiFi was for the Telcos benefit or for my benefit if I was somewhere remote with no cellular signal but I did have WiFi; and didn't come with cost benefits.

All of my modern pre-pay plans that I use come with some number of call minutes and so I have never tried to look to see if when my phone was using WiFi if my Telco deducted those minutes from my quota.

Your suggestion to put the phone in aeroplane mode then turn WiFi back on to try to make a voice call is a good one but I am pretty sure that if I do that then my Telcos (two different ones) will consider that a voice call and deduct it from my allocation of minutes. I think this because WiFi only deals to my end of the call, it still has to be terminated somewhere and that termination has a cost that the Telco will want to recover.

Now the situation when you do this and are outside of your home country is an interesting one. This could go either way. The Telco might then consider it a "local" call and not charge you for international roaming or it might identify that you are outside the home country from your IP address and charge you international roaming rates anyway.

The ways to find out are either
1 Try it and see
2 Ask your Telco what they will classify the call as.

I can't try from here as I am home and I will undoubtedly forget when I am abroad.

Are you traveling sometime soon?

 

[naplesdon]

In Portugal, T-Mobile will definitely cut your service off after 60+ days. I know that from personal experience.

 

[ivar]

By the way, I just had another pilgrim in the office here in Santiago complaining about her Verizon plan.... this must be a "thing".

 

[chinacat]

I'd like to try the TMobile Magenta plan. The problem is that the price is per line for two lines, and my husband refuses to pay monthly for his phone after having to be attached to a cell phone for years for his work. He carries a Trac Phone that he only turns on when absolutely necessary ie- when we are in a large box store and I can't find him. Thanks for the suggestion.

I’m with your husband

I use Three payg and drive my family crackers by being in Airplane mode most of the time. We don’t have a mobile signal at home so it doesn’t really matter.

On the rare occasion I need to have service I buy a ‘pack’ for £10 which gives me all the minutes, texts and data I could possibly need, for a month. I usually have a small amount of credit for the occasional emergency.
I can also buy a pack that would give me overseas functionality. But I’d get a separate sim card were I to be able to be in Spain - Tesco mobile piggybacks on O2 in the UK but doesn’t (atm) charge extra for overseas usage in the EU.

And the only time I need (but frequently forget ) to switch on is in large supermarkets, so that my beloved can find me.

We still have a land-line that also gives us wifi.

One thing I noticed is that the price of having a mobile package in the US is very high compared to here. I wouldn’t dream of spending even £10 a month for a mobile contract.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

This is an interesting issue.
[Getting into airplane mode to force call to use wifi.]

As I mentioned earlier there are a lot of variables involved with wifi calling and what your provider allows and charges, either minutes or money, are a subset of them. I don't want to check them all especially since by the time I do many of them may already be changed. For some people and their equipment and network provider wifi calling though might save money and/or trouble.

I can't try from here as I am home and I will undoubtedly forget when I am abroad.

Are you traveling sometime soon?

No overseas trips are planned and the next big trip is a long postponed camping trip to California (we only got as far as Texas this year before having to come back).

Besides, I use Google Fi and that sits in a weird category so what I find for me likely wouldn't help anyone else.

 

[hieudovan]

I keep it simple and just buy a local SIM card, wherever I go.
I generally order 2 different ones (different carriers) well before I travel.
They are very cheap and can be topped up locally in stores / tabacs.
Any problems and a local supplier can fix it for me.
I have my home SIM card with me as a further backup.

Tried eSIMS a couple of times this year. They didn't work.
Impossible trying to fix them whilst overseas.
(But of course I had ordered a physical SIM as a backup anyway)

I used to get local physical SIM cards for my old iPhone. Worked great. My new iPhone only uses eSIM, no physical SIM slot. I wish they'd give customers a choice. Last month my Airalo eSIM gave me trouble on Via Podiensis. I was able to fix it with their support staff using WhatsApp and wifi in Le Puy. What a pain.

 

[peregrina2000]

My new iPhone only uses eSIM, no physical SIM slot.

Oh, no, I have also gotten very accustomed to asking the Vodafone staff to take out my SIM card and put in a Spanish SIM. I have never had a problem, it has worked like a charm! This is actually a reason for me to continue to use my ancient iphone11 as long as I can!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Oh, no, I have also gotten very accustomed to asking the Vodafone staff to take out my SIM card and put in a Spanish SIM.

I believe that outside of the US you can still buy the newer iPhones with a physical SIM.

 

[chinacat]

Thank heavens for wi-fi calling!
It’s the only way I can receive text messages at home

It’s been available for a few years in the UK.

But I believe I’d be charged for making calls on it.

***

Incidentally, if you’re in the UK there is a plan that costs £1.45 per month, for the first 6 months (£4.40 per month thereafter) on a rolling monthly contract, through Martin Lewis’s site (Money Saving Expert.com).

Available until November I think.

It’s with Lebara, has wi-fi calling and overseas coverage for 38 countries, including Spain) for no extra cost. (piggybacks on Vodaphone)

Do go through Martin Lewis for this … it’s only available through the site @ this price.

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