MiFi/WiFi Router Sim Card Choice

[Jester]

Hi all

We will be traveling around Italy for a few weeks and just wondered what I should do about a SIM card for my system. Should I purchase a 30 day rolling contract that can be terminated at any time from the UK, or buy similar whilst in Italy, and any suggestions on best coverage provider ie Vodafone, EE or other.

 

[sapto]

Hi all

We will be traveling around Italy for a few weeks and just wondered what I should do about a SIM card for my system. Should I purchase a 30 day rolling contract that can be terminated at any time from the UK, or buy similar whilst in Italy, and any suggestions on best coverage provider ie Vodafone, EE or other.

Hi Breeze1

Not much help from my side but we use a sim Prepaidcard from Aldi Germany. I guess you can buy one in any Aldi Store and use it in Italy (no roaming from Germany). I guess there are similar contracts in the UK?

We stopped using a MobileWifi Router because we use our phone as a hotspot. Works well so far.

Happy camping!

 

[Alied]

Hi all

We will be traveling around Italy for a few weeks and just wondered what I should do about a SIM card for my system. Should I purchase a 30 day rolling contract that can be terminated at any time from the UK, or buy similar whilst in Italy, and any suggestions on best coverage provider ie Vodafone, EE or other.

When we're in Europe we use a sim card from Voxi which is part of Vodafone.

VOXI – Endless Possibilities.

Endless social media without eating your data. Stay in touch wherever you are with our 30-day rolling SIM only deals. No contracts. No tricks.

www.voxi.co.uk

You don't need to buy a specific data sim.

Unlimited mobile broadband - Mobile WiFi, routers & dongles

Compare unlimited mobile broadband plans on all UK networks. Choose from Mobile Wi-Fi, dongles or home broadband routers.

www.4g.co.uk

 

[Bramco]

We stopped using a MobileWifi Router because we use our phone as a hotspot.

We have too but after Brexit with the re-introduction of roaming charges we'll have to go back to using the MiFi and buying cards from Aldi or Lidl I guess.

 

[2into1]

We have too but after Brexit with the re-introduction of roaming charges we'll have to go back to using the MiFi and buying cards from Aldi or Lidl I guess.

I think the big companies have confirmed they won’t reintroduce roaming charges

 

[Jason wallace]

I wanted a sim that could use for work as well share connection with several devises. I did try using the phone but our Company phone is on 3 and I found their data to be quite poor. In the end I tried the rolling contracts on vodaphone, 3 and EE. EE we’re the best performance wise by far.

After about 6 months with them I managed to negotiate a longer contract more data and a better price and now have 60Gb per month for about £20 pm

This sim in our NETGEAR mobile WiFi has worked perfectly in the uk, France and Austria.

 

[WelshGas]

We have too but after Brexit with the re-introduction of roaming charges we'll have to go back to using the MiFi and buying cards from Aldi or Lidl I guess.

Why?
3 prepaid data sim works in many countries outside the EU and apparantly will continue to do so. Just been using mine in Australia, Singapore .

 

[Moakesy]

We have too but after Brexit with the re-introduction of roaming charges we'll have to go back to using the MiFi and buying cards from Aldi or Lidl I guess.

There are no plans to abandon data roaming on your phone...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45064268

The main quote from the article "Virtually all EU rules and regulations, including on mobile roaming anywhere in the EU, will continue to apply until the end of the transition period."

 

[RichardH]

Hi all

We will be traveling around Italy for a few weeks and just wondered what I should do about a SIM card for my system. Should I purchase a 30 day rolling contract that can be terminated at any time from the UK, or buy similar whilst in Italy, and any suggestions on best coverage provider ie Vodafone, EE or other.

Very happy with my SIM-only PlusNet subscription in the U.K. Good price for 20 Gb / m. Good access to 4G in most of Britain. However their 2022 Roam-Like-Home promise has left me completely underwhelmed in the EU this year. In the past few weeks travelling through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, PlusNet has only enabled access to a maximum of 3G, sometimes only 2G (E) or worse. It has never been good enough for a Zoom call in any of these countries.

However I have needed better connectivity than this and I have found good 4G almost everywhere using a Netgear mifi with a (French) Free 5G pay-as-you-go SIM card. It costs 29.99 Euros for the first month, then 19.99 per subsequent month. That gives 210GB per month in France and, importantly, 25GB per month in other countries in the EU and several elsewhere. For the last few weeks it has worked flawlessly for me. Even when I went over the 25GB outside-France allowance it cost only 3 Euros per extra GB, unlike the punative rates charged by some U.K. carriers. If I had had a 5G capable mifi the internet speed would have been even better. “Free” reputedly has better 5G coverage in France than any of the competitors.

At present, “Free” SIM cards are only available through their high street “boutiques” in France and in outlets such as some supermarkets, but it seems a better deal than most and despite my limited French the shop assistant was very helpful.

 

[Hawthorn37]

We’ve found that the 4G coverage even in the UK is sketchy when staying on sites in the South West and in Wales, meaning that we’ve relied on WiFi where available. Could I ask if campsites in France and Italy typically operate WiFi - free or paid?

 

[RichardH]

Yes, in my experience most do offer WiFi. Often it is free, but some make a charge. The paid ones are not necessarily any better than the free ones. France has pretty good 4G coverage, but there are dark spots as in parts of the U.K. Most campsite guides (eg ACSI) list WiFi in amenities. I’ve been getting excellent speeds from my “Free” SIM, in other EU countries. Usually better than the local WiFi.

 

[Alied]

Very happy with my SIM-only PlusNet subscription in the U.K. Good price for 20 Gb / m. Good access to 4G in most of Britain. However their 2022 Roam-Like-Home promise has left me completely underwhelmed in the EU this year. In the past few weeks travelling through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, PlusNet has only enabled access to a maximum of 3G, sometimes only 2G (E) or worse. It has never been good enough for a Zoom call in any of these countries.

However I have needed better connectivity than this and I have found good 4G almost everywhere using a Netgear mifi with a (French) Free 5G pay-as-you-go SIM card. It costs 29.99 Euros for the first month, then 19.99 per subsequent month. That gives 210GB per month in France and, importantly, 25GB per month in other countries in the EU and several elsewhere. For the last few weeks it has worked flawlessly for me. Even when I went over the 25GB outside-France allowance it cost only 3 Euros per extra GB, unlike the punative rates charged by some U.K. carriers. If I had had a 5G capable mifi the internet speed would have been even better. “Free” reputedly has better 5G coverage in France than any of the competitors.

At present, “Free” SIM cards are only available through their high street “boutiques” in France and in outlets such as some supermarkets, but it seems a better deal than most and despite my limited French the shop assistant was very helpful.

Is your contract a rolling monthly one or a twelve month contract? Can you cancel your contract online or do you have to send a letter to Free.fr. I'm thinking of getting this sim card just for a month as there is a Free shop at Cite de Europe.

Free mobile the best SIM card for Europe travel and France unlimited data and call SIM card

Free Mobile is said to be the most powerful SIM card in France. The unlimited capacity is very attractive compared to ot

tabiparislax.com

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Very happy with my SIM-only PlusNet subscription in the U.K. Good price for 20 Gb / m. Good access to 4G in most of Britain. However their 2022 Roam-Like-Home promise has left me completely underwhelmed in the EU this year. In the past few weeks travelling through France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, PlusNet has only enabled access to a maximum of 3G, sometimes only 2G (E) or worse. It has never been good enough for a Zoom call in any of these countries.

However I have needed better connectivity than this and I have found good 4G almost everywhere using a Netgear mifi with a (French) Free 5G pay-as-you-go SIM card. It costs 29.99 Euros for the first month, then 19.99 per subsequent month. That gives 210GB per month in France and, importantly, 25GB per month in other countries in the EU and several elsewhere. For the last few weeks it has worked flawlessly for me. Even when I went over the 25GB outside-France allowance it cost only 3 Euros per extra GB, unlike the punative rates charged by some U.K. carriers. If I had had a 5G capable mifi the internet speed would have been even better. “Free” reputedly has better 5G coverage in France than any of the competitors.

At present, “Free” SIM cards are only available through their high street “boutiques” in France and in outlets such as some supermarkets, but it seems a better deal than most and despite my limited French the shop assistant was very helpful.

The Free.fr sim deals can now be bought in the UK and installed on your iPhone using a QR code that is supplied. Your phone does have to support eSim though, iPhone 12 and above.

 

[RichardH]

Is your contract a rolling monthly one or a twelve month contract? Can you cancel your contract online or do you have to send a letter to Free.fr. I'm thinking of getting this sim card just for a month as there is a Free shop at Cite de Europe.

Free mobile the best SIM card for Europe travel and France unlimited data and call SIM card

Free Mobile is said to be the most powerful SIM card in France. The unlimited capacity is very attractive compared to ot

tabiparislax.com

 

[RichardH]

My iPhone is an earlier version, so unable to support eSIM, although that’s clearly the better option if you can do it. My subscription, as purchased from the shop, was for one month only at the outset. It lapses automatically at the end of that time unless you log on to the “Free” website (all in French) and extend it for another one or two months. That’s what I’ve done. Presumably the same option will be available again, but the default action is to terminate the agreement unless you instruct otherwise.

Today I’m in a campsite in the French Alpes Maritimes, half an hour inland from the coast. It is poorer connectivity than I had throughout Croatia but I’m still getting 30ms latency, 28.3 Mbps download speed and 3.4 Mbps upload, which should be adequate for a Zoom meeting or equivalent.

 

[Alied]

My iPhone is an earlier version, so unable to support eSIM, although that’s clearly the better option if you can do it. My subscription, as purchased from the shop, was for one month only at the outset. It lapses automatically at the end of that time unless you log on to the “Free” website (all in French) and extend it for another one or two months. That’s what I’ve done. Presumably the same option will be available again, but the default action is to terminate the agreement unless you instruct otherwise.

Today I’m in a campsite in the French Alpes Maritimes, half an hour inland from the coast. It is poorer connectivity than I had throughout Croatia but I’m still getting 30ms latency, 28.3 Mbps download speed and 3.4 Mbps upload, which should be adequate for a Zoom meeting or equivalent.

Thanks for the information. I will most probably get one this Saturday

 

[capt kirk]

hi
we had issues with o2 in italy, worked fine everywhere else but as soon as we crossed the border it stopped. no help from o2 just said it was a glitch.

 

[RichardH]

“Free” not quite so good today, although still serviceable. At Camping Pouverels, Cotignac, Haut Vars. Speeds 51ms, 17.5 & 1.4. Still no more than 3G in my phone from Plusnet Roam-like-Home. It uses the excellent EE network in the U.K. usually with good 4G, but I have had 3G or worse from it through northern France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Italy and now southern France.

 

[Alied]

This is the lowest price I've seen for a while on this sim card and it lasts for two years.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M3VJ2B2/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[WelshGas]

This is the lowest price I've seen for a while on this sim card and it lasts for two years.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M3VJ2B2/?tag=eliteelect-21

That's what I use in my MiFi. Worked well in Scandinavia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Australia. Very slow in New York but OK in Washington.

 

[Jim2007]

We’re using this one currently:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08F2Q9C7Y/?tag=eliteelect-21

You get a full 25GB roaming. Three limit you to 12GB.

 

[Alied]

We’re using this one currently:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Preloaded-25GB-Countries-Contracts-Commitments/dp/B08F2Q9C7Y/ref=sr_1_3?crid=302R7FSD2AP40&keywords=25gb+vodafone+data+sim&qid=1661617506&sprefix=25gb+vodafone+data+sim,aps,93&sr=8-3

You get a full 25GB roaming. Three limit you to 12GB.

But it only lasts for one month.Ok if you're a heavy user.