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From June 2017 there will be no extra dataroaming charges in the EU. So you could buy a non-registered SIM card in The Netherlands (you can even buy them at the

From June 2017 there will be no extra dataroaming charges in the EU. So you could buy a non-registered SIM card in The Netherlands (you can even buy them at the checkout counter at the supermarket) and use it all over EU member states. Strange situation...

rconti 10y ago
The world can't wait -- but I'd not call it strange. I hadn't been to Europe since 2004, and on my subsequent visit in 2011, I just casually told my wife "we'll just buy SIMs at the first country we go to, surely they've sorted out this stupid roaming-when-you-travel-a-few-hundred-miles thing by now." WRONG. So glad this is coming to an end. I've wasted far too much time and money country-hopping and having to spend 30-90+min in each country trying to get a working mobile phone. Locals probably don't realize how bad it is, but on prepaid plans you often cannot roam in foreign countries at any price. So as absurd it is to pay ATT here in the US $60 for 200mb or whatever insane rate, sometimes I wonder if it's worse to spend $40 per country per SIM card if I'm only there for a few days. Not to mention changing phone numbers constantly, assuming you would like to be reached...
- monksy 10y ago
  Depends on where you are. London just get it at arrivals of Heathrow. Ireland theres a metro sim shop at arrivals. Germany: go to your nearest netto France: just find a shop.. but don't expect to get anything that works. Carribean.. Never even tried.
- jbg_ 10y ago
  There are several providers doing EU-wide roaming already. I use Orange Spain which I've found to be good. If Spain isn't your first port of call you can buy an Orange Spain SIM on ebay. I think Aldi in Germany also does EU-wide roaming, and I've seen ads for others in other countries.
  - dirktheman 10y ago
    It's not the dataroaming itself, that has been possible for very long. The big deal about the agreement is that phone companies can't charge you extra anymore for dataroaming. I have an unlimited calls/SMS plan with 11.5GB data a month. It costs me EUR45,-. When I travel 40 miles east from where I live my current data plan is no longer valid, and I have to pay EUR3.49 per 100MB/minutes/SMS. Yes, hundred MB. Not thousand. Those charges are insane!
- dirktheman 10y ago
  Yeah, it took them long enough all right! What I meant by "strange" is that European countries differ in their approach to unregistered SIM cards (due to safety/antiterrorism) but now agree on ending insane dataroaming charges. Any safety advantages to mandatory registration when buying a SIM card (IF there are any, which I doubt) are essentially nullified by this deal. A potential terrorist who wants a burner phone can buy a couple of SIM cards here in The Netherlands and take them to Belgium, for instance. European politics at its finest!

rconti 10y ago

The world can't wait -- but I'd not call it strange. I hadn't been to Europe since 2004, and on my subsequent visit in 2011, I just casually told my wife "we'll just buy SIMs at the first country we go to, surely they've sorted out this stupid roaming-when-you-travel-a-few-hundred-miles thing by now." WRONG. So glad this is coming to an end. I've wasted far too much time and money country-hopping and having to spend 30-90+min in each country trying to get a working mobile phone. Locals probably don't realize how bad it is, but on prepaid plans you often cannot roam in foreign countries at any price. So as absurd it is to pay ATT here in the US $60 for 200mb or whatever insane rate, sometimes I wonder if it's worse to spend $40 per country per SIM card if I'm only there for a few days. Not to mention changing phone numbers constantly, assuming you would like to be reached...

monksy 10y ago
Depends on where you are. London just get it at arrivals of Heathrow. Ireland theres a metro sim shop at arrivals. Germany: go to your nearest netto France: just find a shop.. but don't expect to get anything that works. Carribean.. Never even tried.
jbg_ 10y ago
There are several providers doing EU-wide roaming already. I use Orange Spain which I've found to be good. If Spain isn't your first port of call you can buy an Orange Spain SIM on ebay. I think Aldi in Germany also does EU-wide roaming, and I've seen ads for others in other countries.
- dirktheman 10y ago
  It's not the dataroaming itself, that has been possible for very long. The big deal about the agreement is that phone companies can't charge you extra anymore for dataroaming. I have an unlimited calls/SMS plan with 11.5GB data a month. It costs me EUR45,-. When I travel 40 miles east from where I live my current data plan is no longer valid, and I have to pay EUR3.49 per 100MB/minutes/SMS. Yes, hundred MB. Not thousand. Those charges are insane!
dirktheman 10y ago
Yeah, it took them long enough all right! What I meant by "strange" is that European countries differ in their approach to unregistered SIM cards (due to safety/antiterrorism) but now agree on ending insane dataroaming charges. Any safety advantages to mandatory registration when buying a SIM card (IF there are any, which I doubt) are essentially nullified by this deal. A potential terrorist who wants a burner phone can buy a couple of SIM cards here in The Netherlands and take them to Belgium, for instance. European politics at its finest!