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Title more or less says it all.

We are flying into Berlin, taking the train to Dresden then train to Prague. We'd like to be able to make calls (local) and have data access (email, maps, browsing, etc) while there. Both phones are unlocked iPhones, we use AT&T.

Will be traveling for two weeks, 2/3 of the time in Germany, 1/3 in Czech Republic.

Is there a SIM that we can get that covers both countries well or do we need to purchase one in each country OR is AT&T's International Day Pass the better option? Ideally both our phones would have access while we're away (I Know that means two SIMs). Seems like AT&T would run $15.00 a day for the two of us so $200+ for the trip (which seems exuberant.)

So, Is there one carrier we can purchase when we land (or in advance) that would cover us in both countries?

Jason Reljac
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2 Answers2

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The European Union has removed roaming restrictions a few years ago so if you buy a German SIM card you are good to go.

For example, LIDL Connect says

LIDL Connect SMART XL: When you activate it for the first time, you have a starting credit of €10. You can use the following inclusive services for €17.99/4 weeks: Free calls and SMS to all German networks (telephony for national standard calls and/or national standard SMS, each to all German networks, not to special numbers and abroad 60/60 rate) and a mobile Internet flat rate with 12 GB with a max./advertised bandwidth of 25 Mbit/s in download and 10 Mbit/s in upload, from consumption of the data volume 64 kbit/s in upload/download . Applies in Germany and other EU countries.

Not at all accidentally, LIDL Connect is one I would suggest mostly because it's cheap as dirt and LIDL is everywhere. You will need id and proof of address, your hotel will do.

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In the past I have used third party sim cards in Europe. They are cheap and work well, but you will get a new phone number and that can cause problems. For instance, if you want to buy something on Amazon, it will send a code to your phone. You have to switch sim cards to get that code and then go back and enter it. That is just a pain to switch back and forth. I now have T-Mobile in the States and their free international roaming does fine for me. It is 2G speed, but it is free. If you want more then you can pay $10/day or $35 or $50 for longer periods. The AT&T International Day Pass is probably similar to the paid option for T-Mobile. The free European roaming is one of the major reasons I switched to T-Mobile as I go to Europe two or three times a year.

Scott Taylor
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