Here is my plan for a trip to Europe, wondering if I am missing something. All I really care about is data access, and I know it isn't going to be real fast. I just want access to email and voicemails on Google Voice. I'll forward all my Verizon calls to Google Voice, so I have access to those voicemails via the web.
So for $50 on a prepaid plan, I can get a T-Mobile SIM that includes free data and text internationally. Saves me the hassle of finding an Euro carrier that offers a good amount of data that I can use in multiple countries. In fact, T-Mobile in Germany doesn't even seem to offer a good prepaid data option, let alone one that will work in Greece and Turkey too. T-Mobile US says I should get free data and text in all those countries. I'm not paying Verizon twice that for capped international roaming data.
I know T-Mobile on a Verizon S3 works in the US, just not full featured because the phone can't access some of T-Mobile's bands. Question is if I'd run into a similar issue in Europe. My gut says no, since I think Verizon international roaming might be piggybacking on the same network that T-Mobile would outside of areas where Vodafone or Deutsche Telekom isn't well established.
Or maybe there are too many unknowns here and I am better off buying a used Nexus 5 for T-Mobile and just selling it when I get back from Europe? I'd rather avoid putting out more money, even if I would recoup most of it once I sold it again. Popping a new SIM into my own phone is definitely the simplest option on the surface.
Appreciate any thoughts.
So for $50 on a prepaid plan, I can get a T-Mobile SIM that includes free data and text internationally. Saves me the hassle of finding an Euro carrier that offers a good amount of data that I can use in multiple countries. In fact, T-Mobile in Germany doesn't even seem to offer a good prepaid data option, let alone one that will work in Greece and Turkey too. T-Mobile US says I should get free data and text in all those countries. I'm not paying Verizon twice that for capped international roaming data.
I know T-Mobile on a Verizon S3 works in the US, just not full featured because the phone can't access some of T-Mobile's bands. Question is if I'd run into a similar issue in Europe. My gut says no, since I think Verizon international roaming might be piggybacking on the same network that T-Mobile would outside of areas where Vodafone or Deutsche Telekom isn't well established.
Or maybe there are too many unknowns here and I am better off buying a used Nexus 5 for T-Mobile and just selling it when I get back from Europe? I'd rather avoid putting out more money, even if I would recoup most of it once I sold it again. Popping a new SIM into my own phone is definitely the simplest option on the surface.
Appreciate any thoughts.
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