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International
Roaming
Pros
Convenience - you can use the phone as you would at home
Local call rates aren’t as expensive as you would expect
Cons
You pay for calls you receive as well as calls you make
Questions for your Telco
What are the costs of calling Australia/within France or to a third country?
What are the costs of receiving a call from Australia, from within France
or from another country?
How much does it cost to send and receive SMS?
If someone SMSs you, how much will you pay?
What is the cost per minute to check your voicemail if you divert all your
calls there?
What other services are offered for international travel, and what are the
charges?
Tips
Use SMS wherever possible
Divert all calls to voicemail and check once or twice daily
Change your message and instruct callers to SMS
Get an adapter for your phone charger before you leave - Europe has different
plugs
Telstra
Roaming Info
Optus
Roaming Info
Vodafone
Roaming Info
See article
from Choice on phone options whilst travelling overseas
See Australian
Mobile Telecommunications Association (ATMA) indepth section on Roaming
To Consider
Organise your international roaming at least a week before you go.
Australian GSM and 3G phones will work in Europe, but not CDMA
Most prepaid services don’t allow international roaming.
Buy
a Local SIM Card
Pros
Worthwhile if you're spending a lot of time in one country
Cheaper than purchasing or renting the whole handset
Cons
Not worthwhile if you're going to several countries for a short time
Not an option for prepaid phones
French rates more expensive than Australian rates so doesnt save as much as
expected
Tips
Ensure your mobile is not SIM-locked or network-locked - sometimes there
is an unlocking fee depending on your carrier and contract
You will need to inform your contacts of your new number.
Be clear about what you’re getting for your money. Establish how much
call value is included in the cost of the card as this may vary.
The instructions for setting up your SIM card may be in the local language,
so you may need help setting it up.
Combined
International Roaming and Local SIM
Buy a local SIM card for local calls
Use your own sim to check voicemail and to call back to Australia
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