Cell Phone?

tyreeandstar · Member

Cell Phone?

Michele Erdvig · Host

tyreeandstar,

Welcome to the forum! Some cell phones will work in Ireland and others won't. It will be best to call you company to find out all the details. Where are you plugging your charger into? You most likely need a converter and plug if it is an electrical outlet. Most car chargers work although some people have had broken ones in their cars.

I am not an expert on pre-paid credit cards. Best to call the company and put the question to them.

Michele

tyreeandstar · Member

Okay thanks! I have Cingular. Someone told me that if you have a new phone that it would work. I have a razor but I'll go ahead and call just to make sure. Thanks for the help.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Only your owner's manual, or Cingular can answer your question, but...

It actually requires MORE than just 'a new phone'. What you need, specifically, is:

1) A GSM Phone (The Good News, for you, is that Cingular IS GSM, but if you are part of the 'old' AT&T/ USCELLULAR network that Cingular acquired, you MIGHT have a CDMA network.)

2) A tri-band (or better yet, a QUAD BAND phone. GSM phones in the US use frequencies of 900 and 1900. In Ireland, they utilize 800 and 1800. So, a dual-band US phone WON'T work in Ireland, but a Tri or Quad WILL.

3) To use your Cingular phone (assuming it functions on at least one of the necessary frequencies), you need to have Cingular 'active' their International Roaming. Dunno what they charge per minute, but I would guess it is about $1-2 PER MINUTE, for BOTH Incoming AND Outgoing calls. If people in the US call you, they will be able to call your Regular number, without any 'overseas long-distance charges', but YOU will pay per minute, to RECEIVE those calls. Likewise, anyone in Ireland will have to dial the US number (complete with the International code) , paying 'International rates - long distance, and, YOU will also pay, to receive them.

4) Your car charger will work fine. IF your WALL charger says: "Input 100-250VAC", it will work WITHOUT a Transformer or Converter, BUT you WILL need a Plug Adapter. If it doesn't, you WILL need the transformer AND the plug adapter for the transformer, but not for the charger.

If you are interested in 'unlocking' your phone to use an Irish SIM card, here is an interesting news link that may prove useful:

www.networkworld.com/news...tflash-rss

Hope this helps,

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob,

Thanks for all the very comprehensive and up to date info. Do you work in the cell phone industry?

Michele

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Michele:

Not at all. I am merely a wealth of often (but not always) useless information

Up until five years ago, I had never even owned a cell phone, though my wife and daughter both had one. When my wife's Irish cousins lent us one in 2000, we found it so handy that I began shopping for one that I could take with us on our annual visits. Most of what I know (or, THINK that I know) is based upon the research / learning curve that I went through.

My first phone was an 'UNLOCKED' Sony-Ericson Tri-Band (an R520 for Techno-geeks) that I bought online, specifically for Ireland. I also bought my Irish Vodaphone SIM there as well, but I overpaid for the priviledge of knowing what my Irish phone number would be BEFORE we left. The Vodaphone Pay As You Go stays fully active for 6 months for calls both in AND out. For the NEXT six months, only INCOMING calls will still work, unless you buy a 'TOP UP' -- in which case, the 12 month clock RESTARTS. So, I have kept my same IRISH phone number for the last four or five years. Since I own a phone (and I HATE waste) I bought a T-Mobile Pay As You Go SIM to use in the US. I don't use EITHER very much. I usually buy a $20 TOP UP for the T-Mobile every 2-3 months. A 'normal 8-11 day Ireland vist usually uses about 10-15 Euro worth of calls.
It was a REAL life-saver, in June of 2005 (a 15 day trip when we were escorting four others and ALL the reservations were in MY name) when our daughter AND our daughter-in-law BOTH delivered PREMATURELY....
That trip, I think our phone charges totaled more like $150, but it would have been a LOT more than that, if I had been 'ROAMING'.

I just bought my second ever phone as the old one was getting a bit rough around the edges and out-dated. I bought a spiffy, new Motorola PEBL -- a QUAD Band with color screen and a built in, crappy camera (VGA - 640X 480 - good for 2"X2" pix or computer screens only). With chargers and accessories, etc. I paid about $200, but I own it, I can put ANY SIM into it and it should last me about 5 more years.

PS: Vodaphone Ireland and Vodaphone UK have announced a reciprical, 'No Roaming' agreement, so my Irish SIM is "LOCAL" in the Republic, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, England, Wales AND the Channel Islands (I think). So, it is an even BETTER bargain than I originally expected.

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob,

I would class this as useful info for everyone on the forum. Would you like to be the local cell phone authority here?

Since I don't use the phone extensively while in Ireland I just use a phone card and even those minutes don't get used up. I am also a fount of usless info but you never know when what you know will suddenly turn into useful info.

Michele

yesiree · Guru

Thanks for all the great info, Bob. Buying a SIM card in Ireland is really quick and easy, so I agree that it is a good idea to wait until you get over there to buy it...unless you absolutely need to know your number before you leave.

Bob - Tell us about the name you chose for your handle. Are you also loaded with tidbits for Italy? Just in case I'm planning a vacation of countries that begin with "I" (and also have car rental insurance NOT covered by my MC), I'll know who to ask.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Michele:

I'm always glad to 'help out' (or as my wife says, "Share my opinions"), PARTICULARLY when it has to do with my FAVORITE topic -- spending time in Ireland.

I'd also like to thank you for dropping my 'NEWBIE' label, even though I AM new to this board. Our trip this June will mark my ninth visit to Ireland, so it did seem a bit disconcerting. I have been active for a while on the FODOR's and Frommer's boards as well as the Travelers To Go site. I decided to follow a bunch of my 'Friends' from those boards over to your site, as well. Hope you don't mind.

yesiree: I'm a frequent 'drop in' to YOUR site, as well. I have NO first-hand info about Italy, sad to say. I/we can't seem to make it past Shannon or Dublin ...
If you 'click' on my screenname (the same, but MISSPELLED - damn that 'no-edit'

) over at Fodor's, look for a thread by Mellisa5 called "DUBLIN: WORTH IT OR NOT?" or something similar. Buried in there somewhere is my answer to her when she asked that same question.

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob,

I am honored that you followed the crowd here. Please feel free to join right in with everyone else and share your wisdom. That is what my forum is for. I have to admit that we have a very nice, friendly bunch of people here and that is what makes this forum what it is. In between visiting Ireland we still get our "fix" by discussing it and helping out "newbies".

BTW, the newbie designation (and all others) has to do with the number of posts. I may be able to change that when I have time by delving deep into the depths of the forum's settings and messing around. Currently it is just on the default setting.

How long will your 9th trip in June be for? You must be looking forward to that.

Michele

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

It's looking like 15 days on the ground, flying out of Florida on 16 June and returning on 3 July. Tenative plan is to fly into EDI for two days, then take the train / Stranraer to Belfast ferry / train to Dublin before picking up a car and hitting the road for Cork. We're going to TRY to FINALLY sample NI and Donegal this trip. We dropped Donegal from our Feb '02 visit due to weather and haven't made it back that way since. We have family and friends in/around Cork city, Skibbereen, Killarney, Trailee and Kildare, so it's ALWAYS hard to move afield....

We MIGHT drop in to theO'Driscoll (my wife's Grandmother) Clan Get-Together in Baltimore, this year, enroute to a Memorial Mass on the 24th (wife's Grandfather's birthday), in Millstreet. We'll have about seven or eight days left, to get to Donegal (staying 3 nights), move on to the BallyCastle area (two nights) and then head to Dublin for our return flight. Not a lot of time, but my wife is REALLY looking foreward to the whole 'train/ferry thing'...

Nothing written in stone yet, though (except the Mass onthe 24th).

Bob

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur at 19:18, 2007-03-23

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob,

Where do you live in Florida? I lived in Miami for 28 years and my family still lives in the sunshine state.

Fifteen days sounds great although I'm sure when the relatives get hold of you they don't want to let go. Northern Ireland and Donegal are wonderful. Both in Ulster by the way. Don't miss the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Torr Road, the Antrim Coast and the Dark Hedges. I'm sure one visit to the north will mean a repeat some time in the future.

Where are you basing in Donegal? You will have some adventures to relate with your train and ferry trip.

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig at 00:22, 2007-03-24

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Michele:

We live in the Land of Orange and Blue (Gainesville).

Our Donegal plans are for two nights in / around Donegal and then one night in the area of Letterkenny, followed by two nights in the BallyCastle/Bushmill's vicinity. I'll put together a full itinerary to post for 'suggestions and tweaking' after the March Madness winds down.

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob,

My mother lives in Lakeland and other relatives are scattered farther south. We visit often. I have some very nice B&Bs in the areas you are going to. Either look at my "Lodgings" page or ask for specifics.

Michele