Budget Indian Travelers so, you’re traveling to Europe to broaden your mind, soak up the culture and rediscover yourself.

But, how will you call your fellow travelers when you lose them in Disneyland Paris? How will you order your Uber in Barcelona? And how, for the love of all things good in this world, will you share that photo of your Margherita pizza on Instagram?

Looks like you’re going to need to sort out a SIM card for Europe.

While using your Indian phone in Europe is easy, it can get expensive. And unreliable Wi-Fi can make the reality of keeping in touch via a service like Skype more frustrating than it should be.

If you anticipate heavy phone or data use, consider traveling with a mobile phone fitted with a European SIM card. This gives you a European mobile number and access to cheaper rates than you’d get through your US carrier, even with an international plan. Generally with a European SIM card, it’s free to receive domestic texts and calls, about 2–20 cents/minute to make domestic calls and calls within the EU, and 5–15 cents to send a text within the EU. For the best rates, buy a new SIM card every time you arrive in a new country.

To get a European SIM, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Make sure you’re equipped with a proper phone. You’ll need either a European phone or an unlocked phone in order for a European SIM card to work (some phones are electronically “locked” so you can’t switch SIM cards). Check with your carrier — it’s possible the phone you have is already unlocked, as this feature is becoming more common in newer models. Otherwise, you can try asking your provider if they’ll unlock it for you. Remember that as long as you have a European SIM in your own phone, you won’t be reachable at your regular US number.

If it’s not possible to unlock your phone, you can buy an unlocked phone either before your trip or at your destination (it’s around $40 for a basic unlocked phone). It’s also possible to buy an inexpensive mobile phone in Europe that already comes with a SIM card. While these phones are generally locked to work with just one provider (meaning you couldn’t switch to another European SIM if traveling to other countries), they may be even cheaper ($20 or less, and often with enough prepaid calling credit to make the phone itself virtually free). If shopping for a phone in Europe, use the European term “mobile” (pronounce it the way Brits do — rhymes with “smile”) or “handy” (common in German-speaking areas).

Finally, you may already have an old, unused mobile phone in a drawer somewhere. It’s probably locked, but your provider may be willing to send you a code to unlock it.

2. Shop around for a SIM card. SIM cards are sold in Europe at mobile-phone shops, department-store electronics counters, some newsstands, and even at vending machines. Costing about $5–10 (Rs1041 to Rs 1083) , they usually include about that much prepaid calling credit, with no contract and no commitment. Certain brands — including Lebara and Lycamobile, both of which operate in multiple European countries — are reliable and provide cheap international calls, including to the US.

If you are wanting for international roaming in an Indian Sim card.Go for Jio.They give super affordable International roaming rates both for incoming and outgoing.

If you have a smartphone, look for a SIM card that also includes data. Expect to pay about $15-30 (Rs1041 to Rs1083) ( for a SIM that includes one month of data within the country you bought it. Be aware that many smartphones (especially iPhones) use smaller micro-SIM or nano-SIM cards. Make sure you get the right size card for your phone.

Before buying a SIM card, ask the clerk about rates for calls within the country; to and from other countries you’ll be visiting; and, if you plan on calling home, to the US and Canada. Also check the rates for data use and for sending/ receiving a text message (called an “SMS” in Europe). Make sure you get rates for data and texting both within and outside the card’s home country. Rates can vary wildly from brand to brand and store to store.

3. Set up your SIM card. Once you buy your SIM card, ask the clerk to insert it, set it up, and make a test call to be sure it’s working properly. Turning on the phone, you’ll be prompted to enter the SIM PIN, which you may be asked to enter every time you start up the phone. If text or voice prompts are in another language, ask the clerk whether they can be switched to English. Also find out how to check your credit balance (usually you’ll key in a few digits and hit “Send”). Remember to record your new phone number so you can pass it on to friends and family.

Note that many countries require you to register the SIM card with your passport as an antiterrorism measure. If that’s the case, it may take an hour or two after submitting the information before you can use the phone.

4. Top up your SIM card. When you run out of credit, you can top it up at newsstands, tobacco shops, mobile-phone stores, or many other businesses (look for the SIM card’s logo in the window). Tell the clerk how much credit you want. You’ll either get a voucher with instructions (in most cases, to top up credit, you’ll punch in a long string of numbers on your phone), or the clerk will send the credit directly to your phone. Some providers let you top up online.

Which prepaid SIM cards are the best value in Europe?

If you’re heading to Europe for a while, it can often be a better idea to consider a local SIM card to save you some money. Some of the best value pay as you go SIM card options include:

UK

• ASDA’s basic bundle provides 600 call minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB of data
• Giffgaff’s ‘Goodybag’ package offers unlimited calls and texts, plus 3GB of data
• Tesco Mobile’s ‘Rocket’ deal provides 500 call minutes, 5,000 texts and 3GB of data

France

• Orange offers a 14-day prepaid ‘Holiday’ SIM card. This costs €40 (around $60) and provides users with a local number, 2 hours of calls, 1,000 texts and 10GB of data within the EU
• SFR provide a ‘Welcome Prepaid’ SIM Card that costs €35 (just under $55) and includes 60 minutes of calls, 500 texts and 5GB of data
• Free offer monthly packages of unlimited calls, text, and data for €20. The drawback is they only have one outlet, and you need to ensure you cancel your SIM before you leave

Spain

• Vodafone are Spain’s largest provider and offer monthly packages starting from €10 ($15) for 1.2 GB of data and 20 call-minutes up to ‘Megayuser’ €20 deals
• Yoigo is another good monthly option. SIMs can be purchased for €20 – or €15 ($23) if you already have a local phone number – and deals go from €8.50 up to €15
• Orange rival Vodafone in size, and these SIMs can be purchased from many shops, corner stores and petrol stations. Prices go from €7 for 1GB of data to €15 for 3GB

Germany

• Deutsche Telekom are the country’s largest provider with a range of monthly deals. SIM cards can be purchased for €9.95 and come loaded with €10 call and text credit
• Vodafone has monthly call and text packs that start from €10, with data and additional €10 for 1GB
• O2 offers a free SIM card, but this needs a minimum of €15 credit. Monthly data packs and one-off add-onsare also available for as little as €3 ($4.50)

Italy

• TIM is Italy’s largest provider and prepaid SIMS can be purchased for €10 with €5 uploaded credit. Monthly packs start from €10 for 500 local minutes and no data
• Vodafone SIM cards are much the same price as TIM’s, but offer more flexibility in their packages, including a ‘Tutto Facile’ deal costing €4 ($6) daily for 500MB of data
• Wind SIM cards can be purchased from many locations, including post offices and bus stations, starting from €10. Basic data packages cost as little as €12 ($18.50)

The Netherlands

• Lycamobile offer amazingly cheap SIM card deals, starting from €7.50 ($11.50) for an online purchase. This gives you unlimited national calls and texts and 7GB of data
• KPN is the Netherlands’ largest provider with the widest coverage, with deals ranging from €8.50 for no data up to €24 per month for 20GB of internet
• A Lebara Mobile International bundle will cost €30 ($46) for your SIM card, unlimited calls and texts within the EU and to 17 select countries outside it and 5GB of data

Greece

• Vodafone is the most reliable network in Greece, with SIM cards only costing €5. However, you need to top up by €10 to get started and data is offered at a very flexible rate, including by time of the day, or in daily, weekly and monthly rates
• Cosmote is the largest mobile provider in the country, with wide network coverage. They offer a range of packages in line with Vodafone’s pricing
• Wind offers the best deals in Greece, albeit with a smaller coverage area

The majority of European SIM cards will work across country borders with roaming. Just to be safe, enquire with the provider if you’re intending on using one SIM in multiple European countries.

Tips: Be aware that most European SIM cards expire after a certain period of inactivity (typically 3–12 months), so use up the credit or hand it off to another traveler. Also, be sure to save your contacts’ phone numbers in the phone itself, rather than on the SIM card; otherwise, you’ll lose access to them when you switch SIMs. When storing phone numbers, include the plus (+) sign and the country code to ensure that your calls will go through, regardless of where you’re calling from.