Nexus one with european sim card - pure heaven

[steveblue]

Just wanted to report, that on a family vacation, I had a great phone experience ( so rare these days). I walked into a London phone store, bought an O2 sim card for my nexus one for the equiv of $16US and got 500MBs of 3G and $16 of phone calls with easy topping up in any convenience store and prizes for doing so. With my family on the country roads w/ rental car and walking around London as tourists, I was able to find anything I wanted via the data and make cheap phone calls. Family thought I was a god - best Indian food within walking distance, on the fly info of better ways to get tickets, places open hours, ..., free and better audio guides to museums, castles, anything --- GREAT. Only issue was the GPS turn by turn was very slow and of course I had a local tele number. Nexus One was great. I wish doing this, the next one (N2) has a 5" screen to double as rental car gps and easier viewing/ browsing.

Others: report your vacation, sim in N.O., experiences.

[danger-rat]

Same deal when I was in the UK last year. Got a card from Orange, and everything else was seamless!

[jperry1]

I found this post by searching what to do when headed to Europe with a Google Nexus One phone (and T-mobile), as I'm headed to France next week for a 9-day vacation. I'm assuming that, Danger-Rat, since you mentioned Orange, your experience was in France?

So I don't need to worry about getting anything in advance of going? Simply walk into a local convenience store and buy an Orange SIM card?

If heading to Italy for a few days, I'm also going to guess I can simply do the same there with whatever carrier is provided.

Thanks if you can confirm it's really THAT easy.

Best,
~JP

[danger-rat]

No, I was in the UK, on Orange (maybe O2).
My first mobile was Orange UK, back in '92.
I'm a Brit, I just live over in the States these days...

[jonno2k]

I've always wondered what happens to all those phone numbers. If you don't return to the UK for a year or two, that number stays "alive" doesn't it so you can add money to it later? I mean it's basically held for you on that SIM card forever I would think. If that card is lost or never used again, that phone number is tied up forever.