[StealthMan]

I'll be traveling to Germany. What do I need to know to get my Tour to work over there?

[Culex316]

I'll be traveling to Germany. What do I need to know to get my Tour to work over there?

Well, there are two ways to go about it.

One, you can simply sign up for Sprint's International Roaming Services and pay an extra $40 for unlimited data and $2/min for phone calls


or


You can first make sure your phone is unlocked and able to use a German SIM card by going to Options - > Advanced Options -> SIM card, and seeing if it says either "Security Active" or "Security Disabled"

If it's Disabled, your phone is unlocked and you're good to go.


Next step is obtaining a German SIM card..since there are no prepaid BIS services in Germany (unfortunately), I'd recommend getting a prepaid flatrate data plan from O2 in Germany

o2online - o2online - o2 o Prepaid - Keine mtl. Grundgebühr, keine feste Vetragslaufzeit!


The plan I'm referring to is "Internet Handy Flatrate" and you pay 10 Euros for a month of unlimited UMTS internet data (but with throttling after 200MB)


Another option is ordering a SIM card from G�nstige Prepaid SIM Karte, Handy Tarife ohne Vertrag bei simyo, which also offers a prepaid Internet Data plan (1GB UMTS for 9.95 Euros), but the problem with Simyo is that they only mail their SIM cards to German addresses, so ask someone over there to receive it for you, and then you can activate it and use data (although without BIS).


Hope this helps.

[mjbesen310]

^^you do know he is with Verizon dont you?

(Stealthman, your not apart of a truck forum on the Internet are you? you have the same user name as someone I know on one)?

[Socadaddy]

Call Verizon and let them know that you will be traveling overseas and ask them to unlock your SIM card and activate international dialing. From there, you can either buy a cheap SIM card when you get to Germany or you can use your VZW SIM card to make calls, however, you will pay a roaming fee. You will be roaming on Vodafone over there. From what I remember, when you get over there (if you are using the VZW SIM card) you will have to pull your battery and pop it back in and everything will be fine. VZW also offers an international package for data and I think calls for when you are over there. If you choose not to use your data, make sure to set you phone to off when roaming. I found the phone calls to be very clear on the Vodafone network last year (Spain, France and Morocco) and was quite impressed.

[Culex316]

^^you do know he is with Verizon dont you?

(Stealthman, your not apart of a truck forum on the Internet are you? you have the same user name as someone I know on one)?

whoops, overlooked that.

Regardless, the procedure for unlocking (i.e. calling the carrier) is exactly the same.

[StealthMan]

^^you do know he is with Verizon dont you?

(Stealthman, your not apart of a truck forum on the Internet are you? you have the same user name as someone I know on one)?

Correct, I am with Verizon.


No sir, I am not on any truck forums.


Thanks for the info people

[CarrierUnlock]

I'll be traveling to Germany. What do I need to know to get my Tour to work over there?

You need to get it unlocked and then purchase a local sim card.

[FF22]

For the same price as Sprint, Verizon an extra $40/month you can get UNlimited data while in Europe and get a reduced price on calls. You keep your same phone number. Calls could be a killer if you plan on using the phone a lot versus data.

Otherwise, unlock it by calling verizon's global division and then you can use a foreign sim card in the unit - new phone number, data maybe or maybe not.

[trophynuts]

i would not waste your time trying to get the phone unlocked. I just got back from Germany a week ago.

Upgrade to the international Data plan for the days your going to be there only. VZW will pro rate it for you. I've done this numerous times.

Don't use the phone for voice calls

get a local calling card for that.

Even if you got it unlocked to use a foreign sim it is still going to be more expensive and troublesome than just buying a local calling card. I was in Frankfurt and Landstuhl and it worked fine in both places. The calling cards i was getting were about 5 euro.

[ballisticn8]

I agree with trophynuts, international calls are ridiculous on vzw, just use the tour for data only if you need it and pick up a calling card to make your calls. if its a business related trip and you need your phone for work will your workplace pay for the service out there?

[StealthMan]

i would not waste your time trying to get the phone unlocked. I just got back from Germany a week ago.

Upgrade to the international Data plan for the days your going to be there only. VZW will pro rate it for you. I've done this numerous times.

Don't use the phone for voice calls

get a local calling card for that.

Even if you got it unlocked to use a foreign sim it is still going to be more expensive and troublesome than just buying a local calling card. I was in Frankfurt and Landstuhl and it worked fine in both places. The calling cards i was getting were about 5 euro.

Thanks guys.

Will text messages and BBM work over there?

[ballisticn8]

texts are going to cost a lot too if its like when i was in canada. data is the cheap part to use, and bbm uses data, anything using a carrier signal (text, mms, phone) is whats going to cost a lot. i may be wrong, this was just my experience...

[trophynuts]

texts are going to cost a lot too if its like when i was in canada. data is the cheap part to use, and bbm uses data, anything using a carrier signal (text, mms, phone) is whats going to cost a lot. i may be wrong, this was just my experience...

he is right. Txt will cost extra. I think 5 cents incoming and 50 cents outgoing. I use BBM like mad when i traveling internationally. That is one reason it would be real hard for me to not have a BB.

[StealthMan]

BBM works perfect for me

[trophynuts]

same here bbm has always worked. Its one thing no other phone brand has. To a lot of people that never leave the States it probably doesn't matter much to them. But you leave the country one time and you'll be lovin some bbm much more than you do now. The fact that i can have a real time chat with the gf while im 7k miles away and it be included in my unlimited data package is priceless.

[Omnitech]

The fact that i can have a real time chat with the gf while im 7k miles away and it be included in my unlimited data package is priceless.

Since I don't have a big network of BB-using buddies, I haven't seen the value in this over and above just using an IM client for one of the other established IM networks. (I actually uninstalled BBM from my Tour, and I like the fact that that removes that infernal icon out of my "switch application" list, among other things.)

Is there something mysterious here that I'm not aware of?

[trophynuts]

Since I don't have a big network of BB-using buddies, I haven't seen the value in this over and above just using an IM client for one of the other established IM networks. (I actually uninstalled BBM from my Tour, and I like the fact that that removes that infernal icon out of my "switch application" list, among other things.)

Is there something mysterious here that I'm not aware of?

well if that works for you then cool but what if the person you want to chat with doesn't have a yahoo , windows live or google chat acct but has a blackberry?

My gf is pretty technically challenged so its much easier for her to just use bbm cause of the minimal set up. never has to sign in or remember her pw which is a pain in the arse.

take ten people with BB's and lets say you want to chat with them...what are the chances of all ten of them having a yahoo acct ..or whatever client you want to use..probably not that high, but all of them have a BB.....see where im going?

[StealthMan]

Since I don't have a big network of BB-using buddies, I haven't seen the value in this over and above just using an IM client for one of the other established IM networks. (I actually uninstalled BBM from my Tour, and I like the fact that that removes that infernal icon out of my "switch application" list, among other things.)

Is there something mysterious here that I'm not aware of?

BBM is pretty awesome. It's quicker than text and like trophy said much easier since not everyone has the same IM client.

[Omnitech]

Speaking only for myself, I think it's far more likely that I will have Yahoo or AIM or MSN etc in common with someone, than I will have the same brand of cellphone. And they don't have to be on the phone to IM me.

I'm sure it's great for peeps that have lots of BB buddies, but I'm not one of 'em. Give me a good multi-protocol IM client, and I'm happy. (Getting ready to test BeeJive here in the next few days..)