I spent much of this past year popping in and out of my old stomping grounds, Europe. One of the top questions auditioning singers and touring musicians have asked me is how to deal with the phone situation. Sure, they knew the common wisdom was to buy a throwaway pay-as-you-go phone there—the problem was, they couldn’t live without their “crackberries,” nor could they afford to pay overseas roaming charges. What to do?
Turns out I’m the right person to ask. Like my über-connected friends, I have my iPhone basically glued to my palm at all times. I also travel a lot and am usually, shall we say, “underfunded.” These three qualities, fortunately, are not mutually exclusive.
I’m going to pass on to you what I’ve learned. I’m focusing on the iPhone (because that’s my drug of choice, so I have the most experience with it) and Germany (because that’s where many readers may be heading). But if that’s not your blueprint, don’t skip over this article. Much of the advice herein can also be applied to BlackBerries and Droids as well as to other European countries. You won’t need to know how to jailbreak your non-iPhone, but you should be able to find the same apps. And you will find yourself having mostly the same issues no matter what country you end up in.
Unlocking and Jailbreaking
Is it legal and, either way, how do I do it?
If you want to use your American iPhone with a carrier besides AT&T (which you will need to do if you want a German phone number), you will need to first jailbreak and then unlock it. Jailbreaking means being able to install non-Apple-approved software on your phone. You must do this to unlock your phone, which means being able to use a different carrier.
Is it legal? Yes. In 2010, the U.S. government officially declared both jailbreaking and unlocking iPhones legal. However, it can void your warranty. So if your phone is under warranty, or you don’t want to be taken to task by official tech support, you might think twice (before probably doing it anyway).
How do you do it? There are several options, depending on your software, hardware, and how savvy you are. The simplest and, therefore, most popular way is to point your iPhone’s browser to www.jailbreakme.com, “slide to Jailbreak,” and then follow the simple instructions.
I’ve unlocked two iPhones, one using this website and the other using a download called PwnageTool. The PwnageTool option was quite complicated for a non-hacker like me, but worked like a charm. The Jailbreakme option was far, far simpler, but caused more bugs (I had some lingering issues that I had to Google to figure out how to fix).
No jailbreak is a guaranteed success and if, for some reason, something goes wrong, you might have a dead iPhone, or a “brick,” on your hands. If you or a friend has an old iPhone you’re not using, your best bet might be to hack that one and not mess around with your baby.
Technology changes so fast that whatever I say could be out of date by the time this issue reaches your hands. So Google will be a better friend than I in this case.
Your Foreign SIM Card
Which one should I get?
One of the first things you’ll want to do upon arrival in Germany (or your destination of choice) is to get a prepaid SIM card. The options can be mind boggling, are always changing, and not always explained in English.
Your main concern is getting a prepaid plan that allows you affordable Internet access. Wi-Fi hotspots in Germany can be hard to come by, and a smartphone without Internet is just not very smart. Of course, if you were signing up for a long-term phone contract, Internet access would go without saying. But the easier and more convenient prepaid, short-term cards are a different story.
Again, this is always changing—I made a journey to Berlin in May and another in September, and there was already a drastic difference in what was available where. But don’t just wander into the nearest kiosk and buy anything without doing a little homework first. When I had a prepaid SIM from Vodafone, they wouldn’t even talk to me about getting Internet on it. That was a hard month.
I had the best luck with Tchibo, a little chain shop that sells coffee and, well, miscellaneous. I had done some hardcore research before going back to Germany and learned that they had a very generous Internet package for €10 a month, available on prepaid cards. Happily, they had branches in most major train stations, so if I used up my phone card while I was running back and forth between cities, I could refill it on a layover. But there are other options and will probably be many more by the time you get abroad.
Apps—The Fun Part!
Now that you’re online with your iPhone, it’s time for the fun part: Apps! Here are my top suggestions:
Ultralingua German-English Translation Dictionary or Collins Pro German-English Translation Dictionary
I know, I know—$20-25 is insane for an iPhone app. I can honestly say, however, that this one is worth it. Both dictionaries are so good, you won’t even need to bring a physical dictionary to Europe with you.
DB Navigator
The official Deutsche Bahn app is a life saver. Not only can you look up how to get where you want to go, you can buy tickets, see all intermediate stops, check if your train is on time, even find out what platform your train will be arriving or boarding at. Plus, for you Eurail Pass travelers, it works in other countries, and even if you’re not passing through Germany, like from France to Italy. (Better get more of those dictionaries!) And it’s a free app, to boot.
FahrInfo Berlin/MVG FahrInfo München
Chances are you’ll be either based out of or visiting one of these two great German cities. Each has a free app for its U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and tram systems. Each contains a map of the system and also a point-to-point planner which includes exact travel and connection times. This can be a beautiful thing if you’re trying to figure out if you’re going to make your flight via subway or if you need to hail a cab.
myConvert
Need to write in your weight in kilograms? Taking a weekend jaunt to Prague and need to know the exchange rate? If you’re not fluent in metric, myConvert will be well worth the $1.99 investment. I know my way around the metric system enough to get by, but I found the currency conversion to be especially helpful. Provided you have an Internet connection, the app looks up that day’s rate. You can also save several different currencies on one page, so not only can you keep tabs on the euro versus the dollar, you can also check on Swiss francs, Danish kroner, and British pounds on the same page.
Hostelworld.com
Maybe you’re not quite into the backpacker scene, but Hostelworld has bookings for hotels and bed and breakfasts as well. See prices per bed (beware: if it’s a two-bed private hotel room, you’ll be paying for both beds), a map of the location, photos, and reviews. You can even book from your phone. This can be of great use while you’re on a train to a city for a last-minute trip. Oh, and this one’s free too.
Using Your American Plan—Wouldn’t That Just Be Easier?
What if you’re going to be in Europe only for a short time and decide not to get a German number? For heaven’s sake, pay for an international data plan. Even if you think you’ll be using it only occasionally, the rates are through the roof—about $20 a megabyte—and those megabytes can go by very quickly, especially if you are trying to navigate around a new city with Google Maps. An international data package will be more expensive and limited than what you pay at home, but it’s better than racking up a bill in the hundreds of dollars because you couldn’t put Facebook down.
Again, things change quickly, so do a little research before you go. Asking friends who are currently or recently in Europe is your best bet, but a little Google research goes a long way, as long as you make sure the information you’re reading is current.
Happy travels!
