International use of iPad & iPhone

[naima.vs]

Hi there,

I'm going to travel to Switzerland in two weeks and like to use my iPad as swell as my iPhone.
I would welcome suggestions how I can best prep for that in order to avoid the astronomical cell data and internet access bills I had from my last trip. Thanks a bunch ~

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

It's definitely a good idea to buy a local SIM card from a local carrier once you arrive there. They are widely available in Europe and you can go with a pre-pay (PAYG - pay as you go) for the best rates. Most city centres there will have a wide variety of shops that sell mobile products and SIM cards. You might want to take the precaution of taking a SIM cutter with you (see Amazon for details) as the special microSIMs for the iPad are still not as widespread as 'normal' SIMs. The cutter simply trims the excess plastic off a regular SIM and reduces it to the microSIM size. They also include an adaptor that will reconvert the microSIM back to a regular SIM if you need to.

I hope that you have a great trip in Switzerland. Also, there are many free WiFi hotspots available there - so, depending upon where you're going to be based, you might find the availability of WiFi is sufficient.

Tim

 

[naima.vs]

Hi Tim,
thank you so much for your prompt response and your very useful suggestions. I will definitely take your advice to heart. Among other things, I might also need a raincoat for the typical November weather in Zurich!
Thanks also for the link to the iPad 2 manual - that comes in handy, no doubt.
Appreciate your help - kind regards, Naima

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Again, I hope you have a great trip. Yes, a rain coat and some warm clothing are definitely needed.

Have fun..

Tim