Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2014 April 11

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April 11

Prepaid SIM cards and other UK travel questions

I need some advice on traveling to the UK. If I want to get a prepaid SIM card for a short trip lasting a few days, how much does it cost? What would be a good place to get one from? If I want both voice and data services, what would be some good prepaid SIM card brands? Can you use US credit cards (no chip and PIN) to pay for public transportation (the Tube, taxi, buses)? Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.242.92.2 (talk) 18:14, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

In order:

a) Not very much (a few pounds, perhaps up to £10? Been a long time since I bought one.) Mobile phone shops are pretty widespread in shopping centres/high streets; not sure offhand if newsagents still sell them. (There's at least one SIM vending machine at T4 arrivals in Heathrow, too, and so no doubt elsewhere)

b) Any of the major firms should be good, though I'd try googling around for recommendations from other travellers - there are some carriers which target the visitor market specifically.

c) No. (Taxis possibly, but probably not - no idea for London taxis, never taken one!). Your best bet for tube/buses in London is an Oyster card and a smallish deposit which you top-up from the card as needed (though remember that the card will hit you with fees each time, so you may want to estimate your use and make one large topup). Outside London, systems vary, but in almost all cases it's pay beforehand (for trains) or onboard with cash (for buses). Andrew Gray (talk) 18:24, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

http://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/taxis - Most 'black cabs' ie what people think of a London Taxi, will accept card payments, abiet with a premium. Not sure in respect of Minicabs (which have to be pre-booked).Sfan00 IMG (talk) 20:35, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Will they still have the capacity to accept cards that need their magnetic strips swiped, though? AlexTiefling (talk) 20:58, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

(edit conflict)... just to add to Andrew's answer above, SIM cards are often given away free or sold for 50p, but you will then need to "top up" (typically £10) to be able to make calls. Some major supermarkets offer lower rates per call. Some schemes offer cheaper international calls (e.g. see an independent best-buy site). There are so many different variations that the "best-buy" depends very much on your exact pattern of usage. Here is another comparison. Some cab drivers who accept British credit cards might not be happy with non-chip&pin cards because of the difficulty of verification. Dbfirs 20:55, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Black Cabs? the very best in the world, though maybe not the cheapest and most will take a credit card I believe.85.211.131.115 (talk) 07:53, 16 April 2014 (UTC)