Quick Swiss favour needed.... (swiss mobiles)

[plg]

Hi all

Quick pistonhead favour needed from our Swiss colleagues...

I'm trekking across the Swiss Alps this summer (Chamonix>Arolla>Zermatt>TMR to Saas Fee>Leukerbad> Central Alpine pass to Sargans for those that are walkers..) to raise money for Charity - and as a personal challenge.

Using my UK mobile for that length of time will be ruinous... and the "bundles" that O2 UK sell for overseas use are terrible value for money.

So... without having a permanent CH address, is it possible to buy a PAYG SIM only by mail from one of the big providers, or do they need to be bought in person with ID? Is there an easy way to "top up" the card (Migros? Co-op? via ATM?)

Many thanks in advance
plg

[smilerbaker]

yes, you can get a payg using your passport. Yallo are probably the cheapest for overseas calls, and you can top them up at cash machines. not sure which ones, I know the postoffice machines work.

and of course kiosk's, supermarkets etc etc

[Bruce Fielding]

Will you be using it mostly for phone calls to the UK? Or other stuff?

If you have the sort of phone that can use IP (Skype etc.) I can recommend the Swisscom Easy Natel (or whatever it's called now).

Whatever it costs, you get credit for, then you can use it for Internet, Texts, or local phone and it's 7chf, 3chf and 1chf respectively per day. So if you don't make calls or use txts and just surf, roam, or use the internet in any way (like IP telephony), it's just 7chfs each day you use it unlimited.And whn you're not using it, you're not charged.

Add in a monthly subscription to Skype - unlimited calls to land lines anywhere in Europe for about a fiver.

That's quite good, I think...

[plg]

Bruce Fielding said:

Will you be using it mostly for phone calls to the UK? Or other stuff?

If you have the sort of phone that can use IP (Skype etc.) I can recommend the Swisscom Easy Natel (or whatever it's called now).

Whatever it costs, you get credit for, then you can use it for Internet, Texts, or local phone and it's 7chf, 3chf and 1chf respectively per day. So if you don't make calls or use txts and just surf, roam, or use the internet in any way (like IP telephony), it's just 7chfs each day you use it unlimited.And whn you're not using it, you're not charged.

Add in a monthly subscription to Skype - unlimited calls to land lines anywhere in Europe for about a fiver.

That's quite good, I think...

Thanks to both... it's for calling back to the UK and have the UK call me. I'll take a look at that package, thanks. I seem to remember that although 3g coverage is good, it drops to 2g in the more remote regions so having the option of IP / texts and phone is good.