Buying a SIM card at Heathrow
I'm flying to London and would like to get a UK SIM card as soon as I can. Is it possible to buy those at Heathrow airport? Should I buy one from there, or should I order it in advance instead and try to get it delivered to my hotel? Or should I just walk out to the nearest cellular store when I get to the hotel and buy one there?
Best Answer
O2 have vending machines in the airport (well, they did in Manchester last year and I doubt that was a one off). 10 pounds for a sim with 10 pounds credit and you can phone for more credit/data/SMS/whatever.
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Can I buy SIM card at Heathrow?
At Heathrow, there are SIM-card vending machines in the baggage reclaim hall, as well as SIM cards for sale at the shops in the arrivals hall. This is probably the most straightforward way of picking up a SIM card on arrival in the UK.Can you buy SIM card at airport UK?
If you're flying into London and want to get connected before leaving the airport, you easily can. At Heathrow, Gatwick, and other airports, small kiosks and vending machines offer UK SIM cards from all the major operators.Can you buy SIM card at the airport?
You can usually purchase SIM cards and prepaid vouchers (or top them off) at hotels, drug stores, newsstands, and now at vending machines at airports.How do I get a UK SIM card in the UK?
Prepaid SIM cards in the UKYou can buy one online or in a mobile phone shop. Bear in mind, however, that you'll need a UK address to receive the SIM card should you order it online. You can also pick up a prepaid SIM in some supermarkets and most convenience stores.Review: My GUIDE TO HEATHROW - Things you didn't know!
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Answer 2
The last option is the best in my opinion. I did exactly that in 2007. The nice thing is that you might compare different operators. Some of the operators even offer very interesting sim cards to call abroad. Finally I ended up using a sim card where calling home was cheaper then calling within the UK. Unfortunately for you I forgot the name of the operator :( But really there is so much choice, and most of the sim cards are immediately available. You might be able to buy one at heathrow, but I am not sure you have the same choice as on the street. Your best bet is to go to a shopping center with multiple phone stores to compare.
Answer 3
I have heard that some of the £10 SIMs from vending machines at Heathrow do not contain any call credit. Carphone Warehouse, and Phones4U are big multiple phone retailers that offer all the major networks; there are also lots of independent phone shops that offer SIMs from networks like Lebara which specialise in cheap overseas calls.
Answer 4
From your use of the word "cellular", I presume you're from the USA. Make sure your phone is a GSM phone. CDMA phones are mostly found in the USA and won't work in EU.
If not, you can probably buy a really cheap phone, along with the SIM card, in a phone shop in the UK.
Answer 5
A friend suggested 3 as useful if you are travelling in some EU countries eg Italy France Switzerland Scandanavia, Ireland... due to them not having any roamihg charges with the Feel at Home http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home
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