Pay as you go SIM / Dongle

We’ll be visiting the UK for a couple of months, and need UK SIM cards for our phones. Sadly, two months’ holiday for me is really only two weeks of holiday, and six weeks of “holiday with laptop” (wife’s on maternity leave).

So, I need a SIM that will let me tether to my iPhone. Last time I was over, I had GiffGaff, but for whatever reason (GiffGaff blame Apple), it seems that tethering isn’t easily supported on the iPhone – can anyone state whether this is still the case? If so, which network would be best in terms of coverage in the Lakes and North Wales with a reasonable PAYG data allowance also?

nobody?

I think coverage is likely to be spotty in North Wales and the Lakes, no matter what network you’re on.

“Reasonable data allowance” isn’t clear cut. What are you looking for?

I doubt there is a great deal of difference tbh
in the lakes most networks well or not at all in the same regions IME

I think you can check each networks coverage somewhere

http://ukmobilecoverage.co.uk/

there you go – no idea if any good though

you have my address if you want a ride/borrow a bike

Just get a cheapo android phone and stick a sim card in that and use that as a hotspot. Plenty of cheap and cheerful jobbies second hand.

“Reasonable data allowance” isn’t clear cut. What are you looking for?

I have no idea what represents a good value for money amount. Is 50 quid going to get me 2, 5, or 10 GB? I’m guessing ‘unlimited’ has the same meaning as it does in Aus i.e. ‘limited’?

And thanks for the offer Junkyard – possibly more difficult this time with Mrs and MiniZ in tow. However, we’ll be near Snowdonia for about six weeks, so if you fancied a drive it would be great to get out. Most of my time in Bolton will be introducing daughter to (great)grandparents.

One month rolling contract for £23 a month with Three mobile will get you the one plan…. Not payg, it’s a contract but only for 30 days if you are able to get one?

This includes truly unlimited data and unlimited tether (hasn’t been capped yet)

Most of my time in Bolton will be introducing daughter to (great)grandparents.

Trust me they wont GAS about you or notice when you leave…..its your first so much to learn so much to learn
Mail me nearer the date and I am sure i can sort something.

Even though it dreads me to tell you as I hate orange with a passion the best for mobile in north wales is EE. Which part will you be staying? There’s always BT openzone as an option.

I’d say three too, my son uses about 6-7gb a month and they’ve never charged any more than his £15.00 a month contract or throttled it back. Tethering can be an issue, you may have to ask for that separately though.

Virgin do an unlimited 30day contract for £15 for android phones and tethering hasn’t been an issue to date.

Three signal is not so good in snowdonia. Even worse inside. You’ll get 2G but will quickly get annoyed.
If I remember rightly Virgin works on O2 – again dodgy signal.
In snowdonia the best signal for speaking is Vodafone.
For data EE.

Virgin run on the EE network I think. I’m currently in south Wales and have to wi fi hotspot for the laptop as the wife’s O2 dongle is garbage round here.

Get 2, one on each network…

The boss had one that did a huge amount of data last time he went back up north, I’ll find out what it was.

For the lakes Orange did well for me (it became the provider of choice for a big factory on the west cost so it improved a bit with a few thousand work phones circulating) North Wales again orange was good when I was last there but it’s very hit and miss.

I’m not sure how much it covers now but the BT Fon thing where you used to share bandwidth of your home wifi was a good start and it let you into the BT openzone stuff so a 2 month sub to something like that might help.

In my time in N Wales and the Lakes I’ve had Orange, O2, and Three with the notion that O2 gave the best reception. Last time I was back I was on GiffGaff on O2. I’ll look into the rolling contracts as I’m still a UK citizen and have bank accounts etc.

Junkyard – will let you know dates when I’ve had chance to speak to the Mrs. She’s in charge of my social life these days, and I’m currently in Perth about to head to Little Creatures, so can’t ask her now…