Cell Phones in Hungary? What do you do?

[Elizabeth Floch]

Hi All,

We will be living in Budapest for nine months, and have talked to Verizon here and they say my husband's cell won't work without a change in SIM card plus we'd need to change to an appropriate plan or get a calling card.  We can't just add the country to our current plan, as we do when in Canada.

What have you done?  Do you travel back and forth to the US, or just have a permanent solution there?

What about "burner" phones?  Something disposable that we prepay there?  

We REALLY want to have a smartphone, however, so that we may access maps, driving directions, translations, etc.  

Any smart solutions you can recommend?  

Many thanks!

Libby

(Also, is it true that most smartphones (the ones we already have in the US, Motorola and Samsung) know how to automatically adjust the voltage, so plugging in without a transformer won't hurt the phone?)  

[Sarah]

Hi Libby,

So long as you have an unlocked phone (allowing you to use sim cards from different mobile providers), you can just buy a local sim card when you come here. Then you can choose whether to go with a prepaid or postpaid plan, the cost is reasonable for both calling and data.

I use Vodafone and at least in the District V offices almost everyone speaks English, so it's easy to sort things out. Just be prepared as you need to have a passport/official ID to show when you purchase a sim card here.

Best of luck with the move :)

Sarah

[Elizabeth Floch]

Thank you, Sarah, so helfpul!

[Kaye Little]

Hi Libby,

I bought an international unlocked iPhone 6s to use here. I do prepaid plan on a T-Mobile Domino SIM card. It only works in Hungary. When I travel to another country, I pickup a prepaid local SIM card while I am there to jump on the local network if I require voice or data somewhere else. Otherwise, I do as much stuff as possible in WiFi everywhere, even in Budapest.

A lot of my European friends use 2 apps on the smartphone market, Viber or Whatsapp. Let's you send texts and calls for free on WiFi anywhere in the world, no charge. Apple messaging and FaceTime much better than Skype (imho).

Buy your electronics in the USA and not here when possible, as everything is nearly 40% more to the VAT that is additional.

Best of luck on your upcoming move, when do you arrive?

Kind regards, 

Kaye 

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[Elizabeth Floch]

Thanks!

[Elizabeth Floch]

Hi Sarah, ready to get my SIM card here, but unfortunately I ran out of time in the US and wasn't able to purchase an unlocked phone there.  I don't think my Verizon Android can be unlocked, but perhaps I can take it to T Mobile or Vodafone and they can help?

You said you go the Vodafone office in District V and they speak English.  Is that the one at Deák Ferenc u. 19?  

Thinking I need to purchase a used smart phone on Craigslist or something.  Anyone have another idea?  I'd prefer used if I have to buy it outright (assuming a retailer isn't going to let me rent one for six months).  Any tips, or is using CL here pretty much the same as in the US (don't meet in non-public place, trust gut, etc.)?  

I would use the smart phone for navigation and some communication via WhatsApp, but don't have to have it for email necessarily (it's been nice not being able to check my phone when away from wifi here lately).  I def. need a smart phone rather than a disposable phone with no data plan.  

And thanks too, Kaye, for your previous feedback!

Libby

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