Cheap calls abroad - FAQ

HolidayPhone enables you to be reachable on your regular UK mobile phone number and make cheap phone calls while travelling outside the UK.

It's a regular, prepaid PAYG SIM card that you insert (image) into your phone, but we also forward all calls made to your UK number to your foreign HolidayPhone SIM card so that people calling your regular UK number will be able to reach you, without making it expensive for the caller, or for you.

Therefore, you won't have to share a temporary foreign number (a lot of work and expensive for others call to) and you are in complete control of your holiday phone expenses. In addition, it's comfortable to have everything in order upon arrival at your destination and enjoy the start of your holiday rather than having to run around looking for local SIM cards - often with no English instructions.

And because HolidayPhone is a prepaid PAYG service, there is no contract, no subscription period and no costs charged afterwards. You can save hundreds of pounds by using HolidayPhone on your next trip.

The SIM card is a normal foreign SIM card from an operator that we have a partnership with. To this HolidayPhone SIM card, we will forward any incoming calls made to your UK mobile number without using any international roaming fees. All you need to do before leaving the UK is to forward your UK number to a fixed UK landline number provided by us, in accordance with the easy to follow instructions in our welcome letter.

Once this is done, we take care of the rest, and you can enjoy your holiday, making and receiving calls at rates you are used to at home without any expensive roaming fees involved!

1. Before leaving UK, forward your incoming calls to a fixed UK landline number in accordance with easy-to-follow instructions in the welcome letter. This is easily done from your phone by entering: *21*xxxxxxxxx# with your UK SIM card inserted.
2. When you get on the plane, remove the UK card and insert the HolidayPhone SIM card you got from us.
3. Done!

PAYG SIM card

The Pay As You Go SIM card is the very card (image) that you insert into your telephone.

Call balance and Top up voucher

Your HolidayPhone SIM card comes with a call balance. You top up your call balance with a Top up voucher which is a paper note holding a scratch code.

This will automatically top up your call credit with the amount stated on the Top up voucher. When you're done, you can discard the Top up voucher since it has been used. The funds added to your call balance can now be used to make outgoing calls and send text messages.

The top up process works in the same way as it does back home.

Forwarded (incoming) call time

This entails the call forward from your UK number. When someone calls your UK mobile phone number, HolidayPhone will forward the call to your HolidayPhone SIM card overseas, where you pick up. Every HolidayPhone package includes free call forwarding of all incoming British calls, up to a certain limit (see package for each destination).

If you typically have a lot of incoming calls to your UK number, or if you're planning to be away for a substantial period of time, you can order some extra forwarded call time at a very low cost when placing your HolidayPhone order.

For many destionations, you can top up on our website together with your order from HolidayPhone. For all destinations top up vouchers can also easily be bought in kiosks and supermarkets in the country you are visiting.

This means that you will receive no more incoming calls dialled to your UK phone number. You will get a text sent before they run out, and you can add more forwarded talk time online. You don't have to worry about us charging you in arrears.

Yes, no problem. Just tick the Micro-SIM checkbox when you order. There is no extra fee for micro-SIM.

HolidayPhone works for GSM telephones that are not locked by a certain operator. If you have a carrier-locked phone - please see the question below in the FAQ.

iPhone4 is equipped with a so-called Micro SIM card. If you happen to have an iPhone4 or other device with a MicroSIM, we can deliver a MicroSIM that fits (at no extra charge) your iPhone4.

For the US, you need a phone which supports the 850 & 1900 MHZ frequencies (normally called the tri/quad band). Most phones support this if they are less than 5 years old. Should you have an older phone, please check this carefully.

The easiest way around this is to use a spare, non-locked phone that you may have lying around. Or you may temporarily borrow such a phone from someone during your holiday.

If you have an iPhone 4S HolidayPhone resell unlock kits (Gevey Ultra) for iPhone 4S. Please read on how to unlock iphone 4S easily here ».

There are also a great number of shops where you can have your phone unlocked (Google this...). It will only cost a few pounds and it is entirely legal.
If your fixed contract with your operator has expired, you could also call your operator and have them do this for you - sometimes they do it for free.

You could also buy a simple phone from us at a very low cost, a phone quite sufficient for calling and texting.

The safest way is to try it yourself by inserting a SIM card from another operator into your phone. Borrow one from a friend for instance. If your phone then works, it is not operator locked.

HolidayPhone works with all operators and subscriptions where you are able to forward your calls. This works for most operators and plans. Check with your operator if you are unsure.

Should you have a SIM card that cannot be forwarded, you may still use HolidayPhone by sharing the fixed UK 020-number provided by us with your friends. In this situation, people can still make cheap calls to you (price of a normal domestic UK call) when you're abroad.

Suggestion: You can also update your voice message for your regular UK card to say something like: "For the time being, you can reach me by calling 020-xxxxxxxx" so that everyone can reach you even if you have not set upp call forwarding..

Even if your number has not been forwarded, you can still utilize all of the other benefits of HolidayPhone: Receive cheap calls from the UK (through 020-xxxxxxx), make cheap phone calls from abroad and browse mobile internet from your phone at very low prices.

You will use your call forwarding talk time for incoming calls included in your HolidayPhone package.

The person calling your UK mobile phone number will not pay more than their normal rates (in addition to a regular UK mobile phone call, just like any normal call according to the caller's operator charges).

The only additional cost is the call forwarding from your UK mobile number to the fixed UK landline number provided. The fee is the same as the one you would be charged when calling a fixed landline in the UK.

Depending on your plan, you will pay a small (or no) fee for this call. Some plans include free calls to the fixed landline network, in which case it is all free of charge. Other subscriptions include a call credit for national calls on a monthly basis, one which you probably won't use anyway while being abroad, hence making the call forwarding equally free of charge.

See the tariffs for each destination »

If your travel partner also uses our HolidayPhone SIM card, you can make direct calls to each other using the local SIM card numbers stated in our welcome letters.
This way, you can make local cheap calls (from 0.005 p/minute in Thailand and 0p/minute in the US) to each other while on holiday.


Without HolidayPhone, you will pay international roaming costs both for the calling and the receiving party. The total cost could then well exceed £5/minute for calls dialled between two UK numbers abroad!

Yes, you can send those just as usual. And it is cheap!
See details for each destination »

No, text messages cannot be forwarded at the moment. However, others can reply to any text messages that you send from abroad. You can also temporary insert your UK SIM card to receive your text messages that are scheduled for delivery. Then reinsert the foreign SIM Card and reply cheap from that.

Nope. No membership, no log-in, no password, no downloads or other hassles. Just place your order on our website and pay through our secure e-commerce solution.

Your SIM card will be delivered to you, ready to use.

No. We don't apply monthly fees or subscription charges. You have no obligations, and are free to throw away the SIM card when you return.

No. All you need to do is perform a call forward from your phone to a fixed landline number in accordance with the instructions in the welcome letter that we will send to you.

Read all about our fast shipping and delivery here »

No calls will ever be forwarded to your voice mail, so don't worry about it. You don't have to disconnect your voice mail before leaving, since it will not be used. For many of our SIM Cards, you can however if you like - enable voice mail on the foreign SIM Card.