Cellphone Service Provider in Netherlands
May 4, 2017 12:23 PM   Subscribe

Another question related to our upcoming vacation trip to Amsterdam. We're bringing an unlocked GSM smartphone with us and planning on buying a SIM with a small pay-as-you-go plan so we can use apps like maps and such while walking around without having to duck into places to use WiFi. We'll want 4G/LTE, since all we will really use is data. If we can get the SIM delivered to us in the US and topped up online prior to departure, that would be a plus. Please recommend a carrier to use (or to avoid).
posted by briank to Travel & Transportation around Netherlands (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Vodafone has 1, 2 & 3 GB for €10, 15 & 20. Good for 30 days, in all European countries. You can easily pick one up at their shops on Nieuwendijk or Rokin
posted by humboldt32 at 1:21 PM on May 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


I would also recommend using a navigation app that works offline; that'll save you tons of data. I use the one from wego.here.com and download the maps that I'll need beforehand (in your case: the Netherlands). It works brilliantly.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:28 PM on May 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


I agree about offline maps- I use another called maps.me. If that's all you really need at first, you shouldn't need to worry about getting a SIM card in advance. It will be easy to get one when you arrive from a mobile store. On my last trip, I got a card from Lycamobile (not sure if there's any difference in coverage in comparison to Vodafone, but it worked well for me. I also needed it for local calls).
posted by pinochiette at 4:56 PM on May 4, 2017


Response by poster: Thanks, we know all about the offline maps.
posted by briank at 5:52 PM on May 4, 2017


Best answer: I used a Vodafone SIM when I was in the Netherlands in 2015. It was cheap and easy; I popped into a store and 10 or 15 minutes later I was back on the street with working cellular data. I think it also came with a modest amount of texting and call time but I never used either of those; I only wanted the data. It made it fantastically easy to navigate Amsterdam and get around using their public transportation system.

My plan didn't work in other countries, though, so definitely see if you can get what humboldt32 mentions unless you will only be in the Netherlands during your trip.
posted by Nerd of the North at 6:21 PM on May 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I JUST did this with Vodafone NL and my data worked perfectly in Portugal and the UK as well as the Netherlands. This is an exhaustive guide: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Euro8
posted by mdonley at 12:48 AM on May 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


You can buy sim cards anywhere in The Netherlands - think supermarket anywhere. They often hand out sim cards at Schiphol arrivals. Companies like Lebara have great deals. These are the cards I buy when I have guests from abroad staying over.
posted by ouke at 2:33 AM on May 5, 2017


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