The best price to pay – wherever you go

As explained in our international roaming money saving guide, if you are a frequent flyer there are major savings to be made using a local SIM card or a global SIM card when compared to making calls through your mobile phone network.

this means that if you're a business traveller, a backpacker or gap-year traveller, or even just a holidaymaker who likes to travel several times a year, the savings you can make can reach hundreds of pounds.

the following tables, which are constantly updated and compiled by moneysupermarket.com, illustrate the savings for a frequent flyer that spends 100mins making calls and 100mins receiving calls in France, Spain and the USA. Note the savings that can be made using a local or global SIM but bear in mind that local SIM cards should be used if you only plan to spend a sustained period in one country - global SIM cards are ideal for those who move around.

Alternatively if you are a leisure traveller, view our leisure traveller best buy tables to see which network offers the best deal along with the savings that can be made by sticking with your network for these short trips as opposed to using a SIM card.

Frequent User: France

Local/GLOBAL Sim Cards

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Free Starter Credit Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
GLOBAL £0.00 £25.00 £0.00 £15.00 -£10.00
GLOBAL £5.99 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £20.99
Simply-Fone* GLOBAL £29.99 £15.00 £0.00 £15.00 £29.99
GLOBAL £15.26 £3.50 £0.00 £25.00 £36.76
0044 Ltd GLOBAL £19.99 £5.00 £0.00 £24.00 £38.99
UK2Abroad LOCAL £29.99 £25.00 £20.00 £22.00 £46.99
Go-SIM GLOBAL £29.99 £5.00 £0.00 £31.00 £55.99
Go-SIM LOCAL £29.99 £5.00 £0.00 £31.00 £55.99
0044 Ltd LOCAL £34.99 £3.07 £0.00 £47.00 £78.92

*Provider does not offer a LOCAL SIM Card

All data compiled by moneysupermarket.com and correct to May, 04, 2007.

UK PAY MONTHLY and PAY as You Go Tarrifs

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Monthly Fee Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
O2 My Europe Extra PAYG £0.00 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £35.00
O2 My Europe Extra PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £35.00
3 PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £10.00 £25.00 £35.00
3 PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £10.00 £25.00 £35.00
O2 PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £18.00 £35.00 £53.00
O2 PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £18.00 £35.00 £53.00
Orange PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
T-Mobile PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
T-Mobile PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Orange PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Vodafone PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Vodafone PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
O2 ITS* PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £2.99 £19.00 £38.00 £59.99

*International traveller Service (ITS) option is free on MONTHLY contracts of £35 and over; in all others it costs £2.99 a month (inc. VaT)

All data compiled by moneysupermarket.com and correct to May, 04, 2007.

Frequent User: Spain

Local/GLOBAL Sim Cards

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Free Starter Credit Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
GLOBAL £0.00 £25.00 £0.00 £19.00 -£6.00
GLOBAL £5.99 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £20.99
Simply-Fone* GLOBAL £29.99 £15.00 £0.00 £19.00 £33.99
GLOBAL £15.26 £3.50 £0.00 £25.00 £36.76
UK2Abroad LOCAL £19.99 £25.00 £22.00 £20.00 £36.99
0044 Ltd GLOBAL £19.99 £5.00 £0.00 £24.00 £38.99
0044 Ltd LOCAL £29.99 £22.59 £0.00 £35.00 £42.40
Go-SIM LOCAL £29.90 £5.00 £0.00 £31.00 £55.90
Go-SIM GLOBAL £29.99 £5.00 £0.00 £31.00 £55.99

*Provider does not offer a LOCAL SIM Card

All data compiled by moneysupermarket.com and correct to May, 04, 2007.

UK PAY MONTHLY and PAY as You Go Tarrifs

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Monthly Fee Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
O2 Chosen Country* PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £5.00 £0.00 £25.00 £30.00
O2 Chosen Country* PAYG £0.00 £5.00 £0.00 £25.00 £30.00
O2 My Europe Extra PAYG £0.00 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £35.00
O2 My Europe Extra PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £35.00
3 PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £10.00 £25.00 £35.00
3 PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £10.00 £25.00 £35.00
O2 PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £18.00 £35.00 £53.00
O2 PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £18.00 £35.00 £53.00
O2 ITS* PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £2.99 £18.00 £35.00 £55.99
Orange PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
T-Mobile PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
T-Mobile PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Orange PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £60.00 £38.00 £130.00
Vodafone PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Vodafone PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00

*available for Spain only at present date.

*International traveller Service (ITS) option is free on MONTHLY contracts of £35 and over; in all others it costs £2.99 a month (inc. VaT)

All data compiled by moneysupermarket.com and correct to May, 04, 2007.

Frequent User: Germany

Local/GLOBAL Sim Cards

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Free Starter Credit Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
GLOBAL £0.00 £25.00 £0.00 £18.00 -£7.00
GLOBAL £5.99 £10.00 £0.00 £25.00 £20.99
Go-SIM LOCAL £4.99 £6.78 £0.00 £31.00 £29.21
Simply-Fone* GLOBAL £29.99 £15.00 £0.00 £18.00 £32.99
GLOBAL £15.26 £3.50 £0.00 £25.00 £36.76
0044 Ltd GLOBAL £19.99 £5.00 £0.00 £24.00 £38.99
Go-SIM GLOBAL £29.99 £5.00 £0.00 £31.00 £55.99

*Provider does not offer a LOCAL SIM Card

All data compiled by moneysupermarket.com and correct to May, 04, 2007.

UK PAY MONTHLY and PAY as You Go Tarrifs

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Monthly Fee Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
3 PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £10.00 £25.00 £35.00
3 PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £10.00 £25.00 £35.00
O2 PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £18.00 £35.00 £53.00
O2 PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £18.00 £35.00 £53.00
O2 ITS* PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £2.99 £18.00 £35.00 £55.99
Orange PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
T-Mobile PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
T-Mobile PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Orange PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Vodafone PAYG £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
Vodafone PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £0.00 £19.00 £38.00 £57.00
O2 My Europe Extra PAYG £0.00 £10.00 £18.00 £35.00 £63.00
O2 My Europe Extra PAY MONTHLY £0.00 £10.00 £18.00 £35.00 £63.00

*International traveller Service (ITS) option is free on MONTHLY contracts of £35 and over; in all others it costs £2.99 a month (inc. VaT)

All data compiled by moneysupermarket.com and correct to May, 04, 2007.

Frequent User: Australia

Local/GLOBAL Sim Cards

Provider SIM Type Cost of Sim Package Free Starter Credit Cost for 100 minutes of Incoming Calls Cost for 100 minutes of Outgoing Calls Total Cost Apply
GLOBAL £0.00 £25.00 £0.00 £17.00 -£8.00
LOCAL £14.01 £22.59 £0.00 £7.00 -£1.58
Simply-Fone* GLOBAL £29.99 £15.00 £0.00 £17.00 £31.99
0044 Ltd GLOBAL £19.99 £5.00 £0.00 £24.00 £38.99
GLOBAL £15.26 £3.50 £0.00 £28.00 £39.76
GLOBAL £5.99 £10.00 £0.00 £49.00 £44.99
Go-SIM