Mobile phone use abroad

[thugulike]

I have recently been on holiday and found that my provider - Orange, had no service for PAYG customers but did for contract customers. I am not happy so I intend to find out who has the best coverage worldwide for PAYG customers. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Ideally I'd like a comparative site. Many thanks

[crossroads]

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap- overseas-calls
Might help.

[thugulike]

Thanks for those who responded but I'm not as interested in the cost as I am in the coverage. If I take a foreign sim card would that need a new number? I receive calls but don't make them.

[kempie]

Global SIMS offer wider coverage than UK PAYG but generally below that of UK contract tariffs. These often require the use of a new 'foreign' number (and therefore is not subject to UK porting regulations) but there are some providers (based in the Isle of Man) which supply a UK number.

[leg_end758]

you can buy a spanish vodafone orornage sim and it gives yuo a new number.cheap calls home and you dont getcharged when uk numbers call you.
thats in spain of course.
depends where youre going.

[thugulike]

Many thanks to everyone who responded. I've done some research and found that if I move to Virgin and pay by direct debit I can get fantastic coverage around the world. As I said, I'm not interested in making calls, only receiving them so the cost is immaterial. Had an unpleasant conversation with an Orange so called help desk operator yesterday who was belligrent and aggresive and didn't understand the problems with Orange products. Following that I will vote with my feet and go to Virgin. Unless someone tells me different..........

[hayley2956]

you know that u still get charged when abroad if someone calls you though??

[john91]

My wife and myself both have Orange PAYG mobiles, in Menorca this May mine worked no problems, but my wife's wouldn't work at all, mine went automatically on to the Movistar network, but my wife's went on to another, which I can't remember, back here in the UK Orange shop they said that she should have done a manual search for another network. Don't know if that's correct or not, or just said to get us out of the shop.