Mobile communications when traveling is always a bit of a “pig in a poke.” It is difficult to understand the tariff plans of mobile operators, and calculating expenses takes a long time. Therefore, the debt for communication services often comes as a surprise to the traveler.
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If calls are important
We have selected the most advantageous offers from the Big Four operators and written explanations for each item.
Megaphone
Megafon offers several profitable options at once. If you are traveling to the USA, Canada, Cuba, Tunisia or Mexico, select the “Whole World” option. Subscription fee is 59 rubles for 40 incoming minutes per day. This means that the price of an incoming minute is approximately 1.5 rubles - cheap. If you exceed the tariff, the price of an incoming minute will be 89 rubles.
In European countries, the CIS and Turkey, it is profitable to take the “Around the World” option - all incoming and outgoing calls will cost 13 rubles. per minute and 11 rubles per SMS. If you are traveling to Thailand, UAE, Israel, Vietnam, Australia, Japan or Indonesia, fares will be more expensive.
How to save on outgoing? Call the customer service 0500 and dial the desired number - it's free. The system will drop the call, contact the interlocutor and call you back.
If you often travel for work, it is convenient to connect the “Around the World” tariff to your second SIM card.
You can check everything again and choose an economical roaming option on the Megafon website, indicating the country of residence.
The “Zero without Borders” option is for those who travel for a short time and talk little.
Incoming calls are free, but the call must be no longer than 10 minutes. You can receive no more than 200 minutes of calls per month. If both conditions are violated, you will need to pay 25 rubles per minute. For the first minute of outgoing calls you will pay 85 rubles, but from the second to the sixth - 25 rubles. in a minute. Next - again 85 rubles.
The “Free Travel” option is suitable for those who plan to call home often. For 190 rub. 60 minutes per day for incoming and outgoing calls. If you exceed, pay 10 rubles. in a minute.
Both options will not work if roaming is not enabled. Before traveling, call 0890 and ask the operator to check.
If you want to send SMS cheaper, you can activate the “50 SMS in Europe” service for 250 rubles. or “50 SMS while traveling around the world” for 500 rubles.
Tele2, “Conversations without borders”
For those who answer only the most important calls while on vacation, this is the best option. The subscription fee is 5 rubles per day, and 5 rubles per minute for an incoming call.
To activate the service, dial *143*1# on your phone. Disable - *143*0#.
Beeline, “The most profitable roaming”
Beeline automatically debits you 200 rubles as soon as you receive an incoming call while roaming and provides a package of 20 minutes. The “trick” is that these are both incoming and outgoing minutes. An SMS to Russia costs 10 rubles. If you go online, a 40 MB package is automatically connected. for 200 rub.
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If the Internet is important
A win-win option is Wi-Fi in a hotel or cafe. But if you constantly move around the city, it is inconvenient to use. It is better to buy a tourist or local SIM card.
The reception of the hotel or hostel where you are staying will tell you about good local rates. Don’t ignore communication shops: go to several, ask for prices and choose the appropriate tariff.
An interesting life hack for traveling to Europe - Prepaid Sim Card. Many operators have such SIM cards, and they are often sold directly at the airport or large stores. They may ask for a passport for registration.
Internet tariffs for Prepaid Sim Card are fabulous: from 5 euros per gigabyte. For example, the mobile operator Cosmote in Greece sells 5 gigabytes for 30 euros. The SIM card is valid for 30 days.
The most profitable tourist SIM card at the moment is Dreamsim. Everything is simple here: you buy it in Russia before leaving, put it in your smartphone and go on a trip.
Funds are debited for the traffic you use. Prices are calculated per megabyte, but differ from country to country. For example, in England or Thailand a gigabyte costs 10 euros, and in Germany and France - 25.
Cheap calls via the Internet
If you have constant inexpensive Internet and a smartphone, you can call Russia almost at home rates. How?
We install a SIM card with low-cost Internet and install a suitable application. MegaFon has eMotion: with it, incoming calls to a Russian number are free, and outgoing calls cost a maximum of 1.5 rubles per minute.
It is beneficial for MTS subscribers to install MTS Connect. For outgoing calls, the minutes from your package are debited, and for incoming ones - free of charge. You must have an MTS SIM card in your phone, otherwise the application will not work.
Tele2 offers the Wi-Fi calling service. You also install the application and talk if you have Internet access according to your tariff plan.
There is no application for Beeline subscribers yet. But you can install, for example, AvoApp - it is available for both Android and iOS. In the application, save your Russian number using forwarding and you will be able to receive calls in roaming at the price of local ones. For outgoing calls - about 5 cents per minute.
If you don't want to buy a SIM card for the Internet, just connect to any free Wi-Fi - everything will work the same.
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Have a good travel!
Formally, Russian operators were obliged to solve the problem of long-distance roaming once and for all. In fact, it turned out that they they just dodged it and made tariffs more confusing and less beneficial.
We tried to understand the conditions of each operator and talked about what surprises you will encounter when traveling to other cities.
MTS
Inbox. As soon as you arrive in another city, all incoming calls from local numbers in that region automatically become free for you. And if they call you from Moscow, then be prepared to pay 5.5 rub./min incoming call.
Keep in mind this may even apply to calls to the dacha, if it is in another region! I once called my parents and in half an hour 165 rubles were written off from their balance.
Packets and outgoing. The remaining minutes and SMS from the package automatically begin to apply to all calls and messages to numbers in the region of your stay, as well as for calls and SMS to MTS subscribers in any Russian region.
But if you call another operator not from the region where you are, then please pay 5.5 rub./min or 2.95 RUR/SMS.
Internet. Perhaps mobile Internet is the only option that received advantages rather than disadvantages after the “cancellation” of national roaming. Now if you have 2 GB of traffic, it will automatically be spent in any other region.
Options. MTS has two options "Home package Russia" And "Home package Russia+", when they are connected, all incoming messages become free for the duration of the options.
The first one is worth 15 rub./day, and the second 100 rub./month. And for those who do not use package tariffs, the option “Russia is like home everywhere” behind 7 rub./day. When connected, all incoming messages also become free, and outgoing messages will be 3 RUR/day.
Beeline
Inbox. Just like MTS, when traveling to another city, all incoming calls from numbers in that region become free for you, but incoming calls from other regions will cost 5 RUR/min.
Packets and outgoing. The validity of packages of minutes and SMS applies to calls and messages only to numbers in the region of your stay. If you try to call home, you'll pay 12 RUR/min, and an SMS will cost you RUB 2.95.
It is interesting that tariff subscribers "All is mine" can make free calls to subscribers of the same tariff line.
Internet. Just like MTS, there are no restrictions imposed on the mobile Internet from the package and this is a big plus.
Options. Beeline has two options for intercity: "Calls within Russia" And "Calls within Russia+". The first gives free incoming calls from all Russian numbers when you are in your home region or while traveling to another city.
The option also gives you 100 minutes of long-distance calls to numbers of other operators for a month. It costs to connect 30 rubles, are additionally written off according to 5 rub./day.
The second option, despite the “plus” in the name, in fact turns out to be much simpler: for 3 rubles/day you get free inboxes from all numbers of other operators.
Megaphone
For this operator, I will not make divisions because of this news. The fact is that from July 1, Megafon is changing its intercity conditions, so there is little point in describing the current tariffs.
Here's what will happen: calls and SMS to local numbers will consume your packages of minutes and SMS, and incoming calls from other cities, including home (if you're traveling) will be counted long distance calls and will cost you approximately 5 RUR/min. At the same time, the operator writes in the news that if you have a package for long-distance calls, incoming calls will not be charged.
Let's see how it will be in practice, but for now it’s quite vague.
Megafon has an option "All Russia", when connected, all outgoing calls and SMS (if you do not have a package tariff) to any Russian numbers will cost 3 rubles. Subscription fee for the service - 7 rub./day.
Tele 2
Inbox. All Tele2 package tariffs have preferential conditions: any incoming calls from any Russian region are free. If you have a tariff without a monthly fee, then be prepared to pay 5 RUR/min when there is an incoming call.
Packets and outgoing. When traveling to other cities in Russia, packages of minutes and SMS begin to apply to local numbers of the city you arrive in. But a call to another region will cost 2 rub./min, sms - 3.5 rub./min.
Internet. With the Internet everything is simple. It is valid throughout the country without any restrictions.
Options. Tele2 has an option , it will be useful for those who have a tariff without a monthly fee or without a package of included minutes. Behind 3 RUR/day you will receive free incoming calls from all numbers, and outgoing 2 rub./min, sms - 2.5 rub./min.
In fact, on the free plan you will receive the same conditions as on the package ones.
Iota
Yota has a completely transparent policy regarding long-distance roaming. When traveling to other cities for less than 30 days, all incoming calls from any Russian numbers will be free, and minutes from the package will be spent on all outgoing calls to any Russian numbers. Mobile Internet also operates throughout Russia.
If you travel for more than 30 days, then the operator apparently suspects that you are trying to cheat with tariff plans and will offer you local tariffs.
Conclusion
I don’t think that long-distance roaming conditions will have any impact on your desire to change operators, so I’ll give you some simple tips. Most likely you have one of the Big Three operators. If this is the case, then when traveling to another city, do not accept incoming calls unnecessarily, and when you need to call someone at home, just do it through instant messengers, the same WhatsApp, for example.
If you know that there will be a lot of important people coming from home, then connect one of the options which we talked about earlier. There can be a lot of discussion about greed, but in fact, with options you will spend less money than without them.
July 5, 2017, 0:18Against the backdrop of the abolition of roaming in European countries, PROturizm is starting a series of articles about mobile communications and the Internet abroad. Let's start with a comparison of international roaming and Internet tariffs of Russian mobile operators.
For vacationers at resorts abroad, free WI-FI in the hotel lobby may be enough. In some southern countries, calls from a street payphone are more profitable than mobile communications. If you are tied to a cell phone number, you will be interested in tourist SIM cards. Although, call forwarding is a complicated thing, and you may be thinking about changing your mobile operator. Here we will simply provide an overview of prices and tariffs for consideration.
Let's check the prices for mobile communications in roaming from the Russian tour operators Tele2, Beeline, MTS and Megafon using the example of roaming in Turkey.
Beeline
The Beeline operator automatically activates roaming. For outgoing and, please note, incoming calls while roaming, 200 rubles are debited from your account. and you are given a credit of 20 minutes of calls per day (until 23.59.59 local time). For outgoing calls, this is understandable, but for incoming calls, it causes some regret. Be careful - don't answer calls without thinking.
Sending SMS – 20 rub.
When you go online, you will also be automatically charged 200 rubles. and will provide 40 MB per day. More Internet can be connected separately for 350 rubles. (100 MB package per day). Please note that the day ends at 23:59:59 (local time).
On days when you do not make calls or do not go online, the Beeline operator does not charge you.
MTS
MTS roaming in Turkey costs 60 rubles/min for incoming, outgoing to local and outgoing to Russian numbers. Calls to other foreign numbers – 135 rubles/min. Sending SMS – 19 rub.
To use mobile communications while roaming with MTS, you must activate two functions in advance: roaming and access. This is where the difficulty arises. You can activate the functions if you have been an MTS subscriber for more than six months with monthly expenses of more than 650 rubles on communications, or more than a year with monthly expenses of more than 0 rubles. Otherwise, they offer you the “easy” option - attention! – which must be connected at the MTS showroom or sales office!
For calls abroad, MTS offers a tariff with a subscription fee of 95 rubles. in a day. According to the tariff, you are given “free” 10 minutes of incoming calls (from 11 minutes - 25 rubles / min.) and a “discount” on outgoing calls from 2 to 5 minutes (1st and from 6 minutes - regular roaming tariff for country). Within a calendar month, you can receive 200 minutes of incoming calls for free, then at 25 rubles per minute.
100 MB of Internet can be connected for 450 rubles. The fee is debited the first time you connect to the network, the day is also “counted” until 23:59, but according to the time of the subscriber’s home region.
Megaphone
Megafon offers roaming for 79 rubles/min for all incoming and outgoing calls in Turkey (129 rubles/min to other countries). SMS – 25 rub.
Megafon mobile Internet - 70 MB/day for 350 rubles. The fee is debited when accessing the Internet abroad. The traffic package is available for 24 hours; after the volume is used up, it is blocked until the next period of 24 hours.
For 600 rubles. per day you can activate the option with unlimited internet. Internet subscription fee will be charged daily. Don't forget to disable the option when you return.
An additional option for calls abroad offered by Megafon - with a subscription fee of 59 rubles / day will provide you with 40 minutes of incoming calls per day.
Another version of the additional option “evens out” the price of incoming and outgoing calls to Russia and Turkey - 13 rubles per minute and offers SMS for 11 rubles. Connection option – 15 rubles. and daily subscription fee – 9 rubles/day.
These options are not available for connection on all tariffs. This must be checked in advance in your Personal Account or in the Contact Center.
In Megafon's international roaming, you can check your balance for free using the USSD command *100#call. Calls to the Contact Center are also free: +7 926 111–05–00.
Tele2
Tele2 roaming (like Beeline) does not require a connection. The phone is automatically registered in the network of the host country. If this does not happen, select the network manually.
Incoming and outgoing calls in Turkish roaming with Tele2: local calls in Turkey, to Europe, to the CIS countries and to Russia will cost 15 rubles/min. A megabyte of Internet will cost you 25 rubles. Outgoing SMS and MMS – 6 rubles each.
For 100 rubles. You can connect to an Internet package of 10 MB per day. To activate the service you will have to pay an extra 100 rubles. For every MB over the limit, you will be charged 10 rubles. The fee is charged every day, regardless of Internet use, so do not forget to turn off the service when you return.
The operator offers very interesting information about what 1 GB of Internet is.
For incoming calls in international roaming, Tele2 offers a tariff with a subscription fee of 5 rubles. in a day. The fee is debited daily, regardless of the availability of calls. There is no fee for connecting to the service.
Free Tele2 helpline number in roaming +7 951 520-06-11. Check your travel balance *105#call.
How to make roaming calls abroad?
In our reviews, we already talked about travel SIM cards - an interesting thing, but not always convenient. Many people never think about buying them. It is easier for them to choose the most suitable tariff from their operator. It will be more expensive, but more convenient. In this review, we will tell you which tariff plan is most profitable to go on a trip with international roaming. We will try to find one of the best offers from each operator (and maybe two).
Connecting international roaming
Before you go on a trip, you need to choose a suitable tariff plan and activate international roaming. On Iota it is available automatically - no additional services need to be activated. The same applies to the Tele2 operator. On MegaFon it is available automatically. But if you are planning a trip to a country where online tariffs do not apply, you need to activate the “Extended International Roaming” service.
Everything is transparent on Beeline - international roaming is available automatically for prepaid subscribers, provided that online roaming is available in the destination country. Otherwise, you must have at least 600 rubles on your balance. As for subscribers of the postpaid payment system, in both cases they will need to activate the “International Communications” service.
A little difficulty awaits us at MTS. The traveler’s number must have two services activated at once - “International and national roaming” and “International access”. They connect through a personal account, contact center or service offices. You can also dial the USSD command *111*2192#. For countries with online roaming, you need to activate the “Easy Roaming and International Access” service - dial *111*2157#, visit the office or look into your personal account.
Online roaming (Camel-roaming) – international roaming with real-time pricing of services. If there is no agreement between the home and guest operator, charging is carried out with a delay of several days (as bills arrive).
If you would like to disable international roaming, please contact your operator. Although it is not necessary to disable it. Disconnections only require additional options that reduce the cost of communication services while traveling - on a home network they can lead to unnecessary subscription fees.
Roaming abroad from MTS
We will find the cheapest international roaming with the MTS operator on the “Smart Zabugorishche” tariff plan. It provides for a weekly allocation of service packages - 7 GB of Internet traffic and 350 minutes to home region numbers per week. And these services are available even when abroad. Or rather, in popular countries. Their list includes India, Armenia, UAE, Czech Republic, Thailand, Germany, Taiwan, Greece, Israel, Hungary, Canada, Italy, USA, Malta, Egypt, Netherlands, Australia, Portugal, Ukraine, Romania, Switzerland, Spain, France, Turkey, Abkhazia and Great Britain. The monthly fee is 250 rubles/week.
Roaming abroad from Beeline
Profitable international roaming on Beeline is represented by two tariff plans:
- “All for 1800 + roaming” - the offer includes 15 GB of Internet, 3000 minutes of calls throughout the country and 3000 SMS. True, in international roaming only the Internet package is valid, but this is also a plus. The subscription fee is 1800 rubles/month.
- “Absolutely EVERYTHING” is a premium and therefore the most expensive tariff plan. It includes packages of services for foreign trips and separate packages for spending in the Russian Federation. Abroad, subscribers receive 100 MB of traffic, 100 minutes of outgoing calls and 100 SMS per month, as well as 30 incoming minutes every day. In Russia, 60 GB of traffic, 6,000 outgoing minutes, 600 minutes to foreign numbers, unlimited within the network and 6,000 SMS within Russia are provided. The subscription fee is 6,000 rubles/month.
If both offers seem too expensive, use any other Beeline tariff. Here you will find the “Most Profitable Roaming” service, which includes call packages from 100 rubles/10 minutes, traffic packages from 200 rubles/40 MB and inexpensive incoming calls – from 10 rubles/min. The cost of traffic after the package is exhausted is from 5 rubles/MB. The service is provided without a subscription fee.
Roaming abroad from MegaFon
We will not expect tariffs for international roaming from this operator. It simply does not have specialized offerings. Therefore, you can choose any tariff plan and connect one of the options to it:
- “The Whole World” – free incoming calls abroad, 40 minutes for 99 rubles/day.
- “Around the World” – incoming and outgoing calls from 13 rubles/min with a monthly fee from 9 rubles/day.
- “Minutes packages” – a family of package options, from 329 rubles for 25 minutes of incoming and outgoing minutes.
- “Like home in Abkhazia” - the option maintains home tariffs in this developing direction. The subscription fee is 30 rubles/day, the one-time connection cost is 30 rubles.
- “Vacation-Online” – the cost of traffic on popular destinations will be 15 rubles/MB. Connection fee – 30 rubles, no monthly fee;
- “World Online” – unlimited traffic in 69 countries for 600 rubles/day.
- “SMS packages” – inexpensive packages of text messages starting from 195 rubles for 50 pieces.
Thanks to the options, you can make your current tariff more profitable.
Roaming abroad from Tele2
Yes, MegaFon does not have special tariffs for international roaming. But he has a lot of options. But Tele2 has neither one nor the other. But there are still advantages - this operator initially has low prices for calls abroad. Additionally, we note the service “Unlimited Internet abroad” for 350 rubles/day. It only applies to popular destinations.
Roaming abroad from Iota
And here again we are faced with the lack of special tariffs for international roaming. The operator boasts of initially low prices for calls and Internet when staying in other countries. But in general, prices are even more expensive than on Tele2. But subscribers receive the following benefits:
- Traffic control every 40 MB – the network controls consumption, preventing overspending and wild waste of money;
- Half an hour of non-tariffed incoming calls for 39 rubles/day;
- Free messengers - you heard right, the most popular messengers work in international roaming from Iota completely free of charge. You just need to restrict Internet access for other applications and services on your smartphone.
Thus, roaming from Iota can also boast of certain benefits.
What to choose in the end
Make your choice according to the operator you are using and the destination country. In the most popular destinations you will always find inexpensive calls and inexpensive Internet. The easiest way in this regard is with MegaFon - with the help of many additional options you can make almost any tariff plan profitable. And remember that you can change your telecom operator at any time without parting with your number.
The most common need for international roaming is short-term. An “ordinary” call or message to loved ones about a successful landing or check-in at a hotel is unlikely to ruin you, but on vacation and during the holidays, many are faced with the high cost of calls, messages and mobile Internet. High-profile “roaming” cases immediately come to mind, like the one about the TV series “Interns” downloaded while roaming, for which the operator asked for more than 1 million rubles.
With your samovar
According to a survey by online travel agency Tripsta, more than half of Russians use the services of Russian mobile operators when traveling abroad, and only 12% of respondents prefer not to use a phone at all when abroad. What should those who need communication while traveling do? Of course, there is no point in changing the tariff for a short period. Of course, local Wi-Fi, instant messengers and pre-downloaded city maps save part of the communication costs. And yet, what solutions do our mobile operators offer in international roaming?
| Operator/tariff/option | Subscription fee, rub./day | Cost of incoming calls, rub./min. | Cost of outgoing calls, rub./min. | Cost of SMS, rub. |
Option "Zero without borders" |
95 | 0 first 10 minutes, then 25 | 25 from 2nd to 5th minutes, the rest - according to the roaming tariff | 19 |
 Free Travel Option |
250 | 0 first 60 minutes, then 10 | 0 first 60 minutes, then 10 | 19 |
 Outgoing calls from 11.9 rub./min. via code *137* |
0 rub. | according to roaming tariff | 11,9-79 | 19 |
 Service "Planet Zero" |
60 (upon receiving incoming messages) | 0 first 20 minutes, then 10 | 20 | 7 |
 “My Planet” service |
0 | 25 | 25 | 9 |
 Tariff "Around the World" |
0 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
 "Whole World" option |
39 | 0 for the first 30 minutes, then according to the roaming tariff | according to roaming tariff | according to roaming tariff |
 “Conversations without Borders” service |
5 | 5 | 15 | 6 |
Rates, options and services apply in many, but not all, countries. Check the list of countries on the operator’s website.
It is worth noting that Tele2, which recently entered the market of the Moscow region, even without additional services, is ready to compete with the “big three” operators, offering to pay 15 rubles per minute for incoming/outgoing calls in roaming (in Europe and the CIS countries) and 6 rubles at basic tariffs for SMS and MMS in the absence of any additional services.
The same basic incoming/outgoing for European countries and some other countries will cost 49 rubles from Megafon, 69 rubles from Beeline, and from 25 to 115 rubles from MTS. respectively. The basic cost of SMS for all three operators is the same - 19 rubles. MTS and Megafon have separate packages to reduce the cost of sending short messages in roaming (195-700 rubles / month), but we dare to assume that the majority of Sravni.ru visitors successfully replace SMS and MMS functions of online messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Skype, Facebook, etc.).
The cost of a minute of conversation for an outgoing call is most favorable from MTS with the “Free Travel” option - 4.17 rubles, but taking into account calls for 60 minutes per day. After all, for 60 minutes you will have to pay 250 rubles a day, whether you reprimand them or not. And indeed “Free Travel” for a limited number of European countries, plus Australia, Armenia, Israel and the UAE.
SIM card of the world
For frequent travelers, roaming with Russian operators, even with connected options, is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, many of them buy international SIM cards that are valid in a large number of countries. Some tourists can be offered such a SIM card by travel agencies (Globalsim group of companies), and those flying through Moscow airports don’t even have to think about purchasing it in advance - Simtravel Mobile SIM cards are sold in Hellobox machines, Euroset and Svyaznoy salons » in Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, respectively. You can also purchase an international SIM card from the Goodline company at Euroset, Svyaznoy and some travel agencies.
Tariffs for international SIM cards do not differ much from each other, unlike the offers of national operators. Thus, all the tariffs analyzed by Sravni.ru do not involve charging a subscription fee, in almost all cases you will not have to pay for incoming calls, and they charge only 10 cents for SMS. True, messages will have to be sent not in the usual way, but through the SIM menu and in Latin letters. The cheapest outgoing calls to landline numbers in two capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg - are offered by Goodline and Simtravel mobile. A minute will cost the subscriber 0.05 USD. Calls to Russian mobile numbers at the tariffs of the same companies will cost 29 cents (22.13 rubles at the Central Bank exchange rate as of February 2, 2016). For calls to mobile numbers, WellTell tariffs are more profitable - 20 cents per minute (Contact package) or 16.67-13.89 cents (Whole World packages).
| Company/tariff/option | SIM card cost | Cost of incoming calls, USD | Cost of outgoing calls | SMS cost, USD |
 Tariff "Planet-Good" |
350 rub. | 0 in 146 countries | 0.05-0.49 USD/min. | - |
 Package "Contact" |
10 USD | 0* | 0.20 USD/min. | 0.10 (in European countries) |
 “Whole World” packages |
10 USD | 0* | 25 USD/14 days/150 min. 45 USD/30 days/300 min. 125 USD/90 days/900 min. 175 USD/30 days/unlimited |
0.10 (in European countries) |
 SIM card "GlobalSim" |
800 rubles (account amount 10 USD) |
0 | 0.39 USD/min. (for European countries) | 0.10 (via sim menu) |
 Tariffs "Europe", "Whole World" and "Whole World Plus" |
350 rub. | 0 | 0.05-0.15 USD/min. to landline numbers of the Russian Federation; 0.29 USD/min. to Russian mobile numbers |
0.10 (via sim menu) |
* – when attaching a Russian number, incoming calls are counted as outgoing due to the call back function.
All of the above tariffs do not involve a subscription fee and are valid in many countries around the world, but in some the conditions may differ from those indicated. Exclusions and tariff surcharges for different countries can be found on the operator’s website.
Considering the current floating exchange rate of the ruble, the cost of calls and SMS for Russians at the rates of international SIM cards has increased significantly, since they are denominated in US dollars. But even at the current exchange rate, this option is more profitable for travelers than the roaming tariffs of the Big Three. The same applies to mobile Internet - packages from international SIM card operators are usually more profitable, but full-fledged mobile Internet in roaming will definitely cost less when purchasing a local SIM card.
I will move to London
But what should you do if you plan to move to another country for a long time, and the “home” number of a Russian operator is needed to receive calls from work partners, relatives, friends, or colleagues, in whose address books it has been recorded for many years? Or you want to save your number and continue to use it upon returning from a long-term “business trip”. In this case, it is unlikely that the subscriber will use the mobile Internet, make frequent calls or send messages - for this he probably has a local SIM card. But since you leave the number in working condition, it should be possible to receive incoming calls and messages.
Only Megafon offers a special tariff for such subscribers (the “Around the World” tariff with calls from 13 rubles per minute, without mandatory monthly or daily expenses, but only with a prepaid advance payment of 300 rubles). Other operators limit themselves to special services and options more suitable for short-term travel. But the international SIM cards mentioned above have the ability to link a Russian number. That is, the Russian number remains active, calls can continue to be made to it, but calls will go through to an international SIM card. True, in this case they will be regarded as outgoing (not for a Russian, but for an international card), which means they will not be free. To put it simply: both forwarding and the auto-call function work simultaneously.
These are the main options for saving on cellular communications abroad. Considering the possibility of switching with your number to another operator, the functions of linking a Russian SIM card to an international one, everyone can choose convenient offers for their own purposes. The main thing in the pursuit of savings is not to forget about the tariffs of your operator and top up your phone balance in a timely manner. While abroad, you can do this using a bank card in your telecom operator’s personal account or through online banking.