Can anyone help me figure out the best and cheapest way to use my iPhone while I’m in the UK (starting tomorrow)? At first I was going to jailbreak the thing and get a UK sim card, but I couldn’t get through to any UK providers on their websites (seems you are only allowed to contact them if you already have an account – duh?) so I scrapped that idea. Then I called Telefónica to ask what I would be charged just using roaming … and that’s when I really started getting confused.

So okay, I get the part where I was told it would cost 39 cents a minute to make a call and 15 cents a minute to receive one, plus 35 cents to send an sms. Fine. But when I asked about connecting to internet I was told I would be charged 10 euros for every 1 mb (which means absolutely nothing to me). And when I asked about using WiFi instead I was told I’d be charged just the same. Huh? Just to be sure I called back a day or so later and was told something else (can’t remember what now – different rate charges that I forgot to write down). Then I had to check that my roaming thingy was activated, so I called back yesterday and thought I’d ask about the possible charges again and was told there would be NO charge for me to use internet while abroad because I had a flat rate contract with Telefónica. I asked him to repeat that, then I repeated it, and then I hung up still not believing it could be true.

I know that it’s important to deactivate Data Roaming while abroad (I never have that on anyhow), and I will shut off all but my main email account (can check the others on my laptop). But I still have no idea about the cost of using internet on my iPhone. The very words “roaming charges” fill me with dread. Help?