Phone Plans
We highly recommend that you keep your home plan while abroad, if possible. If not, decide what type of plan you will need while abroad.
If you need a lot of data, you can get one of the student plans provided by either of the below companies but make sure you cancel the plan properly before you leave. Also, a deposit (of about 90 USD) is sometimes requested when getting the plan.
There are three major cell phone service providers:
- currently they offer the best value if you have an ISIC ID
- T-Mobile in the US is not the same company as in the US, so if you want a local plan, you need to get a new Czech number.
As the offer of phone plans is ever changing, it is best to look on the companies’ websites to find the best option. Make sure to check what contract the provider is offering before signing it.
It is very important to have a functioning phone while abroad! Do not rely only on data!
Cancelling your local phone plan
About 1-2 weeks before your departure, go to your phone provider and cancel your phone plan. The procedure varies depending on the provider. It is best to ask to switch your current plan to a prepaid card for the rest of your stay (thus you can continue using your phone and also to sign in to your online account even after you leave).
When cancelling your current plan:
- ask how you should pay the rest of the bill. It may be best to leave a little money in your phone account to pay any left fees
- make sure it is clear how the phone provider will return any remaining money to you (including the deposit which they should return to your phone account after two properly and timely paid invoices).
If you have any questions or issues, turn to prague.studenlife@nyu.edu for help.
E-sim
Instead of a local phone plan with a physical sim card, you can opt for this option which you can arrange before travelling to Prague. There is a variety of providers (for instance https://esim.holafly.com/esim-europe/). Make sure to check if your device is compatible before purchasing the service. Also, make sure you can make phone calls using e-sims.
Making Calls
How to Call to the USA
(from mobile or a landline phone) dial: 001 followed by the number
How to Call Prague from the USA
to call a landline phone: 011 420 + local number to call a mobile phone: 011 420 + the mobile phone number