My husband and I have unlocked GSM phones and we usually get prepaid SIM cards from Telestial if we are going to be in Europe for awhile. We will be in England for only 3 weeks, and the $39 per card feels too high. If I wait til we get to Heathrow to buy SIM cards (term.4) can you suggest where to buy them there. Also, what are the calling rates within the country and to the USA?

I don't know whether anyone sells SIM cards actually in the airport, but wander down almost any street in London and you can find somewhere selling cheap pay-as-you-go SIM cards. Maybe someone else will have a better suggestion than this, but I would buy a separate phone card (one of those ones that have access numbers to the US) and then make your calls at local rates.

That may not be the best solution, but I do know you can buy cheap SIM cards almost everywhere.

I also have a quad band unlocked gsm phone and in January I bought a "talk talk" sim from Carphone Warehouse on the Strand. It cost 15 GBP and I used it for 2 weeks and it still has time left on it. It is a sim for international and local calls. The man at Carphone Warehouse told me that was the best for what I was going to use - calling US and local. I don't know if there is a Carphone Warehouse at Heathrow, but if you can wait until you get into London there are a ton.
Judie

Thanks. I'll check out Carphone Warehouse.

Another way might be to look into Rebtel. Check out their website so you understand the process and then you can make calls to the US but pay local rates.

I've seen them on eBay. There's a regular seller of SIMs on there. I've not used them, but was planning on it.