not sure of rates,but it is cheap to phone home

Yes there is a phone in the shop just outside the MD but dont use it as its very expensive. I used this phone a year or so ago and he charged me about £8 for 10 minutues!!! this is very expensive by Goan standards.
Ive used the payphones in the street or close by to the beach, and on average it costs about £1 for just under 10 minutes on the phone to the UK.
Now I have an Indian Sim card which is slightly more expensive than the phones in the street, but still cheap enough.

Calls to the UK about 8-10rps per minute from the phone booths and 10rps with an IDEA sim card. Texts to UK 10rps, local calls/texts 1-5 rps.

Thanks. We've a grandchild in hospital while we're away and need to keep in touch. Where would I get a SIM Card in Baga and how much are they please?

If you intend to use the phone a lot, get a sim card in India. This is a vey cheap way to phone home, and much better than using the phones in the shops as they can be very noisy and hot!. I believe that some shops may hire phones out if you do not have a mobile of your own. One plus side is that you can be contacted in an emergency.

Hi CGJ I can understand why you want to keep in contact, hope your grandchild recovers quickly.
One of the boys at the Oceanic Shack got my sim card for me. There is a little mobile top up shop right at Baga Beach,only one there, but dont know the name, sorry. There are other shops that you can buy the cards from too, eg. Elephant Shop in Candolim. Anyway he got my sim card in the shop at Baga Beach for me. I think they vary in price from about 700 rupees, mines cost 990 rupees but its a life time sim card. Some of the cheaper sim cards only last for a month, 12 months etc. Ive been on holiday to Goa 3 times since ive purchased my sim card and used it each time. I have a friend in holiday in Goa at the moment and she has taken my sim card to use as well.
Also as Sandyboy says its good that your family will then have a direct dialling number should they need to contact you for anything.

...GGJ..have to say gemma is spot on there I was given my sim card and was told it would run out in november so when I went to goa I toped the sim up but it was to run out on the 18th dec ....I had a few txs from idea...but I could not read them ...when I went to the elephant shop to see if there was any way round my sim running out in dec ..the lad at the shop said ..the only way round it was if I got a tx message from the ph company to say for X..amount of rupees my sim would last for another 12 mths .........the day before we went home I could not believe it I got a tx to say top up and get 12 mths more form your sim card ....so if any of you do get yourself a sim card please ..look out for this tx message ....or better still do as gemma says and ask for a life time sim card and then it will work every time you go to goa .....also like gemma I was able to lend my sim to one of our members who is away for christmas in goa ...colleen

Yes arent we so good Irishcolleen giving people our sim cards little angels thats what we are but the Indian sim certainly saves on the money doesnt it, I wouldnt do without mine now.

Does the Indian sim work in any phone or does it have to be triband

I use mine in a really old phone that I keep for Goa so I would say it will use in any.

I also take an old phone with me. But what I do is, put the Indian sim card into my newer phone as I can text back faster with that, and as I use that particular phone all the time at home then I am up to speed with it for phoning etc as well. I insert the British sim card into the older phone and use it only to receive/read messages.

This might sound stupid but can people text you back on the Indian sim (presumably a new number) I only want to stay in contact with my daughter to make sure she is looking after the dog
Debi

Yes Debbie, once you buy your sim card, text your daughter and she can save your Indian number and text you. Its also good that she will have a direct number to phone you on at any time

All you need is a phone that is unlocked. Maybe to make life a bit simpler, put your english sim card in the phone you are going to use and copy your numbers into the phone memory from your sim card, that way you already got friends and family at hand, pop your indian sim card in and off you go. No problem with folks texting you back from the UK. The tarrif for T. Mobile to text India 17p, may alter for different providers and packages.

Wn phoning the UK from Goa on a public phone - its costs the same phoning a mobile number as a landline.
I sometimes ring my mates at work - just to find out the weather etc. and of course, tell them how hot it is in Goa.

Can anyone tell me something ...when you phone a mob number in the uk..does the person you phone get charged to recieve the call .as far as I know they dont but someone told me the one you call gets charged so I just want to know is this so ...colleen

It will be ok if youre phoning from an Indian sim card Irishcolleen ie. you will pick up the tab.
But if you phone from your British mobile to another Britsh landline or mobile no then you pay for the call.
Also if someone phones your British Number from the UK using their mobile phone then you pick up the tab for that as well.
Its not worth it. I know Vodafone charge £1.50 per minute to call the UK, so best to stick with the street phones or phone from you Indian sim no.

sorry to sound thick, but are these sim cards on pay as you go, or a contract.

I would want one where i could say put a tenner on and use it whilse i'm in goa.

They are Pay As You Go.
Can't remember the exact costs as i've had a lifetime one for a while now, but kinda think the 999/-rps package gets you sim card,registration and around 525rps credit.
Maybe someone on here can enlighten a bit more if they use a sim for just the time of stay.
If you are in the north go to the Elephant shop in Candolim. Take your passport with you and he will sort out there and then with the best package for your needs.