Best Travel Sim card?

[ramboflyer]

On our last overseas trip in 2015 I purchased an Australia Post travel sim card which I have kept active. With this sim you are allocated a Estonian (sounds like something out of Dilbert) phone number.

It worked out ok but I wonder if there is a suitable alternative where you can keep your own number? This can be helpful for those back home you didnt give your Elbonian number to and sometimes you give airlines and hotels contact numbers and out of habit you give them your normal mobile number.

I was told in the past that Vodaphone have a sim you can use for $5 a day. You are charged if you use the phone and then only a maximum of $5 a day. I dont know if I misunderstood or if it has changed but having a look at the Vodaphone web site it seems that you have to sign up to a plan and then your $5 gets you access to your normal phone and data usage.

I dont want to sign up to a plan as I am very happy with the Aldi prepaid deal that I currently have.

We are heading overseas again later this year (Italy & Greece) and I wonder if there is a sim where I could keep my own number and not cost a fortune. Data is not that important as there plenty of free wifi to use these days.

 

[Bill W.]

3 is the probably the cheapest SIM indeed. However, OneSimCard SIM is sold at WH Stores in Australia or on-line at www.onesimcard.com.au and provides much wider coverage - 200 countries and can be used for years without expirations. Data packages in some countries like China are 5G for $39 - no blocking social web sites there. In 70 countries - 1GB for $19.95. Lots of features including the AU, US, UK or other countries secondary numbers. Complete management of all feature on-line. For frequent or not very frequent travelers it provides convenience. You can test in Australia before leaving.

 

[Irishbazz]

Just done a 3 week European trip and locally purchased/ topped up PAYG SIMs worked fine for calls and text when moving to another country in the EU but did not allow data usage.

Checked with 4 providers in the UK + 3 each in Germany & Austria.

Only SIMs on a plan will also get data usage in another country - PAYG SIMs will not.

Just confirming data working fine in NYC with the PAYG sim.

 

[OzEire]

OneSimCard SIM is sold at WH Stores in Australia or on-line

Thanks @Bill W. I hadn't come across OneSimCard before. Found their deals quite restrictive and overall more expensive than some of the other options here (for my needs). If I were travelling frequently to quite varied destinations it would be ideal.

The option of Personal Extra Number (PEN), which I assume is an allocated virtual VOIP number, from 65 different countries was quite intriguing, I always find giving a local number is preferred... but a little steep at US $1.67 per month to keep it active.

 

[OzEire]

Three.ie does not support the package.

Thanks for the heads-up on this @Irishbazz which makes it a bit more complex getting the UK version to use in IE before I travel to LON the following week!

Data point, I found Vodafone.ie have a SMART EXTRA pay as you go plan, 20 Euro with 4 week expiry has 6GB data and includes EU roaming to all of the countries I am visiting.

This would be a little cheaper than SimCorner's AUD 40 + 5 shipping for the EE UK SIM which includes Roam Like Home within the EU. The SIM corner option would at least give me the SIM from the moment I touch down and not have to search for a Vodafone store (I'm staying in the country so this is actually a consideration if I can't get the SIM I want at DUB airport on arrival).

 

[earlyriser]

Does anyone use Project Fi?

 

[k_sheep]

Any suggestions for a data SIM for USA/Ecuador/Peru? The onesimcard mentioned upthread doesn't have the latter 2 in the cheap packs.

 

[moa999]

USA/Ecuador/Peru

All three work with Flexiroam.

 

[k_sheep]

Ah but flexiroam doesn't work well in itself (have tried it, 2 different phones with 2 different sim stickers, leads to incredibly poor reception on the phone, price of the plans has gone way up .... just poor value now for a product that just doesn't work as it should).

 

[moa999]

Interesting.
I've successfully used Flexiroam in about 10 countries now on two different Android phones.

No issues whatsoever. I've generally found it better to manually select a network (generally the 4G one where available) so it's not jumping around so much.

 

[k_sheep]

Interesting.
I've successfully used Flexiroam in about 10 countries now on two different Android phones.

No issues whatsoever. I've generally found it better to manually select a network (generally the 4G one where available) so it's not jumping around so much.

I don't have particularly new phones - just "upgraded" to an S5 ... may have something to do with it Either that or hubby and I are rubbish at applying them.

 

[KaiK]

Perfect answer, trippin_the_rift. And now that Europe (currently still including UK) have abolished roaming charges, it makes no sense to pay $thousands to Telstra for roaming data charges. For example a one month O2 sim in London comes with effectively unlimited calls (not to Australia), texts and 12G(!) of data for UKP20. No brainer IMHO. Trivial to swap sims if you need to once a day to check for msgs or redirect your Australian number to new number while you are way.

Oh wow, thanks for this!

 

[PLANT]

Is Truphone still value for Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria?

Anyone used recently?
Cheaper better option 6 week trip with some data?

 

[moa999]

With cross-Europe roaming almost any local card will work apart from possibly Switzwrland

 

[PLANT]

So whats the process now for a SIm with calls and some data for Europe....
Previous use was Truphone and Gifgaff
Local SIm from where and what are the deals to get?

If want to have sorted before leaving Australia for Europe what is a cheap good option?
Not Vodafone $5 a day!

6 week trip.

 

[DontGetMeStarted]

Hi..Will be in the UK for ten days and the USA for 25 days from the end of April, looking for the most cost effective SIM with Data Plan. Have previously used Giff Gaff in the UK and USA Prepaid SIM as I like to have everything all up and running for when I arrive and able tp leave contact numbers here. Data will be mainly for GPS whilst travelling in both countries / emails/facebook ....I looked at One SIM but cannot get a handle on how much the data would be, typically I am looking for about 4 gig in the USA...any help appreciated ...thanks

 

[daft009]

So whats the process now for a SIm with calls and some data for Europe....
Previous use was Truphone and Gifgaff
Local SIm from where and what are the deals to get?

If want to have sorted before leaving Australia for Europe what is a cheap good option?
Not Vodafone $5 a day!

6 week trip.

not sure if too late, but for europe use this Best Travel Sim card?

 

[jbman]

Hi..Will be in the UK for ten days and the USA for 25 days from the end of April, looking for the most cost effective SIM with Data Plan. Have previously used Giff Gaff in the UK and USA Prepaid SIM as I like to have everything all up and running for when I arrive and able tp leave contact numbers here. Data will be mainly for GPS whilst travelling in both countries / emails/facebook ....I looked at One SIM but cannot get a handle on how much the data would be, typically I am looking for about 4 gig in the USA...any help appreciated ...thanks

Being over the 30 day limit for most cards the three Sim and a recharge credit to cover the extra days might be the way to go

 

[SYD]

Recently bought a new iPhone XR. I was attracted to the dual-sim and it is working well. Before leaving Oz, I installed the Truphone app and purchased 30 day/1gb Global data for A$20 (3gb was $30). Working brilliantly in Sth Africa.

To purchase data or top up once in SA, the online charge is 15€ for 1gb.

The Truphone website suggests £15 for 1gb - which is getting a bit high.

Any other good or bad experiences with e-SIM packs?

 

[moa999]

Flexiroam which I mentioned upthread also now as an eSIM option.

 

[SYD]

Flexiroam which I mentioned upthread also now as an eSIM option.

Oh, that looks good. Initially I saw the Global rate (much higher than Truphone) but the single country rates look very cheap!

I’ve downloaded the app and maybe give it a go if I run out of data on the currently.

For those playing at home:
www.flexiroam.com
www.truphone.com