Optus roaming packs - any experience?

[equus]

Looking at options for a 3 week trip mostly in France, but also 24 hours in UK, and a few days in HKG and China. Will need mobile data, as on a barge cruise for a week, and likely to want calls as well.

Have just about settled on a combo (the other half has phone as well, and more likely to be making the calls). Looking at getting local French sim for data only, which allows tethering. That should deal with the majority of data.

The option I am looking at to cover the annoying other countries, and calls, is the Optus roaming pack (we are on Optus post paid). Whilst a bit pricey at $10 per day, it gives unlimited calls and SMS, plus 50Mb of data per day. If taken for multiple consecutive days, the data accumulates. Taking for the 3 weeks. (Actually 22 days) will be a bit pricey at $220, but to just have the ability to keep the AU sim in the phone, make unlimited calls - either back home or local, and have 1gig of data for use in any of the other countries (will try and utilise local French sim for most in France - works out at about $80aud for 3 gig after delivery), it seems that the convenience may be worth it.

Have hassled before trying to get locally acquired connections working, and think this may let me organise before leaving, and not have to worry.

Anybody out there uses this Optus feature, and have any advice on how it works in practice, or does someone have suggestions for a better solution. I am looking for reasonably economic, but simple and reliable - not looking to scrape every last cent.

 

[akeno]

Optus will be the last choice if you want to save money. $10 a day with Optus is too pricey. Its difficult to last on 70mb of data per day included in the Optus Travel pack.

Here are my two options. You are better off buying the Covermore Global Sim or the TravelSim which you could easily get from Australia Post or DickSmith.

Home

TravelSIM International SIM Card

 

[DeKa]

Optus will be the last choice if you want to save money. $10 a day with Optus is too pricey. Its difficult to last on 70mb of data per day included in the Optus Travel pack.

Here are my two options. You are better off buying the Covermore Global Sim or the TravelSim which you could easily get from Australia Post or DickSmith.

Home

TravelSIM International SIM Card

I'm confused. The question is all about data, yet you've given two of the most expensive data options available.

My suggestions are:
- Sign up for a month to month Vodafone RED Sim ($50) and pay $5/day Red Roaming fee. Gives you access to 3GB for your month, at a total of about $200 (plus unlimited inbound and outbound calls)
- Leave your Optus SIM in the phone (data roaming off), and get a Pocket Wifi with a data SIM in it from either a local source (OK for France) or somewhere like Globalgig.com.au or Keepgo.com to cover you in the other countries. Another option is a Vodafone Italia SIM which is €3/day for 500MB, 60min and 60txt within the EU zone (plus UK and Switzerland) - you can buy them from Mobipassport

 

[sergeyvzn]

I have used it and thought it was great. December 13 - January 14, 2 weeks in Japan, I paid $200 for 20 days which gave me 1Gb of data. I used my iPhone everywhere while in Japan and it was SO MUCH less hussle than buying other SIMs or Global SIMs or whatever - it was certainly worth the money. The only little winge I had was it only worked as 3G, rather than 4G, as this is all you can get with the particular roaming partner in Japan. 1Gb of data was plenty for 2 weeks

 

[equus]

Thanks - that was what I wanted it hear - the practical experience.

I am aware that the value may not be the best, but the convenience of having the phone work on the Australian number, with a gig of data, and unlimited calls is what I am after. Will activate this on SWMBO phone - for simplicity. For use in France (vast majority of trip) will get a prepaid data Sim for IPad with 3gb which allows tethering. Will use this for most data needs, and the Optus for outside France, as well as minor (email) to the phone it is on. The other phone and Ipad will use Wifi or hotspot too one of the two devices.

Have previously made do with just Wifi, but will be more limited on this trip, and also don't want to spend time hassling with connections. About $300 for everything (factoring in Optus pack, plus French sim) seems fine- given we would normally expect $100+ roaming SMS if we went on our normal approach.

 

[cs1575]

I was wondering about this as well... seem like the value is not the best but it does safe time searching around for a local sim...

 

[Pablo]

Depends on what country you are in. I was in India in March and it's very difficult to get a SIM card as a foreigner. So I just did a travel pack for 5 days and it was great when I was in an area with 3G. Meant that I could still receive calls for work etc and make the, too - esp cause the night we arrived our transport didn't turn up so I could use my phone straight away to call the hotel (without trying to find a SIM card at 5am.

Only issue I had was I was in Kolkata for 4 days and they don't have a 3G network so data was absolutely painful. Wouldn't do it again in Kolkata but was awesome in Bangalore and Mumbai