By For some travellers, using their phone on vacation is the worst kind of ‘Choose your own adventure’ because they end up spending way too much money.
They might decide to let their phone “roam” (often because they don’t fully understand what that means) and wind up with expensive roaming charges on their next mobile bill.
Or they might keep their phone stuck on Airplane Mode and just hang around the nearest free Wi-Fi network when they want to check email or scroll TikTok.
A surprising amount of travellers agree to a ‘travel plan’ through their mobile carrier, where they pay a flat daily rate for data, calling, and texting on vacation. It’s easy to set up and you’re technically avoiding roaming charges, but it often ends up being the most expensive option of all – costing $15-$18 daily, even if you barely touch your phone.
An eSIM is the cheapest way to avoid roaming charges
Instead of relying on your carrier from back home to keep you connected halfway around the world, download local SIM cards for 170+ countries and connect directly to nearby networks.
A downloadable SIM card is called an ‘eSIM’ (embedded SIM), and it’s the cheapest way to have a reliable data connection without racking up roaming charges.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “techie” person, here are five reasons you might want to consider using a prepaid eSIM data plan from aloSIM during your next trip!
- Your phone probably already supports eSIM.
Most newer phones and tablets already support eSIM, and it takes less than two minutes to install an eSIM on your device.
eSIMs also never expire, so you can keep them loaded on your phone for the next trip, even if it’s months or years away.
- A week’s worth of data starts at $4.50 USD ($7.50 AUD)
Instead of paying hundreds in roaming charges, or $18 a day with a carrier travel plan, you can get a WEEK’s worth of data for the cost of a couple cups of coffee.
- It’s prepaid, with no extra charges or surprise fees
The scariest thing about roaming charges is the fear of the unknown. If you spend 10 minutes on Instagram, is it going to cost you $1 … or $100? Nobody knows!
But when you’re using a prepaid eSIM data package, you pay for everything upfront. If you only want to spend $5 and use it until it runs out, great. If you decide you’d like to top up your eSIM with a bit more data, that’s your choice.
- You can use all of your favourite apps on the go
No need to squat in a café just to use the free Wi-Fi. When you have a prepaid eSIM data plan, you’re carrying the internet around with you. It’s perfect for loading maps and driving directions, streaming video, or making online reservations when you arrive in a new area.
- There are lots of different ways to call and text
I typically only need data when I travel because WhatsApp is one of the best travel apps!
Whether you want to stay in touch with people back home, or people you’re traveling with, an eSIM lets you to call and text a few different ways:
- You can use our sister app, Hushed, for a temporary international phone number
- You can use social media for messaging and video calling
- You can use iMessage and FaceTime if you have an iPhone or iPad
- You can even use your regular phone number for calling and texting, and you’ll only pay small carrier fees for individual calls/texts (since you’ll be using an eSIM for all data)
Try an eSIM on your next vacation
Kick roaming charges to the curb. As long as you have an eSIM compatible device, you can install an eSIM and unlock low-cost data packages in countries all over the world.
Save with discount code ‘AUSSIEONTHEROAD’
If you’re shopping with aloSIM, be sure to use discount code ‘AUSSIEONTHEROAD’ at checkout to save on your first purchase. (We’ll earn a small commission at no charge to you. Thank you for your support!)