Stay in Touch While Travelling

If you are the pack up and go type but want (or need) to stay in touch with the folk at home, you may have come across the trouble of running up your mobile phone bill. If you’re anticipating either multiple consecutive trips to the same area or heading out for a long time, you may want to consider alternatives to using your mobile plan.

No Surprises There

Unless you are hyper aware of how much your telco charges for each overseas text and call — and maybe even a bit of browsing here and there — you may come home to an incredibly bloated bill. If you buy a local prepaid SIM, you can pay for exactly what you use and even include the cost in your travel budget.

Home and Away

While activating your mobile plan may be more convenient if you are going to travel to multiple countries, consider that prices change according to where you are from and your selected destinations. And then consider the previous point one more time.

Local Treats

Telcos may offer users specific privileges. Free wi-fi is the most common, while some may give you free text messages or a few free minutes of calls. Consider which one you will likely use the most and ask the local service provider for what is best for you.

International Arrangements

Travelling to countries that are near to each other? UK Prepaid Sim Card ​suggests checking the price of roaming from your home network versus getting a local SIM that will allow you to use your budgeted credit within the neighbouring countries. If you have a UK SIM card, for example, there is a good chance that you can use it in travelling to a nearby country like France or Italy. This means roaming charges for a UK SIM may be cheaper than your roaming plan.

If and Only If

Remember: getting a local SIM means you will be using a different mobile number. You will have to inform your most important contacts of your new number. Check, too, that your mobile phone is not locked to your home network. Beyond that, it’s all a matter of numbers: if you find that getting a different SIM is to your advantage, go for it.