Using your mobile abroad

[jpaul]

seem to be some feedback on holifly of throttling if using more than 2GB in a day, or using tethering (if you were taking a tablet too)
so do wonder if you should just buy a sim card on the ground there, after reccying which supermarkets/stores would sell it.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I couldn’t get it to tether in Morocco on Holafly. Hotspot didn’t show up on Gf’s phone.

 

[Reuben klang]

seem to be some feedback on holifly of throttling if using more than 2GB in a day, or using tethering (if you were taking a tablet too)
so do wonder if you should just buy a sim card on the ground there, after reccying which supermarkets/stores would sell it.

Can’t comment on either to be honest, I didn’t notice a speed drop and I was watching Netflix as well as updating my apps and pods. I have photo auto sync to iCloud too.

I didn’t use or try to use tether though.

 

[iamdjdz]

eSIM, easy peasy.

Holafly

Airalo

Can you use roaming on these SIMs and get one in the UK without going to the destination country? I was trying to sign up for something that needs an Indian number to receive an SMS verification but couldn't figure it out so if you could use this in the UK to receive SMS I'd sign up for a few days.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Can you use roaming on these SIMs and get one in the UK without going to the destination country? I was trying to sign up for something that needs an Indian number to receive an SMS verification but couldn't figure it out so if you could use this in the UK to receive SMS I'd sign up for a few days.

These are data only, you don’t get a number….at least Airalo.

With Holafly I just checked, there is a number but I’ve never dialed from it.

You can install these in the UK.

 

[iamdjdz]

These are data only, you don’t get a number….at least Airalo.

With Holafly I just checked, there is a number but I’ve never dialed from it.

You can install these in the UK.

Cool might see about Holafly as if you could receive SMS here that would be useful. Thanks

 

[Raymond Lin]

Cool might see about Holafly as if you could receive SMS here that would be useful. Thanks

I just compared the first few digits international dialling code and it’s different.

Morocco is +212 and the esim is +43 which is Austria?

 

[iamdjdz]

I just compared the first few digits international dialling code and it’s different.

Morocco is +212 and the esim is +43 which is Austria?

Ah that's weird. I think India is +91... no idea how these things work tbh.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Update - Not sure why but i just got home from Morocco again. Using Holafly again, same plan again.

This time, I was getting only LTE, not 4G. It was connecting to a local network (Orange), same network as my gf who is a local. She gets 4G, I don't. I even went through all the settings with their Customer Support, which to be fair, was excellent. We went back and forth at midnight on WhatsApp trying to figure it out.

The ping was absolutely horrendous, I mean it still worked but I don't think I got through 100mb of data all week due to the absurdly slow Ping. It was so bad I almost bought Airalo half way through then I noticed on Airalo it also says LTE...

I guess the take away is that you don't know until you get there, even if you have prior experience from the same place, just 3 months earlier....things can change quickly.

 

[glenimp617]

I think giffgaff let you have 5gb of your current plan within the EU

Might be an option

 

[Tysonator]

I am off to India this year and would be interested in a cheap deal ! ?
Not a big user of data and certainly will not be phoning or texting to back to the uk.

 

[tbyeah]

eSims are the way forward, I've used them across Europe and Asia and always felt it was a good deal.

 

[ristac]

PAYG sim when you get there, all the supermarkets sell them as does the airport when you land. Vodafone, Turkcell and Turk Telekom are the three providers.

Turkcell do a welcome tourist deal: https://www.turkcell.com.tr/en/aboutus/traveling-turkey/local-sim-card-for-your-vacation

 

[ShivP]

I am off to India this year and would be interested in a cheap deal ! ?
Not a big user of data and certainly will not be phoning or texting to back to the uk.

Get a Lebara SIM for India

 

[mr.bond]

Just back from a Trip to Thailand,. Singapore and Bali. Got an Asia pac esim from these.guys before I left (data only) which was reasonably priced and worked a treat.

Travel like a Local | Nomad - Best eSIM for Travelers

Travel eSIMs with data plans at local rates in over 170 countries · Download the Nomad app to buy, manage, and top up your eSIMs - anytime, anywhere.

www.getnomad.app

 

[bobuk]

When I checked last week there was a charge of £2-00 a day for euro roaming , from 3, don't know if this included Turkey, (another brexit benefit)

 

[strumpusplunket]

When we go to Japan later in the year, I think three of our family will be able to use esims, but our youngest has an iPhone 10, which I think is the generation before they started supporting esims.

Not sure if the next best option is a temporary physical sim for him or pocket wifi.

Pocket wifi was my plan for all of us before I learnt about esims, but seems we might still need it. Which then presents the question of whether we could all just connect to one pocket wifi still. Anyone tried these options?

 

[Raymond Lin]

When we go to Japan later in the year, I think three of our family will be able to use esims, but our youngest has an iPhone 10, which I think is the generation before they started supporting esims.

Not sure if the next best option is a temporary physical sim for him or pocket wifi.

Pocket wifi was my plan for all of us before I learnt about esims, but seems we might still need it. Which then presents the question of whether we could all just connect to one pocket wifi still. Anyone tried these options?

I have tried ALL the options

Pre-paid pick up at the airport
Local data sim from BIC Camera
Pocket Wifi
e-sim

For 1 person, the best is e-sim.
For a group that stays together, pocket wifi is best, but you are stuffed if someone strays too far away.
The most expensive is local data sim.
The most awkward is pocket wifi - you need to charge it, you need to return it (the LAST post box to return in the envelope is BEFORE customs and immigration, after that you are stuffed and need to post it back from home).

 

[strumpusplunket]

I have tried ALL the options

Pre-paid pick up at the airport
Local data sim from BIC Camera
Pocket Wifi
e-sim

For 1 person, the best is e-sim.
For a group that stays together, pocket wifi is best, but you are stuffed if someone strays too far away.
The most expensive is local data sim.
The most awkward is pocket wifi - you need to charge it, you need to return it (the LAST post post to return in the envelop is BEFORE customs and immigration, after that you are stuffed and need to post it back from home).

Useful info, thanks.

Pocket wifi sounds a bit of a faff then, and we would want some way of making sure we can all keep in touch if we get separated anyway.

Thinking now the best might be three esims and one physical data sim bought when we arrive.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Useful info, thanks.

Pocket wifi sounds a bit of a faff then, and we would want some way of making sure we can all keep in touch if we get separated anyway.

Thinking now the best might be three esims and one physical data sim bought when we arrive.

I know this is a small sample of 1, but the 1 time I had the pocket wifi, 1 day it froze on me at around 7pm. I was on the train back from Kyoto to Tokyo (day trip), and I got no internet. Good thing I know my way back because there is no power off button or reset button on the unit that I had. I had to wait for it to run flat in order to reboot itself.

Other than that, the speed on them is great! lol