How to deal with data abroad and why are travel SIM cards better?
Those of us who travel frequently, especially those who travel for work or write travel blogs, often struggle with phone and data connections. We would like to call home, but the charges are so exorbitant that we can’t. When we arrive, we just send a text message, and if we’re lucky and the hotel has decent Wi-Fi, we can chat on WhatsApp or Skype.
To solve this problem when traveling, we bought SIM cards in each country. However, this is not an ideal solution, especially in Turkey due to restrictions on the use of a single IMEI with local SIM cards. Instead, we used SIM cards in a portable modem (Wi-Fi hotspot) to have reliable Wi-Fi and be able to use apps and data at will.
Many hotels now have Wi-Fi, but in our experience, it is often poor quality, which can be frustrating, and in hotel destinations, it can also be extremely congested and therefore practically unusable. Uploading is especially important when you are trying to upload photos or add a blog post. TravelSIM is the solution. It is a so-called travel SIM card that the user inserts into their phone and can use anywhere in the world.
No SIM card swapping, no figuring out each country’s system, and no high fees charged by your home SIM card. Since the phone number on the card is Estonian (the company is from Estonia), calls are considered to be from Estonia, so charges within Europe are extremely low. The company claims that you can save up to 85% on roaming charges.
When we compared the data prices in TravelSIM and roaming packages in a model example from Switzerland, where we also used the service, the savings were around €192 for 12GB packages. Unfortunately, Turkey has been moved to a lower and therefore more expensive category for about two years now (formerly in Europa+, now only Zone A and also the more expensive Zone B). Switzerland has remained in the Europa+ zone, so the savings for Turkey will be slightly lower, but still very significant.
TravelSIM uses a pay-as-you-go system, and recharging requires a visit to the user portal website. You can also check your balance via SMS or by logging into the user zone. The user’s Estonian number will be displayed on the recipient’s phone screen. There is an option to purchase a British or American number for an additional fee. TravelSIM always uses the best mobile network in the country, so coverage and speeds are very good.
We appreciate the customer service, which is great, and they responded to our emails very quickly. The website for checking balances and recharging is clear and easy to use. The only thing we don’t like about this card is that we have to remove the SIM card and insert the TravelSIM card every time we go on a trip. Fortunately, the operator offers the option to purchase an eSIM card, but there is no self-service app.
Users are therefore limited to the web interface, which is a bit of a shame. We would appreciate an app or widget for iPhone that would display clear overviews of data, minutes, SMS, or remaining credit. Although the service has some shortcomings, we can definitely recommend it for travelers. It is a very good choice.