Looking for a cheaper roaming option the next time you take your phone overseas? It might be worth considering an international or 'travel' SIM. These cards can offer a considerable saving in comparison to roaming with your telco.
In this guide, we've compared the most popular options and covered a few other ways to keep your roaming bill down.
- Travel SIM vs. other low-cost options
- What is the best travel sim
- How to use your phone internationally
Travel SIM vs. other low-cost options
While a travel SIM can be a hell of a lot cheaper than global roaming, it's not exactly cheap. There are other options and they can often be more cost effective.
Buy a local SIM
Buying a local SIM card is often the cheapest way to use your phone overseas. You can get big data inclusions, and usually unlimited local talk and text on a no contract or prepaid plan for a comparatively affordable price.
See our country-specific travel guides for information on buying a local prepaid SIM card in popular destinations:
- Best phone plans for travelling in the US
- Best phone plans for travelling in the UK
- Best phone plans for travelling in New Zealand
- Best phone plans for travelling in Europe
- Best phone plans for travelling in China
- Best phone plans for travelling in Japan
- Best phone plans for travelling in Singapore
- Best phone plans for travelling in Malaysia
- Best phone plans for travelling in Vietnam
- Best phone plans for travelling in Bali
- Best phone plans for travellers in Australia
Use free public Wi-Fi
If you want a zero-dollars approach to using your phone overseas, you can hop on free public Wi-Fi networks you'll find in hotels, cafes, city centres, and more.
Mooching off Wi-Fi doesn't mean giving up on talk and text either. Apps like Messenger, Viber, Telegram, Skype, and WhatsApp will let you send and receive text messages and phone calls via the internet. These apps allow free talk and text between contacts who both have the app installed. And if you want to make calls to those who don't, you can buy a little Skype or Viber credit.
You'll want your friends and family to install your app of choice so you can contact them and they can contact you for free. You'll also want to make sure your phone is in airplane mode to stop any accidental calls, texts or data usage that could trigger exorbitant roaming charges.
You can check out maps of available Wi-Fi through apps like as Wiman or Instabridge to help you connect on the go.
So, why get a travel SIM?
With other alternatives that could well be cheaper, you might be asking yourself, why get a travel SIM?
Freeloading off public Wi-Fi can be a hassle, particularly if you want to stay connected all the time or if there's not a lot of Wi-Fi where you're going. You can buy a local SIM, but if you're travelling across multiple countries you could end up changing your SIM and your phone number every time you cross a border.
If you're looking for even more ways to save when travelling, you can check out our round-up of the best roaming inclusions from telcos.
What is the best Travel SIM?
Despite other options, a travel SIM can offer a saving on global roaming when you're outside Australia. And a big convenience as well. Below, we've compiled a list of the most popular travel SIM options for both data-only and voice/text/data products.
Flexiroam
While most travel SIM providers will require you to swap your regular domestic SIM card for a global version in order to roam internationally, Flexiroam allows you to keep using your regular SIM outside Australia.
The Flexiroam X is a thin microchip that can save you a bundle on data roaming in more than 150 countries. Just attach the chip to your regular domestic SIM, activate it though Flexiroam's mobile app, then switch to the available Flexiroam network when travelling.
You'll be able to access 4G data in about 70 countries and 3G in around 80. Although Flexiroam doesn't have a texting allowance, you can make calls through the Flexiroam app and use an app like WhatsApp or Viber to text your friends using data.
Flexiroam X is compatible with any unlocked iOS device and nearly all unlocked Android devices, and can be switched on or off at any time.
At the time of writing, Flexiroam's most popular plans are priced as follows:
- 11GB for USD$319.99 for 360 days
- 5GB for USD$129.99 for 180 days
- 7GB for USD$199.99 for 360 days
GigSky
If you have an iPhone that's running on iOs 13 or later, you can download the GigSky app that lets you add a travel plan to your device. You don't have to go into any stores, and you don't need to put in a physical SIM card.
GigSky also works with Android phones that run on Android 10 or later; compatible devices include the Google Pixel 5 and Samsung Galaxy Fold (though not the US models).
You buy plans for specific countries, but if you're planning to travel around a lot, then check out their World Plan:
- 5GB for $59.99 for 30 days
You can download GigSky for iOS here.
GigSky is also compatible with any eSIM-enabled Windows 10 PC.
How to use your phone internationally
If you're planning to take your phone on your travels, there are a few things you need to check.
Is your phone unlocked?
Firstly, to use a travel SIM in your device, you'll need to make sure that your handset isn't network locked. When you buy a device through a telco, it will occasionally be 'locked' to that network – meaning you can't simply take your phone and use it on a rival provider's plan.
This is most likely to be the case if you bought your phone on a prepaid plan, or if it's very old. Use our guide to unlocked phones to find out more.
Is your device GSM or CDMA capable?
You'll also need to ensure that your device will work on your destination's networks. Australia uses the GSM standard for mobile, as do most of the countries you're likely to visit. However, there are exceptions: the US, Japan and South Korea all use a combination of GSM and CDMA technologies.
Australian-bought devices should work on GSM networks, provided your phone is compatible with your destination's available frequencies. Many newer flagship phones, such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy range, should support just about any frequency you encounter, but older devices may run into problems.
For a more detailed breakdown of network technologies and phone compatibility, head to our guide here.
Alex Choros
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