Just had a lengthy but fruitful online chat with my phone company in the UK. I’m away from the Uk for 5 months and as I’m using home owners/restaurants etc wifi I’m not bothering to get a local sim or use expensive roaming package. But I was still paying full wack for my phone package back home. So what I’ve done is get the cheapest package they offer, I’m on a month by month deal, sign up to that and then re-establish my old deal when I get home. I’m saving over 50% on my regular deal. If I’d cancelled I could loose my number, my company couldn’t freeze my account so this seemed like a good option. Just thought I’d share.
3 Likes
We are with Lebara on a pay monthly no contract deal - I was told if I stop paying, as long as the sim was used again within 15 months then the number will not be lost. Time will tell…
3 Likes
@Creaturecomforts well done! Do you mind sharing who your phone company is?
1 Like
It should work just fine. I stopped using my Lebara card in February, topped it up in August and used it again with no issues.
1 Like
I am from Canada. Currently in Peru. My phone costs $22 per month in Canada but $12 extra per day while out of the country. So I didn’t even bring it. I use skype.
While we are talking about phones. I really find it inconvenient that there does not seem to be a phone company that covers both Canada and USA. Has anyone heard of any please?
FWIW - if your home base is in the US, T-Mobile offers international data and message roaming included on some of its plans (a few countries are excluded, Vietnam used to be excluded but it is included now). It costs about US$50/month but not having to deal with changing SIM cards or swapping virtual cards. Data is generally 3G outside of the US but that has been fast enough for navigation walking or on a bus or even in a car in S Korea, the UK, and South Africa.
2 Likes
Go and see AIRALO.
This a e-SIM card with three types of packages. (local, regional and international). Really cheap.
https://www.airalo.com
I’m currently in Mexico, using Airalo for the first time, it’s working well for me!
1 Like
There aren’t any. Three companies have a monopoly on the industry in Canada. As an added bonus, we also get to pay some of the highest prices in the world!
1 Like
I just love it.
I am also from Canada.
Went in USA, bought a “local” package for 3 GO, 30 days : 11.50 $ USD
I really like it too! Also Canadian, Rogers wants me to pay $15 a day while here… I don’t think so! Airalo was $15 US for two weeks.
1 Like
Exact. Here in Québec, I am with Vidéotron : 12$ /day when I go to USA. No way.
I have AT&T which I am not crazy about but it includes unlimited use in the US, Canada and Mexico.
I have t-mobile as my provider and they’ve covered me abroad. Funny, though, I worked seasonality in Sitka Alaska last summer , and my phone roams up here as they don’t have service there only at& t who i dropped years ago. I thought that was odd being I was still in the states, except Alaska despite being U.S is on they’re own planet. They have GCI there so other providers often do not work. Coupled with that it’s an island not connected to a mainland. Crazy!
1 Like
We use Three PAYG - a UK sim card. We have found it to be extremely flexible for our travel needs. Apart from this past summer we rarely spend time in the UK - much more in EU or further afield- but their Add On packages work in all EU countries which is great as we spend a lot of time in Germany & France. You can choose the Add On size according to how much data you use, + free calls & texts around EU countries & to UK. Main difference is data is limited to 12GB monthly when overseas. But since we use wifi everywhere possible the data is mainly for out & about & I always take the chespest Add On -£10 (30 days) for 4GB & all calls & texts. Its more than enough. Also there are many ‘Go Roam’ countries around the world e.g Australia, Bali, Singapore (all places we go) where you can use the data from the Add On ,(plus calls back to UK) so in these countries we use WhatsApp etc for calls elsewhere. I keep the number as my WhatsApp number so it is always in use even if in a country (like India right now) where I can’t use Add ons. Always been very happy with Three and have not needed a foreign sim card in years.
We used O2 PAYG in the UK (£15 Per month) They still have free roaming in Europe. They said it runs out at 63 days but ours kept going for almost 3 months before we returned to the UK. Not sure how much longer we could have gone.
1 Like
@Creaturecomforts what a great idea and thank you for letting us know this option is available through many mobile companies. With costs rising as they are, this is just one more way to help ease some of the inflation pain!
Hi, presumably it’s not going to help those on long term fixed contracts but no harm in asking. Some deals will also have good roaming charges or even free but mine were astronomical.
Cheers
Jill
I’m with Talkmobile in the UK and am house sitting in Panama. I will look into add-ons though. Some good advice folk are sharing
1 Like