How To Choose The Best International SIM Card?
It is not new that when traveling abroad, data roaming can be a huge pain. Every international traveler has already experienced the pain of a huge roaming bill when coming back for a trip overseas. To avoid this, the international SIM Card is a very good solution.
The best international data SIM Card will allow you to make and receive calls and text message, plus it will also include a large envelope of international data (mobile internet). If you have a dual SIM phone you can even keep your domestic SIM Card in and use the international data SIM Card simultaneously.
A lot of frequent travelers search for how to find the best international SIM Card? We have picked for you the criteria of the ideal international SIM and what to look for in the characteristics so that you can be sure not to make any mistake.
What is The Best International SIM Card?
It is always a pain to search for the best product when there are a lot of different offers with hundreds of small characteristics. Here are the major points to look for:
Sim Card Coverage
From a local prepaid SIM Card to and full international SIM Card covering more than 100 countries, the SIM Card coverage and price can differ widely. For a short-term trip to several countries, we recommend a regional SIM Card. It will be the best value for money that can be found.
Cheaper than a worldwide international SIM, and much easier to manage than several local SIM Cards, the regional SIM is the best international SIM Card option if you are traveling across several countries. Some of them are already bundled with data, voice & text. If so, there will be no need to top up the SIM Card to activate it. You will just have to put it in your phone and start roaming.
Prices
The pricing for roaming can be very different depending on the countries covered and the bundles or top up chosen.
- For a local SIM Card, the text and calls will mostly be unlimited. Generally, you can find a local SIM Card with 1 to 3 GB of data for about $30.
- For a regional one, calls will be harder to find at a reasonable price. The good opportunity will be on a data plan. The Prepaid SIM Card for Europe, for example, will provide you with up to 20GB of data usable in all Europe.
- A worldwide international SIM Card comes with a very expensive price compared to a regional or local SIM. It will still be a bit cheaper than your own domestic SIM Card, as the price would be based on the roaming fees charged your local provider. If you are still looking for a truly international SIM Card with a coverage in more than 70+ countries, then visit the #1 SIM Card with Global Coverage.
Mobile Broadband & Tethering
Tethering can be very helpful if not every people traveling with you has a connection. You can then share the connection between several users using your phone or a Pocket WiFi.
If you plan, to buy one international SIM Card and share the connection among several users, make sure that it is allowed by the SIM Card provider. It will be written in the characteristics of the SIM. If tethering is not allowed on the SIM Card then you won’t be able to share the connection.
SIM Card Credit Validity
The credit duration itself can go from 1 day to several months. Depending on the price of the top up that you pushed on the SIM Card. You will just have to compare with the length of your trip, but the average duration of the credit top up is about 15 days. For the SIM Card itself, it generally lasts for about one year after the last top up. If you top it up frequently, then you can keep the same SIM Card for years.
How Easy to Top Up
Some providers propose to top up on your SIM Card thanks to their network of retailers. You don’t want to lose time hunting for a provider store during your stay. You should look for an international SIM Card that you can top up online with your credit card. Most of them now propose this kind of service. And it is much easier to proceed, as you can top up anytime and anywhere.
What About My Own Phone Number?
The international SIM Card comes with its own phone number. It will generally be a phone number from the country the mobile network operator has its origin.
If you have a regular phone, you will have to forget about your domestic phone number while you are traveling. You will need to remove your local SIM Card and replace it with the prepaid SIM Card. People traveling for business purposes might need to conserve their domestic phone number.
In this case, we can recommend you to buy a cheap phone for the trip. You can easily find one for about $30, or a dual sim phone. Another technical solution, you can find out more about it in our article about virtual phone numbers.
Size of the SIM
Every SIM Card now comes with a tri-size (regular, micro, nano) pre-cut format so that you can use it in any phone.
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