Sim Card, Pocket Wifi, Data Roaming or Public Wifi?

Plane tickets checked!

Hotel reservation checked!

Luggage packed! 

But…‘’How will I stay connected while travelling?’’

Contrary to popular belief, travelling abroad & having Internet is possible. In fact you have four options; purchasing a SIM card, renting a pocket wifi hotspot (also known as mifi), roaming data and looking for public wifi. Deciding how to stay connected is totally up to you. Here is everything you have to know about them:

SIM Card 

First thought that comes to mind however is it the best?

What’s good about it:

• Cheap local calls and SMS, if not for free. There are also offers on the
  market, e.g. SIMY, providing unlimited calls, texts and mms to Europe,
  USA & Canada.
• Depending on your data plan, you may or may not use the same SIM card in other European countries. If you are travelling outside of Europe, you will need a local SIM card for each country
• Could be shipped to your accommodation
• No need to return it, just throw it away when your vacation ends

What’s not so good about it: 

• For one person & one device
• New number – be ready to lose your SIM contacts & to update everyone about your new number
• Possibility to charge you more without you knowing with roaming
• Your phone needs to be unlocked
• Usually you sign a contract to get one unless you’re getting a prepaid one
• Data allowance over a period and not daily

Conclusion: Ideal for solo travelers who need the Internet occasionally. If you want more, skip your way. You can find the best prepaid sim card for France and Europe here.

 

Pocket Wifi Hotspot

Getting more and more popular each day, will it become your favorite travel companion?

What’s good about it:

• Ideal for one country as well as more than one countries
• Shareable connection; you can share your connection with your travel companies & other devices
• Neither your phone nor your other devices need to be unlocked
• It can be shipped to your hotel/apartment or you may choose to pick it up on site; at the airports for instance
• Ideal for Skype, Messenger, Viber, Whatsapp, etc calls
• No contract
• No hidden costs
• Ideal for solo-travelers and groups
• Data allowance: roughly 1 to 3 GB per day. However Travel Wifi offers a truly unlimited data plan in France and almost unlimited connection in Europe with 5GB a day!
• So easy to configure – turn on & start using it

What’s not so good about it:

• You have to carry your hotspot with you. However it’s teeny-tiny & easily fit into your pocket
• You have to charge it overnight – also some travelers choose to use a power bank to extend its’ in-use time
• You will have to return it at the end of your rental. However the good news is that most companies provide you a prepaid return envelope

Conclusion: Ideal for business and leisure travellers who need high data as well as family/group travelers as the connection is shareable between different devices. You can find the best pocket wifi rental for France and Europe here. 

Data Roaming

Are you ready to break the bank?

What’s good about it:

• New EU regulations considering roaming data allow free-limited Internet service within the European Economic Area. Besides, there is nothing good about it.

You should avoid data roaming unless you really need it. It is expensive and you might spend a mini fortune without even noticing.

Conclusion: Don’t go for this option unless you possess a valid European line and you are travelling within the European Economic Area.

Public Wifi

There is no such thing as free lunch, is there?

What’s good about it:

• It’s usually free in cafes, restaurants and bars – on the condition that you consume there
• Will fill your heart with joy when suddenly you see Free Wifi while wandering around
• Convenient for instant information like checking out an address

What’s not good about it:

• It’s not safe; your personal data is always at risk
• Will drive you nuts when you fail to connect, when your connection is interrupted, or when you actually can’t even send a Whatsapp
• You often need to fill out many awful forms, and this is a restricted access (usually 30 minutes)
• Low speed

 

Conclusion: Don’t depend on Free Wifi if you know you’ll need Internet all the time. Also it’s always good to have VPN installed to keep your personal data safe.

How do you stay connected while traveling? Tell us in the comments!

Read more about Internet/Pocket Wifi in Europe here!

Contact us if you have any questions: contact@travel-wifi.com