Staying in Touch on Tour

Should I use my home cell plan, a local SIM, or an eSIM?

Going on vacation but not sure how to stay in touch? Here is some very basic information to get you started on making the right decision for yourself.

Some things to consider going into this decision: how much data do you need to use and how important is it to you to have access to your usual phone number during your trip for texting and calling?  That is–are you just going to be checking email and news or are you a heavy video and social media streamer when you are not on Wifi? (Don’t forget, that includes video chatting on FaceTime, etc!) Do you have internet-based ways to keep in touch with family (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc) or do you rely solely on your phone texting?

Using Your Home Cell Plan

Most U.S. cell phone service providers offer pretty reasonable international plans these days. When you think about using your home plan overseas, you might think back to horror stories of the early oughts of people coming home to a $3,000 bill. Those days are over, fortunately!

It varies by provider, but a month overseas using data will cost you (as of December 2024) anything from $50 (T-Mobile) to $120 (AT&T).

This is a good choice if it is important that you keep your home phone number active to receive calls and texts on the road. The only con is perhaps the cost, but it is probably well worth it to you. Check with your provider’s website about how to activate this (often you just have to land in a country and it’s automatically turned on, but please check before you leave!)

Using a local SIM card

If your phone has a physical slot for a SIM card, one option is to purchase a local SIM card on landing in your new country. (Please note that iPhones 14, 15, and 16 sold in the U.S. no longer have a SIM card slot for reasons I can’t possibly imagine.)

You can typically purchase these at your landing airport; in rare cases, it is cheaper to buy them in a big city than in the airport but 99.9% of the time that price difference does not make up for the hassle.

They will most likely need your passport and can get you your SIM card within minutes. You can download the local SIM card’s corresponding app if you’d like to keep tabs on your data usage.

If you are in a country for a few weeks or longer or if you use a lot of data, this is a good option. You can still access your WhatsApp on your home number (more on that later).  You will not have access to your normal phone number’s texts or calls until you return home.

Using an eSIM

You can now purchase eSIMS for different countries and regions from a number of providers, the most popular being Airalo. We also like Ubigi. This is a lifesaver for iPhone users with no SIM card slots (again, Apple–why?!)

The data is not cheap but it is generally cheaper than using your home phone plan. You can still access your WhatsApp on your home number (more on that later).  You will not have access to your normal phone number’s texts or calls until you return home.

I have coupon codes for you if you’re interested in trying Airalo or Ubigi. I personally find Ubigi MUCH, much easier and intuitive than Airalo. You get one eSIM and it automatically knows where/when to connect, as opposed to a different eSIM you must install for every location with Airalo.

• You can save 20% off your first Ubigi when you use this link and the code “YQLW5W&9” (I sure would appreciate it if you used that code, because when I buy my own Ubigi cards, I’ll get a little discount!)
• First-time users can use the code NEWTOAIRALO15 at this link for 15% off.
• Get 10% off by using the code AIRALOESIM10 at this link.
• You can also save $3 on your first Airalo purchase by using the code LAUREN4530

What about WhatsApp?

We adore WhatsApp and we use it as a tool on every single one of our tours–to stay in touch with guests before, during, and even after our adventures! It is internet-based so it will work on any wifi or mobile data plan. The best part is that you do not need to change your WhatsApp number with a new SIM card. The first time you fire up WhatsApp on your new SIM card, it will most likely ask you if you want to CHANGE your number or keep your old one–always elect to keep the old one and it will work like it always has.

How much data do I need?

If you can commit to only doing intensive video streaming (including FaceTiming and other video chats) on wifi, then you can probably get away with 1 GB (gigabyte) per week. But if you find yourself accidentally scrolling reels or watching YouTube, OR if you are an intense Google Maps user like I am, you’ll need 5 GB or more per week.

What is our opinion?

We live on the road year-round and we have SIM card slots (thanks to iPhone purchased in Australia!) so we opt for local SIMs. For our guests joining us for 2–4 weeks, though? We think activating your home plan for the time you are away is super convenient and well worth the cost.

These are just the bare-bones basics to get you started, and now you can go down the internet rabbit hole a little bit more deeply!