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As an Aussie who’s travelled to 26 countries (and counting) Mel Evans thinks she has packing and planning for a trip down to a T – and she won’t leave home without one handy product.
From going on safari in Kenya to kayaking in Fiji, gazing in wonder at the Grand Canyon or downing Guinness in Dublin, travelling has opened my eyes to the world and all it has to offer.
But while some may swear they won’t go to the airport without a good neck pillow, or perhaps a pair of compression socks or collagen sheet mask (all important in their own ways, sure) I’ve even surprised myself at how much I’ve come to rely on one piece of tech whenever I go abroad: an eSIM.
It might *sound* boring, but hear me out…
While not the most groundbreaking of things to take with you, a recent trip to Cyprus and a dodgy primary SIM card revealed to me just how valuable having an eSIM (I used this one from Roamless) activated was.
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Let’s reminisce: remember the days when our network providers would let us roam in Europe for free? It was bliss. It was brilliant. It was short-lived. Before I knew it, I had to fork out £2 or £5 a day, depending on where I was travelling, to be able to use my plan’s data abroad.
Fed up with the daily charges, I tried my hand at travelling cold turkey in the data stakes. But after one too many treks to find wifi at the most inconvenient of times, I explored other ways to satisfy my international doom scrolling, with an eSIM soon recommended as the most convenient option.
Over the years I’ve tried a load of different ones on the market, but after trying Roamless’ Flex option, it’s raced to the top of my ratings.
Firstly, what in the world is an eSIM? Great question. An eSIM, or embedded SIM (yeah, I thought it was ‘electronic SIM, too), is a digital, or virtual, SIM card that is built into a device. It eliminates the need for a classic, plastic SIM card and means users can switch between mobile plans and networks, and have multiple profiles on a single device.
Honestly, is this one easy to use? Incredibly. Firstly of all, the Roamless app is clearly designed for dummies like me, where I was able to easily create an account, top up my plan and activate once I landed.
In fact, after arriving in Pafos I began what I thought would be an arduous and unnecessarily complicated process to activate the eSIM while waiting at the baggage carousel. Turns out all I had to do was disable my primary SIM (more on that palaver later), enable Roamless and I was on my way.
It turned on in such a flash I was adamant it hadn’t worked. It was only after sending a bunch of ‘test’ WhatsApps to my husband I realised perhaps using an eSIM isn’t the admin nightmare I was becoming accustomed to.
Throughout the following week whenever I was exploring outside of the hotel – or even finding the hotel wifi lacked oomph by the pool – the eSIM kicked into gear and helped book taxis, navigate unknown alleys, and quickly transfer funds from my savings when the dinner bill exceeded expectations.
What’s on the app? While other eSIM platforms are downright impossible to navigate to find out how much data you’re using, here I had live insights into every download I was doing so I could keep an eye on spend. It was good to know that even when my husband needed to hot spot off my allowance it hardly made a dent.
I’ve been caught short before when out and about on previous trips, without wifi and with an empty data tank so this time l was obsessive about seeing how much I had left to play with.
A surprise bonus was the RoamlessFLEX plan was that after somehow deleting my primary SIM (told you I was tech-inept) this one tided me over as my effective primary option until I figured out how to reinstate my regular plan once home. Other eSIMs I’ve used in the past would be void as soon as I landed in Blighty.
I reckon it would be perfect for a multi-destination trip, too, where you can easily switch between countries without needing to download new eSIMs each time.
Ok, what are the details: The platform brands itself as the ‘all-in-one global eSIM app built for travellers’, which was handy for me.
It aims to keep wanderers seamlessly connected in over 200 countries without the faff of SIM swaps, hidden fees, or tech headaches (which, after using the platform, can vouch for).
I opted for the RoamlessFLEX which was a pay-as-you-go data plan that didn’t expire, meaning I can use leftover data next time I travel overseas (or when I accidentally delete my own sim…). This might be the major drawcard for me. That and you only pay for what you use, with your balance hanging around until you next need it.
Should you want a more targeted and budget-friendly approach and you’re ok with an expiry date, punters can also go for the RoamlessFIX for 30-day prepaid plans by country or region. These come with lower per/GB rates for higher data needs for longer stays. Regardless, all plans are managed through that aesthetically pleasing app.
What about the pricing? Transparent pricing starts at just $1.45 (£1.08) per gigabyte (GB), but on the RoamlessFLEX plan the cost per GB is $2.45 (£1.82). And you can top up as you please, adding as many dollars are you like (not sure why the default was in dollars, but that’s international travel for you, eh?).
Final verdict? If you, like me, like to remain connected while abroad the eSIM was a non-negotiable. There’s nothing worse than being in a foreign land and having NFI where you are or how to get from A to B.
The only downside is that it’s data-only, meaning I couldn’t make or receive calls on the cellular network. Fine if you seldom make non-Wi-Fi calls, but this was a bit of a pain when I helpfully deleted my primary sim and was uncontactable for a period by various tour operators.
Looking at the Roamless website, turns out that to make outgoing phone calls with this eSIM, you need to use the Roamless app itself and you’ll need at least $5 (£3.71) on your account. The more you know.
In even better news if you’re planning a trip, you can sign up today and activate your eSIM to receive $1.25 (.93p) in free credit — plus, use code METRO20 at checkout for 20% off sitewide.
Terms and Conditions:
The codes offer 20% OFF. A one-time offer for new users only, valid only on their first purchase. No expiration date currently.
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