Buying a local SIM card when travelling

Published on : 15 April 20202 min reading time

The question of how best to communicate abroad arises during each trip. Using your mobile phone package abroad would quickly lead you to ruin, so you think about buying a local SIM card. But have you taken the time to think about all the conditions associated with this use? Here is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of such a telecommunication solution abroad.

Advantages and limitations of the local SIM

The most obvious advantage is the ability to call locally at reasonable prices. Finding a prepaid SIM in a foreign country will only take a few minutes, they are often sold in tobacconists, post offices, airports and supermarkets. Or online via specific websites like www.simoptions.com/ for instance. The first problem you may encounter is the language barrier. If you travel to an Asian country or even to Eastern Europe without any knowledge of the local language, it will be difficult for you to understand the rates and conditions of use of the SIM.

However, a local SIM still represents a cost that can be significant if you wish to contact mobile phones. In addition, to be able to use this SIM your phone will need to be unlocked. Most phones purchased in your home country are blocked for use with a single operator. You may therefore have to buy a mobile phone locally.

Alternatives of a local SIM card

Buying a SIM can quickly become a real obstacle course. Pricing is not always clear and your phone’s compatibility is not always guaranteed. More often than not, local vendors will offer to buy a phone to get the best call rates. To avoid having to worry about such problems there are alternatives.

It is possible to buy prepaid cards in the country in question. This way you will be sure that you will not go out of your budget. You can also use public phone booths or “taxiphone” shops, but you will soon realize that all this limits the length of your calls. It is not possible to make calls without worrying about the time that passes.

But there are much simpler and cheaper solutions! Thanks to VoIP technology you will be able to call at an unbeatable price or even for free anywhere in the world.

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