USA eSim recommendations
Discussion
Heading to the US for the first time on business for 10 day next week. Looking at my Vodafone tariff using my current call plan its going to cost me a small fortune. Has anyone got any recommendations on eSIMs for data so I can stay InTouch with the family back in the UK with google messages etc
Another Airalo fan here. I used one for the first time last October and it worked seamlessly (and efficiently) across several SE Asia and Gulf countries.
I think that I posted my referral code on another eSim thread after the trip - that would give you a few dollars off a purchase if you decide to go with them. </shameless plug>
I think that I posted my referral code on another eSim thread after the trip - that would give you a few dollars off a purchase if you decide to go with them. </shameless plug>
Just back a few weeks and airolo was fantastic.
Most places have free Wi-Fi but when you’re out and about a bit of data is needed.
Paid $8 for 2gb which was more than enough for the week we were there and set up was simple even for a Luddite like me. Just install the e-sim and follow instructions (remember to turn off your U.K. provider’s roaming) and you’re good to go although it took about 15 mins or so for everything to sort itself out on my phone but then that’s what a 3hr wait in immigration is for
Most places have free Wi-Fi but when you’re out and about a bit of data is needed.
Paid $8 for 2gb which was more than enough for the week we were there and set up was simple even for a Luddite like me. Just install the e-sim and follow instructions (remember to turn off your U.K. provider’s roaming) and you’re good to go although it took about 15 mins or so for everything to sort itself out on my phone but then that’s what a 3hr wait in immigration is for
Rather than messing about with esims we just swapped our contracts to O2, one of their tariffs have free worldwide roaming. If you sign up 2 contracts at the same time one of them gets a discount and there was loads of free stuff for 6 months to choose from like prime, Disney and netflix.
No good if you're not sim only I know but may be of use to some
No good if you're not sim only I know but may be of use to some
s p a c e m a n said:
Rather than messing about with esims we just swapped our contracts to O2, one of their tariffs have free worldwide roaming. If you sign up 2 contracts at the same time one of them gets a discount and there was loads of free stuff for 6 months to choose from like prime, Disney and netflix.
No good if you're not sim only I know but may be of use to some
I previously always used my O2 travel perk in the States but I got fed up with the data speed being really slow so I got an eSIM on my last trip and won’t ever rely on the O2 coverage again. It worked out at about a dollar a day for really good 5G vs O2’s claimed 4G that felt at times like 0.4G late last year.No good if you're not sim only I know but may be of use to some
It's the first time that I've tried O2, have been a 3 customer for years as they have good UK coverage and work most other places that I've visited. We've been drinving around Florida for 2 weeks and it's running on T mobile here. I haven't thought to look at the speeds because it's been working fine for what I use, streaming radio and Google maps when driving and watching random YouTube crap when I'm sitting around.
We've done sort of a clockwise tour around the state and I can think of only one Airbnb where I needed their WiFi as I had crap coverage but that really was in the middle of nowhere.
O2 was recommended by someone who does Texas a lot so I'm assuming that it works well there too.
We've done sort of a clockwise tour around the state and I can think of only one Airbnb where I needed their WiFi as I had crap coverage but that really was in the middle of nowhere.
O2 was recommended by someone who does Texas a lot so I'm assuming that it works well there too.
s p a c e m a n said:
It's the first time that I've tried O2, have been a 3 customer for years as they have good UK coverage and work most other places that I've visited. We've been drinving around Florida for 2 weeks and it's running on T mobile here. I haven't thought to look at the speeds because it's been working fine for what I use, streaming radio and Google maps when driving and watching random YouTube crap when I'm sitting around.
We've done sort of a clockwise tour around the state and I can think of only one Airbnb where I needed their WiFi as I had crap coverage but that really was in the middle of nowhere.
O2 was recommended by someone who does Texas a lot so I'm assuming that it works well there too.
I’m a semi regular visitor to Texas myself, the O2/T mobile data service is generally ok in the cities, head out to the sticks and it can be patchy, I’ve had google maps let me down out west of San Antonio before at a very inopportune moment. What I found really odd when I visited in September was that it just seemed to randomly slow down as well, my wife has the same O2 offering and hers would be fine whilst mine was being a dick and then vice versa, that was in Nashville, New Orleans and Charleston so big cities. We've done sort of a clockwise tour around the state and I can think of only one Airbnb where I needed their WiFi as I had crap coverage but that really was in the middle of nowhere.
O2 was recommended by someone who does Texas a lot so I'm assuming that it works well there too.
Like I say I’ve previously relied on it entirely across many months of combined visits before so I’m not knocking it as a service that’s sort of free but thought I’d give the eSIM a go for my coast to coast road trip as I wanted to run Spotify and Waze simultaneously and continuously even in the bundu . It was brilliant and very cheap so I’ll definitely do it again. You can leave you normal network running in the background if you like so you still get all your messages etc and it honestly takes no time at all to set up. I’ll definitely use it next month when I head back as I’m going to a music festival which is prime territory for speed throttling.
Ah that makes sense, we were mainly coastal so not really out in the sticks most of the time and didn't go to an event or area big enough that speed throttling would be a thing.
Google maps screwed me once on the way to an Airbnb, it didn't tell me whether I had to go North or South entering Florida Turnpike and I gambled wrong and the 11min journey turned into an hour
Google maps screwed me once on the way to an Airbnb, it didn't tell me whether I had to go North or South entering Florida Turnpike and I gambled wrong and the 11min journey turned into an hour
s p a c e m a n said:
Ah that makes sense, we were mainly coastal so not really out in the sticks most of the time and didn't go to an event or area big enough that speed throttling would be a thing.
Google maps screwed me once on the way to an Airbnb, it didn't tell me whether I had to go North or South entering Florida Turnpike and I gambled wrong and the 11min journey turned into an hour
Bugger!Google maps screwed me once on the way to an Airbnb, it didn't tell me whether I had to go North or South entering Florida Turnpike and I gambled wrong and the 11min journey turned into an hour
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