Mobile data abroad
Personally, I can't imagine traveling without a mobile phone and mobile data. Whether for using maps and navigation, or for connecting with family or social networks.
European Union countries + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom
Within the EEA (European Union countries + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom) it's simple. Here you use the services like at home. That means calls, SMS and data. For roaming data, each operator may have a different limit for each tariff. However, just check with your operator what limit you have available and you can hit the road. You don't have to worry about paying a fortune when using the services.
Other countries of the world
Outside the European Economic Area (EEA), data, calls and SMS are a bit more complicated and expensive. These are the second and third roaming zones, and therefore the prices are in a completely different dimension.
You often come across recommendations to buy a local SIM card at the airport and use it. It's certainly not a bad idea, but then you don't have your phone number available. For some, this may be easier. But running around stores and looking for and dealing with data is not for me.
Times have moved on and phones use eSIMs instead of traditional SIM cards. There are various applications available where you can purchase and install a data eSIM on your phone.
Airalo application
I have had very good experiences with the Airalo app. Just download and install it on your phone from the official markets (Google Play, App store), complete a short registration, add a payment card and you can shop data eSIM from all over the world.
If you want to save, use the discount code on your first purchase. STANIS0407. You save 3 dollars from any package and Airalo will then credit them to me (thank you).
How does Airalo work?
Simply. Just read and the application will guide you through the purchase and activation of the eSIM. Another advantage is that you can buy and install the eSIM at home. The package will then start working only when you connect to the network abroad.
- You choose a country, to which you are traveling.
- You choose a data package, which will suit you best. Always look at the size of the data package and its validity.
- Click Buy Now and you will see package detail and then also the options for increasing the package during use if you run out of basic data.
- Read also Further information, where you will find out the details of the package, where you can use it, on which network and, if applicable, what you will need to do (for example, identity verification in some countries).
- Selected package buy by clicking the Buy Now button and pay him with a payment card.
- Continue to carefully read everything the application tells you. In the next steps, it will guide you through the installation of the eSIM and the phone settings. Usually, you will turn off data roaming for your phone number in the settings, and turn it on for the newly purchased eSIM. In the mobile data settings, you will choose which eSIM should be used for calls, SMS, and which for data. And you may have to edit the access point names for the new eSIM in the phone settings. But the application will guide you through all of this. Everything is described in Czech.
- After installation, you can see directly in the app how you are using your eSIM, how much data you have used up, and how much you still have left.
Thanks to the eSIM from Airal, you can use data abroad on this eSIM and your Czech number is still available for calls and SMS messages. However, in the second and third roaming zones, I would rather use other applications for calls and messages. For example, WhatsApp or Instagram, where you can easily call and write via a data package.