wondering on advice about whether it is better to get international roaming from your home country or to buy sim cards up there
Hi guys,
I'm having trouble deciding what to do with my mobile phone. I dont know how sim cards and roaming works up there. I'm traveling from mexico city all the way down to chille and would like help on whether it is better to jsut turn your phone on international roaming or to buy sim cards up there.
My past experience traveling in asia showed that in different countries you needed different sim cards. How is it in South and central america?? Will i need to buy a different sim card in different countries or are they all run by the same company??!
Please help!
Reply to this Leisha,
Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with the sim cards in my travels in South and Central America - even though I traveled there. You may have to buy different sim cards in different countries.
I can tell you this...in the places I visited it was not terribly uncommon to have international phone places that seemed to offer relatively cheap international rates. I was calling back to the States as that is home for me and the most I paid was $.25 USD/minute (which I realize does add up, but didn't call all that often).
Have you considered Skype (www.skype.com)? You'd then just need to find an internet cafe (fairly common in my travels in Central/South America) and log onto your account. You could get an inexpensive headset so you could call. That was even less expensive, other than possibly a little inconvenient to find internet and computers (unless you're bringing a laptop).
I'd definitely research with your mobile phone company with just turning on international roaming. I realize you may not be American, but in my research was told to call internationally from my countries (Ecuador especially) back to the States it would run something outrageous like $4.00 USD/minute! I would even get billed if I DIDN'T answer the phone and let voicemail answer! I suspended service for the few months I would be gone. Obviously not worth it.
Just a few ideas...
Reply to this I always use Travelsim (travelsim.com) - it's international roaming sim card which works almost everywhere in the world. Pretty useful because it helps you to avoid high roaming charges + you don't have to buy a new card in every country you visit. I like their service pretty much 😊
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