Best sim for using mobile in USA?

[Brett Wyman]

Another option.

https://www.inmotionstores.com/airports-cities/orlando
In Motion stores at MCO sell pay per GB US sims.

 

[MichelinMan]

On my EE contract it looks like I can purchase a 'Roam Further' add-on for £10/month where I can use my UK allowance in the USA. It can be cancelled at any time, so I reckon you can just purchase it for 1 month, so only costs £10 for the whole trip. Sounds too good to be true, so I think I will phone up EE just to double check. But if that is the case, that is what I will be doing next year.

 

[zavandor]

3 used to be great, not anymore.
My understanding is that they have a cutoff date, I think sometime in October. Contracts made before that still use the old rules, new contracts will pay for reaming, even in Europe. They're waiving the fee until sometime next year (March?).
Sorry if I'm not being too precise anyway it's my understating. I ended buying a 150GB data contract from O2, which still has free roaming in EU and USA included, £20 per month. It's going to be my main number, not cheap just for an holiday of course, but the free roaming sweetens the deal. I'm often in Europe and the roaming fees with 3 would quickly add up.

 

[peachiepie]

I had been looking at 3, having previously used them abroad. But their website indicates that they are charging £5 a day for using Go Roam outside of Europe (£2 a day in Europe) so that wasn't looking a great deal.

 

[Plague]

I ended buying a 150GB data contract from O2, which still has free roaming in EU and USA included, £20 per month.

But that can be a money pit if you aren't careful. If you would normally just have (say) a £10/mo contract but sign up for 12mo at £20 to get 'free' roaming, then you're actually paying £120 for the roaming.
For your use that may make sense, but as you say, for a holiday it's a bit mad, especially where there is plenty of free wi-fi.

 

[zavandor]

But that can be a money pit if you aren't careful. If you would normally just have (say) a £10/mo contract but sign up for 12mo at £20 to get 'free' roaming, then you're actually paying £120 for the roaming.
For your use that may make sense, but as you say, for a holiday it's a bit mad, especially where there is plenty of free wi-fi.

Sure, not for everyone, but excellent for me. I'm in Italy one week each month, with other operators I would have to pay £2-3 extra per day, that alone would make it worth it. Then add a two weeks US vacation most years, it's an additional £70.
And the price is similar to other operators contracts with large amount of data, which I want anyway.

 

[Plague]

with other operators I would have to pay £2-3 extra per day,

Wow. That's a bit much.
I still have EU roaming included in my budget SIM, but I imagine that will eventually disappear - not that I use it a lot.

 

[cheryl.UK]

The EE smart benefit requires a £10 per month fee for new customers but on my contract, it still free.

 

[Lee Matthews]

I’m looking at new sims too and the EE ones look to be the best value. Could I pick up Any sim only contract and then just pay £10 for a month to use the data abroad? Or is there a minimum spend/ data I need to buy?

 

[chefski]

I’m looking at new sims too and the EE ones look to be the best value. Could I pick up Any sim only contract and then just pay £10 for a month to use the data abroad? Or is there a minimum spend/ data I need to buy?

Where have you seen the details, only details I see on ee roaming is 500mb a day for £5.02.

Is that PAYG or contract?

 

[itf]

Three certainly at one point severely throttled their roaming data speeds when their roaming was free.

 

[disneyholic family]

wifi in the parks and resorts is mostly ok, but for driving with waze i need to have a data plan from my carrier.
i used to use a SIM card for the US, which i'm pretty sure works out to a lot less money, but i'm just too lazy to do that now.

 

[NickUK66]

3 UK still have free roaming for contracts starting before 1 Oct but they are starting to actively contact those out of contract to upgrade and saying that they will be moved automatically to a new 1 month rolling contract if they don't respond (my daughter has had that, I haven't yet). Roaming remains free for all until 23 May next year and PAYG is not affected for now (my addition of "for now"). Outside the EU it will be £5/day from 23 May, but if you pick up a PAYG SIM you can get 6GB plus unlimited minutes and data (albeit only to the UK but I use 18185 to call the US cheap via a UK number when I'm over there) for 30 days. Divert all calls from your normal number to your PAYG number if you like

 

[zavandor]

Heads up: I am actually having problems with O2.
Even if the website says that the travel bolt on is included with contracts for more than 100GB and it was confirmed to me via chat before purchase, I am now here in the USA without roaming!
I have been charged over £40 for a few hours of using data for the Disney app.
I'm trying to sort it out with support, but I wanted to warn everyone who read my previous post to NOT buy the contract.

 

[Cris&Cris]

For esim phone owners and if data is the issue have a look at gigsky app, it worked great. Newer iPhones have the option to add a esim (non physical) next to the regular sim. Gigsky is the app that will use the esim space. You then buy a data plan with them, I did 5 gigs for $35 dollars. You then set up your phone to have the phone to use the esim for data and your regular sim for phone calls. This way you keep your regular number and don't have to swap. I never had two worry and it worked very smooth. I'm not heavy on the socials etc. And for youtube etc. use the villa/ resort, hotel wifi.

 

[Constant]

For esim phone owners and if data is the issue have a look at gigsky app, it worked great. Newer iPhones have the option to add a esim (non physical) next to the regular sim.

Was about to say the same thing, can keep normal sim/number in case people need to get hold of you but data goes through the eSim. I used Ubigi for travel to India and it worked perfectly. Their USA options are 3GB for $14 and 10GB for $33.

From what I can see the 3 sims we have PAYG will still work at Easter but I'll likely still use an eSim

 

[chefski]

so I ended up taking out a new contract with 3 for £7 / month giving me 12GB unlimited texts and minutes and will be fine while away, charges for roaming only kick in next year. I needed a new phone contract anyway.

 

[NickUK66]

so I ended up taking out a new contract with 3 for £7 / month giving me 12GB unlimited texts and minutes and will be fine while away, charges for roaming only kick in next year. I needed a new phone contract anyway.

Excellent deal. Don't overlook the fact even after May roaming will only cost £2/day in the EU and £5/day in the other countries they used to offer free roaming, even paying that it may well still be an attractive deal