Sim for US/Canada travel

[Slim]

I will be travelling to the US in 2024, including some Caribbean islands, followed by a later trip to Canada.

How should I go about getting data while away? Currently with 3 and they do an add on for €3.99 per day, which could be very expensive for the total of the trips, some 40 days in total. I am open to changing provider which I may do anyway. We will have data courtesy of the cruise ship for 3 weeks of that period.

 

[FintanJ]

I have not used them but others have mentioned eSIMs for US travel.

 

[tallpaul]

If you have a fairly modern phone, have a look at GoMo World eSim or Airalo eSim. I used GoMo World in the US earlier this month and it worked faultlessly.

 

[Slim]

If you have a fairly modern phone, have a look at GoMo World eSim or Airalo eSim. I used GoMo World in the US earlier this month and it worked faultlessly.

Thanks, what sort of extra cost did that set you back? Edit..my phone not compatible!!

 

[Cavanbhoy]

I will be travelling to the US in 2025, including some Caribbean islands, followed by a later trip to Canada.

How should I go about getting data while away? Currently with 3 and they do an add on for €3.99 per day, which could be very expensive for the total of the trips, some 40 days in total. I am open to changing provider which I may do anyway. We will have data courtesy of the cruise ship for 3 weeks of that period.

I am actually using Nomad at the moment cost 40usd dollars for 10gb data plan that works in North America region ie USA Canada and Mexico no problems at all.
Other plans with more or less data or just specific country.

 

[landlord]

Most Dublin based airline crews who are in the states weekly are currently using Mobi matter eSIM.
$40 for 35GBs and lasts 1 year.
Works great for me!!!

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[DannyBoyD]

I tried th eSIM route & it failed miserably.

I have a dual sim phone & found buying a local SIM worked better for me.

 

[Freelance]

Thanks, what sort of extra cost did that set you back? Edit..my phone not compatible!!

That's unfortunate about your phone not supporting eSim, perhaps you will have a new phone by the time you Tavel in 2025.

Like @tallpaul I used a Gomo World in the US for 3 weeks in October this year. Installation was a breeze and overall I had no issues. It was €20 for 20gb (30 days) and I gather the this has now increased to 50gb at the same price. It's data only of course which is fine so long as you are ok to make all calls via WhatsApp. Added advantage was that my Irish SIM remained active so I received incoming calls and SMS.

 

[Slim]

Thanks all. I edited my post as it's in 2024 that I am travelling!

I can manage with the 3 add on for a couple of days on one trip. I'll check out options further for the other trip.

Thanks again all!

 

[Slim]

I tried th eSIM route & it failed miserably.

I have a dual sim phone & found buying a local SIM worked better for me.

Thanks, I will look into that for the second trip. Would a local sim bought in the US also work for Canada?

 

[Sol28]

You also need to have your phone unlocked from your network before you use a physical sim or e-sim. I was in the US this month and three unlocked my phone for me and i then registered with Nomad - bought 10gb for 30 days - but in normal use I only used about 6 gb in a week. Had no problems at all - cost me €18.

 

[thedaddyman]

bear in mind cruise ship coverage can be patchy and isn't always free. Also, what happens on day trips ashore?

 

[Slim]

bear in mind cruise ship coverage can be patchy and isn't always free. Also, what happens on day trips ashore?

True but wifi is included in the deals we're on. In port, we either do without for a few hours or find a café or bar with WiFi. I'm more concerned about the land trip in Canada.