[Dhiwakar92]

Originally Posted by haisaikat

You said you are moving, so I am assuming it's a month long or even longer travel. You have to remember that local sim cards are the best always for longer term use and remember it's not just you calling India but locals calling you and vice versa. So depending on your location chose which carrier fits your bills better be it Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.

But another worry for you is to keep the India number for banking OTP / verification unless you are leaving that with relatives. So you have to anyway keep that in service with international roaming.

If this is not your first travel to the USA them you already have SSN and it will be handy to get you a phone number on landing. Otherwise if this is your first travel it will be a few days until you get a address proof to say the least like rent contract.

For first time travel, if you can live with your international roaming regular India number with some plans and package and WiFi based WhatsApp calling then all of set. If not, go for an additional sim which offers best cheap rates and good service feedback, several suggestions are there on this thread.

Well, I'm looking to by the TSIM Unlimited USA SIM card directly from their site, I found a good deal for a SIM card which is valid for 1 month and costs INR 1789 (pre-shipping). It also includes some free gift which I can choose during check out.

My colleague suggested buying a SIM in U.S. at JFK from Lyca for $30, which isn't available for purchase in India.

I'm just wondering if anybody has ever used either TSIM or Lyca in the U.S. and if so, would they recommend it ?

[.sushilkumar]

Originally Posted by Dhiwakar92

I'm just wondering if anybody has ever used either TSIM or Lyca in the U.S. and if so, would they recommend it ?

Have used Lyca once and never used it again. Unless you are on road or open spaces, getting signals was always a problem. forget about being able to get signals inside building or basement. Go for T- Mobile with Eyes closed. In US, You will see lots of T mobile shops where they bundle a Mid range phone with SIM for as low as 60 USD with a small commitment. You can always unlock them post lock in Period and use the same phone in india.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by Dhiwakar92

I'm just wondering if anybody has ever used either TSIM or Lyca in the U.S. and if so, would they recommend it ?

Lyca is rubbish in most places is what I've heard. For starting off, I'd suggest getting ATT prepaid if you don't have a SSN. Costs $30 a month for 1GB of data with autopay, cheaper if you have a group- I pay $22 a month for it.

For calls to India, I use google voice. It's very cheap at $ 0.01 per minute. $ 10 works for a year for me, so never bothered exploring any other option.

[vnabhi]

Bumping up this thread due to my upcoming vacation to Germany and other Schengen countries for 3 months. I'll basically be staying with my son in Munich, but will be touring Italy, Crotia, Czech Republic, Austria etc.

I have an Airtel pre-paid SIM on an annual domestic plan. I was planning to take their international roaming pack that costs 3k per month, but decided against it, as I will be taking a local SIM in Munich, basically for data while traveling, when Wi Fi is not available.

My only concern is getting OTPs for bank transactions in India for paying bills, maintenance, etc. I believe keeping a talktime balance of around 200 rupees on my current Airtel prepaid SIM is advisable, and I will get incoming OTP SMSs for free. I will surely not take or make calls to India, except to friends, and for that I shall use WhatsApp calling.

Does this sound like a plan? Any pitfalls in this approach? I do know that having 2 SIMs on the phone will drain the battery sooner, but I am ok with it.

Thanks in advance.

[gauravdgr8]

Hello Bhpians, need help in deciding a sim card for Sweden as my kid will be going to study. A sim that can be good for the initial period, before we take a connection there. Checked Lyca and they are providing only 10GB of data for 28days, whereas Matrix is having unlimited data option.

[fiat_tarun]

If anyone is planning travel to Vietnam, you can try https://gigago.vn/

Airtel / Vodafone roaming plans to Vietnam aren't great, so opted for an e-sim from Gigago which can be downloaded to your phone even before you leave. As soon as you land, activate it and you are good to go.

The plans were on par with what the local operators were offering and we did not face any problems. Our plan was a data only plan with incoming calls.

[MT_Hyderabad]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I have an Airtel pre-paid SIM on an annual domestic plan. I was planning to take their international roaming pack that costs 3k per month, but decided against it, as I will be taking a local SIM in Munich, basically for data while traveling, when Wi Fi is not available.

My only concern is getting OTPs for bank transactions in India for paying bills, maintenance, etc. I believe keeping a talktime balance of around 200 rupees on my current Airtel prepaid SIM is advisable, and I will get incoming OTP SMSs for free. I will surely not take or make calls to India, except to friends, and for that I shall use WhatsApp calling.

Does this sound like a plan? Any pitfalls in this approach? I do know that having 2 SIMs on the phone will drain the battery sooner, but I am ok with it

Replying late. It is a good plan. Incoming smses keep coming without any international pack. You can also sms in case of emergency, you will be charged 5 Rs I think for an sms. Not sure, did it 5 years back and then changed to postpaid.

Be aware, even if you are not having an active pack, the moment you click a photo (and it uploads to google photos/icloud) or an app uses internet, you will be charged for gprs if not for 4G/5G internet. Hence, it is better to keep that sim in an old 2g phone, just for smses. You buy something using your CC, you immediately get sms from the bank.

[Shivam]

Has anyone used Lebara in Europe lately? I used it quite extensively during my multiple visits 8 years back. Not sure how the situation is now. Lyca also seems to be a good contender. Anyone in touch with reality could throw some light

[Rehaan]

Have a friend who used AirAlo (virtual/e-sims) recently in Istanbul & USA and was quite happy with it.

https://www.airalo.com/

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, and some of the posted reviews seemed mixed.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Shivam

Has anyone used Lebara in Europe lately? I used it quite extensively during my multiple visits 8 years back. Not sure how the situation is now. Lyca also seems to be a good contender. Anyone in touch with reality could throw some light

I am a regular user of lebara from many years. Not sure what you are looking for specifically but right now it offers the most data and international talk time for the money charged. I currently pay 15 EUR for 14GB of data and 150 mins of mobile calling to India for four weeks. But other players like Telekom.de are also offering competitive rates for prepaid Sim cards. At least for temporary use there are lot of options.

[naj]

Hello ,
To touch on the subject of SIM cards, most modern phones have e sim compatibility.
I am using e sims it for last 2 years till I find a suitable option locally. The are various e sim options available world-wide at a fraction of the cost. Currently in China and E sim is working best .with access to YouTube and WhatsApp.
Thanks -