Megacom SIM card, how does it work? (page 3 of 4)

Hi there,

I’ve never bought a SIM card abroad or even used prepaid cards in France...

So I’m wondering how it works?

Uzbek version: You head to a mobile phone shop. You go in. You say, "I need a SIM card for 2 weeks, please." You more or less understand what the guy says back. You hand him your phone. He does everything for you. You pay around 5 € if I remember correctly. You leave the shop. You forget about it. Done.

Catherine

Listen Agnes, don’t stress... if I don’t get any messages or calls during your trip, I’ll deal with it... 😏

Personally, I’ve got an eSIM that should work as soon as I land in Kyrgyzstan! 😎 You won’t get rid of me that easily.😉

( This is my first time using an eSIM too, but it’s so much easier to buy! This trip is full of firsts, by the way: the eSIM, the physical SIM card, using a translator with photo and voice features, heavy WhatsApp use, plus spending the night in a yurt and trying yak ham... )

Hi Catherine

I’ve got an even simpler option for Uzbekistan. Just two clicks on my phone to buy the plan extension for that country...😉

Unfortunately, this option isn’t available for Kyrgyzstan.🙁

Well, you buy a Ubigi global eSIM like I do. Then you’ve got data in Istanbul, you’ve got it if your flight gets diverted to Türkmenbashi or Shymkent, and you’ve got it as soon as you land in Funze. Your salary should cover these little luxuries.

Michel

Nights in yurts, especially those in slightly upscale tourist "camps," are certainly a discovery, but in no way uncomfortable. That said, unless you're aiming for a higher standard, they don’t have individual bathrooms, so it’s like standard camping in France or elsewhere. Don’t worry about an early-morning intrusion, though—depending on the region and temperatures, someone might come in to stoke the stove in the middle of the yurt... 😏 As for the ham... I haven’t tried it, but I remember a plate of yak meat at a hotel in Murgab (Tajikistan), where, despite our hunger after a few days, we struggled to chew it... 😄

Check message 3 again.

Two clicks on my phone to buy the plan extension for this country...Wink

Through your French carrier? I hope it’s reliable. That’s what I did with Vodafone for Israel. It never worked. And those two clicks turned into a Kafkaesque odyssey from call center to call center.

Have a great trip.

Catherine

You’d get a Ubigi global SIM and avoid this whole metaphysical headache.

Michel

I think there’s a washroom in one of the two yurts we booked. For the other one, it’s shared facilities, and I think I’ll just take my shower at the next stop... No big deal for one night and a really chilly stop. I’m making a note not to sleep like Marilyn Monroe.

It’s not the yurts that are bothering me. More like a few guesthouses that aren’t exactly charming. 🤪

I brought a sleeping bag liner just in case...

In photos, the yak ham really stands out. More like a kind of Bündnerfleisch than actual ham, though.

Same goes for the horse, by the way.

Though, it does seem like a luxury shop!

As for the mutton, the Norwegian one I tried had a rancid aftertaste and tasted like old meat. No desire to try that experience again!

So far, it’s always worked for me. My carrier is Orange.

Kyrgyzstan is the first country that isn’t offered.

Check message 3 again.

Exactly :) You’re making a mountain out of a molehill over 5 €. But I hope you finally realized that doing the whole process yourself didn’t make sense. Why didn’t you get an eSIM that covered Kazakhstan?

Michel

Check out message 3.

I read your message 😏.

"I’m talking about a SIM card.

For my part, I bought an eSIM from another provider since I have a compatible phone.

We’ve got the day in Bishkek to get it working, and I downloaded Russian and Kyrgyz on Google Translate...

For Russian, it’s magic—it even works with voice!

For Kyrgyz, my interlocutors need to be able to read, but I assume that’s not an issue in this country?

No doubt about it, all these apps make travelers’ lives so much easier!"

When you say "for my part," does that mean the SIM question doesn’t concern you but someone else? And for you, it’s sorted with an eSIM that includes KZ?

A whole day to get it working? With an eSIM, it’ll work before you’re even off the plane. The other option takes a minute tops in the airport hall, for a handful of soms payable by card. As for the translator, it’s useless when it comes to phone service. You’re stuck in French patterns and struggle to break free when people try to explain things to you. With Esantirulo’s message, there shouldn’t be any issue left.

Michel

Another bone to chew on?😉

sometimes you receive an SMS in an unexpected language, and you have to do certain maneuvers.

Yes, exactly, and it's good to know. That happened to me in Cape Verde. No problem with the internet, but when, several days later, I wanted to make a local call, it was impossible! As a result, since I wasn't sure I understood the SMS in Portuguese, I had to go into town to see the operator, who did the maneuver the seller at the airport hadn't done for me!

For the SIM card, don’t leave the seller until it works—that’s the best solution.

That’s what I’ll do next time!

I’ve got an even simpler solution for Uzbekistan. Just two clicks on my phone to buy the plan extension for that country...😉 Unfortunately, this option doesn’t exist for Kyrgyzstan.🙁

Local plans are always cheaper than the packages sold by foreign operators, and in Central Asia, they’re really inexpensive.

If you need your home number, just keep the SIM active for calls and texts and set up the internet on the local SIM. This assumes you have a phone with dual SIM slots, which is pretty standard these days.

The financial aspect isn't a big deal. It's just a tiny percentage of the cost of a trip. The price of one or two drinks at an airport...

I'm looking for convenience, and the simplest option is to go with my current carrier.

I’ve also realized thanks to this thread that there are now affordable deals adding GB for use abroad. You might need to switch carriers, but who cares!

40GB for these destinations:

SWITZERLAND ANDORRA Africa: South Africa, Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia. Americas: Alaska, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Ecuador, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Uruguay. Asia & Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, China, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Macau, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Uzbekistan. Eastern Europe: Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia. Oceania: Australia, Guam, New Zealand, Palau, French Polynesia.

for 16.99 € (5G plan).

The price war on international roaming seems to have kicked off, likely due to the rise of eSIMs.

Yeah, But with an eSIM, you generally have access to multiple networks, with the best one taking over the connection. With your extension, you only have the partner network of your provider; sometimes it’s the most widespread, sometimes not. With a local SIM, it’s the same as with the extension—just one network. I sometimes use leftover Ubigi World data in France: really nice and comfortable, it’s the best of the three options, and all the time.

Michel