What's the best option: local SIM card or international plan?

Hi there, A question for those who’ve looked into this. What’s more advantageous or preferable: buying a local SIM card for GPS and SMS (we’ll handle calls via WhatsApp), or going with a plan from our mobile provider (Orange) that offers international packages with several options up to 150GB? Does anyone know the price of SIM cards at Vodacom?

Thanks to anyone who chimes in! 😉

Dan

Personally... international plan

I don't bother anymore. I just get the add-on from Orange.

Hi, There’s also the eSIM option. We’ve already tried it with Holafly and were really happy with it.

Hi,

I was about to say that. For security reasons, it's good to have at least two active SIM cards, but you need a phone that's eSIM-compatible *and* dual SIM. A bit pricier. In the next few days, I'm thinking of getting a "global" eSIM—I'll let you know if I'm happy with it.

Michel

Hello, A question for those who’ve looked into this. What’s more advantageous or preferable: buying a local SIM card for GPS and SMS (we’ll use WhatsApp for calls), or going with an international plan from our mobile provider (Orange), which offers several options up to 150GB? Does anyone know the price of SIM cards at Vodacom?

Thanks to those who dive in... 😉

Dan

Hey, the best option is *neither* 😄 Given that all accommodations, restaurants, etc., have free Wi-Fi, what’s the point of having internet outside your room? You download the map of the region you’ll be exploring on Google Maps before you leave or at your hotel’s Wi-Fi, and you’ll have GPS on Maps even offline. Basically, why pay for what you can get for free? 😄

Hi there,

Some carriers and plans now include international internet coverage. I just found out that mine—Free—offers 35GB in a solid list of countries (+ calls and texts at low rates) on a very affordable plan. That wasn’t the case just a few months ago. It looks like SFR is ready to follow its competitor, and I think the others won’t be far behind with similar offers. My travel buddies are keeping an eye on what Orange might do.

Hi,

True, but these offers always seem to be tied to SIM card plans that aren’t very budget-friendly. The 2 € Free SIMs or Prixtel plans under 5 € don’t qualify, unless I’m mistaken. Either way, I want at least two active SIMs for traveling—seems important to me.

Michel

Hi

Wi-Fi connections are really tricky in places like Kruger (it's also a security issue related to poaching)... With an international plan, you can get 4G or 5G coverage. I’m not even talking about more remote spots...

Given that all accommodation, restaurants, etc. have free Wi-Fi

No.

Have you ever been to Southern Africa? In the parks in that area?

It was already free ten years ago in South Africa.

Okay, the problem now is more with Free in France. It's better not to live in certain areas.

This is also true for other carriers, by the way...

Why is it important?

Not that long ago, it didn’t even exist...

Afterwards, it became pretty essential to have a way to communicate on-site, whether through WhatsApp or traditional calls.

Lots of hosts give their instructions via this channel, and for those who don’t book in advance, it’s better to be able to call—otherwise, no one’s there to open certain doors!

Plus, we’ve gotten into the bad habit of being reachable 24/7 by our loved ones.

Hi there,

Any online banking operation—payments, routine two-factor authentication, whatever—requires a SIM card. Since failures can always happen, I always carry three SIMs across two phones. Taking a Bolt, an Uber, all that’s become essential. I never make voice calls, and I never answer them either. In fact, I have a phone whose ringtone I don’t even know—it’s never rung .

Michel

Otherwise, Google Maps is useless.

Just download the Maps.me map for the country—it works offline and is way more detailed.

My online bank never asks me for double, triple, or quadruple authentication when I pay abroad.

Only if I buy something online, which happens very, very rarely while traveling.

Hi Agnès,

Like you, my bank never asks for authentication when I use my card.

Old-school for some, letting go for others—I love being "unplugged" while traveling. This break doesn’t cause me any anxiety; on the contrary, I enjoy it. I like checking a map (the old-fashioned way!), getting by without a voice translator, hailing a taxi instead of ordering one, strolling without my eyes glued to a screen, asking for directions if I’m lost, using a paper guidebook, and choosing a restaurant based on vibes… So my phone stays at the hotel. The available Wi-Fi is more than enough for me to stay reachable once a day or catch up with loved ones. This new 35GB plan from my carrier seemed appealing at first, but I quickly realized during my last trip to Istanbul that my phone was way too time-consuming. It’s right there, within reach, and I check it too often for no reason.

My online bank never asks for double, triple, or quadruple authentication when I pay abroad. Only if I buy something online, which happens very, very rarely while traveling.

Not when you pay on-site, of course—I didn’t express myself well—but indeed, for any online purchase, like a hotel, a flight ticket, or a highway toll; being able to buy a flight ticket in an emergency is a safety requirement for me, at least. A delayed flight, a tight connection, you need the latest updates: the status of the next flight, the gate; any other "crisis" situation—and it seems like there are plenty of those these days—makes a data connection essential. Some banks ask for random double authentication when logging in from a laptop, like Monabanq or BForBank, for example.

Michel

Hi, A question for those who’ve looked into this. What’s more cost-effective or preferable: buying a local SIM card for GPS and SMS (we’ll handle calls via WhatsApp), or an international plan through our mobile carrier (Orange), which offers several options up to 150GB? Does anyone know the price of SIM cards at Vodacom?

Thanks to those who chime in... 😉

Dan

Hello,

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions—we’re going with the Orange plan in the end! It’s too bad some people got into arguments over my post; it’s not very helpful and just clutters up the forum a bit. Have a peaceful day, Danyèle