How TSIM Global helped save 88% of my data expense
As you're aware, I was on a long trip recently- 34 days to be precise and covered 6 countries in the Americas region. During this trip, one of my major companion was TSIM Global prepaid SIM Card. In this post I will explain how I used it for my advantage and saved time, effort and money.
No money wasted on each country's sim card
My visit was some 2 weeks USA, 1 week Canada, another 10 days in Bahamas, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. Had it not been for TSIM Global, I would have to endure following
- Queue up to buy local sim card in each country- waste of time upon arrival
- Figure out what package to take, how much data I may need- load more and it goes waste, load less and I will have to top up again
- Not possible to predict exact data needed. Some cities will have better WiFi coverage so we can manage with very less mobile data, while other cities won't be that WiFi friendly- buying a local sim card would almost always.
Tourism sim cards in Miami start at 30 USD onwards. Similar price in various other countries- even if you're visiting for just 2-3 days, you've to spend a lot. No one wants to sell a cheaper, say 3 days/500 MB card for 2-3 dollars-they can't make much profits that way, so tourists are often tricked to take a larger packages, which they may not really need for short visits.
Above are the indicative cost of data in USA and Canada. Other countries I visited also had similar pricing, give or take a few dollars.
30$ * 6 countries would have cost me 280 USD or roughly 20000 INR. Instead, I could manage with about 4 GB recharge on TSIM's Global SIM for about 2500 INR. This way, I could save about 88% of my data expense. This is an outright cost saving if you're carrying a TSIM Global Sim card with you.
Apart from the above illustrated financial savings, I could also get following advantages:
1. Walk out of airport like a local- catch a bus: I could activate TSIM from the aircraft as soon as aircraft lands. So I could use google maps to figure out where is the bus stop near the airport, which bus number to take to my hostel/AirBnB.
- No time wasted at sim card counters to buy a sim, activate it and then use it
- Saved lots of money on taxi expense,as I could reach my destination using bus/train for fraction of taxi cost
2. Don't have to struggle with Spanish:
Most Central, South American countries are hard to manage if you don't speak Spanish. Most people only speak Spanish, so if you are to visit a shop to buy a sim card, or if you've to call the customer care for some issues with your sim card activation etc it will be a nightmare. To explain what you need, to understand what they are saying or offering and to ensure you've made the right purchase decision- too much headache. With pre-activated global sim card, I could head out like a pro, readily use translator apps if I wanted to converse with someone.
3. Don't have to worry about the right plan:
If I am to buy a local sim card, I will have to study various operators (who gives better coverage, who charges how much), various plans- validity, data available, charges for calls and so on. Airport counters are often tricky- they may say cheapest plan is out of stock and make you buy a more expensive ones, or due to miscommunication I may select a plan not best suited for my needs- then end up having to top up etc. TSIM saved me lots of trouble.
4. Don't have to predict Data usage.
Most cities will have free WiFi spots using which you can reduce your mobile data usage. But it is hard to predict where you will get WiFi connection and how much mobile data you may have to use. Load too less and you'll be stranded in middle of the road with no data on your phone, load too much and it will go waste as it can't be carried forward to another country and you are unlikely to visit the country anytime soon before the data expires.
TSIM's data never expires and any unused data I can easily use in next country or on my next trip. So TSIM has a clear advantage over local tourism SIMs. With TSIM, whenever there's a WiFi network I could use, I would turn off data and switch to WiFi, keep most of the data intensive activities till I get WiFi, use mobile data only when I am out and need data to navigate. Thus my 4GB recharge could last throughout the trip.
5. Same number for all 6 countries
If I were to pick up one sim card for each country, I would have had 6 different numbers and each time I will have to give new number to friends and family. However TSIM ensures you've one number for all your trips- very easy for friends and family to store and call you if needed.
6. Money saved on taxi
Without a mobile, it is difficult to know how to reach your destination using public transport in a new city. Thus most tourists end up spending lots of money on taxi. A destination say 10-15 kms way from airport can easily cost you 50-75 USD if you take taxi. Figure out how to reach using bus, you may need only 2-3 USD. During my 34 day trip, I never spent a single dollar on taxi ride- always used public transport or just walked. Thus TSIM+ Google maps helped me save lots of money otherwise I had to spend on taxi. No language barrier, no need to ask strangers on how to reach. Switch on data, search on Google Maps, it tells you how to walk to nearest bus stop, which bus number to take, when it is expected, how many stops to ride, where to get down and so on. Super easy and cost effective.
Read my earlier review of TSIM here. I would strongly recommend you getting a TSIM before your next international trip
No money wasted on each country's sim card
My visit was some 2 weeks USA, 1 week Canada, another 10 days in Bahamas, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. Had it not been for TSIM Global, I would have to endure following
- Queue up to buy local sim card in each country- waste of time upon arrival
- Figure out what package to take, how much data I may need- load more and it goes waste, load less and I will have to top up again
- Not possible to predict exact data needed. Some cities will have better WiFi coverage so we can manage with very less mobile data, while other cities won't be that WiFi friendly- buying a local sim card would almost always.
Tourism sim cards in Miami start at 30 USD onwards. Similar price in various other countries- even if you're visiting for just 2-3 days, you've to spend a lot. No one wants to sell a cheaper, say 3 days/500 MB card for 2-3 dollars-they can't make much profits that way, so tourists are often tricked to take a larger packages, which they may not really need for short visits.
Above: Sim card pricing for Miami USA
Below: Sim card pricing for Canada
30$ * 6 countries would have cost me 280 USD or roughly 20000 INR. Instead, I could manage with about 4 GB recharge on TSIM's Global SIM for about 2500 INR. This way, I could save about 88% of my data expense. This is an outright cost saving if you're carrying a TSIM Global Sim card with you.
Apart from the above illustrated financial savings, I could also get following advantages:
1. Walk out of airport like a local- catch a bus: I could activate TSIM from the aircraft as soon as aircraft lands. So I could use google maps to figure out where is the bus stop near the airport, which bus number to take to my hostel/AirBnB.
- No time wasted at sim card counters to buy a sim, activate it and then use it
- Saved lots of money on taxi expense,as I could reach my destination using bus/train for fraction of taxi cost
2. Don't have to struggle with Spanish:
Most Central, South American countries are hard to manage if you don't speak Spanish. Most people only speak Spanish, so if you are to visit a shop to buy a sim card, or if you've to call the customer care for some issues with your sim card activation etc it will be a nightmare. To explain what you need, to understand what they are saying or offering and to ensure you've made the right purchase decision- too much headache. With pre-activated global sim card, I could head out like a pro, readily use translator apps if I wanted to converse with someone.
3. Don't have to worry about the right plan:
If I am to buy a local sim card, I will have to study various operators (who gives better coverage, who charges how much), various plans- validity, data available, charges for calls and so on. Airport counters are often tricky- they may say cheapest plan is out of stock and make you buy a more expensive ones, or due to miscommunication I may select a plan not best suited for my needs- then end up having to top up etc. TSIM saved me lots of trouble.
4. Don't have to predict Data usage.
Most cities will have free WiFi spots using which you can reduce your mobile data usage. But it is hard to predict where you will get WiFi connection and how much mobile data you may have to use. Load too less and you'll be stranded in middle of the road with no data on your phone, load too much and it will go waste as it can't be carried forward to another country and you are unlikely to visit the country anytime soon before the data expires.
TSIM's data never expires and any unused data I can easily use in next country or on my next trip. So TSIM has a clear advantage over local tourism SIMs. With TSIM, whenever there's a WiFi network I could use, I would turn off data and switch to WiFi, keep most of the data intensive activities till I get WiFi, use mobile data only when I am out and need data to navigate. Thus my 4GB recharge could last throughout the trip.
5. Same number for all 6 countries
If I were to pick up one sim card for each country, I would have had 6 different numbers and each time I will have to give new number to friends and family. However TSIM ensures you've one number for all your trips- very easy for friends and family to store and call you if needed.
6. Money saved on taxi
Without a mobile, it is difficult to know how to reach your destination using public transport in a new city. Thus most tourists end up spending lots of money on taxi. A destination say 10-15 kms way from airport can easily cost you 50-75 USD if you take taxi. Figure out how to reach using bus, you may need only 2-3 USD. During my 34 day trip, I never spent a single dollar on taxi ride- always used public transport or just walked. Thus TSIM+ Google maps helped me save lots of money otherwise I had to spend on taxi. No language barrier, no need to ask strangers on how to reach. Switch on data, search on Google Maps, it tells you how to walk to nearest bus stop, which bus number to take, when it is expected, how many stops to ride, where to get down and so on. Super easy and cost effective.
Read my earlier review of TSIM here. I would strongly recommend you getting a TSIM before your next international trip
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