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Travelling Abroad requires a lot of planning. Making smart and informed choices regarding your mobile phone is essential. Buying a prepaid sim card for overseas use will definitely save you money while making your daily communication easier with friends, loved ones, and business associates. There are many options available and we have researched and outlined the most popular choices of prepaid sim cards in Australia. Click on the Brands below to visit their website.

It is also important to note that at times it may be easier to simply purchase a prepaid sim card from one of the local mobile carriers in the country that you are visiting. This will likely cut down on costs.

However, if you do not want to lose the practical advantages of having your Australian Prepaid Sim Card with you, then our list below showcases the top mobile carriers and what they have to offer. It is also wise to remember that if your Smartphone is locked to one network it is likely that it will need to be unlocked to use most of these prepaid sims.

Mobile Phone Options for Travelling Abroad – Prepaid Sims

1) Vodafone

5 AUD daily plan For people headed overseas, there is little that could beat the amazing 5 dollars a day roaming plan that Vodafone has. This deal is available on all postpaid plans, including the month to month deals that it offers in Australia. This plan will let you use your plan’s data, voice and text allowance for a flat 5 dollars every day in close to 46 countries all over the world. Examples of countries covered include: New Zealand, The United States, The United Kingdom and other countries in Europe and Asia.

You will also get access to unlimited standard calls to the motherland as well as in the country that you are currently visiting. You will also enjoy free text messages.

For countries that are not in the 5 dollars a day flat rate, you will be charged a flat rate of 1$ per minute for all calls made and 1$ for every megabyte used on the internet. These plans are great for short trips up to 2 weeks. Travelling for long periods can get expensive on these plans if overused.

2) The Optus 10$ per day Travel Packs

Optus also has great travel packs that will make international roaming hassle free. For example, you will have access to unlimited standard calls and international calls and texts together with 50 MB of data for a flat rate of 10$ every day when in the following areas: New Zealand, The UK, The US, Canada, Asia and Europe.

When your travel pack runs out, charges will be as follows: 1$ per minute for calls, 50 cents for each SMS sent and 50 cents for data. These plans are great for short trips up to 2 weeks. Travelling for long periods can get expensive on these plans if overused.

3) Telstra Data Packs

Telstra has the reputation for having the greatest coverage and least black holes in Australia.However, its international roaming rates are not particularly good. For example, Telstra offers 100MB of data at 29$, 85$ for 300 MB and 600 MB for 160$ before topping out at 1GB for 350$. Each data pack is valid for 30 days from the day of activation and can be used in about 50 countries from New Zealand to Canada, Europe, Asia and The US. These plans are designed for longer term travel. When travelling for a minumum of 2-4 weeks these bundle packs become moreappealing and better value as they last for 30 days.

4) Truphone: Local Anywhere

Truphone adds a spanner to the works by allowing an Aussie traveler to view most of the world as a single roaming zone, all while using their local phone numbers. The Truphone World ‘300, plan features 300 voice minutes, 300 SMS and 300MB for 55$ every month. There are similar plans such as 500 plan, 1000 and 2000 plans that are priced at 71.50$, 104.50$ and 159.50$ per month respectively. Truphone is excellent for people who tend to travel to many countries all year round and especially business travelers as it offers local rates and phone numbers to users all on the one sim.

5) Woolworth’s Global Roaming Sim Card

For only 29$, you can get the Woolworth global roaming sim card, together with 10$ credit for making phone calls and purchasing data. The sim card is active in over 180 countries, and the fact that you can recharge online is a huge plus for weary travelers who would not want to start looking for scratch cards in the middle of the night. The company also has a page dedicated to comparing rates among all the major sim card companies offering global roaming sim card. As such, you can exercise your judgment in choosing the best card for your purposes. The global data only bundles are also competitive, with 250 MB going for 40$ with a 7-day expiry date, 500 MB for 60$ and 1GB for 90$ both with a 30-day expiry date. Despite being a well recognised brand in Australia and offering good rates there are many stories of the Woolies Sim card not working or being extremely difficult for travelers. Please post your experiences with all Sim cards in the comments below.

6) Gosim International Sim Card

Get the Gosim international sim card at only 19$ to have access to the following benefits:

a) Calls from 15 cents per minute

b) Have access to more than 195 countries worldwide

c) 10$ credit included, further reducing the cost of acquiring a sim card

d) Enjoy having no connection fees

e) Send text messages at 15 cents per text message

Data rates are competitively priced, starting from 35 cents per MB depending on the country that you are visiting. The company also offers bonus data depending on the type of bundle that you subscribe to. For example, the lite data bundle costing 49$ will give you 65$ value, while the medium data bundle going for 69$ gives you 140$ value and the heavy data bundle pack for 119$ unlocks 360$ worth of data bundles. This represents a credit bonus of 30%, 100% and 200% respectively.

7) Australia Post Prepaid Travel Sim

For 24.95$, the Australia Post Prepaid Travel sim will unlock the following for you:

a) One contact number to use in over 190 countries

b) No contract, no minimum spend requirements and no hidden charges

c) Unlimited free web-based SMS to your travel sim

d) 5$ call credit when you buy your travel sim

e) 0.50$ per MB while in Europe

f) 24/7 personal assistant services when you encounter difficulties

g) Loyalty program for airlines and hotels that rewards you with 1 mile for every minute

called.

My girlfriend and I used the option when travelling to America previously. It was easy to reload and reliable to use but the rates for calls, texts and data were not as competitive as other options.

8) TravelSIM

TravelSIM is a roaming service that will give you access to over 190 countries. It is interesting to note that with this sim card, your friends and family will be able to call you toll-free and also send you web-based SMSs. There are no hidden charges, connection charges and flag falls with the TravelSIM. The sim card is prepaid, meaning that you will not see any surprise bills at your front door at the end of the month.

There is a personal assistant service on standby 24/7 that you can call when you experience difficulties. The official website for TravelSIM has a page for frequent travelers to calculate and compare rates while using the prepaid sim card for overseas travel.

The TravelSIM starter pack goes for 49.95$, though it includes a 20$ call credit, which means that its true cost is about 29.95$.

9) Aussie Sim

The Aussie sim is for travelers visiting popular hotspots such as the UK, Europe, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The company also claims to have rates that are 95% cheaper than using your Australian mobile phone. It will cost you approximately 24.95$-39.95$ to purchase an Aussie sim card for global travel. This offer comes with free shipping. Being primarily focused on South East Asian countries and Europe this option is aimed at backpackers

The sim card will give you coverage in over 175 countries. The company has an interactive web page where you can calculate call, text and data rates in the country of your choice.

Please Share your tips, tricks, and stories in the comments section so that others can benefit on their travels!

*We aim to provide up to date content and information but care should always be taken when purchasing products from retailers. If any information provided is no longer correct then please email us at optimisetravelaustralia@gmail.com or post in the comments section

Exchanging Travel Money

Credit Cards – Travel Money Cards – Travellers Cheques – Cash

When Exchanging Travel Money we are constantly being bombarded with deals and being told the best way to use our Australian Dollars when we travel. Most of the time it is companies promoting their product as ‘the best’ or ‘the safest’ product for the consumer when their main focus is it exploit travellers with hidden fees and charges.

I have travelled to many countries, changed many currencies, used many types of Bank Cards and even cashed travellers cheques before (yes that’s old school). These experiences always left me feeling that I had been ripped off and that I had lost a lot of money during the process. My aim is to explain the Pros and Cons with each method so travellers can make smart choices and get more when Exchanging Travel Money.

Credit Cards ‘CC’

are dangerous if used without self discipline and this can be amplified when travelling abroad. Banks charge a currency conversation fee, meaning that when you buy in a foreign currency the bank of the CC will take between 0.5% – 3% of the purchase price as a fee. Eg: if you buy a 200 USD pair of shoes in New York on your Australian CC with a 2% fee, you pay an extra $5.50 AUD just for using your card. If you like swiping your card these fees will quickly accumulate.
You are locked into the banks exchange rate with the currency you purchase in and this is often unfavourable for the traveller
Credit Card fraud is more common outside of Australia and I have many friends who have been scammed for thousands of dollars (feel free to post your story in the comments section)
One benefit (depending on your type of card) is that these purchases both in Australia and abroad can contribute to Frequent Flyers points and bonuses that can be used at a later date.
Please visit our article on Credit Cards and Frequent Flyer points for more information on Australian Credit Cards

Travel Money Cards ‘TMC’

This type of Bank Card acts similar to a Debit Card in that you preload your card with however much ‘cash’ you would like and once you it runs out you will need to add more usually from your internet banking. Many of these cards allow you to set specific currencies ahead of time so that travellers can see how much of a local currency they have in their account. In facilitating this convenience to its customers, banks take various fees and charges. Like Credit Cards, many banks will charge a currency conversion fee for your transaction also while using travel money cards.

Please read our article on different Travel Money Cards which breaks down the fees and charges you will encounter and also the benefits of this type of card.

Cash

As the old saying goes. Cash is King. In my experiences as a traveller, CASH will give you best value for your Australia Dollar.

But what does that mean?

Do I carry Australian dollars to another country?

Or do I buy foreign currency before I go?

Where should I do this?

And most of all…is it safe?

Most of us who travel abroad will have little experience in exchanging travel money to and from Australian Dollars. This can make for an uncomfortable experience, especially in a foreign country and often feels like it is bordering on some type of illegal activity. This is not the case and problems rarely arise when following some simple steps to keep safe and get the best rates.

In Australia:

Banks and foreign exchange shops are commonly used and found in all major areas of the country with the majority located in big cities and close to the tourist hot spots. These are all safe and secure but offer various rates for different currencies. Travelex offers best rate guarantees on many currencies but negotiating is key when making a transaction and smaller, independent FOREX places can call their bosses and ask for a better rate than what is advertised. Things to keep in mind when Exchanging Travel Money.

Always use foreign exchange that is situated in safe and visible street location
Play different FOREX places against each other to get the lowest rate
Travelex and small independent venues have ability to lower rates beyond advertised market rates
Check our currency converter for same day median rates and aim to get as close to that as possible (top right of homepage)
The larger amount of money you exchange the more negotiating power you have
NEGOTIATING is key. If you do not ask for a better rate then you will not receive one

Overseas

Many of the tips that apply within Australia will also apply in foreign countries. Changing money in a secure, safe and open location is a priority in any countries where crime an increased concern. Also being aware that people may be watching you and taking care of your bags and belongings is always a good idea. Using the room safe to keep your cash, passport or other valuables is also highly recommended. Just don’t forget your belongings when you checkout!

AUD is readily accepted in almost all foreign destinations with the best returns coming from checking our currency converter rates, changing larger amounts of cash and negotiating for every last peso, yuan, dinar, lira or dollar.

Bringing Money back to Australia

A few years ago on the rare occasion that I had money left over in a foreign currency I would be madly exchanging it at the airport a few minutes before departing on my flight home. This resulted in me taking whatever rate was available and not giving it a lot of thought as to how I could better use my leftover cash.

Nowadays I bring home my foreign cash instead of losing out to the FOREX places. If I bring $200 USD back from the states to Australia I will simply save it and change it with a friend (or a friend of a friend) who is travelling in the next few months. This benefits both parties because neither have to pay fees for exchanging money.

Of course, I would probably not bother to bring Nigerian Naira back to Australia but currencies from places like Indonesia, the United States, Thailand, Hong Kong and Euros can be easily sold to someone you know or possibly saved if you plan on returning to the same destination in the future.

Travellers Cheques

With modern technology and increased security in the digital age this form of currency exchange has been largely fazed out and is not widely used. I would not recommend buying travel cheques but if you would like to use this method then talking with your bank is a must.

Changing currency when travelling is often a difficult and frustrating experience. By following these steps you can tackle this stressful task confidently and with the knowledge that you are not being ripped off.

If you have any suggestions for exchanging travel money please comment below and share your experiences in the comments below