Simify Global eSIM - Eliminate Travel Stress In One Fell Swoop

If the information age has achieved one thing, it's making the world smaller.

Yesterday, my 22 year-old daughter asked me how people knew their friends and acquaintances were travelling overseas, back in the bad-old days before the internet and social media.

I had to admit, they probably didn't. Often the first you knew someone had been abroad was when they came back - once they got their photos developed, of course.

Things have certainly changed.

These days, if your WhatsApp group hasn't received its daily photo dump of your travels, they'll probably assume you've been kidnapped and killed.

Today, getting away from it all doesn't mean disconnecting. If anything, between navigating strange cities, translating foreign languages and accessing stored travel documents, if you can't stay online when you're away, your trip could be a real disaster.

And yet, using your phone overseas can still be breathtakingly expensive and mystifyingly complicated.

But it doesn't have to be.

Simify is an Australian-based eSIM provider that can make sure at least the connectivity part of your travel equation stays affordable and reliable.

We've all heard stories (or even been the subject of them) of people being stung by exorbitant roaming fees - returning home only to be faced with an unexpected and regrettable phone bill to pay.

Of course, the smart thing to do is research the local market in your destination country, figure out who's offering the best data deal and grab one of their SIM cards the moment you exit the airport.

Sounds simple in theory but if you've ever tried to do this, you'll know the reality is a bit more complicated.

Will the cheap data plan you've found online still be available when you get to where you're going? Even if it is, is there a retail outlet in or close to the airport that sells that particular plan? And even if there is, can you find it?

What's more, are you really up to dealing with any of this faff after hours of sleepless air travel and the always-pleasurable experience of making your way through customs and hopefully wrangling your luggage off the baggage carousel?

Oh, and one more thing... What if you're travelling to more than one country? Even if you're only stopping over somewhere for a night or two, are you seriously prepared to restrict yourself to your hotel's Wi-Fi for several days just because travel data is too complicated and expensive?

Brace yourself for a pretty full-on humble brag. I've just got back from the trip of a lifetime.

To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, Domestic Manager and I flew to Italy, spent a few days training about, then jumped on a cruise that stopped in Greece, Croatia and Montenegro.

Originally, we were flying through Dubai on the way there and back but thanks to one Mr. D. Trump, that got militarily complicated, so we ended up with a night in Hong Kong either end of our holiday instead.

Pretty cool, right?

But you've probably spotted the logistical challenge; at least five different countries, not to mention a large ship out on the open sea. However is one supposed to upload one's pics to the cloud each day?

Turns out, the answer was Simify's Global eSIM.

For the uninitiated, an eSIM works the exact same way as a physical SIM card does, except instead of inserting it into a little slot on the side of your phone, you usually just scan a QR code and enter an activation number.

The first obvious advantage is there's no need to hunt down a particular phone store the second you arrive in a country you've never been to before. The Simify Global eSIM covers a comprehensive list of 128 countries and what's more, you can activate it before you even leave home, so it's good to go the second that seatbelt sign goes out after you've landed.

If it sounds simple, it really is. From rooftop bars in Wan Chai to the site of the world's oldest olive tree just outside the port of Bar, my trusty Simify Global eSIM kept me online wherever I went - with comprehensive 5G more often than not.

If this sounds like connectivity overkill, wait till you get left behind by your bus tour in Siena, more than an hour's drive away from your hotel and the rest of your stuff in Florence. Having immediate access to all your travel documents and booking information at that point is pretty helpful, let me assure you.

But the real challenge our itinerary posed was the cruise.

Cruise lines are notorious for overcharging when it comes to two things in particular; drinks and Wi-Fi packages. Inconveniently, when you're out at sea, they kind of have you over a barrel in both departments. Or do they?

While there wasn't much my Simify eSIM could do about the cost of an Old Fashioned, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how well it kept working when I was on board the boat. In fact, Domestic Manager had opted for an eSIM from a different company that was supposed to work well specifically in Italy and while at sea. She was somewhat put out to discover my Simify option out-performed it.

Now, there's not much any SIM can do once you sail over the horizon and sure enough, on our two "At Sea" days, neither of us had much luck connecting to cell towers many nautical miles away. But once any coastline came into view - and I do mean any - including Albania, where we never even docked - my ever-reliable Simify went right to work, at which point Domestic Manager would begrudgingly hotspot off my phone because her dumb SIM wasn't doing squat.

Thirty years of wedded bliss. Isn't it romantic?

As far as I can tell, Simify makes no claims about continuing to work aboard big boats. Just a surprise bonus, I guess. Especially since I understand from those who shelled out for the pricey ship Wi-Fi packages, it was absolute rubbish and didn't work half the time anyway.

Unfortunately, if I had one gripe about using Simify, it's the same issue I have with so many products and services these days; overmarketing.

Guess what, guys? If I'm already using your product - you know, literally on my holiday, in other countries, using your eSIM to stay in touch, the last thing I need to turn up in my inbox is an email extolling the virtues of a Simify's Global eSIM. Every second day or so.

At least wait till I get home when maybe - just maybe - I might be starting to plan my next trip.

In saying that, I'll admit the Simify team does have a cute tone to its advertising. Here's a direct quote from the email I received just this morning:

"Here's something we've noticed - in our own travels and thousands of yours: we plan for one country and end up in three. Honestly, that's the best version of any adventure. The one that leaves room for spontaneity.

There's always a night in Singapore on the way over. A cheap flight into Vietnam that someone spotted at 11pm. A quick detour through KL because it was basically on the way.

Worrying about data should be the last thing on your mind. When you're crossing two or ten countries in one trip, our Global eSIM may end up being cheaper than buying separate plans for each; with a whole lot less hassle."

I couldn't have put it better myself. But I still could have done without the email because that's literally what I'd just been doing on my cruise!

As Simify clearly points out, while they offer country-specific plans, by the time you're visiting three or four, the omnipotence of the Global eSIM probably works out cheaper, starting at just $NZ9.00 a day and getting progressively cheaper the longer you sign up for and the more eSIMs you require.

Best of all, if you like to plan everything out well in advance, you can buy a Simify eSIM up to 6 months before you need to use it, with its QR and activation codes stashed away safely in your holiday email folder.

International travel can be overwhelming enough without worrying about how you're going to stay in touch every time you cross a new border. For nine bucks a day - or even less, Simify takes care of that worry so you can focus on the fun stuff... even - as it turns out - at sea.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Simify Global eSIM.