This Service Gives You Phone Data Abroad With No Charge To Your Phone Plan

One of the peskiest things about traveling abroad is figuring out international data service for your smart phone. Going through your current carrier is often costly due to roaming fees, and some pre-paid carriers don’t offer the service at all. Your choices now are to either stay completely reliant on Wi-Fi and your traveling companions or inconveniently try to purchase the right SIM card on arrival. Unless you have an eSIM card, which you probably do even if you didn’t know about it — enter GigSky.

eSIM cards replace the physical data cards from your carrier, making it easy to add more data from a different carrier. GigSky is an app that you can download before you leave home that will connect you to a plan in whatever country you’re visiting at a reasonable price. The service has plans available for use in over 190 countries. It’s a pay-as-you-go system offers packages starting at just 10 dollars. Often you’ll see plans that cover an entire region, like Latin America or Europe, so if you plan to stay for a while, you can purchase anywhere from a one-day plan to a 30-day plan.

There’s even a worldwide plan that offers you data everywhere it’s available. If your phone doesn’t have eSIM technology (here’s the current list), you can also buy a physical card on the GigSky website, which will be mailed to you and that you can add more data to easily on the go.

How to activate an eSIM card

Activating an eSIM card is easy. All you need to do is look up the country (or countries) you’re traveling to, and the app will pull up all of its data plan options. Once you choose how many gigabytes and days you’ll need service, the app will walk you through all the setting changes to activate your plan. Keep in mind, the data isn’t attached to your phone number that’s connected to your carrier back home, so be sure to follow all the instructions carefully, so you’re still able to be reached via iMessage, FaceTime, etc.

So, no more coming home from your vacation to a giant phone bill or waiting in line at the airport for a SIM card. As soon as you hop off the plane, bee-line it to wherever you’re staying and start enjoying your destination — all while staying connected.