You may recall that we spent two weeks in August traveling in Italy and Switzerland. Having immediate, reliable access to the internet is important to me when I am traveling someplace I never ventured before. So before leaving I purchased virtual sim cards.
Japan
You may be wondering why I started this post with a photo of Denise taken in 2016. (Of course, she looks smashing…but that is not the point.) In October/November of that year, we spent 15 days in China (with personal guides1) and then 15 days in Japan (without a guide). In Japan, we visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and the magical island of Miyajima. Traveling throughout Japan was a breeze because during that trip we carried a local hotspot in our pocket. In doing research for this post I learned that eSims became available that year…but I wasn’t aware of them at the time. Instead, I learned that Japan Wireless would ship a portable hotspot and charger to our first hotel location. For less than $3/day we could use it as much as we needed, and then return it to the provider in a prepaid envelope. Having the security of Google Maps and a translator in our pocket at all times was a godsend. There’s a story about me finding where to drop off the envelope that you can read below if you like.2
eSims
As it is now 2022, and I have a friend named Mike to educate me, this year I purchased eSim services from Airalo.com. (Is this the best provider available? I have no clue … but it worked for us. ) What I learned is that many cellphones now have eSims in addition to the physical sim card. If you want to see if your cellphone has one check here. If your cellphone has an eSim you can purchase a service to connect you to a “local” provider. We purchased a 7-day eSim for Italy for $4.50 and a 7-day eSim for Switzerland ($9.00). I also installed the Airalo app on my iPhone. The moment we landed in Italy, my phone found the local network and we were in business.
When we got to Switzerland it got a bit more complicated. (NB: it could have very well been me!) But eventually, I was able to work it out and we had a Swiss friend acting as our guide so it became unnecessary. I will note that when returning to Spain (we flew in and out of Sevilla) I had to reset the network settings on my iPhone to get my normal Portuguese service back. Annoying … yes. Could there be an easier way? Very likely. While I sold computers I never professed to understand them.
Coming to Portugal?
I often get emails from readers asking me about using their cell phones while traveling in Portugal. Again, I am not an expert…but I will tell you what I think I know.
Many US carriers will offer you a supplement to your existing plan to cover your travel in Portugal. I realize contacting your cellphone provider is likely a hassle, but it probably is worth spending the 2 hours on hold, being told repeatedly how much they value your time, to get the answer. You can also check out this website. Once you have the daily or monthly rate, do a comparison.
Go online, you don’t have to download the app to check prices, and check one or more eSim providers. For example, Airalo will sell you a 30GB/15-day eSim for $19 on the MEO network (the Portuguese cellphone provider we use). You can even buy a 1 GB/7-day plan on NOS (another Portuguese cellphone provider) for only $4.50. Keep in mind, in both of these cases you are buying a data-only plan. But if you install WhatsApp you can make phone calls and send texts to other WhatsApp users. This is the cheapest way to let folks at home know you arrived safely.
Alternatively, once you have landed you can go to a cellphone provider (MEO, NOS, and Vodafone stores are plentiful in most cities). There you can purchase a temporary (30-day) sim card for your phone. Prices start at about €20. This will provide you with a local phone number (i.e. the ability to call hotels, restaurants, etc) and data services. I found the stores were even willing to install the card for me.
Admittedly this is my first (and only) experience with an eSim provider, but we will definitely use it again when the need arises. On the other hand, if you are an expert in these matters…please help a fellow traveler and leave a comment below.
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Next Week: a day in Tomar and another renovation update.
Editor’s Update: After publishing this post, I received an email from a reader with yet another option. She wrote, “We have visited Portugal twice in the last year, and both times we used Portugal Internet. It’s exactly like the local hotspot you used in Japan, and we loved it both times. High speed, carry it anywhere, use it on the road for anything from checking email, to navigation with Siri, to Google Translate. We picked it up at the post office in the Lisbon airport when we arrived and before our flight home dropped it in a mailbox at the airport using the prepaid envelope provided. …It was around 5 euros per day, so probably not a long-term solution, but certainly great for our three-week vacations.”
We used a company called Audley Travel to assist us with the trip. Audley provided a personalized, tailor-made travel experience based on our interests. Our travel consultant began by interviewing us to learn how we like to travel, the type of activities we would enjoy, and the type of accommodations we prefer. They suggested an itinerary and provided a budget. After fine-tuning, they made all arrangements. When we landed in Beijing, and at each city along the way, a local English-speaking guide and driver greeted us. While we didn’t want their guides or a hotel in Tokyo (there was a US military hotel we could use), they did arrange for our airfare and hotels in other Japanese cities. Their service is not cheap…but it is highly recommended.
So it was the day after the 2016 Presidential Election. Watching your election from another country is strange. Watching Donald Trump win the election, for me, was devastating. So our last morning in Japan I asked the hotel front desk attendant where I could deposit the pre-paid envelope (the Japanese version of FedEx) provided by Japan Wireless. He provided instructions and I headed down the street looking for “the box”. An older man sitting on the corner watched. I must have been up and down the street four times when he stopped me and gestured “Can I help?” I showed him the package and he took my arm. As we walked to the correct spot he said only one word, “Trump?” Then we both cried.
Trump … still crying
Your last two sentences synthesize the real value of traveling/living abroad: recognizing America through others’ eyes.