Some great news for travellers who want internet on the go

15/6/2017

Many of you have attended our 'Travelling with your iPad and iPhone (and other Technology)' class, in which we look at (amongst other things) the options for keeping in touch via phone and internet while you are away.

We talk about the risk of 'bill shock' from using mobile data while travelling, and the options that you have for avoiding this nasty experience.

One of the options discussed is purchasing and using a 'travel SIM'. These special SIMs provide you with relatively cheap call rates and, in many cases these days, also offer 'data packs' and 'bundles' that can give you access to reasonably priced mobile data.

One such 'travel SIM' is actually called TravelSIM, and is available from Australia Post outlets or online.

Just today, I received an email from TravelSIM (as we have used this SIM previously in our travels), advising that there have been some changes to their 'Data Packs' - changes that are really worth a look!

See below for the content of that email, which I thought many iTandCoffee subscribers and clients would find of interest.

The email advised that you can now purchase really reasonably priced data packs for your Travel SIM when you are travelling through Europe and the UK.

For more details about the Travel SIM offering, here is their website.

If you are reading this article during June 2017, the web page referred to above currently states that you "receive a BONUS 1GB European Data Pack valued at $25 when you buy and activate a TravelSIM Starter Pack in June".

So, this one may well be worth considering for your next European adventure.

Email received from TravelSim

Our Data Packs Are Changing

Hi Lynette,

We want to let you know about exciting new changes to our data packs. We know how important data is to our customers, and we have been working hard to deliver improved packs with significantly higher data allowances and better rates.New European data packsOur new European data packs are available in 31 countries and save users over 90% on data rates. The new packs can now be purchased online or by calling our 24/7 contact centre. Add a data pack here.

European data packs available in 3 new sizes

1GB | $25 | 2.5c/MB
3GB | $65 | 2.2c/MB
5GB | $100 | 2c/MB

European data pack countries
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

Zone 1 is being replaced
Zone 1 packs are being replaced with new European data packs providing significantly cheaper rates for our customers. Zone 1 packs will no longer be available for purchase online or over the phone.

If you have purchased a Zone 1 pack, it will continue to work normally and upon completion of the pack you will be provided with an SMS recharge option. However, if you are travelling to one of the European countries listed above, it is highly recommended that you purchase one of our new data packs.

Countries no longer eligible for data packs
Six Zone 1 countries will no longer be covered by our new data packs: USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Gibraltar and Guadeloupe. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We wish you all the best on your upcoming travels.

The TravelSIM team

How to protect yourself when using Wi-Fi when travelling ...

Of course, you probably don't want to rely ONLY on mobile data while you travel. You will most likely want to use Wi-Fi at your accomodation and in public places.

As you may hear frequently in the press, such use of these Wi-Fi networks is not aways safe. It is strongly recommended that you consider installing and using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your device/s.

When this is mentioned in our 'Travel' classes, the question we are often asked is 'which one'.

For iTandCoffee Club members, here is a list of reviewed and ranked VPN services, as at June 2017. (Are you a member? Find out more about The iTandCoffee Club here.)