Practically everyone has a smartphone these days and we almost feel naked without data. When you’re travelling, you know the feeling. Wifi coverage in cities is spotty at best and fine you can check your mail and all of that when you get back to your hotel or hostel but we’re so spoiled with having instant access to information. And what about all those selfies we’re taking and our strange obsessiveness to check-in and Instagram on the go. Relying on Wifi sucks.
What ends up happening is you get data withdrawal at some point and you and your group will end up converging on free wifi spots (i.e. Starbucks) like zombies looking for fresh blood.
Read more on Hong Kong
- 2 Day Hong Kong Itinerary
- Top List of Hong Kong Restaurants
- Discovering Hong Kong’s Green Outdoors
- Three Best Side Trips from Hong Kong
- Our Best Hong Kong Content
Where to stay in Hong Kong?
- For something on the luxurious end, St. Regis Hong Kong is pretty amazing. Otherwise, a great hidden gem of a budget property is the Homy Residence. Make sure to read the where to stay in Hong Kong guide.
Here's what we're covering:
Why having a prepaid SIM with data is awesome
- Access to emails if you have important stuff going on back home
- Make emergency calls if you really need it
- Need to search for something on the fly? Now you can
- Maps? I know I talked about the awesome hack to get Google Maps offline but what if you didn’t have to pre-cache everything when you had wifi?
- Instagram, Tweet, Facebook to your heart’s content
Just beware not to get sucked in to your phone while travelling. The whole point of getting out there in the first place was to get away from the craziness of back home right? Look up instead of down.
Find yourself in Hong Kong?
So let’s say you’re in a city like Hong Kong which I was earlier in the year and you’re there for a good 2-3 weeks. Instead of suffering that whole time, why not figure out a solution to your data problems and get a prepaid SIM?
Hong Kong has such an amazing cellular network, you’re pretty much covered everywhere you go.
Prepaid SIM
Just like how you’d get a SIM card back at home for your phone plan, you can easily get one in developed cities like Hong Kong.
A prepaid SIM gives you a local cell phone number and access to the provider’s network. It’s prepaid because you need to load it with money beforehand or buy a starter package. Service will only be provided if there’s credit in the account. Once it runs out, you either have to put more in it or eventually it’ll expire. And of course there’s no contract to sign.
This is perfect for the traveler.
To be specific, this article is focused on the best plan for data and not for a voice + data plan. For me, I really didn’t want to pay extra for a voice plan when I knew I wouldn’t be making any calls. That being said, the data plan I’ll talk about below did give me a cell phone number so in an emergency I could make a call or receive calls which was a nice to have.
Prerequisites
Before we get into the details of the prepaid plan, there are a few things you have to double check with your phone.
- Is it unlocked? This is something that you should’ve made aware of when you purchased your phone. A lot of times when you get a subsidized phone through a cellular provider, it may be locked to them. When in doubt, just check with your cellular company and find out. Only unlocked phones will work on a separate provider that isn’t your home one.
- Is your phone 3G capable and use the UMTS/HSDPA frequency of 2100 MHz? It’s okay if you don’t know but at a minimum I would just make sure your phone can actually accept a SIM card. Most phones circa 2010 should be capable of transmitting and receiving in that frequency. If you’re using an iPhone like myself, you’re pretty much set unless you’re using the CDMA (no SIM card) model.
one2free
At first I thought I’d do a comparison with all the providers out there but I know you really just care about who’s the best and in terms of the best price point and ease of use, it’s gotta be one2free. I did all the research before heading down to Hong Kong and I’d recommend it.
The packages
- 148HKD for 30 days, capped at 3GB
- 258HKD for 30 days, capped at 5GB
- 8HKD per hour, unlimited (fair usage up to 5GB before you are put on a lower priority)
- 28HKD per day, unlimited (fair usage up to 5GB before you are put on a lower priority)
- 78HKD per 7 days, unlimited (fair usage up to 5GB before you are put on a lower priority)
Other features
- Caller ID + Call Waiting is free
- No admin fees
- Expires after 180 days of inactivity
- No contract
- Compatible with micro SIM, mini SIM or nano SIM
Addons
- Local calls = 0.30HKD/minute
- Caller ID + Call Waiting is free
- Local SMS = 0.8HKD/SMS
- International SMS = 3HKD/SMS
I was in Hong Kong for just about 3 weeks and so it made sense to take advantage of package #1 which is bolded. Personally, 3GB is plenty for 3 weeks unless you plan on doing streaming (why are you streaming while travelling??). I used to have a 1GB data plan back home and even that was just enough.
148HKD translates to roughly $21 CAD. Full month of data. Never get lost in Hong Kong.
Speed
Leveraging the CSL network which is one of the largest provider in Hong Kong, this package gets you 3G speeds. There are reports however that some have been able to get speeds comparable to LTE in the center of Hong Kong so that’s pretty darn good.
Where to get it
At the airport
Picking up a One2Free prepaid SIM is easy to do at the airport. After you arrive, head up to the Level 7 Departures Check-in Hall. There, you’ll find a 1010 Shop (CSL) at the end of section F. The nice thing about going to a carrier store is that they can help you set everything up for you.
As an alternative, you can also pick up one of these prepaid SIMs at a Circle K, VanGo and 7-Eleven stores right by the terminal exits.
Tip: If you use an iPhone 5, 5c or 5s, you will need to go to the actual 1010 Shop because these convenience stores don’t have the smaller Nano-SIM cards that you need.
In the city
If you forget to pick up a prepaid SIM at the airport, you still have tons of opportunities to buy it in the city. My recommendation is to find either a 1010 Shop (CSL) or even better a One2Free store. I picked mine up in Causeway Bay. It’s along one of the main streets that leads to the Sogo department store. The sign is huge you pretty much can’t miss it. Like I said, the advantage of going to the store was that they had the nano SIM cards on hand and did all the set up for me so I didn’t need to activate it on my own.
But what if i’m not staying in Hong Kong for that long?
Now I know I was in Hong Kong for 3+ weeks and so one2free had the best bang for buck but what if you’re only there for a week or less? Well don’t worry, I got you covered because there’s another plan by the carrier PCCW that might fit the bill.
Discover Hong Kong Tourist SIM Card
Who doesn’t like special treatment? This one’s designed for tourists through a partnership between PCCW and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
The packages
This is super easy to understand because there are only 2 options.
- 5-day pass for 69HKD (1.5GB of data and unlimited local calling)
- 8-day pass for 118HKD (5GB of data and unlimited local calling)
Other features
- Ability to add on roaming in Macau if you buy the 8-day pass
- Can add on 5 days for 50 HKD which will give you 1.5GB during those extra 5 days and unlimited calling
- International SMS is 1.80 HKD
- International calling is 0.45 HKD/minute
Good to know and gotchas
- Other than the ability to tack on 5 days for either plan, once they run out, they expire
- For the 5 day pass, 25 HKD is preloaded into the card to allow you to call and text
- For the 8 day pass, 35 HKD is preloaded for calling and texting
- Once these preloaded credits are used up, there’s no way of adding anymore
- On the official site, it says that the 8 day pass option only comes in Micro-SIM and not in Nano-SIM while the 5 day pass is suitable for Micro and Nano SIMs
These plans are really good for the price because not only do you get decent data but it also provides the flexibility of being able to call locally. If you look at the details to the plan below, you’ll also notice that charges for SMS (local and international) are a lot cheaper than one2free’s data plan.
The only reason why I didn’t opt for this is because we needed something more than 8 days.
Speed
You get 3G speed for the 5-day pass and up to 4G/LTE speeds with the 8-day pass.
Where to get it
- You can get both Hong Kong Tourist SIM card options in regular SIM or Micro-SIM format at any convenience store including 7-Eleven, Circle K and VanGo
- Like one2free, you can also pick these up straight from the airport terminal
- There are over 60 PCCW stores around Hong Kong so you can always go straight to the carrier store
- You can also pick this up at the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Kowloon Visitor Center at the Star Ferry Concourse in Tsim Sha Tsui
I would recommend getting this from a store than at a convenient store just so you can get someone to help do the activation for you although since this is a tourist card, I’m sure there are instructions in multiple languages.
Tip: If you using an Apple iPhone 5, 5c or 5s, you will need a Nano-SIM which is only available at PCCW retail stores.
Bottom Line
- If you’re going to be a data power-user, I would stick to one2free. It gives you the flexibility of always being able to add more money to the account if you want add-ons or more credits to make those emergency calls and texts. The account also doesn’t expire right away. I purchased the 30 day package but the 7 day for 78 HKD is comparable and more flexible than the 118 HKD 8 day pass.
- If you’re going to be transiting through Hong Kong for only a short period of time and are not worried about the limits and self-destructing nature of the card after 5 or 8 days, this may be the card for you. The price point is quite comparable and I like how it does give you built-in credits to make local/international calls and texts at an extremely reasonable rate. Keep in mind though that once those built-in credits run out, you’re out of luck.
Going Awesome Places recommends: Go with one2free. If you want to make calls, do it on wifi via Skype. Text? Who text’s these days anyways? Just use a chat app like Whatsapp and you’re all set. Data is what you need and at a little over $20 for a month, it’s a pretty solid deal.
What you should read next
Travel Resources For Your Next Trip
If you’re in the process of planning your trip and putting together your itinerary, these are genuinely the best resources that the Going Awesome Places team stands by 100%.
Flights: Of all the booking search engines, Skyscanner is the most helpful and easy to use thanks to their Everywhere feature.
Car Rental: If you’re looking to save money, these car rental coupon codes will be a true game-changer. Otherwise, DiscoverCars and RentalCars are great places to start.
Airport Parking: You’ll need a spot to leave your car at the airport so why not book a spot at a discount. Use code AWESOME7 to get at least $5 off at Airport Parking Reservations or Park Sleep Fly packages.
Hotels: Our go-to is Booking.com because they have the best inventory of properties including hotels and B&Bs. The exception is Asia where Agoda always has the best prices. TripAdvisor is also useful for reviews and bookings.
Vacation Rentals: Airbnb is the market leader but you’d be surprised how you can find cheaper deals on the lesser-known VRBO.
Travel Insurance: Learn how to buy the best travel insurance for you. This isn’t something you want to travel without.
- Insured Nomads – Popular insurance provider for frequent travelers and comes with great coverage and special perks.
- RATESDOTCA – Search engine Canadians looking for the cheapest insurance including multi-trip annual policies.
- SafetyWing – A perfect fit for long-term nomads.
- Medjet – Global air medical transportation.
- InsureMyTrip – Best for seniors, families, and those with pre-existing conditions.
If you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.
con says
Hi
I’m going to Hong Kong for 16 days and would like to have internet access using my ipad, can anyone please tell me what do I need to buy, sim, data plan or etc?
Will Tang says
Hey Con, you’ll need to go to a one2free store to purchase a SIM card. Tell them you’re looking for data only and they should be able to set you right up!
Choy Shu Ting says
What are the limits for SMS and Local & Overseas Calls for 148HKD for 30 days, capped at 3GB?
As I dont understand the diagram.
Will Tang says
Hey! So everything is pay as you go so you can pay the $148 to get 30 days of data capped at 3GB and then SMS and calls are paid as you use it. $0.3 per minute for calls and $0.8 for SMS.
I just took at their current rates and it does look like they’ve raised it. It’s 1GB for $88 over 30 days, $0.25/min for calls, and $0.70 for SMS to non CSL users. Long distance charge table can be found here: https://one2free.hkcsl.com/jsp/prepaid_sim/pdf/IDDRateTable_E.pdf
For their updated rates see: https://one2free.hkcsl.com/jsp/prepaid_sim/idd_roaming_prepaid_sim/charges/charges.jsp
Shu Ting says
Hi!
So what I understand is that, I have to top up this SIM card if there are no balance left, in order to use the calls & SMS right?
And for the 1G for $88, that one is under the Value-Add Services. So if i would like to subscribe, i would have to subscribe it at a CSL store?
Will Tang says
Yes that’s correct. The easiest way to do it I found was just to do it all directly at a One2Free store. Those guys know everything there is to know about the plans and topping up so I just let them do it. I was in and out in 15 minutes more or less!
Migs says
Hi! Would like to ask if the Discover Hong Kong Tourist Prepaid sim also works while in Macau? Am going on a vacation in HK for a few days and will have a side trip to Macau. Thanks!
Will Tang says
Hey!
So with the prepaid SIM, from what I remember it works in Macau but the rates are different though so I would double check. It was nice to have on my phone but I definitely tried not to use it just in case.
Lily@Tom&Toon says
I love the system in Japan. Their service are cheap and reliable. The one that also comes with phones.
Raymond says
Luckily I live here so I have a contract but I do know lots of people just use rechargable pre-paid SIM cards. There is a huge market here for the Filipina domestic workers who really need to keep in touch with back home, but don’t want to be locked into contracts.
Try World Wide House in Central for some of the shops who sell cheapie SIMs targetting at this market, they are still using the main networks (CSL, PCCW etc) but have special deals too.