In today’s world, international roaming feels like such a backwards idea. Why is it so complicated when all you want to do is grab your phone, fly to a new country, and just have things work? This is something we’ve all wrestled with whether it was your recent trip to Europe or you’ve crossed the border and nothing works anymore.
While making actual phone calls is less important these days, what really matters to us having reliable data – LTE, 3G or even worse, the dreaded E for Edge. So today, I’d like to introduce you to KnowRoaming and why I think they’re my favourite solution to handle my smartphone data needs when I travel.
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Here's what we're covering:
Why does roaming suck?
Here’s everything wrong with how data roaming works today. Let me know if you relate!
- Roaming with your home data plan is almost always expensive
- Changing SIM cards sucks
- Buying a SIM card locally sucks because you’re mobbed by companies at the airport and you don’t know who has the best coverage and pricing
- Throttling – you never know when you’re getting truly the fastest speed
- You really don’t want to carry another device with you (wifi hotspots)
- Your home provider will fully take advantage of you if you don’t activate a package before you hit the road
- Rates on data overages are killer
I can probably go on and on but one that is becoming more difficult to navigate is ultimately, what is either the best global SIM card for data or more specifically when in Europe.
Let me show you why KnowRoaming has changed the game.
Roaming totally sucks but it shouldn't have to! #roamfreelyClick To TweetWhat is KnowRoaming?
KnowRoaming is a local Toronto-based company that provides well…roaming solutions for the everyday traveller like you and I. They were the ones that pioneered and developed the world’s first global SIM sticker in 2013 and they’ve only continued to grow since then.
For me, what sets them apart is their ease of use, coverage, and price point. Let me explain.
Ease of use
Let’s focus on the global SIM sticker first. This was a radically new concept when it first came out. What if you could literally turn your existing SIM card into a dual SIM? That’s essentially what you’re able to do with KnowRoaming’s sticker SIM. You stick it onto the metal contact part of your existing card and pop it into your phone and that’s it!
Wait so how does that work?
Well I’m glad you asked! It’s the app that controls the magic in the SIM sticker technology. Here’s a step-by-step for what happens:
- Turn international roaming ON before you leave your home country
- Purchase a package that matches your needs
- Arrive in your new country
- KnowRoaming app detects you’re not on your home carrier anymore and automatically switches over to the sticker SIM
- Follow the simple 2-tap process to enable the KnowRoaming network profile on your phone
- Activate the package you purchased through the app
- Off you go
Now a few frequently asked questions I get are:
- Do you get a new phone number with this SIM? – Yes, the SIM will give you a new US number
- If someone calls me on my home phone number, what happens? – You won’t be reachable but they do have a ReachMe call forwarding service which costs as little as $3/month
- Can I keep the sticker on my SIM even when I’m home? – Yes, once you come back home, the SIM will automatically switch you back to your home SIM and it’s business as usual
I’ve also been pretty happy with the app in general as they make it quite transparent how much money you still have on your account, what package you have selected, what a-la-carte rates are if you’re not using a package, and what your usage is.
Coverage
This has improved a lot since I started using KnowRoaming but they are currently up to 200+ countries. The full list can be found on the KnowRoaming rates page.
When it comes to their unlimited packages, the countries whittle down to 125+ but it’s still really good global coverage in my opinion.
Price Point
Now onto the best part! What KnowRoaming does really well is a fine-tuned balance between your choice of unlimited and GB bundles.
Best value bundles for Europe
Europe data plans are probably the best example to look at. What you’ll notice is that the special Europe promo data plans give the best bang for buck but note that these are limited time offerings for peak travel seasons.
Coverage | Data | Number of Days | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Global | Unlimited | 1 | $7.99 |
Global | Unlimited | 2 | $11.99 *limited time only* |
Global | Unlimited | 3 | $23.97 |
Global | Unlimited | 7 | $55.93 |
Global | Unlimited | 10 | $59.99 USD *limited time only* |
Global | 1GB | 7 | $25 USD |
Europe | 1GB | 7 | $10 USD *limited time only* |
Europe | 5GB | 14 | $45 USD *limited time only* |
Europe | /MB | N/A | $0.15/MB (pay per use) |
On my recent trip to the Czech Republic and Germany, I activated the seasonal 5GB Europe plan for $45 USD and for my two weeks there, I never had any data connectivity issues and even with the amount of social media that I was doing, I never experienced any slow down in speed since I wasn’t on an unlimited plan. 5GB was plenty for 14 days.
Why did I go with that plan and not an unlimited plan? A big part of my choice was around the number of days I was in Europe. The largest unlimited plan goes up to 10 days and if I chose that one, I’d be left with 4 days without data not to mention I’d be paying more than $45.
The only other cost you need to consider is for the SIM card itself:
- Global SIM sticker is $29.99 USD (Comes with $10 credit)
- Standard SIM card is $9.99 USD
Other features and considerations
WhatsApp bonus – Essentially, for a period of 30 days after making a purchase on your account, you won’t get billed for any data usage that comes through WhatsApp.
Ability to purchase local numbers – Something that is pretty unique is the ability to buy local numbers depending on where you are. This way, locals can call you without it being a long-distance number to the US.
Customer service – There were one or two times where something didn’t seem to work with the activation of my package and so I emailed customer support. They got back to me almost immediately and took care of my problem.
KnowRoaming gotchas
There are a few things you should know about before you decide whether or not you want to use KnowRoaming.
- Unlimited data – KnowRoaming does have throttling as part of their Fair Use Policy but it doesn’t sound like it’s a hard limit. It reads: “Generally, we place no limitations on accounts drawing less than 250 MB per day. However, we reserve the right to scale access speed for individual accounts down to 2G (128 kbps) speeds once the user’s daily usage significantly exceeds the average on our network or begins to impact the ability of other customers to access data services. “
- SIM sticker compatibility – The SIM card doesn’t work in the following conditions:
- Sprint
- Verizon
- Locked devices
- NFC tap payment
- Cut SIM cards
- Dual SIM devices (readers have pointed out that this actually does work)
- Unlocked – This brings up the fact that your phone must be unlocked to a provider. If you’re Canadian, you can request to unlock your phone by any of the main carriers for FREE!
- Account balance expiry – Any prepaid credit and unused data packages expire 9 months from your last purchase so don’t let your balances linger around and don’t put in more than you need.
- Calls and texts – So far, I haven’t even talked about calling at all but if you’re curious about that, the app has a full breakdown of rates for inbound calls, outbound calls, and text messages
Comparing KnowRoaming with competitors
What makes the landscape confusing is that there are so many players in the market now trying to tug you their way. I think the fairest way of seeing how they compare against one another is to do a as close as possible apples-to-apples comparison.
Unlimited Price | PER DAY | Data Price | PER GB | SIM Price | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KnowRoaming | $59.99 (10 days) | $6 | $45/5GB (14 days) | $9 | $10 (sticker SIM) or $5 (regular SIM) after 50% code GOPLACES50 | |
GigSky | N/A | N/A | $50/5GB (30 days) | $10 | $9.99 (data only) | |
KeepGo | N/A | N/A | $219/10GB (forever) | $21.90 | $49 (includes 1GB, data only) | |
Roam Mobility (Always Online Wireless) | $9.99 per day capped at 200MB/day | $9.99 | $89.99/3GB (30 days) | $30 | $14.95 | |
Gosim | N/A | N/A | $45/5GB (30 days) | $9 | $10 (data only) | |
Skyroam | $9 per day | $9 | N/A | N/A | $149.99 for hotspot (get 10% off here) | Throttling to 2G kicks in after 500GB |
Pokefi | $15 (5 days) | $3 | $15/5GB (2 years) | $3 | $169 for hotspot | Throttling to 2G kicks in after 750MB Coverage only 60 countries |
Rogers | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $12/day to "Roam like home" They don't have any roaming packages |
Telus | N/A | N/A | $120/1GB | $120 | N/A | $12/day to "Roam like home" |
T-Mobile | Free unlimited 2G data with qualifying plans $5/day for full speed | Free/$5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Full speed capped to 512MB |
Verizon | N/A | N/A | $130/2GB | $65 | N/A | $10 travel pass to use home data allowances |
If you study this table and focus in on the PER DAY and PER GB columns, KnowRoaming stacks up really well against other options that include international SIM card providers and wifi hotspot companies. What sticks out to me is that KnowRoaming is one of the few that offers both voice and data on their SIM as most others are strictly data. This is pretty important because what if you want to quickly dial out to a number or you need someone to call you?
With the exception of PokeFi which has exceptional prices but poor coverage and T-Mobile which offers really amazing roaming plans, I’d say KnowRoaming has positioned themselves in a really good spot. Their SIM card prices are on par and the per GB and per day rates when broken down are near the top of the pack.
Why not get a local SIM?
So you might also be wondering, why go with an international roaming SIM like KnowRoaming when I can get a cheaper local SIM. Yes, it could be cheaper but in my experience sometimes the trouble isn’t worth it.
- Having to spend time finding a physical store and making sure you have a passport with you
- Paying an additional activation/SIM card fee
- Challenges of deciphering foreign websites to try to find the information that you’re looking for
- Poor customer service via the in-store sales reps
- Most plans do not include roaming (great if you’re staying only in one country but if you decide to bounce around you’ll have to sign up for a card at each destination)
- Refilling/topping up credit is often complicated through the phone or you have to go in-store again
For some trips it makes sense because the cost savings are ridiculous but it is always more of a hassle than just flicking on a switch on your phone and having roaming activated.
Bottom line
KnowRoaming is one of the best Europe SIM cards for data. It is an option that provides flexibility by being able to make regular calls while having very competitive rates whether you want to go for an unlimited bundle or pay by the gigabyte. One that that you can’t forget is the convenience of not having to swap SIM cards, the fact that WhatsApp data activity is entirely free, and the app is really easy to use and gives you the information you need. Ultimately it just works.
Grab a KnowRoaming SIM with code GOPLACES50
So how about you? What’s been your experience with SIM cards like this and other data roaming solutions? Have one that I’ve missed that you’d like to add to the comparison table? Don’t be shy and drop a comment below!
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.
Eva says
I’ve had the KnowRoaming physical sticker since 2017 and it worked fine. I’ll be traveling to Europe again in the not so distant future and I thought I’d give eSIM a try. I requested my iPhone XSMax be unlocked from AT&T, purchased an eSIM from Airalo and set it up with a $3.00 1GB 7 days of data only to practice with in the US.
Here’s where it got strange. When the eSIM from Airalo is activated my KnowRoaming sim was also being used! The KnowRoaming profile isn’t even downloaded. It was just dumb luck that I took a look at my KnowRoaming app and that’s when it told me I was ON KnowRoaming and NOT on my home sim. Once I toggled off the Airalo sim the KnowRoaming sim app told me I was back on my home sim.
Have you come across this happening?
Will Tang says
Hey Eva, that is definitely strange behaviour. So even when you were at home in the US, KnowRoaming was switching ON? Have you looked into manually forcing it to be on your SIM card? I wonder if there’s also weird behaviour with eSIM. Have you reached out to KnowRoaming?
Asaf says
STAY AWAY!
Read the policy: “All prepaid credit and unused data packages will expire nine (9) months after the last prepaid credit purchase”!
Will Tang says
That’s a good heads up – Yes make sure you use your credits and don’t leave them in there.
Amilcar says
Doesn’t work!! And customer service it’s even worse. You will only find out it doesn’t work when the sim chip arrives by mail and you already refilled with U$25. They keep making you try different settings on your phone and in the end they don’t refund you!!! Don’t buy it!!
Will Tang says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with your Knowroaming SIM. Did you end up figuring it out at all? With Knowroaming (if you were on the sticker one), there’s that step you need to install a new profile when you’re in a new country and all of that which I know is not necessarily as intuitive. I’ve had luck with using it all around the world.
E La says
False advertisement, worst service ever. Purchased a 7-day unlimited package, on the fourth day, service was terminated due to “excessive usage”. How is using 2GB data in total of 4 days as excessive! I was asked to top up the account in order to continue the service. If you have a limited 2GB data package, do not sell it as Unlimited Data plan, avoid KnowRoaming at all cost! Many airports have vending machines for data sim card.
Will Tang says
Ah I’m sorry to hear that! I’m surprised that they terminated the service though. Did you speak to customer service? They said that you had to top it up to continue further? I can definitely put you in touch with the right person to get that corrected although I know that it’s probably too late.