When I’ve been abroad before, staying connected has always been an issue. Since 2016 in particular, when data roaming charges came into force in the EU due to Brexit, I’ve just relied on WiFi. This has been fine for some destinations, but that was before we booked Japan, a country which basically requires data in order to get around. We had heard a lot about Sim Local and wanted to use and review their eSIM for future travels.
This is everything that we found out to help you with your next adventure. I have also managed to secure a handy discount code for you if you want to use a Sim Local eSIM after this review.
As a precursor, this post also includes an affiliate link which may provide me a small commission at no expense to you.
Sim Local eSIM Review | Plus Discount Code
Why we Chose Sim Local for Japan
Firstly there are plenty of providers for eSIMs which allow data roaming. However, none quite hit the mark like Sim Local.
For many people, the most important aspect is price. Sim Local is cheaper than the majority of the big competitors and offer very generous data packages. This is because the company use local providers to offer you the best data packages at the most affordable rates, so you can stay connected without worrying about your wallet. Japan is an expensive destination and this took one stress off of our minds.
The company also promise that you’ll be up and connected before you even collect your luggage and – the best part – they offer this in 153 countries. Because Sim Local use local providers, it also means that in each of these countries you get priority roaming. In other words, you get the best data package available. If that wasn’t enough for you, Sim Local also have 24/7 support for their customers across the world, just in case.
In summary, we chose Sim Local because of their incredible value, simplicity and broad choice. It almost sounded too good to be true though, and the next part is what we experienced.
Setting Up the eSIM
If you aren’t aware, the flight from London Heathrow to Tokyo Heneda is one of the longest that British Airways offers. In fact, it comes in at around 14 hours give or take. When you’re travelling economy, it is not the best experience and we knew we’d be exhausted landing at 7am Japan time.
Fortunately for us, we didn’t have to worry about setting up our eSIM. In fact, we could do this before we even took off. This was an amazing perk and one that made our lives that much easier.
The night before we paid for our eSIMs and then downloaded the Sim Local App. We then just had to download our eSIM (which took less than 5 minutes) and follow the super-simple instructions provided for preferences etc.
Once the eSIM had downloaded, we turned off the line for it and then waited until we landed. Then, we turned off airplane mode (ensuring that our eSIM was then switched ‘on’ with data roaming, and our UK plan was ‘off’) and we were good to go.
I want to be as honest as possible in this Sim Local review. The connection genuinely was instant and the speeds were really fast. It was basically as if our plan from home had followed us to Japan.
For more information, check out the activation guide from SIM Local.
Coverage across Japan
Our 2 weeks in Japan took us from Tokyo to Kyoto, stopping in the more-rural Hakone along the way. We knew that the eSIM would be fine in the cities, but wanted to know how it would get on in Hakone. Our hotel was genuinely out in the sticks and was at the base of an active volcano; a far cry from the metropolis of Tokyo.
No matter where we went, we both had full coverage with Sim Local. As I said above, the company use local provider which means that you can pretty much guarantee full coverage. I would also say, for the most part, we had 5G.
Japan is infamous for being confusing for travellers, especially with train travel. However, even in the underground we could use the super-fast connection to work out which lines to take or which direction to walk in. We were also able to seamlessly top-up our Suica Card (Japan’s smart carder public transport) so that we could continue our journeys.
The eSIM never let us down and we always had stable connection. It was a game changer. I would also add that the AU version of the eSIM has a data-share option. Check out SimLocal’s plan selection for Japan.
Value for Money
We spent 2 weeks in Japan and knew that we would be using our eSIMs a lot. We needed to be able to download tickets, load maps and also upload photos and posts to the blog whilst on the move. Because of this, we opted for a 20GB plan for 30 days. At the time of purchase, this was the biggest data plan, however now Sim Local offer an unlimited eSIM instead with one of their providers (AU).
At the time of writing, their unlimited eSIM costs $39.00 per person for 15 days. This is slightly cheaper than their biggest competitors and it works with AU, one of Japan’s most trusted providers.
In terms of value for money we felt that Sim Local was brilliant. As I’ve said it was cheaper than their competitors, placed us with a highly-trusted network and gave us full coverage. The cost was also up-front and there were no hidden fees connected with it.
Sim Local eSIM Review – Would I Recommend?
This is such an easy question; the answer is yes and I don’t think I could go travelling without it. I wish that we had this for our trips to Thailand, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka (all covered, by the way) as it would have made life so much easier.
The only con I would say is that – for most plans – you cannot text with the eSIM and only get data. However, I didn’t notice at all as I just used WhatsApp instead and could quickly text my parents to let them know I had landed safely. I also used WhatsApp and FaceTime for calls too.
For Japan, we genuinely couldn’t have got around without our eSIM. Navigating the Metro was difficult even with our eSIMs and, without them, I think we would have struggled. It also gave me an added layer of security and safety as I knew that I was always connected to family and the hotels.
If this all sounds great to you, then visit SIM Local to get your next eSIM. I can also get you 5% off with the discount code GIRLONTHEMOVE, or just follow this link to Sim Local for it to applied automatically.
Final Thoughts | Sim Local eSIM Review
I want all my reviews to be honest and it does seem like I have been extremely bias here. However, I can 100% say that our eSIM with Sim Local changed the way we travelled. We were able to stay connected at all times through a ridiculously-simple process and it meant that we could explore Japan more deeply than we could have otherwise. That last part is what we are all about at the Girl on the Move and it’s why I would fully recommend Sim Local to any traveller.
