The best travel app you haven’t downloaded yet: Free data, cruise plans and VISA perks

Most of us are wise to money-saving travel tips from replacing expensive hold luggage with cheaper carry-on cabin bags to buying your foreign currency online rather than at the airport.

There’s another wise travel tip that could save you a bundle, and it’s much easier than stuffing all your clothes into a tiny backpack.

One of travel’s hidden expenses is expensive foreign data roaming charges when away from your home country, which can rack up significantly for those of us reliant on our phones every day for news, socials and streaming.

Getting an eSIM is the way to beat away unwanted hefty data charges via a dedicated digital mobile data plan.

GigSky

How eSIM’s make everything easy

An eSIM is a virtual version of the tiny SIM cards our phone carrier has us install in our phones. Just like the physical SIM, an eSIM controls our calls, texts and data—just 100% digitally.

You don’t need to change your phone number to take advantage of the much cheaper data while away, so you needn’t fear about being disconnected when you least expect it in an unusual foreign clime.

Safer than Wi-Fi

Of course, you could just rely on Wi-Fi, but outside of your hotel you must find a hotspot and then hope it’s a safe one where you won’t run the very real risk of exposing all your otherwise secure details to hackers.

An eSIM is the safe, inexpensive and convenient solution to travelling with your phone while abroad. Buying a local SIM requires a physical purchase and activation, whereas an eSIM can be as simple as a download and speedy setup. You just leave your domestic SIM card in place, ready to swap back to when you get home.

One of the simplest eSIM implementations we’ve tried is from GigSky, where you control everything simply through a free app—from choosing your destination and setting up your eSIM to activating it when you arrive at your destination and then topping it up with extra data if you need it.

It couldn’t be easier.

GigSky

Who are eSIMs for?

Combined with the app, international eSIMs are great for both casual holidayers and frequent business travelers, with fixed data plans range from 500MB to 50GB and in duration from just a three-day city break or business trip to over two weeks in the sun, on the slopes and even on a cruise ship.

GigSky provides an unmatched service in 200 countries, including Cuba (which almost no other provider covers.

It even works on cruise ships with over 200 of the biggest names such as Carnival, Disney, Celebrity and Princess included. This is bundled with a regular land service so that a single plan works on the entire vacation—as well as inflight on over 20 different airlines.

Aside from the simple app that you need download only one, we like US-based GigSky as it is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) that owns much of its core network elements, offering more flexibility and control compared to most eSIM providers that are just resellers. This means that its customer service can much better diagnose any network or installation issues, and you don’t need to buy a new eSIM for every plan.

As a network operator, the app will always be accessible, even if you run out of data.

Free trial

Better yet, GigSky offers a free 500MB plan for Europe or 100MB everywhere else (no credit card required), for those who want to test this convenient and money-saving eSIM solution.

Visa customers can take advantage of special promotional offers that allow them to redeem complimentary mobile plans.