Best eSim For Australia – Are you going to Australia soon and are you looking for the most practical and affordable solution to be able to connect to the Internet for the duration of your stay? Internet access can quickly represent a significant expense to take into account in the price of a trip to Australia . Among all the solutions available, the Australia prepaid SIM card is most of the time the one that best meets the needs of travelers. In this guide, you will find all the information to stay connected during a stay in Australia , the different options, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the best Australia SIM card offers 📲
Why choose a prepaid SIM card for a trip to Australia?
Whether to pass the time during long journeys, to stay in touch with friends and family, to find your way using a GPS or to share your travel memories on social networks , being able to connect to the Internet during a stay or a road trip in Australia , or anywhere else abroad has become practically essential.
Today, instant messaging applications like WhatsApp , Messenger or Telegram , to name a few, are very widespread, to the point where having mobile data is often sufficient and it is no longer at all necessary to be able to make traditional international calls.
Prepaid SIM cards allow all of this. In addition, they are simple to use and without surprises, you pay for a certain amount of data (sometimes unlimited) and for a specific time, and you do not risk exceeding this package and ruining yourself in roaming costs . This is why prepaid SIM cards are often the most interesting solution for using the Internet while traveling in Australia .
Today, we even find Australia eSIM cards , dematerialized SIM cards, which offer the same advantages, but are even more practical, since you can receive them by email in a few minutes and start using them immediately, without even needing to remove your regular SIM card from your phone.
MY OPINION IN A FEW WORDS 💬
If I can recommend an interesting SIM card offer for abroad, the prepaid SIM card plan for Australia offered by Holafly is in my opinion the best option. For a period of 7 days for example, you can benefit from unlimited data throughout the country for a price of €27 . You will keep your local SIM card and phone number, so you can easily communicate with WhatsApp or iMessage, from anywhere, without restrictions. However, remember to check the compatibility of your phone ! All compatible models are available on the official Holafly list 🙂
To find out more about the Holafly Australia eSIM card, click here
Where to buy a prepaid SIM card?
To buy your SIM card for Australia , you will have several options, some require you to do it a little in advance, while for others you can sometimes even make the purchase on site when you arrive in the country:
- Buy a classic prepaid SIM card online . SIM cards in physical format can still be found on several online stores. For example, on Amazon, several options are offered and some may be interesting. You can also find interesting options for trips to several countries (Australia + New Zealand in particular). However, these cards must be purchased in advance, as they are sent by post, and if there is a problem on site, you will not be sure that you will be able to easily contact efficient customer service .
- Buy an eSim card online . Ordering a SIM card in digital format like that of Holafly is the most practical and quick solution, since you will not need to travel, or even wait for delivery. In addition, this will allow you to start using your connection as soon as you set foot in Australia 🙂 On the other hand, this requires having a phone compatible with this type of card.
- Buy a prepaid SIM card locally in Australia . This is not very surprising, in the favorite country of Backpackers, “Prepaid” cards are easily found. All major operators offer card packages that can be purchased in their on-site stores and sometimes even in local stores. These physical cards have the advantage of providing a local phone number , and most of the time they allow unlimited calls and text messages. On the other hand, they are limited on the amount of mobile data . Their price is also higher than those of Australian eSIM cards .
How to make the right choice of Australia SIM card?
Choosing a prepaid SIM card for abroad can sometimes be more complex than expected. Depending on the compatibility of your smartphone and the type of SIM card you choose, the options will not be the same. But to really make a definitive choice, it is important to take other criteria into account.
The price is of course to be monitored, but keep in mind that the most expensive offers are not necessarily the best and that some very affordable offers do not lack quality 🙂
The essential criterion in a country like Australia is the choice of mobile network . This depends on the mobile operator which offers the card, or which one has entered into partnership agreements with the company which sells the card. There are 3 main operators in Australia, which practically shares the entire market:
Best eSim For Australia
- Telstra is the operator that offers the widest coverage, but the price is accordingly and many travelers will not need an Internet connection in some remote areas that they will never visit, notably in the far north of the country and on the northwest coast of Australia.
- Optus is the second operator in the country, it offers less extensive coverage, but which covers tourist areas very well.
- Vodafone is the third operator, it offers really good connection quality in the country’s major cities, but coverage leaves something to be desired outside of them.
The other thing to consider is the amount of mobile data offered. Australia is one of the countries where this data is relatively affordable, which is why you can find unlimited offers at really affordable prices 😉 Unless you can really get by with a small amount of data, the best choice will be most of the time to pay a handful of euros more to no longer have to worry about this data and to be able to use the Internet at will for the duration of your stay in Australia .
The Holafly Australia eSIM card
Holafly’s Australian SIM card allows you to benefit from an unlimited amount of mobile data , with solid speed and across a large part of the country.
Holafly works in association with Optus , which is one of the best operators in the country and which notably offers the best connection in all tourist parts of Australia . It is therefore an excellent choice for a large majority of travelers. Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Adelaide, many other smaller cities and other tourist areas across the country are well covered.
This Australia eSIM card offers all the advantages of this type of card, with practically immediate activation and total simplicity of use. With its very attractive price, its unlimited data and its connection to one of the best Australian networks, it represents an excellent alternative for people who have a smartphone that accepts virtual SIM cards.
Here is a table of the different eSIM card offers for Australia from Holafly :
| Period of validity | Amount of data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | unlimited | €19 |
| 7 days | unlimited | €27 |
| 10 days | unlimited | €34 |
| 15 days | unlimited | €47 |
| 20 days | unlimited | €57 |
Click here for more info on Holafly packages for Australia
The Australia eSIM card: advantages and disadvantages
Let’s see in detail the advantages of this formula compared to all the others ✅:
- The eSIM card can be ordered online and received in a few minutes in your mailbox. No need to travel or wait for the card to arrive by post, and you can use the Internet as soon as you set foot on Australian soil.
- Activation is very simple , just scan a QR Code and the connection is done automatically as soon as the network is detected (upon arrival at the airport in Australia).
- This is a no-obligation package , you only pay for the duration of your stay.
- It’s a prepaid plan , you can’t make extra plans and you’re protected from unpleasant surprises when you receive the bill.
- You can leave your usual SIM card in your phone, and therefore continue to receive calls to your phone number during your trip.
- The best deals offer unlimited mobile data and a connection to the best Australian mobile network to benefit from good speed and optimal coverage.
- The value for money of prepaid SIM cards for Australia is better than other comparable options.
Order your Holafly eSIM card by clicking here
But since the ideal offer does not exist, you must also expect some inconveniences ❌ :
- eSIM cards do not work on older devices . You must have an iPhone XS or newer, a Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer, or a comparable generation device. It is therefore important to carefully check the compatibility of your phone before purchasing an Australia eSIM card.
- They only offer mobile data . They are not linked to a telephone number and therefore do not allow you to make and receive traditional calls. They are therefore only made to use the Internet and communicate using VOIP applications and instant messaging like WhatsApp and Messenger.
- Australia eSIM cards do not allow data sharing . Internet can only be used on the device that scanned the QR code.
Other options for connecting to the Internet in Australia
The prepaid SIM card is not the one and only solution to benefit from an Internet connection during a trip to Australia . Other options are also available, but they are either less advantageous or intended for a specific type of traveler:
- The everyday mobile plan can, in absolute terms, be used to go on the Internet in Australia. However, your everyday plan most likely does not include mobile data in Australia and if you use it, it will incur roaming charges for each MB used. These fees vary between operators, but they are so high that just by viewing a few web pages you will have already paid more than for a prepaid SIM card for Australia which comes with unlimited mobile data. It is therefore an option to be used only in an emergency.
- The travel options offered by certain mobile operators allow you to add mobile data abroad to the classic package, for a limited period and without commitment. The offers once again vary depending on the operator, and these options have the advantage of including a large number of countries and not just Australia. They will therefore sometimes be interesting (especially the Orange offer which is overall the most advantageous), but for a trip only to Australia, the best prepaid cards from companies like Holafly offer better value for money.
- The international mobile plan is a very practical option, which allows you to have mobile data throughout the year that can be used in many countries 🙂 But this formula has a certain cost and requires a commitment of at least 12 months is therefore often an advantageous solution for people who spend a lot of time abroad (several months per year), but it is not a really optimal choice for those who travel less often and who just need to connect in a foreign country on a fairly occasional basis.
- The Australian mobile plan is the preferred option for long trips, especially for people doing a working holiday in Australia . In addition to being one of the most economical options, they allow you to have an Australian telephone number , which will be a very big plus to facilitate certain procedures. Be careful however, you must check the duration of the commitment to avoid signing up for an offer for a duration longer than that of the trip.
- Public WiFi networks , or free hotspots, are offered in a number of public places in Australia (cafes, restaurants, hotels, shopping centers, libraries, etc.). This is a solution that can help you out, but you will rarely have satisfactory connection quality and above all, the security of your data will not be guaranteed. On a public wifi network, it is better to use a VPN and avoid sharing personal data or making online transactions 😉
- Pocket Wifi , a small portable device that emits its own wifi network, makes it easy to connect multiple devices. It actually works like a portable box, and is practical for people who want to share a connection between several devices . But today, our smartphones are capable of replacing several devices on their own and are often much more practical than these WiFi boxes which must be transported, recharged, collected and returned on site. In addition, the prices are often not very attractive and in the event of loss or breakage, the device will have to be reimbursed.
What is the best choice ?
Well, it depends on the travelers! To quickly compare this offer, let’s take the example of classic SIM cards available on Amazon and on site in physical stores, which use the same mobile network as the Holafly card and which are the most interesting for travelers 🙂
The Optus Australia card from SimCorner offers 40 GB of data for 28 days at €29 . It also allows you to make standard calls (to landlines) at will to certain destinations, including France. Having on average more than one gig per day is already relatively comfortable, this card could therefore be a really interesting alternative for people who do not need to watch or send videos for example.
The Optus prepaid card that can be obtained on site, in their stores directly or in tobacconists, offers 30 GB of data for 28 days , for 30 Australian dollars, or less than €20 . This prepaid card also allows you to make unlimited calls and send SMS messages in Australia. 1 GB per day for less than one euro, this is an offer that may also interest more than one person!
The choice therefore depends on each person. If you have a recent smartphone and you want unlimited Internet , without constraints, then the Holafly Australia eSIM card is essential. Otherwise, classic SIM cards also deserve your attention 😉
We are reaching the end of this article on Australia SIM cards . You now have all the information at your disposal to choose the SIM card offer that suits you best. If you want more advice for organizing your trip to Australia, don’t hesitate to read my other articles! In particular, I give you advice on knowing when to go to Australia , or on choosing your PVT insurance for Australia
