Are you one of many Canadian snowbirds who like to escape the harsh winter in Canada and spend a few months at some of the best beaches in the south of the United States?
Many Canadians like to fly directly to Florida and spend a few weeks playing golf while enjoying the sun. If that’s your plan, you might look for the best U.S. SIM Card to stay connected with your family and friends.
In this blog post, we will cover some of the best options to consider when looking for the best U.S. SIM card for Canadian Snowbirds.
Using Your Canadian Mobile Phone
The most convenient way to stay connected in the U.S. is to continue using your Canadian carrier. The downside is that this option is costly.
Canadian carriers such as Bell offer two solutions for Canadian snowbirds traveling to the USA.
You can purchase the “Roam Better” add-on for the United States and pay $13 per day for unlimited calls and texts within the U.S. and Canada. With this add-on, you can continue using data as per your mobile rate plan.
The second offer from Bell is to use the “Pay-per-use rates,” meaning you will be charged $1.99 per minute for calls, $0.99 for text, and $6.00 per MB of data used.
As you can see, using your Canadian carrier in the U.S. will be very expensive.
Buying a Prepaid SIM Card For Canadian Snowbirds
One way to save money while traveling to the U.S. is to order a prepaid SIM card. Comparison websites like Simpackers.com will help you to compare the best prepaid SIM cards for the United States.
The currently offered prepaid SIM card for the United States is valid for 30 days and comes with 10 GB of data. This means you won’t be able to make calls or text via local networks.
Instead, you can use Messenger or WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family. The price of a prepaid SIM card for Canadian Snowbirds starts at $24.90 for 30 days.
Using An ESIM For The USA
If you have purchased your phone in the past two years, it likely supports the eSIM technology.
An eSIM is a digital SIM card you can download and activate within a few minutes. An eSIM for the USA is the most affordable option to stay connected as a Canadian Snowbird.
With Simpackers.com you can compare the best eSIM for the USA. The comparison website enables you to sort data plans based on the duration of your trip and the price.
A 30-day eSIM plan starts at $6.73 for 1 GB. If you want unlimited data, you will pay $64 for 30 days, which is much cheaper than the roaming fees from your Canadian carrier.
The downside of an eSIM for the USA is that you won’t be able to make calls or text, as eSIMs for the United States are currently offered as data-only digital SIM cards.
Buying A SIM Card In The U.S.
One of the most popular local SIM cards for Canadian Snowbirds in the U.S. is the T-Mobile SIM card, which is valid for 60 days. For $65.95, you will get unlimited data, calls, and text within the USA.
With the T-Mobile SIM card, you won’t be able to call internationally, but you can use your data to make calls via Messenger or WhatsApp.
Remember that buying a local SIM card is more time-consuming than downloading an eSIM, which takes no more than 10 minutes.
Using Free WiFi Networks
If you are on a budget or don’t need to stay connected 24/7, you can rely on public WiFi networks to chat with friends and family.
Almost every coffee shop, restaurant, or hotel in the United States offers WiFi to its customers. The downside is that public WiFi networks tend to be slow, and you often expose yourself to external cyber-attacks.
If you plan to spend the winter in the United States, the best option for you will be to purchase an eSIM, as the validity of the currently offered eSIM plans ranges from 7 to 180 days.
When buying an eSIM for the USA, ensure that the eSIM provider offers networks with the highest speed and coverage.