Data roaming in Egypt: Which One Should I pick?

Are you traveling to the beautiful country of Egypt soon, but you don’t know how to stay connected to the internet? Don’t worry, with your local operator you will be able to enjoy international roaming, which will allow you to have mobile internet during your trip, share your moments, and keep in touch with your family. That is why we will be telling you everything about the best Egypt roaming plans.

However, we know that roaming may not be the first choice for many people, so we will also be telling you about different alternatives for you to have an internet connection and use your cell phone on your trip. Whether with eSIMs and SIM cards for travelers, Pocket WiFi, or even in places with free WiFi. 

What is Roaming?

Roaming is a service most cellular operators offer, which allows users to stay connected to an internet via provider networks while in another country. Most domestic carriers have roaming agreements with other networks, ensuring voice and data service, even when you’re technically off-network from your country.

The great advantage of this service is that it allows you to make calls and send text messages as if you were at home. Many of the other connectivity services for travelers only have cellular data available. 

However, the downside of roaming is that it can be one of the most expensive cellular phone services. That is why it is recommended that you always check the cost of roaming while traveling to another country, such as Egypt. 

Roaming rates in Egypt:

International roaming in Egypt is an option you might want to consider. For you to make this decision, we want to tell you all about different international carriers that offer this kind of service. 

As for the prices of roaming in Egypt, they can range from $7 to $10 per day. Or, in case you use the pay-per-use option, it can range from $2 to $3 per MB used. We will talk about the prices of different operators in more detail below. 

Vodafone

One of the leading UK phone companies is Vodafone, so if you are a Vodafone user, and you want to use the roaming service during your trip to Egypt, of course, you can use it. For Egypt, you will have the possibility to make use of your phone services, paying only 7 dollars a day. However, this can exclusively be used by users with the Xtra Airtime Plan.

To activate your roaming with Vodafone during your trip to Egypt, you can do it in two ways. Firstly, through their website. On the other hand, you can also activate it by calling 199 and asking your operator to activate it. 

T-Mobile 

As a second option, we will tell you about one of the most renowned phone companies in the United States, which is T-Mobile. So if you are a user of this carrier, then you can activate your international roaming to Egypt with the following three plans: Essentials Plan, The Magenta Plan, and The Magenta Plus Plan. 

The first two plans allow you to have unlimited data at a speed of 3 GB. The Magenta Plan, however, offers a limited speed of 5 GB. In addition, with both plans, you can have unlimited calls and messages. 

On the other hand, the third plan tends to be the best plan, as it offers up to 40 GB of high-speed data and unlimited 3G if people consume the 40GBs, it also offers unlimited messages and phone calls.

Telstra 

This Australian company allows you to use its data services with a pay-as-you-go plan, the price of which varies depending on the destination, but it is usually around $3 USD per MB. Although the company offers some packages of different MB, in the case of Egypt, the most common one is $10 USD per day for 500 MB. 

To activate or deactivate Telstra’s roaming option, you can do it through its app. You will also be able to check your roaming consumption, so you can keep track of your expenses. 

A&T USA 

With AT&T USA, you will find a roaming rate of $2.05 per MB for Egypt, you will also be able to make use of pay-as-you-go calls and messages, being $1 per minute of the call and $0.5 per text message sent. AT&T is one of the best U.S. carriers, so they always make sure to have good partnerships to offer good connectivity to their users on their travels. 

In addition, they also have available the AT&T International Day Pass plan, which allows you to have unlimited high-speed data, make calls, and send and receive text messages at $10 per day.

How to avoid roaming charges in Egypt

After having read all about international roaming to Egypt, both its advantages and disadvantages, as well as its prices, if you think it is not the best option for your trip, do not worry, below we will explain to you many more alternatives, so you can avoid the high costs of roaming. 

Among the options to tell you about, we will be talking about eSIM and SIM cards for Egypt, an excellent option to have mobile data. On the other hand, we will also tell you about Pocket WiFi and free WiFi. Read on to find out more about these alternatives. 

Prepaid International Egypt SIM Card

The first alternative to mention here is Egypt’s Prepaid SIM card. It works similarly to the rest of International SIM cards, but with the difference that it is primarily for cellular data use. In the same way, you can keep your phone number on WhatsApp to stay in touch with your contacts.

Nowadays, many companies offer this service, making it a famous option for travelers who want to save extra money for their trip. As for now, we have an online shop in mind that has proven to be quite an excellent option due to its benefits and rates. We are talking about the Holafly SIM card, which we highly recommend.

The great thing about Holafly SIM cards is their numerous advantages, such as the fact that you will be connected at 4G speed during your trip. And in the case of the SIM card for Egypt, you will be connected to the Orange network, one of the best in the country. In addition, you will be able to share cellular data with other phones. As for Holafly’s Egypt SIM card, they currently only have one plan option, which is as follows:   

• 6 GB for 15 days at $49.50 USD

eSIM for Egypt

Now, as a second option, we will talk about the eSIM cards. They are pretty similar to the SIM card, yet they are different in so many ways. These cards are entirely digital, and people can get one quickly.

But, something to keep in mind here is the fact these cards primarily work in new-gen cellphones and smartwatches, so inform yourself before purchasing one whether you are not certain that your phone is compatible or not with an eSIM.

If you are interested in these eSIMs, then let us tell you that you can also find one for Egypt in Holafly’s online store. Its data eSIM for Egypt is characterized by:

• 6 GB for 15 days at 54 USD

Pocket Wifi

An alternative that you can carry with you and keep your devices connected to the internet is Pocket WiFi. It is a portable wireless connection device that allows you to share the internet with cellular devices in a particular area where coverage is provided. These devices tend to be an excellent advantage for people traveling in a group, as several devices can be connected to them at the same time. 

However, pocket WiFi as an internet option in Egypt is not the most practical. The downside of these devices is that renting or buying one can be quite expensive. For Egypt, renting a Pocket WiFi can range from $60 to $120. Besides, you will have to add additional costs for the delivery, insurance, and accessories, among others. 

You should also consider that if you rent one of these Pocket WiFi, you will have to be cautious with it because if you lose it, you can be penalized with large amounts of money. So, while Pocket WiFi can have its positive advantages, it also has its disadvantages, so it may or may not work for you depending on your travel needs. 

Free WiFi

The last option we would like to talk about is the one that will be very helpful if you have a low budget for your trip. We are talking about free WiFi. It is very likely that during your trip to Egypt, you will find some places where you can connect to the internet for free. Be it in your hotel, a shopping mall, or even a restaurant. 

However, you should consider that you will probably not find a free WiFi hotspot in every place, so you might end up being offline sometimes. We recommend you not to use this alternative as a first option, but to save data in case of an emergency. 

So, you can use it as an alternative when you are not using your SIM card, eSIM card, or roaming. But other than that, it might not be such a good idea to fully rely on having a free WiFi connection all the time.