Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Join us in learning how to use miles & points to travel & save money!
Subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://smartwithpoints.co.uk/
Hey there, and welcome back to Smart With Points! I'm Jack, and if you've ever landed somewhere exciting only to immediately feel that sinking dread about whether sending a simple WhatsApp is going to bankrupt you, then this episode is absolutely for you. Today we're talking about something that's genuinely changed how I travel, and I promise this isn't just me getting excited about yet another travel gadget. Well, okay, it kind of is, but this one actually deserves the hype.
Let's paint a picture. You've just touched down in Barcelona, maybe you've used those hard-earned Avios to get there, you're buzzing with excitement, you turn off airplane mode, and then that familiar panic sets in. Do I have roaming? How much is this going to cost? Should I just wait until I find WiFi? And then you're standing in arrivals trying to load Google Maps on airport WiFi that's slower than a tortoise running through treacle. Sound familiar? Yeah, me too.
Well, I've been testing something called Honest Mobile's Smart SIM, and I'm genuinely impressed. This is a backup eSIM that works alongside your existing phone plan, and it's specifically designed for travellers. After using it on several recent trips, I'm now recommending it to pretty much every UK traveller I know. Let me tell you why.
So what actually is this thing? The Smart SIM is essentially a backup eSIM that sits on your phone alongside your regular SIM card. It's not trying to replace your main number, instead, it's there for when you really need it. Like when your primary network decides to take a holiday, or when you're abroad and don't fancy paying those extortionate roaming fees that networks still somehow think are acceptable in twenty twenty-five.
Here's what makes it genuinely clever. When you're in the UK, this thing connects to EE, O2, Three, AND Vodafone. All of them. So if you're on a train and your network drops out, and if you're a Three user on the London to Edinburgh line you'll know exactly what I'm talking about, you can just switch to your Smart SIM and boom, you're instantly connected to whichever network actually has signal. It's like having a backup plan for your backup plan.
But the real magic happens when you're abroad. The Smart SIM includes free roaming in over one hundred and eighty countries. No daily charges, no fair usage caps to stress about, no horrifying bill waiting for you when you get home. You just land, switch to the Smart SIM, and you're connected. Simple as that.
Now, you're probably thinking, okay Jack, what's the catch? Because there's always a catch, right? Well, here it is, and honestly, it's not really a catch at all. To keep the price low, Honest Mobile limits the Smart SIM to around five hundred essential apps. Before you panic and switch off, let me tell you what's included, because it's basically everything you actually need when you're travelling.
For messaging, you've got WhatsApp, including voice calls, iMessage, Signal, and Telegram. For navigation, there's Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, and Citymapper. For transport, Uber, Bolt, Trainline, and all your airline apps. Banking apps like Monzo, Revolut, Starling, Wise, and most major bank apps are covered. Travel apps like Airbnb, Booking dot com, Skyscanner, and TripAdvisor all work. Plus you've got Google Search, ChatGPT, translation apps, weather apps, all the essentials.
What you can't do is stream Netflix, browse social media feeds endlessly, or make traditional phone calls. But honestly? For travel, that's absolutely fine. You can jump on hotel WiFi for your Instagram scrolling. The Smart SIM is there to ensure you can always message someone, always navigate to where you need to go, and always check your bank balance. The essentials. The stuff that actually matters when you're trying to find your hotel at eleven pm in a city you've never been to before.
Now, I've used Airalo and other travel eSIM providers plenty of times, and they're great for specific trips where you need full unrestricted data access. I still recommend them for certain situations. But here's where Honest Mobile's Smart SIM absolutely wins.
First, it's one setup for endless trips. You set it up once and literally forget about it. No buying a new eSIM for every single destination, no activation faff when you land somewhere new at two in the morning.
Second, over one hundred and eighty countries are included. Whether you're in Spain, the USA, India, or South Africa, it just works. No figuring out regional packs or which eSIM covers which country.
Third, unlimited data for covered apps. You don't worry about data caps. Send as many WhatsApp messages as you want, check maps as obsessively as you like, refresh your banking app to your heart's content.
And fourth, that UK coverage bonus I mentioned earlier. The multi-network UK access is genuinely useful even when you're not abroad. It's saved me more times than I can count.
So let's talk price, because this is where it gets really interesting. Honest Mobile offers two pricing options. There's a monthly plan at ten pounds per month that you can cancel anytime, or there's an annual plan at forty-five pounds per year, which works out to just three pounds seventy-five per month.
The annual plan is the absolute no-brainer here. If you take even two or three trips a year, you'll recoup that cost instantly in saved roaming fees. I went straight for the annual plan and haven't looked back.
For context, a single day of roaming with some UK networks can cost you anywhere from two to six pounds per day. A week's holiday could easily set you back fifteen to forty pounds in roaming charges alone. The Smart SIM literally pays for itself on your first trip.
Let me tell you about my experience setting this up, because I was genuinely surprised at how easy it was. The entire setup process took about two seconds. Okay, maybe two minutes if you want to be pedantic about it. You order through their website, receive a QR code to scan, and your iPhone or Android phone adds the eSIM automatically. You download the Honest Mobile app to manage everything, and you're done. That's it.
When you need to use it, whether because your main network has dropped out or you've just landed abroad, you simply switch your data to the Smart SIM in your phone's settings. Takes a couple of taps. Within moments, you're connected and ready to go.
The support has been excellent too. I've seen reviews mentioning they're genuinely responsive. Some users have even suggested new apps and had them added within weeks. Plus, they're a certified B Corp and carbon negative, which is a nice bonus if you care about that sort of thing. And let's be honest, we should all care about that sort of thing.
So who should actually get this? Well, the Smart SIM is perfect if you take two or more international trips per year. It's great if you regularly experience poor signal on your current UK network. It's ideal if you want peace of mind that you can always access maps and messages abroad. It's brilliant if you hate dealing with buying new eSIMs for every single destination. And it's useful if you commute through areas with patchy signal.
It's probably not for you if you need full, unrestricted data access abroad for streaming or heavy social media use. In those cases, destination-specific eSIMs from providers like Airalo might be better for those particular trips. But as a backup, as that safety net that ensures you're never truly disconnected? The Smart SIM is absolutely brilliant.
If you want to try Honest Mobile's Smart SIM, you can sign up through our link in the show notes to get a free trial month. It's a great way to test it out on your next trip before committing to the annual plan. There's also a fourteen-day money-back guarantee, so you're not locked in if it doesn't work for you. Though I suspect it will.
Here's my verdict. Honest Mobile's Smart SIM has become one of those 'why didn't I do this sooner?' products for me. At three pounds seventy-five per month on the annual plan, it's cheaper than a single coffee and provides genuine peace of mind whether you're travelling internationally or just battling UK signal black spots.
The setup couldn't be simpler, the app coverage is comprehensive for travel needs, and knowing I can always WhatsApp, navigate, and access my bank wherever I am in over one hundred and eighty countries is genuinely liberating. Combined with points-earning credit cards for your travel purchases, and do check out our best UK credit card recommendations on the website, you've got a pretty solid travel tech setup.
Give it a try. I think you'll wonder how you managed without it.
Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Smart With Points. If you found this useful, please do subscribe to the podcast. We're available on all major platforms, or you can subscribe directly through our website at smartwithpoints dot co dot uk. It really helps us out and means you'll never miss an episode.
And before you go, here's a quick message about Award Travel Finder. Looking for the best award flights? Use AwardTravelFinder dot com to search availability across Qatar Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and more. Try it for free with our link in the show notes.
Until next time, happy travels!