The best mobile plans for Aussies travelling overseas

If you're an Aussie looking to spend some time in Europe or jetting off for the annual trip to Bali, then there's one thing you need that's basically second only to your flights – connectivity.

Fortunately, it's getting easier and easier to travel with a simple Aussie plan rather than having to work out some sort of solution when you land in a foreign country.

Check out the cheapest roaming-compatible plans with at least 20GB of data:

Vodafone really kicked off the roaming bonanza over a decade ago with their $5-a-day 'Red Roaming' deal. That concept at Vodafone is still unquestionably the best way to roam when you're away, but you have to be a Vodafone customer on an eligible plan.

Vodafone's plans are so competitive because you can use your data your way when you're overseas, 1GB in a day or 10GB, if it's part of your plan, go for it.

The other big telcos are getting in on the action, too. Both Telstra and Optus have 'Day rate' plans. They might range from $5 to $10 per day.

Optus post-paid plans compatible with International Roaming add-ons:

What you need to consider for any of these plans is what they include.

Some plans (Vodafone) let you use your basic data allowance while you're overseas, while others (Telstra and Optus) offer a set amount of data per day.

In some cases, it's a low number that might be vastly different to your regular usage, let alone the additional usage you'll be taking on while you're sharing all your amazing travel photos.

The great news is that a lot of the prepaid carriers are also offering international roaming. These are 'add-ons' to your plan, and normally work on a buy-it-once basis, with a certain amount of data and a set number of days it's valid for.

Vodafone post-paid plans that include $5 roaming:

A good tip is to ensure you activate this at the latest possible moment so those days of use are actual travel days.

The biggest balance when travelling is deciding if you want to sort this out before you go, so you have an Aussie number for your mates and family to contact you on, or if you want to roll the dice on a local SIM in the country you're travelling to.

A local SIM card is often the best option for longer trips, where a 'per day' roaming cost might kick the travel budget a bit.

One great tip these days is to look at apps like Airolo, which on a modern smartphone, allow you to download an eSIM to your phone and get it working almost instantly, choosing a plan right from the app.

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