I'm preparing to do it again.

So can anyone give me any tips?

A 60-day or even 90-day plan would be preferable.

Not sure I understand the problem.

The first result I got on Google is something called Surf USA Mobile. $29/month. Unlimited data. Appears to allow hotspot and Canada. Wouldn't this work?

I find this baffling from start to finish. That you spend $59 on a phone plan, maybe the Australian market is very different but over here I'm spending £6 and wondering whether to switch to one for £3. That they charge you $10 not to use your phone!! That you get through 25GB a month, when I seldom use 1GB. Are you livestreaming your trip?

I'm about to go to a roaming destination for a week and will just not bother having phone calls or data. The accommodation will probably have wifi.

[ Edit: Edited on 11 Jun 2024, 05:07 GMT by AndyF ]

I use phone calls extensively, SMS happens because a lot of people haven't yet worked out that it's easier and quicker to phone. Of course, sending pics is pretty handy.

I wasn't really sure how much data I use each month, what I wrote was "I would never use more than about 25gb a month" related to what I would expect I'd do during the course of the trip. But on checking I learn I've used 19gb in the past 15 days. But none of this would have been via a phone plan, each of the phones on which I use data would have minimal use unless I'm away from home. But while I'm away I would be putting in some relatively heavy use via hotspot or tethering.

But not at as high a level as I use at home. There might have been some streaming in that past 15 days, definitely some Zoom usage - I usually go on a 2 - 3 hour Zoom session once a week when I'm at home - and a little You Tube usage.

I still would not expect to use 25gb per month during the trip via the phone plan as there'd be opportunities at the odd Walmart or McDonalds or at friends' and relatives' homes to use their wi-fi instead.

Just to further clarify, the $10 a month charge is a reduction from the full-use charge of $59 per month, the latter includes a lot of international call capability within the plan.

On the SurfUSA plans, there are the usual traps. First, it never turned up googling here, at least not on the first page. Of course, googling 'surfusa' brought it right up.

The traps:

Severely restrictive on calls from Canada - maximum of 50 minutes per month.
Only 10gb hotspot per month and only in the USA (ie. not in Canada)
It's an 'eSIM' and I don't think any of my phones are compatible. I checked their compatibility, my newest Samsung (a Galaxy A33) isn't on the list, my newest phone is a Nokia and none of them are there.
The phone number would change for the second month as it's only a 30-day deal.

I think the only 60-day deals I've seen has been Beike but there's no hotspot or tethering in Canada (or Mexico).

Thanks for checking that out, by I'm afraid my search will have to continue. At this stage I'm actually thinking that walking into a shop as soon as I get there will give me what I need.

The phone number would change for the second month as it's only a 30-day deal.

I didn't read it that way. Their FAQ says the plan would be renewed if you select that in the payment settings. I'm on such a recurring monthly plan myself, the phone number doesn't change.

It's an 'eSIM' and I don't think any of my phones are compatible.

They appear to offer both SIM and eSIM. For a SIM they give their Amazon store link to purchase.

Thanks for all of your research, it's a bit of a maze on their website...

This bit here:

You cannot change the duration of your plan. All our plans are valid for 30 days. If you change plans before 30 days, the new plan will replace the old one with a new end date.

...seems to indicate a change of phone number when the next plan begins. Of course, there are answers there in their FAQ about porting numbers, but it's just not clear enough. And the lack of Canadian phone time, the lack of hotspot in Canada, it's not really looking like the thing I want.

The more I look (and I have been looking at various times for the best part of a week now) the more convinced I am that the best way to go is just to get there and go to a store and buy what I need.

Packing has begun...

I'm now into the last month before my outbound flight, I've selected the bags to pack and devoted time to deciding what I must take with me. I'm a bit concerned that the 800W 110V inverter I was given in 2014 doesn't seem to work, I really have to check that right out as it's lighter than the 600W 240V one I could be taking, not to mention that it's got to be more convenient for local conditions.

I know I'll be going into cold weather. Well, I'll strike it as time passes, but I'm leaving in cold weather anyway (it's minus two here this morning) but I also plan to hit the Thrift Shops while I'm there to pad out my wardrobe.

My son still hasn't arranged the insurance on the campervan, but the adopted daughters are all agog with their plans to welcome me and are setting up events for my benefit.

My list of people to visit is quite huge, I've got to organise it properly into an order based on their localities. There are people from San Diego to Rhode Island on that list!

And still the work is slow, even though I had a good job from Brisbane to Darwin three or four weeks ago, there's no consistency and it would be good to be piling money into the bank account for a bit more security when I get back. Of course, when I get back I'll be needing to pay the shipping cost to bring the campervan back to Australia.

And I have to make sure it fits inside the container for the journey, that air conditioner on the roof is a bit of a worry...

As the time for leaving on the journey nears, packing and ensuring I have everything is dominating my mind...

As is the length of the journey to Portland, Oregon. I will drive away from The Summit at about 5pm Saturday, I guess, this way I can spend a little quality time with my nephew on the Gold Coast before he drives me (in my car) around to the railway station at Robina.

Direct trains to the Brisbane airport run from there. Sometimes. Looking at the train timetable produced an issue I hadn't expected!

Sunday morning's schedule is remarkably sparse, 12:45am is the train I have to catch to be sure I'm at the airport a good three hours prior to the flight at 9:45am. But this train requires a change of train somewhere along the way and finally arrives at the airport FIVE HOURS AND NINE MINUTES after departure. This is normally a 1h 40m journey, but not early on Sunday.

This flight gets me to Auckland at 3pm local time, then departs from there at 7:45pm, so a 4¾ hour layover there. The flight to San Francisco takes just over 12 hours and so arrives at 12:50pm (still on Sunday) with almost exactly four hours passing before I get off the ground again with a United flight to Portland, Oregon, which takes one hour and fifty minutes.

I'll be travelling or waiting on connections (not counting the time I spend at my nephew's place) for 38 hours and thus far TEAL have been unable to tell me if they can give me any food I can eat.

But TEAL did indeed come through, a couple of the meals were very good...

So I'll revert to calling them Air New Zealand.

Now I've made it to Portland, caught a bus to Bend and started driving my van. Which had more problems than I expected.

Spent two days here on Vancouver Island making more of the electricals work.

Enjoy your trip, Ray. It's always invigorating hearing from someone who is actually travelling. Hope all goes well.