Your questions: Is an eSIM the best option for roaming overseas?

We are a couple in our 60s doing a 15-day tour of Egypt and Jordan in September, followed by Greece before another 15-day tour of Turkey. Is an eSIM the best way to go? We both have Samsung S22 phones, with Optus and Telstra. Neither of us are very tech savvy.
M. Johnson, Loftus, NSW

Jordan’s ancient sites, such as the Colonnaded Street in Jerash, are popular with tourists but there is a limited choice of eSIM providers that cover its territory.

Provided your phones are unlocked, eSIMs are the way to go, but they can be fiddly. Here’s how you can try it out before leaving home, just to see if this is going to be a good option. Jetpac has a special deal on one of its Asia/Pacific eSIMS, just $US1 for 1Gb of data. This eSIM works in Australia. Download the Jetpac app, buy this eSIM and activate it. This is a step-by-step process detailed in the app and it’s straightforward. If you have difficulty, there are videos on YouTube, or else get a teenage grandchild/nephew/neighbour to help you out. Jetpac’s customer assistance is also very helpful.

To see if it’s working, turn off your Optus/Telstra SIM and your home Wi-Fi and use some of your phone apps to see if you still have a data connection. If all is well, you could then purchase a Jetpac Global eSIM which will give you data in Egypt, Greece and Turkey, but not Jordan. Airalo is one of the few eSIM providers that offers service in Jordan but its products are generally more expensive than Jetpac’s.

I called our credit card company, Qantas Platinum, to confirm travel insurance for an upcoming trip. Our flights were booked with airline points and all I paid on the credit card were the taxes of about $1000 per ticket. The call centre operator seemed to be saying that we wouldn’t be covered because our tickets were not totally paid for by the credit card. Have you had this experience?
A. Patterson, Gladesville, NSW

A call to Chubb, the underwriter for Qantas Premier Credit Card Complimentary Travel Insurance, confirmed that despite paying for only the taxes and charges with your card, this would be sufficient to activate the free travel insurance cover. According to the product disclosure statement for this card, one of the eligibility criteria is: “by charging the payment to your Qantas Premier Credit Card and/or using Qantas points on the Qantas Premier Credit Card”. The same conditions apply if you pay only the taxes and charges component of an airfare using some other cards, for example an American Express credit card.

My husband and I are looking for a cruise around New Zealand that won’t involve more than one Australian port. Does such a cruise exist or are we better off flying to NZ and driving ourselves around?
R. Robbins, Hawthorn, Vic

Cruising in New Zealand might involve a trip to beautiful Milford Sound.

Holland America Line has a 14-day New Zealand Cruise departing Sydney on December 7, 2025 and calling in at Milford Sound followed by a succession of port calls along the east coast of the South Island followed by the North Island. After visiting Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, the vessel re-crosses the Tasman Sea to Sydney. The ship is the Noordam, a moderate-size cruise vessel that can accommodate close to 2000 passengers. As with most ships in the Holland America fleet, the Noordam is known for its intimate feel, quiet spaces, educational programs and its high-quality food. Prices start from $3419 a person.

Celebrity Cruises has a 12-night New Zealand cruise that follows a similar itinerary but with fewer port visits, also departing from and returning to Sydney, from $2584 a person. The first of six sailings is November 18, 2025. The vessel is the Celebrity Edge, rated a five-star cruise ship due to its long list of onboard facilities that appeal to those who like plenty of action. It is capable of carrying 2900 passengers. Self-drive holidays are a great way to see New Zealand. They require more work and research than a cruise, but the flexibility to go when and where you like is what makes self-drive the holiday of choice for many Australian travellers.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances