monicac5731

I'd like to purchase a wifi router and Sim card to carry and travel with in the Azores and Porto. Any suggestions on whether to buy it in the Azores or in Canada before I go. Anything on Amazon that is compatible. Will get Sim card in Portugal.

Traveler_Nick

My guess is anything you buy in Canada will be expensive. You'd also have to make sure the frequencies match EU standards.

How many devices do you need to deal with? If it's only one at a time do you have an old smartphone? If you do it almost certainly has a built in hot spot feature. If you don't have an old unlocked smartphone it might make more sense to buy one.

If you're buying in Europe I'd check the local phone companies BUT the things have been going out of style for years. Does your hotel really not provide Wifi?

I just checked Vodafone Portugal and the only option is damn expensive.

monicac5731

We prefer a portable router, as we travel daily, like it for maps, long hikes, etc. Would like the wifi available all the time. A hot spot would be expensive i imagine. We would buy a router, just need to ensure that it would be compatible. Thanks

Traveler_Nick

With Google maps you can download the maps while you're still home. No need for an internet connection.

I guess your phone is locked? Won't take an esim?

You can buy a half decent new smartphone for not much money these days. Europe is full of options from the likes of Xiaomi

hetismij2

I think you would struggle to find a WiFi router in Europe. People just use their phones. Most hotels and holiday places have Wi-Fi so you can download your maps there.
I use my phone as a hotspot when we are travelling if we don't have Wi-Fi in the accommodation, but I have unlimited data in my plan so we both use it.
Even then there are some place which are just blackspots with no signal, or a very weak one.

Download maps to your phone and use the GPS built in, you do not need a phone signal for the GPS to work.

Or you could buy a cheap PAYG phone on arrival and use that if you can't use your own phones with a local e-sim or sim?

J62

I buy data only esims for countries all around the world at airalo dot com. The cost is about $10 US for an esim thats good for 14 days. Longer or shorter esims are available.

I csn buy, instsll and activate an esim in all of sbout 5 minutes.

i also do as the others above have said - download google maps offline maps beforeci travel, tnen my phone works for directions even if im fully off the grid. Its great for those out of the way locations where cell service may be spotty.

A wifi router that connects via cell service could also work with a data esim from airalo, but im not following why you want a router when you can connect each device directly to the same cell network without one.

monicac5731

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Very helpful!