Last updated 20 September 2026

Plenty of sites use “we tested” to mean “we read the product page”. We would rather draw the line clearly.

Three levels, labelled

Compared. We pulled the published specifications, prices and terms from each provider, on a stated date, and put them side by side. Most of our comparison tables are this. It is genuinely useful work — the terms are often buried — and it is not the same as hands-on testing.

Used. Someone on the team has actually bought and used the product. Where that is true, the page says who and when.

First-hand. Someone has been to the place described. This applies to port and destination detail, and it carries a real human byline.

What we check, by category

• eSIMs — price per gigabyte at a common tier, network partners as published, tethering and fair-use terms, device compatibility. We do not run throughput tests, so we publish no speed claims.
• Travel insurance — the policy documents rather than the marketing pages: whether cover can be bought after departure, medical and evacuation limits, and the exclusion list. We have not taken a provider through a claim and will not imply that we have.
• Tours and tickets — whether entry is timed, how far ahead it realistically sells out, and whether a guided upgrade is worth the difference.
• Car hire and transfers — the excess/insurance structure, fuel policy, and what the quoted price actually includes.

Prices

Every price is a dated snapshot, written as approximate on purpose. If you need a real number — especially for insurance, where it depends on your age, nationality and trip length — get a quote.

When we get it wrong

We date the check so you can see how stale a page is, and we re-check the pages that earn most often. Found something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.