Travel Guides
Practical guides the RoamMelb team wrote from our own trips: arrival forms, transport, mobile data, insurance and visas.
Arriving in Osaka (Kansai): Visit Japan Web scams, KIX to Umeda, Suica on your phone and the new tax refund rules
RoamMelb team tested: use the official Visit Japan Web, take the limousine bus from Kansai Airport to Umeda, add Suica to Apple Wallet, pay with Australian or Hong Kong cards, and Japan's new tax refund system from November 2026.
Is your credit card travel insurance still enough? What changed after the 2026 RBA reforms
After Australia's 2026 card surcharge ban, CommBank, NAB, Westpac and ANZ cut credit card travel insurance. Real claim stories, a claims checklist, and when to buy separate cover.
Applying for a Schengen visa in Melbourne: Italy vs Spain appointments, tested (2026)
What we found booking Schengen visa appointments in Melbourne: Italy's Prenot@mi queue, Spain's email bookings and six-month wait, what consulates look for, and whether credit card insurance is accepted.
Hong Kong to Macau: the Gold Bus, e-Gate on a foreign passport, hotel shuttles and the 1:1 currency trap
RoamMelb team's Macau trip notes: taking the HZMB Gold Bus, registering for Macau e-Gate with an Australian passport, free hotel shuttles, staying at The Londoner Grand, eSIM data, and why paying in HKD 1:1 costs you.
Taipei First-Timer Guide: Arrival, Mobile Data, Payments and Campus Libraries
Tested on our own Taipei trip: the online arrival card, registering for e-Gate, the Airport MRT, staying connected with an eSIM, cards vs EasyCard, receipt lotteries, and visiting NTU and NCCU libraries.
Ran out of Australian data? Add a RoamMelb eSIM in 5 minutes
How to set up an eSIM on iPhone in 7 steps, with screenshots: add the eSIM, choose Data Only, turn on Data Roaming and check you are connected. Works for travel and as an Australian data top-up.
A few days in Osaka and Kyoto, a detour to Shenzhen: how one Asia eSIM carried me through
A RoamMelb team member tests one Asia eSIM plan across Osaka, Kyoto and Shenzhen: how to install it, switch it on and check your data, plus the pitfalls to avoid.
Before you go, browse eSIM plans in the RoamMelb shop or read our FAQ.