Land with your data already working
Install before you fly, switch it on when you touch down. No roaming charges, no hunting for a SIM kiosk at arrivals, and no swapping out the card that holds your own number.
Install it before you leave home. An eSIM is downloaded over the internet. If you wait until you land you need wifi to install it, which means hunting for airport wifi while jet-lagged — exactly the problem the eSIM was meant to solve. Install at home, activate on arrival.
eSIM, roaming or a local SIM?
| Travel eSIM | Roaming | Local SIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Low | Usually the most expensive | Often cheapest for long stays |
| Keep your number | Yes, runs alongside your normal SIM | Yes | No, unless your phone takes two SIMs |
| Set-up effort | Scan a QR code before you fly | None | Queue at a shop, show your passport |
| Works the moment you land | Yes, if installed beforehand | Yes | No |
| Best for | Trips of a few days to a few weeks | Very short trips, or an operator with a cheap travel add-on | Stays of a month or more |
Before you buy
Check your phone supports eSIMMost phones from roughly 2019 onward do, but not all. Check before you pay, since plans are usually non-refundable once issued.
Make sure it is carrier-unlockedA phone locked to one network often cannot add an eSIM from another. Check with your operator before you travel.
Buy data, not daysMaps and messaging use very little. Uploading photos and video calls use a great deal. Work from how you actually use your phone, not the headline plan length.
How much data do you need?
For a week of normal travelling — maps, messaging, email, a little scrolling — 3GB to 5GB is comfortable. If you are posting video daily or using your phone as a hotspot for a laptop, assume at least 10GB.
A regional plan covering several countries is worth it if you are crossing borders on one trip, such as Turkey and Georgia, or the Gulf states. For a single destination, a country plan is nearly always cheaper.
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Connected. Now the rest of the trip.