In a nutshell
- An eSIM is a great alternative to a physical SIM card. You book it as a data package for a specific country or region and don’t have to go through the hassle of inserting a new card.
- The travel eSIM works alongside your regular SIM card, so you can start browsing right away the moment you land at your destination — super convenient!
- Our top pick: the eSIM cards from Saily. They’re affordable, incredibly easy to install, and you’ll get great reception. Use the discount code 22places for 10% off all eSIMs.
Why should you travel with an eSIM?
It’s simple: traveling with an eSIM is much more convenient than with a physical SIM card.
You can book your eSIM for your destination ahead of time and take your time figuring out which provider and data plan you want. If you try to pick up a physical SIM card at a local shop, you can easily get overwhelmed by the options.
On top of that, you don’t have to hunt down a SIM card shop or fiddle around with your phone to swap cards. With an eSIM, you’re up and running in no time and can switch to a local data plan while you’re still on the plane.
You can still use your home number at the same time. The eSIM simply acts as your additional data plan.
What are the pros and cons of an eSIM for travel?
Pros of a travel eSIM
- Super convenient for travel
- No card swapping
- You can’t lose it
- You can have multiple plans at the same time
- Cross-country plans available
- More eco-friendly than physical SIM cards
- Fast activation
Cons of a travel eSIM
- Only newer phones support it (e.g., starting with iPhone XS/iPhone 11 and Samsung Galaxy S20+/S20 Ultra)
- If you run into issues, you usually need Wi-Fi
- Not available in every country (but in the majority of them)
- If your phone breaks, your eSIM is gone too
- Usually more expensive than physical SIM cards
Our recommendation: eSIM cards from Saily
For your trip, we recommend an eSIM from Saily. The provider is super straightforward and usually cheaper than the competition. It’s especially worth it if you’re taking a typical trip and don’t need an unlimited amount of data.
Saily offers eSIM plans for over 200 countries and cross-country options such as the Caribbean islands.
Saily has an app where you first select your destination and then choose a suitable data plan. You usually have the choice between 1 GB for seven days and 3, 5, 10, and 20 GB for 30 days.
You can pay with credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. After your purchase, you have 30 days to activate your plan. This happens automatically when you arrive at your destination.
Pros of Saily
- Cheaper than other providers
- Very easy installation and activation
- Hotspots are allowed
- Valid for a set period of time
- Track your usage and remaining time in the app
Cons of Saily
- Prices are listed in USD
- No unlimited data option available
- Unused data expires — but you can top up at any time if you run out
Use the discount code 22places to get 10% off your eSIM.
More eSIM card providers
Of course, there are other solid providers for international travel eSIMs too. Most of the time, the differences between providers aren’t that big. When comparing, it really comes down to how you plan to use your eSIM while traveling.
The other major providers worth considering are Nomad, Airalo, and Holafly.
- Nomad is generally the better pick if you’re taking a longer trip. From around 20–30 days onward, Nomad’s prices tend to be cheaper than Saily’s.
- Holafly is especially worth it if you need a lot of data. You can book unlimited data for a set number of days — though it comes at a correspondingly higher price.
- Airalo is a middle ground between Saily and Holafly. You can choose between tiered gigabyte plans and unlimited data.
To make the decision a little easier, we’ve written articles about the best eSIM for some of the most popular travel destinations.
Here you'll find all articles on the topic of eSIM:
How do you set up an eSIM?
Setting up a travel eSIM is pretty similar across most providers.
You purchase the eSIM either in the provider’s app or on their website. You select your destination and choose a duration and data plan. After purchasing, all you need to do is install and activate the eSIM. You’ll need a good Wi-Fi connection for the installation, so do this before your trip — ideally a day or a few hours before you leave.
Installing & activating Saily eSIMs
With Saily and some other providers, the app installs the eSIM automatically. All you have to do is tap the install button and agree to activate the eSIM.
Next, you give the new eSIM a label (e.g., “Mobile Data”) and set it as the primary line for mobile data. Make sure you turn off the mobile data switching option.
After that, it may take a few minutes for the eSIM to finish installing. The eSIM will then be active right away — but that’s fine, because it won’t have any signal until you arrive at your destination. Once you get there, your phone will automatically switch to the eSIM’s data plan. You can also turn off mobile data for your eSIM while you’re still at home and turn it on manually when you arrive.
Before your flight, you’ll also need to disable data roaming for your home (e)SIM.
Installing & activating other eSIMs
With other providers, you install the eSIM yourself through your phone’s settings. Go to your cellular settings and tap “Add eSIM.” You can then enter the QR code or numeric code that was sent to you. Set your regular number for calls, FaceTime, and as the default, and choose your eSIM provider for mobile data.
All other steps work the same as with Saily.
When you arrive at your destination, activate your card. In your settings, select the eSIM and turn on Activate This Line and Data Roaming. For your home (e)SIM, turn off data roaming.
With some providers, your plan starts as soon as you activate it. So if your provider charges by the day, for example, you shouldn’t activate it while you’re still at home.
Frequently asked questions about traveling with an eSIM
What is an eSIM?
eSIM stands for embedded SIM and is the alternative to a physical SIM card. The eSIM is a chip built directly into your phone. You activate it online through an eSIM provider.
eSIMs work just like regular cellular service, the same as physical SIM cards. You can also book them with a phone number — though for travel, you’d typically buy a data-only package without one.
The eSIM can be used alongside another SIM card or instead of one.
What is the difference between an eSIM and a physical SIM?
A physical SIM is the classic plastic card that gets inserted into your phone. You typically buy it on-site and have a store employee insert and set it up.
With physical SIM cards, you can only use one — two at most — at a time. On the plus side, the feature is available in most phones. That said, there are now newer phones that no longer have a SIM card slot at all.
An eSIM is built directly into your smartphone. You download your plan from an eSIM provider digitally to your phone. This only works on newer smartphones, though. You can store up to 10 eSIM profiles and usually activate two at the same time.
How does an eSIM work?
With an eSIM, you use the built-in chip to load a SIM card onto your phone. This chip is typically found in smartphones released from 2018 onward. You activate the eSIM by purchasing an eSIM plan and setting it up.
The eSIM then works just like a physical SIM card. You’ll have signal and can use mobile data.
When you buy a travel eSIM, you won’t get a local phone number. Your home number stays active for all your important apps like WhatsApp.
For calls, we’d recommend sticking to Wi-Fi and using WhatsApp or a similar app. That way you avoid the expensive charges that would apply to a regular call using your home number.
