How to choose a travel eSIM
Five things to check before you buy: days, data, "unlimited", the local network and the price.
First: does your phone support it?
Most phones from recent years support eSIM, but not all. A phone bought locked to one carrier may also refuse another company's eSIM. You can check your model on the device compatibility page.
Days: the plan has to last the whole trip
A 7-day plan for a 10-day trip runs out half-way. Most providers start counting days when the plan first connects at your destination, but some count from installation — check the provider's terms before installing early.
Data: a little more beats a little less
A plan that runs out mid-day is worse than a few gigabytes left over. If you are not sure how much you use, our short guide estimates it by type of use.
Some providers let you add data during the trip, but that is not always cheaper than buying a bigger plan up front.
"Unlimited" usually comes with a footnote
On most "unlimited" plans the speed drops after a certain amount of data — per day or for the whole period. What matters is after how much, and to what speed: 1Mbps is enough for maps and messages; much less barely loads a page.
When the provider states the terms, the card shows them. When it does not, the card says "not stated".
Local network and 5G
A travel eSIM runs on the local carriers' networks at your destination. A plan that can use more than one network has a better chance of good reception outside the cities. 5G only helps if your phone supports it too.
Price: for the whole trip, not per GB
A low price per GB on far more data than you need is not necessarily a good deal. We show the price of the whole plan.
Providers charge in their own currency, usually dollars or euros, so your card company may add a conversion fee. Discount codes are usually for a first purchase only.