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Travel eSIM, local SIM or roaming: choosing for a trip
Three ways to have mobile data abroad, and what each one asks of you.
There are three usual ways to have mobile data abroad: roaming on your own line, a local SIM bought where you’re going, or a travel eSIM bought before you leave. None of them suits every trip. They differ in what you have to do, and in when you find out the price.
Roaming on your own line
There’s nothing to install. When you land, turn on data roaming for your usual line, and it uses a network there for mobile data. Your own carrier charges you for that unless your plan already includes the country.
What that costs depends on your carrier and your destination. Some plans include roaming in some countries, and some carriers sell travel packages. Ask before you go rather than after the first bill.
A local SIM
A local SIM is a plan from a network in the country you’re visiting. It’s often bought after you arrive, and it often comes with a local phone number.
What you need to buy one depends on the country. Depending on local rules, you may be asked to show identification, such as your passport.
A plastic SIM goes into the phone’s SIM tray. If your usual SIM is plastic too and the phone takes only one SIM card, your usual SIM comes out while you use the local one, and calls and texts to your number won’t reach you until it goes back in. Some local networks also sell eSIMs, which avoids the swap.
A travel eSIM
You buy a travel eSIM before you leave and install it at home, on Wi-Fi. When you land, you turn on data roaming for the travel line and choose it for mobile data. Your usual SIM stays in the phone, with your number on it.
Our plans are data only, with no phone number. You see the price before you pay, and when the data runs out it stops rather than carrying on at an extra cost. Your phone needs to support eSIM and be unlocked by the carrier that sold it.
Which one fits your trip
A local SIM and a travel eSIM both need a phone that is unlocked by the carrier that sold it. If yours is locked, roaming is the only one of the three left to you.
- Roaming, if your plan includes the country, or your carrier’s price for it suits the little data you’ll use.
- A local SIM, if you need a local number that people there can call.
- A travel eSIM, if you want your data set up before you leave, your own number still in the phone, and the price settled in advance.
They also combine. You can leave your usual line on for calls and texts, with data roaming off, and use a travel eSIM for data.
When you know where you’re going, the store shows each destination’s plans, with their data, days and price.
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