How to Stay Connected When You Travel Abroad with Airalo eSIM
Picture the first 20 minutes after landing somewhere new.
You’re trying to figure out where you’re going. Someone needs the hotel address. You want Google Maps. Maybe you need Uber, Grab, WhatsApp, a train schedule, or simply a way to tell someone you arrived.
And your phone has no data. What do you do?
Heading abroad? Get your mobile data sorted before you go. Airalo offers eSIM plans for 200+ destinations, so you can choose your plan ahead of time and skip the airport SIM-card hunt.
Mobile Data to the Rescue!
Twenty years ago, staying connected while traveling internationally was a pain.
We know because we were there.
When we first started traveling together back in 2003, smartphones weren’t a thing. Neither were eSIMs. Getting online generally meant finding an internet café, borrowing a hotel computer, or tracking down Wi-Fi somewhere along the way.
As phones became more useful, things improved, but international mobile data brought a whole new set of problems. We bought local SIM cards, figured out unfamiliar mobile plans, swapped tiny cards in and out of our phones, and tried very hard not to lose our SIM from home somewhere in the bottom of a backpack.
And then there were international roaming charges. Nobody likes coming home from vacation to an unexpected phone bill.
There are a lot of pieces of travel technology we wouldn’t particularly miss if they disappeared tomorrow, but eSIMs are one of those things we genuinely wish we’d had 20 years ago.
They make one of the small hassles of international travel considerably easier.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Airalo. It also contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links, at no additional cost to you. As always, all opinions are our own.
Why Having Mobile Data Abroad Matters So Much
It’s amazing how quickly you need your phone when you arrive somewhere new.
You land at the airport, get through customs, pick up your bags and suddenly you need the address of your hotel. Or you need Google Maps. Maybe you’re trying to book an Uber or figure out which train goes downtown.
If you’re traveling as a family, there’s a decent chance someone has already asked for Wi-Fi before you’ve even left the terminal.
We use our phones constantly when we travel. They’re our maps, translators, cameras and connection to family back home. We use them to look up restaurant hours, make reservations, check flight changes and pull up booking confirmations.
Sure, airport and hotel Wi-Fi can help. We’ve relied on plenty of it over the years. But having your own mobile data makes things much easier, especially on that first day when you’re figuring out where everything is.
If you’re getting ready for a trip, we have a full guide on how to get the most out of your mobile phone while traveling that covers more ways to prepare.
What Is an eSIM?
An eSIM is essentially a digital version of the little physical SIM card that goes inside your phone.
Instead of finding a mobile phone shop at your destination, buying a SIM and inserting it into your phone, you can buy an eSIM plan online and install it digitally on a compatible device instantly.
That’s it.
The name makes the whole thing sound considerably more technical than it needs to be.
Once you’ve installed the eSIM, your phone can use that plan to connect to a mobile network at your destination. Depending on the provider and plan, you may be able to buy coverage for one country, a whole region or several parts of the world.
Airalo currently offers local, regional and global eSIM options covering 200+ destinations.
For travelers moving between several countries, a regional plan can be especially handy. If you’re spending a few weeks traveling through Europe, for example, you may be able to use one regional eSIM rather than arranging a different SIM every time you cross a border. If you’re a total globe traveler and planning a quick series of stops or don’t want to be locked into specific regions, Global offers you access in 170 countries over dozens of networks.
How an eSIM Can Save Money When You Travel
International roaming has become easier with many mobile carriers, but easy doesn’t necessarily mean cheap.
Depending on your regular mobile plan and where you’re traveling, your carrier may charge a daily roaming fee for using your phone abroad. One phone might be manageable. Start multiplying that by two parents, two kids and a week or two of travel and it’s worth doing the math.
With a prepaid travel eSIM, you know what the data package costs before you leave.
You can compare that price with what your regular carrier would charge you for roaming and decide which makes more sense for your trip.
We wouldn’t say an eSIM will always be the cheapest option. Mobile plans vary far too much for that. But it’s another option, and for many international trips it can be a good way to keep mobile costs under control.
There’s another benefit we appreciate just as much: you’re not wandering around after a long flight trying to find somewhere that sells a local SIM card.
After 20+ years of international travel, we’re big fans of removing unnecessary work on arrival day.
eSIMs Can Be Especially Useful for Families
Traveling with kids tends to multiply everything, including devices.
Both parents may want mobile data. Older kids may have their own phones, and plenty of families bring a tablet along for flights and long travel days.
That can make international roaming expensive pretty quickly.
With eSIMs, you can look at what each person actually needs instead of automatically turning roaming on for every device.
Maybe both parents need data throughout the trip, while a child’s device stays mostly on hotel Wi-Fi. Maybe your family uses a cellular iPad for maps, entertainment or looking things up while you’re out.
Airalo supports eSIMs on compatible iPhones, Android devices and cellular-capable iPads. Device compatibility varies, so you’ll want to check your exact model before buying a plan. A Wi-Fi-only iPad can’t use cellular service, while supported cellular models can use eSIM.
It’s also worth getting everyone’s devices organized before you leave home. We’ve put together a separate guide on how to prepare your phone for a family vacation that can help with that.
How to Install an eSIM
The exact steps depend on your phone and the eSIM you buy, but the basic process is straightforward.
First, make sure your phone is unlocked and supports eSIMs. If you don’t know if yours is, easiest way is to contact your local carrier.
Then choose an eSIM plan for the country or region you’re visiting.
With Airalo, you can purchase your plan through the Airalo website or app. Once you’ve bought it, the app provides installation instructions for your device. Airalo’s current installation process lets supported users select their purchased eSIM, choose the installation option and follow the prompts on their phone.
When you reach your destination, you’ll follow the instructions for activating the line and using it for mobile data.
Our biggest practical tip is simple: do as much of this as possible before you leave home.
Sitting on your couch with reliable Wi-Fi is a much better place to install an eSIM than standing in an airport after an overnight flight with everyone asking when you’re leaving.
Just pay attention to the activation instructions for your particular plan, since activation timing can vary.
What About Calls and Text Messages?
This is one detail worth checking before you buy.
Some Airalo eSIM plans are data-only, while other plans include voice calls and text messages. Airalo labels plans that include those services as Data, Voice & Text plans.
If you have a data-only plan, apps that use the internet can still work over your eSIM data. That includes messaging and calling apps such as WhatsApp.
Depending on your phone and home mobile plan, you may also be able to keep your regular SIM active for calls or texts while using the travel eSIM for data. Check your carrier’s roaming rules carefully before doing that, though, since you don’t want an incoming call creating an expensive surprise.
Why We’re Recommending Airalo for International Travel
There are quite a few eSIM companies around now, which is a big change from even a few years ago.
At this moment in time, we’ve been recommending Airalo.
Airalo offers eSIM coverage in 200+ destinations, with options for individual countries as well as regional and global travel. You can buy and manage eSIMs digitally, and compatible plans can be installed without having to replace the physical SIM in your phone.
That flexibility is what appeals to us.
If you’re taking a short holiday in one country, you can look for a local plan. Traveling through several countries? A regional plan may make more sense. There are global options for longer trips that cross multiple regions as well.
As with any travel service, check the coverage, amount of data, validity period and whether calls or texts are included before buying. You’ll also want to confirm that your phone is unlocked and eSIM-compatible.
One Travel Headache We Don’t Miss
There’s something a little surreal about looking back at how we traveled when we first started.
We’ve gone from paper maps, heavy guidebooks and internet cafés to carrying a device in our pocket that can translate another language, navigate an unfamiliar city and connect us to the internet with it’s plethora of travel information within minutes of landing.
Somehow, we still manage to get lost occasionally.
Technology can complicate travel as easily as it can simplify it, so we’re selective about the travel tech we get enthusiastic about.
eSIMs solve a problem we’ve dealt with for years.
No tiny SIM card to keep track of. No spending the first afternoon of your trip finding a phone shop. And potentially, no paying your home carrier’s ridiculously priced international roaming rate just because you want to check Google Maps and maybe send your family a picture or 2 of your travels.
We definitely could have used that 20 years ago…
