Travel eSIM vs local SIM

[alsoknownasDean]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend the eSIMs from Airalo etc when travelling, or are they expensive compared to just buying a physical SIM at the destination?

Thanks :)

[Rdy2Fire]

Airalo is more expensive then a traditional SIM in each location but IMO worth the extra cost.

It is easier to use ESIM tech, no finding a place at the airport (or elsewhere) waiting on line, dealing with whatever local hurdles (forms, registration, in some cases pictures or copies of passport). You install it and 90% of the time need to do nothing else but turn on the esim when you arrive, sometimes there are extra steps but they are well documented.

I've used regional ones and country specific ones on 4 different continents with no real issues

[Gremlin]

Tough question to answer without more details.  Have DM’ed you

[deborah]

When I travelled last year, I was glad I had prebought a sim, since none were available at several of the airports I visited.

[Lordy]

The 10GB/60 days package $59 seems very reasonable.

I have bought local SIMs in many countries (Switzerland, Bahrain, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Thailand, USA) and while you would probably be able to save 50%, going through the hassle is just not worth it, in most cases. Especially since SIM registration has become a more bureaucratic process over the years.

From my point of views, local SIMs would make sense, if you stay longer in either the EU (where local SIMs provide free roaming), or South America (I think Claro has a AR/BR/CL/UY package). If you are only visiting for a week or two, I'd probably pick that global SIM and be done.

[alsoknownasDean]

Thanks all,

What I ended up doing for this trip was buying a roaming pack with my home mobile provider for some countries and buying a physical SIM in the UK. Seems pointless buying a SIM if I'm in a country for 48 hours or less.

I'm planning on another trip later in the year and will have to check which option works best, but it'll be largely in the EU so it's probably easiest to buy a local SIM.

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