Back in the early days of travel (just a couple of years ago!) you needed to buy a physical SIM card to go into your phone for each country you visited or risk high roaming charges or finding and logging into various wifi locations or….go without!

Now you can download an eSIM to your phone, with unlimited data and 24/7 access to the internet avoiding potential costly roaming charges and you’re able to keep your own phone number active for any messages or calls.

The benefit of eSims and unlimited data options means you can hotspot to your laptop, hotspot to others in your party, use maps and apps or watch Netflix all without the worry of excessive costs or charges. Useful too if you need to work, keep in touch with others or update your travel blog!

There are a huge range of providers and options when it comes to eSIMs including Airalo, Saily, Roamless, Sim Local and Holafly giving access to data across most countries in the world.

Whilst some offer sign up deals they all pretty much provide the same service with easy to use Apps and eSIM download functions. But there will be some nuances and restrictions that you should be aware of.

 

What is an eSIM? 

A SIM card is a physical chip that goes into your phone and connects it with a mobile network and a phone number allowing you to call, message, use the internet etc. An eSIM is the digital version of that giving you the same functions but not having to swap in and out a physical card. An eSIM connects to the 3G/4G or 5G signal of the area you are in giving you internet access. It will not give you the ability to make local calls but as most places work off other communications such as Email or WhatsApp or making arrangements online, this is not a big issue.   

 

Can your phone use an eSIM? 

Not all phones are eSIM compatible so below we’ve provided details on how to check: 

– iPhone: Go to Settings, click on Mobile Service and then Mobile Data (or Cellula) and Add eSIM. 

– Android: Go to Settings, click on Connections, then SIM Manager and check for the option to Add eSIM

If the options to add an eSIM don’t come up then your phone is probably not eSIM compatible. 

A lot of new phones produced now don’t come with a physical SIM card slot as they can use this space for larger batteries such as the new Apple iPhone 17.

 

Will an eSIM work in every country? 

Yes, with 195 countries in the world the majority of eSIM providers will have your country covered. That is unless you are travelling to mainland China, Russia or North Korea where an eSIM may work but unsurprisingly there are restrictions on the use and internet accessibility!

 

Do I need an eSIM in Europe? 

To avoid excessive roaming charges it is highly recommended you use an eSIM for Europe regardless of where you are coming from in the world. If you are travelling from the UK, and as it is no longer a part of Europe following Brexit, roaming charges will apply to 27 European countries and EEA countries such as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

If you are travelling across multiple countries in Europe many eSIM providers, such as Holafly, offer European eSIMs which can be used across all of Europe meaning you don’t have to get multiple eSIM’s.

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What is Throttling?

Strange name but this is the term for ‘intentional reduction of your mobile data by your provider’. This is nothing to do with the eSIM itself but the fair use policy a provider of the data will have when the system sees excessive data at speed is being used. Its a way for the data provider to manage the use of its network by slowing down connections so they can manage their network traffic so everyone gets a fair share of the available bandwidth. 

A key note is that throttling can apply to a normal SIM card as well as an eSIM, it is not unique to just eSIMS but, you are more likely to experience throttling if you are on an Unlimited data plan rather than a 1 to 10 GB per day plan. It is something to bear in mind if you take an Unlimited plan but in our experience with our preferred eSIM provider Holafly we have had minimal throttling even from the use of Google Maps, web browsing, Teams calls and watching Netflix. If you are a gamer however throttling could be something you experience regardless which provider you have.   

 

What plan options are there? 

Across the range of eSIM providers there are a number of plan options to choose from;

• Selecting a plan for the specific country you are visiting or a European plan covering all EU countries. You can even choose a Global eSIM which for Holafly covers 113 countries!
• Choosing the amount of data you would like ie 1, 10, 50 GB per day or Unlimited and;
• Selecting the number of days based on how long you will need it for. 

Our advice is to chose one eSIM provider that suits you especially if you do a lot of travelling. Although they are not necessarily the cheapest eSIM provider we love Holafly for a number of reasons: 

• They provide only Unlimited data plans per country, EU as well as Global 
• Their App interface is good and setting up of the eSIM is easy 
• Simple pricing structures so you see exactly what you are paying 
• Throttling experiences have been minimal (but this can be down to the data provider in the country or area you are in – not the eSIM provider)
• You can Hotspot ie share data use with other devices so they can use the Internet.  

Things to be mindful of that are not unique to Holafly is that Hotspotting may have daily limits ie 500 MB – 1GB so if the person you are Hotspotting to is a heavy data user then you may be better getting them their own Unlimited plan!