Airalo

Tu étais probablement dans une zone de mauvaise couverture. Airalo n’est pas bon marché, mais ils sont fiables.

*“Holafly is moving beyond being a travel data solution to becoming the world’s first truly international mobile operator. Roaming is finished. The future of telecom is borderless, effortless, and built on software, not outdated plastic SIMs,” says CEO Pablo Gomez.* Hyperbole much? Saily & Gigsky have monthly plans already and Airalo has a yearly global plan with a phone number. Unless you’re using more than 25GB a month multiple countries a subscription plan doesn’t make sense. The differentiator is a monthly plan *with* a phone number. While I think this is a very niche service - I’m a big fan of how competition drives innovation up and prices down.

They’re not “pretty expensive.” They do cost a little more than comparable services due to their more recognizable name - but often it’s less than $10. Trip.com is the Temu of eSIMs. Your data is being routed through China and that introduces latency as well as privacy concerns for some.

They aren’t all the same. Some have exit nodes in the same country you’re in, some are halfway arrive the world - increasing latency. Airalo seems to prioritize exit nodes in the local country - but you pay for that. If you’re in France and the exit node is in London or Poland will that make a big difference? No. However if the exit node is in Asia you will notice the latency. I wouldn’t pay Airalo prices for a service that has (even slightly) higher latency, but I wood happily pay less for a service with one slightly more latency. That said, don’t overthink it. Either of those options and countless others are fine.

When you buy an eSIM advertised as a travel SIM it will work in any country it’s advertised to work in, you don’t need to activate an Orange eSIM in France first to use it in Italy. Most eSIMs are data only. Airalo has a Czech eSIM that comes with a phone number for about $20, it should do if you don’t find anything better. Needing a mobile number will limit your options and increase the price. With a data only eSIM you can just use iMessage/FaceTime/WhatsApp linked to your primary number.

Airalo US plan with phone number doesn’t need roaming turned on. That said, you should be fine as set your the data SIM as the primary data SIM. Alternatively you can lock your home SIM to your home network (instead of auto).

Travel eSIMs (not just Airalo) do not give you access to your home SIM’s phone number. I recommend leaving your home SIM on while switching data roaming off for that SIM - this way you can still get your calls and texts. I also recommend disabling the “travel pass” feature of your provider so you’re not charged a daily fee that you’re trying to avoid by using the travel eSIM. If you answer the calls or reply to the texts you’ll be charged roaming fees from your carrier so don’t do that too often.

Orange is good. Sparks, JetPac, Airalo also all have European plans. Don’t buy anything now, but it a couple days before you leave.

Airalo is a little more than others but based on my testing it also has lower latency than most other providers - whether you need that or not is a different story. Also, you're looking at Voice & Text plans which most other providers don't offer and are more expensive than data only plans. u/esims_bot Canada >5GB <20GB >15d <30d

This was asked the other day. Same answers apply. https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/s/hQMnB58dQr You can also try an Airalo Global number. Not sure if they work specifically for TikTok, but they work for other services.

Airalo (nor any other travel eSIM provider) has nothing to do with your EE number and absolutely cannot use it in any way. Sounds like you added your EE number to the phone number setting in the Airalo eSIM?

Why do you have 9 old expired eSIMs? Airalo and others also offer regional European eSIMs. Also, no need to keep them around, just delete them when you’re done with them. Roamless Flex is VERY expressive for people that use an average amount of data. Your usage for a one week trip is very below average, 3.5 GB on a trip is probably the upper limit of Roamless Flex’s appeal. For those that need 5GB or more, a 10GB regional European plan (are around $15) from other providers is MUCH more economical than Roamless Flex. I like Roamless Flex, but a week long trip to Europe isn’t one of them. You asked for personal experience about this last month (https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/s/Z0Onq2PGI1 ) and nobody recommended Roamless - yet you went with them anyway? That’s odd.

Airalo unlimited works. Holafly also has a GB limit before they slow you down. Be sure you compare that 3GB daily max bucket of GB plans when considering the value.

Neither. The US has a very competitive mobile market with easy signup and prices better than travel eSIMs. Suggest to go with a US MNVO like Tello or US Mobile. If you’d prefer the simplicity of a travel eSIM both Saily and Airalo will perform equally well.

u/esims_bot Canada Airalo has that for $26USD. You can get a local eSIM with a number for about $30 with 8GB or 15GB for $35.

Don’t worry about the validity, you can always renew - look at the overall price. I believe Airalo will be expensive for North America. US has cheap data but Canada is expensive. eSIMGo via MobiMatter also has a North America plan that is under $20 for 30 days & 10GB and you can buy as many as you want in the app. Says top ups are available but not sure how that works via MobiMatter. JetPac has 10GB for $22/30 days that covers both counties. You’ll need an app on everyone’s phone for this as you can’t buy multiple eSIMs from the same app.

Most Travel eSIM operators offer a regional EU plan. Airalo, Alo, Nomad, JetPac, Sparks, Saily all offer what you’re after. Prices vary, service is good on all. Sparks and JetPac should have the best pricing. I saw JetPac has a deal for 30GB for $20ish bucks.

Not saying Airalo is the best option in most situations, but you are generally getting better service. Testing in Canada and the US Airalo has exit nodes in the US vs other providers that route through Europe so there’s much less latency. If you’re in Europe it matters less if it routes from a different European country because they’re not as large geographically - being in Germany and routing through Poland isn’t a big deal vs being in the US and routing through Poland. Being arguably the most popular also helps with debugging their network as it’s a numbers game. Vs a less popular provider it’s more likely someone else has already had an issue with a particular phone/destination/network and it was resolved before you encounter that same issue. Would I use them in Europe? There are slightly cheaper options, but the hidden $20 10GB Czech plan with EU roaming is a hassle free option. Would I use them in the US? No, local carriers are faster/cheaper. I do keep them as a standby and do recommend them to others that want a simple solution that just works.

Airalo is good, but for 3 week visit to the US most of the MNVOs are a much better price, come with a phone number and their Internet connection will have much has less latency. I usually recommend Tello for family & friends.

You seem to misunderstand how a travel eSIM works - it has nothing to do with your home eSIM and is a separate usually data only service. Read this explainer - https://www.reddit.com/u/mrskeptical00/s/7WvZjnSnLy As for which service to get, they are mostly the same. Airalo is probably the biggest of them and it should have worked fine unless it was setup incorrectly or in a particularly bad service area.

If you read online you’ll see people alleging problems with every eSIM. There’s nothing wrong with either Airalo or Ubigi but there are also other providers that are perfectly fine as well.

Airalo has exit nodes in the US so there will be less latency on the call. So does RedteaGo and others.

You’re aware you only get 3GB of full speed data daily before it slows down? I buy fixed GB plans and I haven’t found them slow at all.

u/lomtodge Airalo Canada with calls and texts will work fine. You can also get a monthly plan from one of the local prepaid providers - Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, Chatr Mobile. It will be cheaper, but more hassle signing up and canceling. Another option is one of the free VoIP apps: Fongo, TextNow, TextMe, TextFree - they let you make free VoIP calls and give you an incoming Canadian or US number in exchange for some ads. Lastly you can get a VoIP app like KeepCalling which is pay per use or SlyNumber which is a monthly fee. SlyNumber also lets you call toll free numbers without having an account - just tried it with the Falls View Casino number in your post and it worked (just don’t include the +1 in the number, it’s automatic). https://preview.redd.it/3ow37izmpbxg1.jpeg?width=1260&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e2b2c3fbbb661f083671a636789b34555483bc3

The Airalo local IP plans run off local networks which generally doing need roaming enabled because they’re not actually roaming - they’re more like an MNVO. I’m using the Canada Mobile plan right now with roaming off. I’m not in the US at the moment so I can’t confirm 100% but I can give someone an eSIM to test.

Not sure if that’s the most cost efficient, but it will definitely work.

I apologize, as this sub mostly about travel eSIMs and OP was asking about travel eSIM I didn’t realize you were referring to a carrier’s own eSIMs. Yes, carriers can and do allow their network to be used for their own eSIMs as that’s helpful to them - **they do not** allow their networks to be used to install 3rd party eSIMs which it seemed to me that you were suggesting. Installing an eSIM from Airalo or Nomad will require a data connection of some sort.

I agree higher price does not necessarily equal better performance - but brand name vs no name usually does. I’ve noticed Saily and Airalo significantly improve this year. I’m not looking at “local providers”, I’m comparing travel eSIMs.

So for a difference of €6 you decided to roll the dice on a random bottom of the barrel eSIM with mixed reviews instead of a “nice experience” with known quantity you had success with? Where did you read these “mixed reviews” of abesteSIM? What wasn’t nice about the abesteSIM experience relative to Airalo?

You don’t need to do all that to get RCS working, RCS automatically uses the data connection. Don’t bother to turn off Google Fi or do any of that. Just set data Airalo and turn off data roaming on Fi and you’re good to go. Do not change any other settings. People in Verizon or AT&T need to jump through hoops not to get charged a daily travel pass fee - Google doesn’t have that so you’re good to go.

There’s a sticky post in this sub about providers that offer numbers. Not sure why you specifically need a “global” eSIM. Please describe your use case and maybe we can give you a better solution. Also, Airalo global worked for me.

Yes, generally all eSIMs let you top up. For sure Airalo and Saily do.

All providers are only as stable and reliable as the networks you’ll be roaming on. Most “global” eSIMs aren’t great in terms of price/performance, it would be a better idea to get an eSIM for each destination. Airalo, JetPac, BNE all offer a global eSIM that you prepay at a specific price per GB. Roamless & eSIM.sm both offer a single eSIM that roams everywhere but the price varies depending on the country you’re in, you just load it with cash and it will deduct the price per GB as you use it.

Make sure you set Airalo to the Primary SIM. Also, you can just turn off the AT&T SIM if you aren't expecting calls.

You’re not getting texts on Airalo, you’re getting them on VZW. If you go into the VZW SIM settings you can try to go into Network Selection (for Verizon, not Airalo) and try manual setting the network to a provider that causes you to have no signal for Verizon. That will solve your problem.

Your Airalo eSIM does not come with a phone number. Yes, turn on Verizon and make sure Roaming is off. That will turn your iMessage back on (check the settings to ensure you’ve re-enabled it for your phone number). While that will protect you from data roaming, if you get a text or call you will be charged the roaming day pass fee unless you’ve disabled it with VZW.

Not sure what eSIMs you use but I tend to stick with the more popular ones which also let you create as many as you need - Airalo, Alo, Saily, BNE SIM. I do have a single eSIMs per account solution (Roamless) but that’s the exception rather than the rule.

Not too many people here using New Zealand eSIMs in Europe. Airalo is $20 for 10GB EU roaming with the Czech Republic talk and text plan. JetPac is even cheaper.

Our advice is to use Lyca in the UK. If you want use something different, Airalo, Alo, Roamless, JetPac, Sparks, BNE, Saily, Nomad are all other options that work in the UK. Yesim is not recommended because the only people that ever recommend it are spammers.

Last I checked they were both the same price. But double checking now, it seems Airalo no longer offers the O2 SIM. They have switched to “Prosim”. Looks like your only option is to buy direct: https://www.o2.cz/osobni/volani/mobilni-tarify/prepaid-esim

Roamless is a good, easy solution for any country they support - but $50 for 3GB is pretty expensive. Don’t know if other providers are cheaper, but you can probably get a local SIM for much cheaper after you arrive. Airalo offers 1GB for $9.50 (lasts 7 days) so that might also be an option to hold you over until you get a local SIM.

Not sure you need to be tech savvy to enter an address, but I’d rather spend $20 per person than $40. Airalo is just really expensive for the US. Check out JetPac or Sparks - half the price of Airalo in the US and you don’t need to enter an address ;)

I agree that apps like Airalo make it an easier purchase. With Tello you have the added step of entering an address - for me $25 for unlimited data (35GB full speed) and unlimited long distance is worth 2 the minute signup. At $42 US for 20GB Airalo is a lot more for a lot less in the US. Even relative to other comparable travel eSIMs it’s more than twice as expensive. Not sure why they are so expensive in the US as their pricing is more comparative in Europe.

As others have e said, unlimited isn’t unlimited - it’s 3GB/day (21GB). For the UK you can get 20GB for about $10 with many providers - that works out to 60GB for about $30 (if you kept topping up) of full speed data. u/esims\_bot UK >20GB >30d <$35

Data plans aren’t based on what you pay for your home plan. Airalo advertises 10GB European data for $26 - which is about average for the bigger companies - but they also have a $16USD plan hidden under Czech Republic w/calls and text. There are some providers offering it for around $10 - https://travelsims.app/country/Europe?minData=10

Nothing wrong with Airalo.

You would generally not deprioritized unless there is massive traffic on the network. As has been previously stated, you’re slowed because you used your daily allotment. If speed is more important than price you should get a fixed data plan.

You can definitely setup your phone to call from your home SIM and use data from the eSIM. On iPhone just set Airalo as the Cellular Data SIM and set your home SIM as the “Default Voice Line”. Make sure you turn on Roaming for the Airalo eSIM and turn off Roaming for your Czech SIM.

Did you find Airalo difficult to sign up with? I don’t know anything about Moroccan mobile networks, but Ubigi uses Moroc Telecom & Orange while Airalo uses only Orange. Both are only 4G.

Many of the negative reviews have this non-allowed use in common and I’ve only seen it with Airhub. If you to use Airalo in a different country than the one you bought it for it just won’t work - no big deal - it doesn’t get cancelled on you 😂 I suspect Airhub is exploiting some sort of loophole somewhere. For example, I can buy an addition “tablet eSIM” that will share data from my existing plan - I think I can buy up to 5 for an additional $10mo. Even though it’s supposed to be a data only eSIM, it will allow calls and roaming data (outside of Canada) for an exuberant price. Could they be doing something like this? 🤷🏻‍♂️

I mean, I don’t know your wife - it’s pretty for me. If you install an app like Airalo it’s pretty straight forward to buy and install an eSIM if she follows the instructions. Might be a good idea to do it yourself (buying a UK eSIM) so that you can walk her through it.

“Expensive” is relative. I’ve been looking at prices between the more popular brands and they seem to be in line with others - sometimes better, sometimes more, often the same. I will say that Airalo it’s regularly at the top of latency testing.

I’m just saying Roamify is garbage. US Airports have wifi. If you want immediate connectivity upon landing you can also use a lower data eSIM from Alo, Airalo, RedteaGo, Roamless (lots of good options) before getting Tello. You can message u/esims_bot with “USA” for a list of prices from various good providers.

Sounds like she didn’t turn off her home SIM or set Airalo as the data SIM.

If you buy Saily or Airalo or many others they will work in China without a vpn.

How much does a phone plan cost in Peru? An Airalo 10GB Global pack that lasts 6mo plan costs $56. 10 x 1GB/7 day Peru plans cost $46. Roamless pay as you go plan cost $4.95/GB for Peru. You can put $20 on there and just recharge when needed. That might be your best bet.

You are limited on which US providers will allow you to install while out of the country. Tello used to work and supported this but they no longer support activations outside the US. Some people claim it can be done with a VPN. You could give that a try. Airalo offers global eSIMs with a US number and limited calls/texts. You could also give that a try.

Local as in an Ecuadorian provider, not a travel eSIM. Airalo is doing you a solid saying it won’t work, I don’t know that other travel SIM providers will work. Kind of like buying a US travel sim but it doesn’t work in Hawaii or Alaska, etc. You will have to do your research and look at the fine print, only get a travel eSIM for there if it confirms that Galapagos is included.

Airalo sells global eSIMs. They’re $66US for 20GB for a year. Roamless is also a one eSIM solution that works all over the world but price varies by country - and in many places will be more than Airalo so double check the countries she’ll be visiting on their website.

Overall, I don’t think it’s a great deal unless you’re constantly travelling and need a full 25GB of slow data. That’s over $400 of data. You could buy 6 x 20GB/365 days of Airalo’s global plan for that much money or cheaper monthly regional plans. But if you feel the $33 is a good value then don’t be scared off about changing phones. I’m sure you can contact support and they’ll reissue you an eSIM.

Yes, above all the local provider is better in terms of quality and service. But some people don’t want to fill out a form or subscribe to a contract they have to cancel to save a few bucks - I get that too - but sadly $30 for 10GB of Canadian data *is* relatively competitive in Canada 😂 If you go with a Airalo or Saily as a baseline, you know you’re going to get decent service. You can then use that as a comparable for local prices and no name prices and make the your decision. Ideally all travel eSIM providers would stated their breakout locations for each country. Simply stating “you may notice an alternative IP address” is not good enough.

An eSIM has nothing to do with a PC based app. You just need an eSIM with a phone number. Airalo has many plans with phone numbers, but you need to keep paying or you will lose the number and someone else will have it (and your WhatsApp account). What country are you in? Why can’t you get a mobile SIM?

Airalo global is a very expensive option for a couple weeks in Europe. The 10GB Czech Republic plan (includes European roaming) is only $16.

**Brazil (Pricing in $USD unless stated)** **Airalo** 2 GB/15 Days $7.50 2 GB/15 Days $7.50 3 GB/30 Days $10.00 3 GB/30 Days $10.00 5 GB/30 Days $14.00 5 GB/30 Days $14.00 10 GB/30 Days $25.00 10 GB/30 Days $25.00 20 GB/30 Days $38.00 20 GB/30 Days $38.00 **Nomad** 3 GB/30 Days $10.00 5 GB/30 Days $14.00 10 GB/30 Days $24.00 20 GB/30 Days $37.00 **Jetpac** 5 GB / 30 Days $14.00 10 GB / 30 Days $24.99 15 GB / 30 Days $29.99 **Saily** 3 GB/30 Days $9.99 5 GB/30 Days $13.99 10 GB/30 Days $24.99 20 GB/30 Days $39.99 **Sparks** 1 GB/60 Days $3.60 2 GB/60 Days $6.00 3 GB/60 Days $8.50 5 GB/60 Days $13.20 10 GB/60 Days $25.20 15 GB/60 Days $37.60 (Prices are for comparison purposes and not a recommendation)

The difference between Airalo and RedTeaGo is $4 - are you really concerned about $4 more than you are your data connection? Airalo is the best travel eSIM provider in Canada as they’ve partner directly with Bell Canada (and not one of the data roaming backbones) giving them the lowest latency I’ve tested. The data exits at nodes code to you and doesn’t go to Europe first like RedTeaGo. https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelSIMs/s/QJCkiB7g5f Not saying it’s *bad*, but it’s not like the better service is 2-3x the price… it’s $4 more.

u/esims_bot Europe You can get one European eSIM that supports both UK & France (see below). Saily, Nomad & Airalo allow you to manage all the eSIM’s from one account (although you can’t name the eSIMs with Saily).

u/esims_bot Asia It’s your usage that determines how quickly you use data, it has nothing to do with the eSIM company. Airalo and Nomad along with the companies below are well known brands. You shouldn’t have an issue with any of them.

MobiMatter is fine, they’re a reseller and have some deals but not the same options you’d get from Airalo, Sparks, etc directly. Just confirm it’s actually a good deal before pulling the trigger as those other companies usually also offer referral discounts.

Tello used to, but not anymore. You’re not going to find a US company that activates outside the US. Airalo sells global eSIMs with US numbers, those will activate and will work with iMessage.

Never said they are always best anywhere in the world and I did state that if they use the same backend then service will be similar. I’m just saying at worst, they offer the same service but in many places they do offer better service. Even if routing is involved they might still use a better backend or have a better SLA - but for sure if you see there is no routing it’s better. Airalo and presumably Saily have a team of people that manage their network and don’t simply rely on their backend provider. Again, not saying in every case the service is better - just saying they have the scale and resources to provide better service. For someone who isn’t travelling all the time and doesn’t have the local connections - you’re more likely than not going to get better service from a known provider than no-name Joe’s eSIMs that are simply a white label at a cost of a few dollars more.

My bad, I’m getting my posts confused 😂 Obviously you can spend your money on whatever service you want and avoid any services you feel a way about - but there is **absolutely** a difference in service quality and I’ve tested it (https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelSIMs/s/d4Ib4WiojV). Some random reseller may use Plus or whoever and yes - if the big providers are using them too then the service will be the same - but they don’t necessarily use the same backend service. Airalo for example is big enough to make their own deals with local providers - in Canada they use Telus and the latency is as good a local providers as data exits in Canada, in Czech Republic they have a deal with O2 and data exits there. They have a bunch of these agreements and that makes the service quality a lot better than a random company that routes North American traffic via Europe. Saily is also phenomenal in Canada. Does that make it work the price? At the same price it’s a no brainer, if more expensive then I can’t answer that - to each their own - but 100% there’s a difference.

So by core network you mean the backend to handle management and control of the mobile service — issuing eSIMs, billing, authentication, routing, etc. - not *specifically* an internet backbone… although I believe they have direct connectivity to some major operators. In summary, I think they would be considered a tier 2 operator since they don’t run their own networks and just piggy back off others but they do enable others to to use their white label mnvo service. With that all said, in Canada I’ve found Airalo, Roamless and Saily to have 30-60% *less* latency than Ubigi.

Yes and no. Connecting to the tower would be the same, but what happens to your data after that is very different. Airalo is always at the top of the latency charts in my testing because they have exit nodes in or near the countries they operate in. Other providers might use cheaper routing that exits in HK - not great if you’re in North America - so there very much is a difference. Now, if you’re willing to save a few bucks in exchange for slower connectivity that’s a choice some people will happily make - but to pay more for worse connectivity isn’t a very good decision

Airalo is a better known brand and is cheaper than beeSIM in Uzbekistan. Looks like they also use Beeline.

Airalo also has a 10GB Czech plan that includes European roaming and Talk & Text for $16. It’s basically a secret EU roaming plan.

Is your eSIM flag as recommended or popular on eSIM db 🤔 Obviously you’d want people to believe it isn’t true, but you generally get what you pay for and there’s a massive difference between the big guys and small guys. The main thing being support and the other being latency. I’ve yet to see a smaller player with sub 100ms latency in Canada like I see with Airalo, Roamless & Saily.

Airalo is expensive for EU roaming so they’re also not recommended. In terms if them having an outage - all providers can have an issue - does not mean Holafly is immune - just that for your particular trip it was fine. Similar to how every eSIM I’ve used have been fine for my trips. Most posts about Holafly on here are about customers asking for refunds because they didn’t get an eSIM a customer service not responding. So pick your poison I guess 🤷🏻‍♂️

Ah, I missed that, thanks. That said, why would you use an unknown company to save $2 over Airalo - the largest eSIM provider which also uses Smart (biggest Philippines network)? I understand saving money, but for $2 go for the name brand which you've already used successfully.

Airalo works there, but 20GB is $36.

Airalo has regional Caribbean support. It’s not cheap though, 3GB/30 days is $21.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TravelSIMs/s/SZDbutOxem The lower the latency the better. I’m from Canada and use Tello for plans that don’t include US roaming. Airalo also has very low latency. I didn’t test Nomad, wouldn’t go with Ubigi, but Sparks exits in Europe so that leads to high latency. If it’s just for maps and checking emails then it doesn’t matter much.

They all have crappy support, Airalo is the most used (seemingly by a lot) so they will have the most complaints. Airalo has a Czech Republic plan with voice that includes EU roaming and it’s cheaper than their standard euro link plan.

Are any of the “top” providers? On recent trips for myself and what I’ve setup for friends I’ve used Airalo, Alo, BNE, Gigsky (for cruises), Roamless, Saily & Tello (not a travel eSIM by great choice for the US if you want a phone number). I’ve used Nomad and it’s good too, but it’s just more of the same and since I don’t have any credit with them I don’t see a benefit over Alo or Airalo. I’d also use JetPac and Sparks if I was going to the EU. One of my considerations is that I manage eSIMs for family and friends. Airalo, Alo, Nomad have very clean UIs and they make it easy to manage and retire old eSIMs. The problem with JetPac and Roamless is that I can’t purchase multiple eSIMs. I like BNE and their non-expiring data and good deals - but when I was in the US their exit node was in EU and it had higher latency than the rest - but it’s fine for kids that are just happy to have data :) Saily is good service, has a US exit node and I just moved my dad over to them from Airalo. For some reason he’d always lose signal on Airalo until he started actively using his phone, this doesn’t happen with Saily - but Saily has a really weird UI where they don’t let you delete or archive old eSIMs so I’ve got a bunch of eSIMs on my account that I don’t use. It does seem you can *reuse* them if the app notices they’ve been uninstalled, but I have one eSIMs that was removed that still shows as install so it’s kinda annoying. Another negative with Saily is that eSIMs will automatically be activated within 30 days of purchase. In the end, even a cheap GlobalYo eSIM will work - just at a higher latency and a cringy UI.

The US is in a unique position in the word where they have mobile operators that you can easily signup for and that are cheaper than most travel esims like Nomad. Tello is a real US mobile operator and as such it also comes with a phone number - like AT&T and T-Mobile do. Nomad, Airalo, Roamless are travel eSIM providers that just resell roaming data from other major providers. This means they have slower and lower quality of service. Latency from Verizon/TMobile/Tello will be around 15-30ms vs travel eSIM providers which will be in 60-500ms range - with most falling in the 150-350 range. So if the price isn't cheaper and you don't get voice calling, why bother?

Your information is not correct, you can definitely install new eSIMs from Airalo, Alo and BNE. There is no need to keep old eSIMs on your phone. If you install an eSIM from “a local operator” your account will usually get closed after a period of time, the comeback offers are regardless of whether or not the eSIM is still installed.

How can you get a text message from an expired Airalo eSIM that doesn’t come with a phone number?

Airalo is $20ish for 10GB with calls and text. JetPac is cheaper but without calls/texts.

Nothing is really unlimited. Most eSIMs don’t do calls and texts - Czech Republic plan from Airalo does if that’s something you really need. All Europeans I met used WhatsApp/iMessage which will work with any travel eSIM.

Airalo, BNE, Roamless all have data that lasts a year or more. Roamless is pay per use so it’s good if you’re not using a lot of data. None require a real name to signup, but you’ll need a way to pay for them.

I don't know if Airalo is a good solution - but in general - just because the app isn't available in India doesn't mean you can't use Airalo on your trip. You should still be able to get an eSIM from their website.

Roamless is an option only because it doesn’t expire - but if you’re using more than 1GB a week then Roamless will be much more expensive than Airalo. Why is local SIM not possible?

As long as both SIMs are active they’ll both work - just ensure the Airalo is setup as “Primary SIM” so that you’re using Airalo data. As bpbp216 said, if the Canadian SIM is “inconsistent” then it’s likely the roaming partner your provider is using that is inconsistent.

Please explain your actual issue. This problem has been reported by users who enter their Verizon number into the Airalo eSIM settings. If that’s what you did need to contact Verizon to get the issue resolved.

In the Airalo app on the eSIM where you go to install it. If you go into the Airalo app, click on your eSIM (under My eSIMs) and go to Details you’ll see View Instructions.

It’s an app. JetPac and others have a Global plan that would include US & Mexico. Airalo and Alo (also both apps) have packages for US & Mexico with their North American plans. Best to check them all out and find the best price.

Airalo actually is premium based on my testing - they regularly have the lowest latency.

They all work the same. Either a setup issue with Holafly (did you turn on roaming?) or it could have been a malfunction. Holafly, Airalo, Nomad are all reputable and the same technical issue you experienced with Holafly could happen with all of them.

This isn't Airalo spam, it's Yoho spam. Aside from people spamming their referral codes, I have never seen any spambots pushing Airalo like we saw with Gigsky or some of the less popular providers. They're a billion dollar company and spend a lot on advertising - but in many tests they are also on top - so you get what you pay for. They definitely aren't the cheapest, but they are competitive with the other name brand providers.

u/esims_bot Spain Airalo is good, some are cheaper but not better. I’d just buy 10-20GB and top up if you are running low.

None of that is accurate.

You don’t buy it with iOS - you need an app like Airalo or Saily and it will automatically install. Alternatively you can buy it online (on another device) and scan the QR code with your phone to add it.

Airalo, Nomad & Alo all have very similar rates overall.

Airalo had 30ms latency in Canada. How fast is yours?

Plus jamais eux. Airalo en Colombie un débit a peine suffisant pour faire du whatsapp

No I don't see that detail on esimdb. I try in the paste Airalo in Europe and internet was terminated in Singapore as I remember and latency was just horrible. Same for Simoptions with eSIM from Thailand used in USA and that was the same issue with latency. That is why for me low price is not for me a good deal, when I pay 900€ my fight ticket I'm not looking for 2 or 3€ more cheaper. Since long time I used the UPeSIM -> [https://www.upesim.com](https://www.upesim.com) and the internet is regional (Asia internet is terminated in Asia, EU terminated in EU, US terminated in EU)

My family and I got airalo when we went and had no problems whatsoever. You can either activate it when you land, or you can download it beforehand, and it automatically activates when you land.

I was fine with the 10GB plan over our 11 day trip, although on a few days my dad was doing a lot of the navigating, so you might need a bit more if you’re going solo. Maybe go with the 15 days, 10GB plan (if you’re going for a similar amount of time), and just top up as and when you need. Alternatively the 20GB plan for 15 days does seem pretty decent too, and that is only £5 mote expensive.

A phone charger that will still charge your phone with the lower voltage and current. Some of tie older ones won't. Also, get an Airalo Sim before you go. Don't get a Sim in Japan.

I am Japanese. Be aware that you will not be able to get by with English like you could in other countries, as even those working in hospitality often have either very poor or absolutely no English language skills whatsoever. As such, I advise you to make sure you have excellent internet and data access with translation apps. It is important that these apps can pronounce as well as display the kanji and not just the romaji or Latin letters. I strongly recommend AirAlo, and to buy it in your home country and install it even before you arrive. Also make sure you have Google maps install and I'd recommend downloading the offline maps for the areas you are travelling to. Everything else will be a breeze.

Data only, there is no need for a phone number. My guess is that you don't speak Japanese, and therefore voice calls are useless.

All of them generally work fine (jjesim, Ubigi, Airalo). Get the pricing and amount of data that works best for you. Install it before you leave. Activate it on the plane.

Airalo worked fine for me in Japan, but later I noticed unauthorized purchases from Africa on my account and it was a major pain trying to locate someone from customer service. Once I found them they told me they would reimburse me for the unused eSIMs, but refused to reimburse me for the “used” eSIMs due to “company policy”. I ended up having to cancel my credit card and file a fraud claim through them. Many people were having similar issues at the time, some still on vacation. Imagine being in Japan and having to cancel your credit card while you were there. Due to a negative customer service experience, I would not use them again.

We used airalo in 2023 and 2026, no issues, both on iPhones.

I've only used Airalo. Throughout Europe and Asia ( Doha), never had an issue yet. I know some say it's pricier but I don't find it that much at all. I'm not gonna fret on $5-10 savings myself when I know the product works

In my experience, Airalo is throttling some websites. Also, in Kyoto Airalo's internet was spotty especially in central area. I switched immediately to Ubigi and got great internet in that same area.

esimdb.com i usually buy my esims from a provider there, much cheaper that the well known providers like hollafly and airalo

imho esims are such a blessing for travel, i feel as if being connected instantly as you hop of the plane, is a great quality of life increase. Used one when i was traveling to germany with [airalo](https://airalo.com) it was a little slow, and know ive been using [strong esim](https://strongesim.com) seems better, highly recommend esims for shorter term travel.

I would rather know how much data im getting instead of getting an "unlimited plan", i've used a "bottom of the barrel" one for traveling to europe, and it also came with a travel guide for the region i bought the esim for, its called Strongesim, tried airalo before but it felt like it lacked speed, imo.

Airalo works well but its more expensive, i used strongesim in japan and south korea found it on esimDB, both are good

1) airalo is over priced.. but if you really want to do it 2) Airalo resells for different providers. It just happens that the EU one is cheaper. The UK one is only on EE, so maybe it's a local sim with better priority? Dunno 3) why do you need unlimited? Most people should be fine with 1-2GB/day

https://esim.holafly.com/refund-policy/ > Refund for Incompatible or Locked Device > If you purchased the eSIM and it turned out to be incompatible with your device, we will provide you with a full refund. a) if you bought via credit card,chargeback because they're not following their policy b) if you bought via debit card, you can still try a chargeback. but it's not as easy as credit card. Do you not have a credit card. c) why are you paying $40/sim? Unless you are getting 100GB. These providers (airalo, Holafly) have large advertising or influencer budgets, they are extremely overpriced and not worth it

As you are going to be in Spain for a year, you do not need Holafly, Airalo, etc as they are designed for travelers. What you need is a Spanish network SIM Card or eSIM. Contact your university / colleagues Student Union or Erasmus office, who should be able to recommend a network for you, including a possible student discount.

eSIMs have become a bit of a “cult”, for want of a better word. I have a trip to Czechia later this month, have already downloaded an eSIM from a local network, Kaktus, a sub brand of T-Mobile Czech Republic, which will activate once I land in Prague, going on my previous experience. I always buy local SIM cards or eSIMs, much better value than Saily, Airalo etc and give you a local number too.

You do not need a travel eSIM like Airalo etc You need a UK network physical SIM card or eSIM. Contact your school’s student union, who will be able to recommend a network and maybe even have discounts available. The MNO (Mobile Network Operators in the UK are : EE Three O2 Vodafone MVNO’s (Multi Network Virtual Operators) include : Tesco Mobile (Runs on O2) GiffGaff (O2) Smarty (Owned by Three) Slice Mobile (EE) VOXI (Owned by Vodafone) Make sure you pick the network that has coverage where you will live, school campus, etc. that’s why it’s a good idea to get advice and any discounts from your school’s student union, who will have various discounts available, for food, drink, retail, etc

I've used Airalo all throughout SEA and it's been pretty solid.

I have never run into this and have used multiple providers (including Airalo, Nomad, Always-mobile, etc.) Once the esim is installed, all it has to do is connect to an available network to operate. This does require purchasing the service before leaving. It is then ready to go. Once the plane lands, turn it on and wait for it to start. May be a little slow the first time because there is some handshaking going on and checking that it is valid. Note: if you are traveling from somewhere that is a covered location by the esim provider, be sure to turn the esim off as soon as installed so it doesn't activate too early.

Your eSIM is “installed” and “turned on”, but your *plan* is not yet “activated”. According to the Airalo website, your plan will activate automatically when your phone connects to an appropriate network (at your destination).

Personally, I prefer Saily because they use a single eSIM vendor, whereas Airalo resells eSIMs from multiple providers. No service is immune from problems, but a setup where there are more parties involved / more complicated systems involved is, in my mind, more prone to problems and more difficult to resolve.

Those are ridiculous prices on airalo. Nomad is selling 20GB for $20. Mobimatter is selling 20GB for $13. No one should be using Airalo at those prices

Airalo is one of the most expensive out there and I hate it every time I see it recommended. Nomad has an unlimited plan for Thailand for 10 days for $14 or 50Gb for $9

Airalo is expensive. I used Nomad in China with no issues

Ubigi / Airalo should be fine. I’ve used both and I’m ambivalent. Pocket WiFi is good for fast unlimited data (Japan Wireless), and it comes with a portable power bank as well. Downside is you have to pick it up, and remember to return it before going through airport security (you can’t leave airport security area once you pass to go through!!).

I’ve used both Airalo and Ubigi, and have found Ubigi more reliable. I’ve had cases where I had Airalo with no data while my partner with Ubigi had data, so I switched to Ubigi.

I think global and regional eSIMs are more expensive than a single country, usually. Look at the costs and see which one may work for you based on your travel plans. Global or regional eSIMs also sometimes have issues when moving from one country to another. I’ve had to muck with a European Airalo eSIM when moving between countries. In that case it may have been better to buy a country specific eSIM. Do your research, shop reputable eSIM providers to find what works best.

If you've watched any YouTube lately you'd know why Airalo was more expensive. They have to pay all that marketing somehow. They get away with it because they are well known and people go to them for easy. They don't offer anything better performance/quality wise than other suppliers. There are lots of good options for Europe, the best for you depends on the countries needed (Inc starting country), data usage, trip length...

An eSIM is just a virtual version of a SIM card. There are a lot of travel eSIM companies that are data only. Like the heavily advertised Airalo or Saily. If you get a real local plan on an eSIM, eg in the UK for shorter term visitors you can get them on networks like Lebara, Giffgaff, Lyca or Spusu, you will get a normal phone number.

BNESIM is generally the recommendation for turkey because it is both very cheap and can use the largest network Turkcell. Many eSIMs around including Airalo's Turkey one can only use the smallest network Turk Telecom.

Mobimatter Sparks for 12GB $12 Airalo is overpriced in most countries: largest provider, most marketting: most expensive.

Airalo is the most well known, therefore most touristy, and therefore generally most overpriced provider. The most suitable option depends on your data usage requirement. For low use, a travel eSIM will offer best value, eg BNESIM, Mobimatter or Jetpack have good rates. For slightly higher use, a local eSIM from Lycamobile Ireland or Vodafone Ireland (both real local networks) will offer much better value, unlimited data in Ireland can be had around €15-20 and both those networks sell eSIMs immediately on their websites.

Both these providers are reputable, mainstream options who charge very standard prices, there will be nothing wrong functionally with either.

It's just their marketing tactics ultimately. The mainstream marketing generally works particularly in Western markets, most people will know Airalo, Saily and Holafly. At least Airalo and Saily provide a reasonable quality product, unlike Holafly. Yes, they are expensive Vs equally as functional completion, however they are competing/marketing to those who would otherwise just pay even more excessive roaming fees. Trip has deals but it's marketing tactics are borderline scam tier and it is ultimately just a marketplace itself with a lot of different products. Their product also has to be price competitive because no one will pay the pricing of the big names for an eSIM there. There are a lot of smaller sellers around online, or even big companies like Vodafone Travel or Orange which can be most competitive depending on use case.

They're just big, moved first and have big marketing budgets. I have nothing wrong with Airalo as they are clear and (generally) work, they're just overpriced in most countries. The same way as big carriers are in my/most countries vs MVNOs. Holafly is, in my opinion, worst of the big players because they advertise unlimited data whilst not really offering it, but it sells because people just think they need it. This is barely different to the US carriers who have done the same thing for years, they simply hide in fair use policies and get away with it due to weak regulations, relying on the vast majority of people who never needed unlimited data in the first place to bump up their reviews. In Europe, carriers cannot hide behind vague fair use policies as regulations don't allow them too. Several networks have got in trouble for it. Holafly isn't subject to that, for now, I'm sure it'll come.

I think you are mixing up installation and the plan activation. Most travel eSIMs let you install and initially activate beforehand (which is the bit that requires internet) then only fully activate once they connect to the network. Airalo shouldn't have an issue with this nor should most of the major travel companies like Ubigi, Nomad, Sparks. A few eSIMs, usually the real local ones, will only install and activate once within their home country. Lycamobile is the most common one mentioned here because people often need up with them, but not the only one. If you are super concerned, put a small amount of credit onto a global eSIM like Roamless or eSIM.sm's global eSIM and that will at least get you started if your main eSIM doesn't work on landing for whatever reason.

There is no resource for this. For a guaranteed local IP you have to go to a real local provider. For US there's many... (eg Tello, US Mobile, Visible, Lyca US...) Beyond that it ranges from: * they tell you: Escape eSIM tells you the underlying provider, Nesa Mobile tells you the IP breakout * they don't tell you but it's owned by a carrier so always them: GoMoWorld is Eir Ireland, Red Bull Mobile is A1 Austria, Orange Travel is Orange France * they don't tell you but it's well known: Sparks is well known to be Plus Poland, esim.sm's global plan is also Plus Poland as is DENT, Roamless is known to be a US local breakout * they don't tell you at all, you can try to ask but they might change it with no notice: most providers including Airalo, Holafly, Nomad

Orange Spain eSIM through https://www.esimholidays.com/en, you'll be able to do it before travelling and you'll get 60GB data in Spain (13GB usable in Portugal) for €10 and it's a local service with number etc. Vodafone Spain is decent too but as far as I know you would have to sign up in a store. Airalo is very overpriced in most countries. They have to pay for all that marketing somehow.

Airalo is the most popular eSIM provider, but also therefore in most cases charges the most without doing anything meaningfully better than others. You haven't said your usage but Tello and US Mobile are actual local providers that visitors can easily get.

A friend of mine went to Greenland and tried to use Airalo a few years ago - it just plain didn't work. Hopefully that's not the case but it's quite likely

The Azores is part of Portugal. The networks are the same and any Portugal eSIM will work there. Airalo is in general an overpriced eSIM seller due to heavy marketing and brand recognition. A cynical view would be that they sell a separate, more expensive Azores eSIM to capitalise on those who don't know any better. There are many far better value, equally as functional options for Portugal and the EU. EscapeSIM, Mobimatter Sparks, Vodafone Travel (or Vodafone Portugal itself), Lyca Portugal (if you make sure to turn off auto renew) are all well regarded, far better value options.

> Also seeing Saily, Nomad, Holafly, GigSky mentioned a lot You see these 4 (plus Airalo) because they have the biggest affiliate marketing programmes, and pay a lot of bloggers/influencers to list them. They are all reputable (to some degree - Holafly is borderline...) but expensive for what they are.

BNESIM is cheap, works well and has access to Turkcell which is the largest network in Turkey. Many more popular ones like Airalo only have Turk Telecom which is the smallest network.

Because of the Maldives size and location, networks are very limited there. [Verizon's coverage map](https://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/overlays/international-travel-coverage-map.html) doesn't even show service there, which may well be why your data or calls didn't work, because Verizon doesn't have an agreement. An eSIM is another line provider by someone. There are very limited options in the Maldivies but Ooredoo (one of the local networks) sells an eSIM on their website and also via Airalo which would provide data and local calls/texts on that line. Many travel eSIMs are data only though, it depends what you get. Your home line remains totally separate and subject to whatever costs, roaming agreements etc. Sometimes you can use wifi calling to make this work without reliance on roaming. Whatsapp is an app and works over Wifi or data, whichever SIM, eSIM or wifi connection you happen to be using.

Going through SIMlocal costs more than direct. Lyca is cheap but there are some customer service problems. The actual data service and network quality is fine. Airalo is expensive because they are a heavily marketed, touristy option.

Pilatus is not a real company/network, it's just a brand name Airalo uses. You connect to one of the local operators in Switzerland using any travel eSIM. Airalo's service is usually fine but they are normally overpriced, particularly for Europe. They are priced because they are the most heavily marketed and well known company. There are equally as functional eSIMs for Europe/Switzerland like Mobimatter or Orange that are much better value.

Mobimatter Sparks Europe or [Vodafone Travel](https://travel.vodafone.com/europe-esim) eSIMs both include Montenegro Airalo is overpriced in most countries due to their heavy marketing.

Trying to get one eSIM for all those countries will cost more than separate, but there are a multitude of global options like Airalo, Mobimatter and DENT that would cover all of them. Personally I would be splitting it for lower cost and more data, and it would depend on which country you go to in which order as to the best options. But if you don't want to do that then the options above cover them.

Airalo is very overpriced for Europe. There are reputable and reliable but much cheaper options like Mobimatter Sparks and others, what suits best depends on your usage.

Airalo as well as being overpriced by at least double routes your data overseas and makes it slower than options like Tello.

Whilst the differences are large in orders of magnitude, in the context of the cost of an international trip they are very small. Many people simply don't care to research further in that context. In most cases, particularly for those from North America, even the most expensive eSIM providers also seem very reasonable compared to local mobile costs and in particular roaming costs so again many people don't think to research further. 44 CAD seems great Vs 10-15 CAD per day, and many people's 100+ CAD monthly phone bills. I totally agree I would never pay or suggest such prices but many people don't know better. There is also the factor that suppliers like Airalo and Saily have consistent, polished websites, vs that of Trip or smaller providers, even if equally as functional. Many people will go for that alone.

What issues did they actually have in the reviews? Most happy customers don't leave reviews whereas people who make mistakes often blame the company for something not their fault. The common error in Turkey is you cannot activate eSIMs within the country on local connections. I know people have used BNESIM in Turkey very happily and I tend to recommend them because of both pricing and because their eSIM can use Turkcell, which is the best network. Most eSIMs like Airalo are stuck only on the worst network Turk Telecom.

Sure, but it'll be expensive (other suppliers are available...) and potentially inconvenient? Why not just put the eSIM on the phones you actually use? Remember that hotspot is very battery draining too.

Yeah it sounds like an error to me. I guess it is just new information and if hasn't been refined properly yet. Not that I'd use Airalo anyway, too expensive. If local routing is *that* important there are almost other ways to find it. And as you say in some cases you actually don't want local routing!

Wouldn't buy either - overpriced and not meaningfully any better than cheaper options. Holafly being the worst of them - fake unlimited data, often very long routing. For US I would pretty much always go straight to a proper local plan like Tello or US Mobile.

Yep Airalo can only use Movistar in Mexico which has some significant gaps in coverage. For more rural locations a plan that can use Telcel is needed. They sell a travel eSIM direct otherwise there are other reputable suppliers out there who sell eSIMs with Telcel access, often cheaper than Airalo anyway.

Airalo is overpriced for the UK. Better to get a real local plan from a network like Lyca, Lebara or Giffgaff as you'll pay locals prices, not tourist prices. You'll have to activate in the UK and turn off auto renew, but there is plenty of free WiFi in the airport to install the eSIM as soon as you arrive.

Your ask is very vauge so it is impossible to give more precise advice. If money is no object any reputable company like Roamless, esim.sm's Global eSIM or Airalo Discover should work fine, or one of the ones on Mobimatter. If you are having performance issues beyond that, particularly latency, then the only likely solution will be to get a proper local plan within the country.

You can't base that aspects like "reputablility" "size of the company" or price of any provider, as even the big names like Airalo are known to have terrible routing and network access in major destinations like Mexico, even if they might be great in Canada. If routing is important, then one needs to chose a supplier who is transparent about its routing before purchase, or use results of *recent* 1st hand testing.

Be aware that almost any "unlimited" plan is not really unlimited, it will throttle and is usually overpriced for what it offers. Most people do not need unlimited data. If you really have high data needs Orange Travel is a good option. Otherwise Mobimatter sells a range of reasonably priced and reputable plans (including some Airalo ones) at better prices. Airalo works fine, but is overpriced particularly in Europe where there are many better value and equally as well performing options. They are a well known and well advertised provider who charges prices to match.

You would have to test that for Morocco specifically though. All Airalo state is if they have "IP routing" (ie a foreign IP) and in Morocco they do. We have no idea where their exit node is unless someone tests it. Airalo and Saily might give great service in Canada, which is great, but it doesn't mean they are going to deliver the best service everywhere in the world. My preferred providers all state routing information up front, or make it easy to predict.

Given this post is about Morocco, I'm talking about Morocco, but in general for almost every country I've found a provider I would go for if spending my own money, ahead of Airalo or Saily.

All travel eSIMs or roaming are as reliable as the local networks they use excepting any rare outages or similar, which can happen to any provider. You haven't said how much data you need which makes it difficult to recommend any option but Mobimatter Sparks, Orange Travel or Jetpac are all ok priced, well regarded options. Airalo is fine but they are priced to fund all the heavy marketing they do.

1: yes your phone displays eSIMs in a list after installing and you turn them on and off. But don't use Airalo for Europe it is overpriced and there are many multi country options. 2: this isn't to do with the eSIM but your home carrier's, policies and fees eg if you can use WiFi calling. Messaging apps like WhatsApp or facetime do not have fees because they use data 3: for most eSIMs you can install either before or while travelling. Occasionally you can only install within or activate within the country. You need internet to install an eSIM (eg WiFi).

The only places the French networks don't reach in Monaco are inside the train station and certain buildings where the Monaco network has repeaters inside, but the French ones don't. Free Wifi is very readily avaliable, even in the street in Monaco. It is not particularly critical to have phone coverage from that network specifically. If you absolutely want it, your best option is probably Orange Travel, which includes Monaco. https://travel.orange.com/en I also wouldn't go with Airalo anyway, they are overpriced for Europe. Plenty of better value, reputable options like Mobimatter Sparks, Jetpac and others, including Orange.

I was referring to your wording about "known" providers, I'd much sooner suggest Jetpac or Mobimatter Sparks over Airalo or Saily who overpriced, not meaningfully better (likely worse) but known. For the UK specifically though there is very little reason not to go for a proper local option like Lycamobile, VOXI, Vodafone, Three, iD or Giffgaff anyway (all of which also work in the Republic of Ireland). I'd be happy to do testing beyond that for the UK (and Europe more widely when I go) with travel eSIMs however just like in the US with options like Tello or US Mobile, I generally don't see the need for visitors to go for a "travel" provider.

RedTeaGo is pretty reputable but there's no point going for them due to uncompetitive pricing for the UK. I'm surprised by the phrasing of your comment given it suggests towards overpriced providers who advertise heavily like Airalo or Saily who aren't meaningfully better than more competitive options. It's better to say to go to a reputable options that are known to work...

> edit: i am going to spain france and italy, it also seems like it would be cheaper to get a local esim for a few GB of data in each place than getting the eurolink plan for the whole trip It would be cheaper to get multiple due to Airalo's way of pricing. However you'd save more money going with a different eSIM provider, most of which would work across Europe on a single eSIM and work just as well, if not better. The best option is going to depend on your trip length and data usage but for example the Orange eSIM from [https://www.esimholidays.com/en](https://www.esimholidays.com/en) would give you 60GB in Spain + 13GB for your other countries for 10 euro.

I do wonder why you asked for advice when you already made up your mind. Airalo works but the reason "you see them online" is because they are the one who market the most. Oh well. Hope you had a good trip.

The roaming speeds aren't "limited" directly by them by because of how roaming works it won't be as fast as a native SIM/eSIM of the country. Your data has to route back to the home country. However products like Airalo, Nomad, Jetpac and all the other travel eSIMs do exactly the same thing too, so it's not going to be much different from those.

Personally I'd just get Lycamobile UK, making sure you don't activate until you land and making sure you turn off auto renew so you don't keep getting charged (these are the two most common complaints people have). It's cheap, easy to get, works well using the EE network and gives a good amount of data for the price. Mozillion isn't really suitable for visitors as they bill by direct debit so you need a UK bank account. If you really dislike the look of the above options, some alternatives are Giffgaff, iD Mobile Pay as you go, Three Pay as you go or Vodafone Pay as you go. However none of these will give the value of Lyca SIMlocal and Airalo are basically priced for tourists who don't know better. They are fine but you overpay a lot for what you get.

No need to put your number onto pay monthly and pay for something you're not using... Just put it onto a cheap prepaid plan, Giffgaff, O2, whatever and that'll receive SMS. There are cheaper options that Airalo but yes for arrival get an eSIM from a travel provider before moving quickly onto an operator permanently. You want to do that sooner rather than later because you'll likely want a local number sharpish.

Would agree with this, plus it is very expensive for what you get. The whole point of eSIMs are they are easy to switch... Much cheaper and often better service by going by country or region, lots of European eSIMs available at a fraction of the price of Airalo, like Mobimatter Sparks.

Airalo works but it's also generally overpriced because they are the most heavily marketed/well known travel eSIM company. For the US it is very easy to get a real local eSIM from Tello or US Mobile. But if you don't need a lot of data there are sometimes cheaper options but you haven't stated any requirements at all. Three UK pay as you go also works free in the USA up to a data roaming limit.

No, your UK calls will not go through to the US Airalo service. You can sometimes use Wifi Calling to recieve calls while abroad without roaming charges (this can also work via a data network), however UK operators often do not allow this and it is very finicky as a feature. This would be the only way to avoid incoming roaming charges but it is unreliable and not a sure way. If you forward calls from your UK number to a US one (if your network even allows this) they will charge you international call charges for that. If you want to recieve calls in the US from people in the UK you could get a Three UK PAYG SIM that allows roaming for free in the US including recieving calls. The easiest thing to do given you have already spent money on Airalo is to get people to contact you on a service like Whatsapp that goes through the internet. People in the UK will not want to call you on a US number because it is usually very expensive.

Most eSIMs out there, especially the popular ones like Airalo, are priced for convenience and/or to people who don't know much better. The cost is generally (but not always) going to be higher than local operators due to roaming rates charged by the local provider. However in some use cases and for short trips eSIM providers can be cheaper because they offer low allowances etc for a few $ whereas a local provider might have much higher minimums, charge for a SIM card, or similar.

Personally I would never get Airalo because they charge many times more than reputable, equally as functional but far cheaper options in the market. Airalo is the most known and heavily marketed provider and charge prices to match. But sure, their eSIMs work fine. You can always top up or buy another eSIM if they start to run out of data.

Airalo is overpriced for Europe.

Look in a relevant sub like /r/eSIMs Most are similar. Airalo gets mentioned a lot but they are the most marketed and well known provider charging 5-10x what you need to pay.

Airalo: expensive Holafly: fake unlimited

I have used the Airalo app for eSIMs in Europe, Asia, Latin America and have had no issues. You can download and install the eSIM before you depart so it’s ready on arrival. 

Think it important to compare apples with apples here. Some providers have different use cases than others, the casual traveler who travels once or twice a year is not the same as someone who spends most of their time on the road in different countries. The StaffTraveler eSIM seems to be geared mostly towards airline crew, although there are plenty of other use cases. In my use case (airline)I use quite a bit of data, but I also use it all year round and in some obscure places (so I need as many countries as possible). My data usage might also be a bit intermittent, with one month being more than others. So, what I need is a long validity with a lot of countries (thing like Dutch st Maarten, curaçao, Suriname, but also Uganda , Oman etc) at an affordable price. The one thing I don’t need are regional eSIMs, I just want one thing that works for everywhere and I don’t need to think what data will cost there. Most providers don’t have long validity (30 days max seems to be the norm, which is to short for me), don’t support enough countries or route everything through 1 point of presence (I’m talking to you Eskimo routing everything through Singapore!). If I compare it to the larger worldwide data plans from let’s say Airalo, then it’s cheaper (62 vs 69 USD for 20GB) and there are plenty of discount codes flying around (10% off is the most I’ve seen for StaffTraveler). I know the intro plan is actually free, the code is in the discount code section I seem to recall. In short , I like the StaffTraveler eSIM, it ticks the boxes of what I need as airline crew. But totally understand that it’s not the eSIM for all users, just as most eSIMs aren’t what I need.

It all comes down to convenience and what countries you are going to. I always like global eSIM because it's switch-on and forget, so there are no worries about switching, etc., though it can be a little more expensive. The countries you are visiting are not very obscure, so most global eSIMs would do (depending on if you also prefer regional exit routing to improve speed)... My preference is the StaffTraveler eSIM, most countries, with a year validity. So if you decide to go somewhere else this year, it will also cover you. The price is cheaper than Airalo, even more so if you use the discount codes in the discount code section.

How is it a scam if you had successfully used it for a while. Many travel esim companies have rewards programs that will expire if not used within a year. Airalo is such an example. If you do not know the terms and conditions of mobimatter, it doesn't make them a scam.

Where do you see that there is a limit of 3 Esims for Airalo? You should be absolutely fine if you buy different Esims for your family. I do it very frequently and have no issues. The only thing for Esims is that Airalo lets you track usage, only you will see it in your app. However, they should be able to see an estimated usage on their phones.

For my needs, I have Roamless and Firsty installed and I just use one of them for any short trip. However, for trips over 3 days, I usually get a prepaid plan from Airalo, Red Bull mobile or Saily. Keep in mind, for Airalo you have to install a new esim for each new data plan you purchase. The rest just have one esim and you just get a plan that you need. However, Roamless is pay as you go and you only pay for data used unless you purchase their fixed packages for 30 days

As stated earlier, there are lots of options for Europe. Airalo Czech Republic O2 Esim works in EU, UK and Ireland, jetpac has some nice deals now. However, most of the travel Esim providers will need you to prepay for the data, so double check how much data you will need. If only for maps and transport, I would probably go with Roamless as you only pay for what you use and do not need to prepay for something you might not even use. Safe travels!

Local SIM cards are always a good choice. Travel Esim gives you more convenience as you have data the moment you land in a foreign country and you do not need to spend time getting a local SIM card. For Thailand, you can get Dtac happy tourist Esim directly from Dtac or resellers like Airalo or Nomad, but a local one will be even cheaper. If you need data once you land, might consider Roamless until you get a local Esim. With Roamless you only pay for data used and no need to prepay for a certain time and data amount. That way you can still stay connected until you get a local n SIM card. Safe travels!

Airalo Czech Republic Esim with data, calls and text works both in UK and Ireland and it's only $22 USD for 10 GB. However, if you need only 3 GB of data, Roamless or Unisim might be a better fit for you as you only pay for data used and not going to pay for data that you might not use. Roamless is $2.45 per GB in each country and Unisim as cheap as $1.82 in per GB in each country.

You can certainly try. You will need to make sure your home SIM card provider supports Wi-Fi calling. If yes, you will be able to make and receive phone calls while on Wi-Fi. However, if your home provider also supports backup calling, you can use your phone and Airalo Esim to make and receive calls over Airalo data. Special set up is necessary for the backup calling to work.

9esim has been highly recommended here. I'm not sure about this physical SIM card for China as I have been using travel esims for past several years. I used Airalo Asia esim, Firsty and Roamless in China without any issues, but these are esim providers only

Airalo will work just fine. Their new plans are pretty competitive and some come with a phone number. For your cruise, you can take a look at red bull mobile and see if your ship is supported.

It's much easier just to get another Esim if one fails, but it's a good idea to have a backup. I used Airalo in Japan without any issues. Usually, it's a user error, but not always.

Saily only uses T-Mobile and AT&T. Airalo uses T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.

You can use any travel Esim providers for data, however not all providers and not all plans will have the ability to make or receive calls. With Roamless you can make outgoing calls only for a pretty reasonable price. Most Airalo Esim plans are data only, some will have a phone number that you can use to make and receive calls. Mobimatter is a reseller of travel Esims from various providers including Airalo.

You can easily buy many Esims from Airalo. There are no limitations.

Check Airalo instructions and info for your specific Esim. Most you can buy and install anytime and it will activate only once you reach your destination and connect to a supported network.

Airalo has millions of users, some do post here their negative experiences. However, IMHO, the majority of those issues are user related and not due to Airalo.

Airalo is pretty expensive for Egypt. Roamless is pay as you go and only $3.95 per GB, Nomad is $31 for 10 GB. However, the beauty of Roamless that you only will pay for the data used and do not have to do the guessing work on how much data do you need for 10 days Safe travels

There are several options for you. You can get Airalo Czech Republic Esim, it comes with a Czech phone number and credit for calls. More likely you will be able to top up that credit via O2 Czech app. Another option is Roamless Esim, it doesn't come with a phone number, but you can use your balance to make outgoing calls only very cheap. Usually when I'm in Europe, I have no issues getting Uber using the Uber app and seldom need to make any calls, but sometimes it's crucial to be able to make one.

All Airalo plans support Wi-Fi tethering

APN usually is set automatically on Airalo Esims. What phone do you have?

I'm not sure what you mean by preferred partnerd, but Roamless, Saily and Firsty IMHO experience will automatically switch to the best carrier if you have your phone set to automatic network selection. Airalo does the same, but I only used it in Asia

Any major travel esim provider like Airalo, Roamless and many other have multiple supported carriers in majority of the countries. You can check their websites for the info on specific countries supported carriers. However, many will not post that info online and you will need to contact their customer service for that info. For example Saily and Firsty use multiple supported carriers, but do not publicly list them.

Holafly isn't a scam. You just need to understand what you are purchasing. I personally used Airalo in Japan. I used their Japan esim and Asia esim, both worked just fine for my needs. If you only need data for Google maps, you do not need much data. You might consider looking into a pay as you go plan like Roamless Flex which is only $2.45 per GB and your funds never expire.

Most travel esim will bypass the firewall as data routed outside of China. I used Airalo Asia esim, Roamless and Firsty without any issues

I used Airalo regional in Vietnam and it worked just fine. I used Airalo in Malaysia and Thailand (not regional) and also worked fine, but Malaysia was 2 years ago. For the convenience, I would stick with one regional esim. However, Happy Tourist esim from DTS that can also be bought online or via Airalo is extremely cheap

Never heard of UMI either. Possibly they trying to promote it here. Umi prices for Asia are 2x more expensive compared to Airalo

I'm not familiar with guac, but both Saily and Airalo are solid options for Denmark. Airalo also has Czech Republic O2 esim that works anywhere in the EU and UK which gives you $10 GB for $16 USD plus some minutes and texts. That has been my go to option for the EU and UK in the past 2 years.

So you are using the Airalo Canadian plan and data roaming is off? That's very smart on the Airalo side.

BNEsim is highly recommend for Turkey, but make sure you install it prior to your arrival in Turkey. Any major esim providers will also do a trick like Airalo or Roamless pay as you go.

I usually stick with what worked for me in the past. I used Airalo in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Vietnam without any issues. I had a regional one. What do you get for $10 with trip.com? Who is the esim provider?

Yes, Dominican Republic is on the pricier side. Any main players will work just fine there. I think I used Airalo there almost 2 years ago. Worked fine, but it was about $7 per gb

Unless you want the simplicity of just having one esim, I would go with 2 separate Esim. 1 for Thailand and 1 for Malaysia. DTAC Happy Tourist esim for Thailand is extremely cheap and for $9.90 USD you get 50 GB of data and 100 min for 10 days. You can get it directly from the DTAC website or resellers like Airalo or Nomad. In the Airalo app you have to search Thailand and scroll all the way down to see the DTAC option

I honestly do not remember who Airalo used, but it worked fine for my needs. I didn't do any video conferencing nor used lots of data

Any Airalo plan that has an option for a local number, comes with a local IP. They have updated their offerings several months ago

Not really. Airalo has an option to have a USA phone number for calls and text messages which Saily doesn't offer.

Airalo updated esim for the USA has a USA exit node.

Have you checked recent offerings from Airalo? Canadian Esim does have an option for calls and SMS https://preview.redd.it/pbhyw28xgdvf1.png?width=1440&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c822753bbfd75f2a448dc7d0c044f1a6b0b76b9

4. Either is fine as long as your Google sim will not connect to a network there, which it shouldn't as you do not have an international plan 6. Choose Airalo is primary for data and activate automatic data switching 7. Yes, otherwise you will just get a regular text message when outside of the USA

Airalo is the only option I'm aware of

You should be able to change in your settings on what esim is using data. Should be pretty simple. If you want to have an esim with a phone number, just get one once you land in the UK like Luca mobile. If you want a travel esim with a true local number, check out airalo UK esim. If you just want to be able to make calls and do not care about receiving calls, roamless has an option to make outgoing VoIP calls, but you will pay $2.45 per GB. However, with roamless you only pay for data used. So with your scenario, you can use T-Mobile for general low speed data and when you need high speed, just switch to roamless.

I posted a list of Airalo Esims with a phone number. Do not have time to check if it's up to date, but for sure Thailand Esim no longer offers a phone number. https://www.reddit.com/r/Airalo/s/auRCPnKtqz List of Airalo ESIMs with a local phone number Please post Airalo Esims that come with a local number. So far, I found the following ones to have a local number: 1. Czech Republic 2. USA 3. Costa Rica List updated once users post: 4. Austria 5. Thailand (no longer, but available from Nomad) 6. UK 7. Bahamas 8. Israel

Airalo? What's that? Or did you mean Airalo? You should of co5me to this thread for help once you experienced your problem. Majority of issues with travel Esim providers are actually user related. From what you had posted, more likely your APN wasn't set properly.

Roamless is $6.45 per GB, but you only pay for the data used. Airalo is $4.50 for 1 GB or $21 for 10 GB Nomad is $6.00 for 1 GB or $16 (regular $19) for 10 GB Red Bull Mobile 2.00€ per GB

Airalo prices aren't much higher overall compared to other providers. Of course, some countries can be more expensive, but some are the same price or cheaper. I always compare pricing from the providers I use before making my purchase. I do use Airalo and used it recently all over the EU using O2 Czech Republic Esim and throughout the USA. Had no issues whatsoever. I also use Roamless, Nomad and Red Bull Mobile.

If you want to stay with Airalo, look into the Czech Republic O2 Esim it works anywhere in the EU and UK. It also comes with a phone number

Look into Airalo Czech Republic O2 Esim. It is $22 for 10 GB and comes with a credit for calls and SMS. You can top up using the Czech Republic O2 app if you need more for calls and SMS. Airalo Czech Republic Esim works in the EU, UK and Ireland Safe travels

It's just a bookmark list. Honestly, I'm staying away from the most, but I like to have options. I haven't realized that I will have that many options 😂. So far I'm sticking with the ones that worked for me in the past Nomad, Airalo and Roamless. I also have a Red Bull Mobile as a back up. In addition, I'm following development with Firsty. Firsty had me excited when I first discovered it almost a year ago, but lately they have been mainly disappointing me.

Airalo Esim for Argentina is data only Esim and will not come with a phone number. If you need a phone number, look into Airalo discover+ Esim. It's a global Esim and does come with the USA phone number that can be used for calls and SMS

Both jetpac and Airalo will work just fine in India

Airalo doesn't have a built VPN, but depending on the Esim you will purchase your data will be more likely routed through Singapore or Hong Kong and you shouldn't have no problem using Google or social media

Airalo is data only. You will not receive any SMS. You need to use your home Esim for SMS.

There are many options for Japan. You can always go with a local Esim or sim, but for most of them you will need to go to a local store. I used Airalo in Japan without issues. You can also check out ubigi, jetpac, Nomad and Roamless .

Airalo Global Plan if you just want to have one Esim. If price is of concern, I would go with individual countries plans or maybe regional instead of the global. Many of your countries will have very cheap data plans.

Both options might work for you, however keep in mind that Airalo Esim isn't reusable. So if you change your phone, lose it or it breaks, you will not be able to transfer that Esim to your new phone. With Roamless and some other providers, you will be able to transfer the Esim to a different device.

Either Nomad or Airalo should work fine. Keep in mind, many areas in Mexico like Holbox do not have great cellular coverage and speeds can be very slow even with a local SIM card.

You can get one. The 2 I would recommend are Airalo Czech Republic O2 Esim with a phone number (works in all your countries) and Roamless which is pay as you go.

How much data do you need? For casual use and pay for what you use, I would recommend Roamless, BNE or Unisim. For large data amounts orange or Vodafone. Also there are many major Esim players that offer Europe for very cheap prices like Airalo, Nomad, jetpack and saily. Many of these companies have promotions and referral codes available. Check pinned posts in this subreddit.

I used to buy Esims at airports or when I would get into a city, but it always took some time from an hour to one time almost the whole day. I was introduced to my first travel Esim from Airalo, but it only had Esim for one of the countries as the other one was sold out. Further research on Reddit and other sites introduced me to Nomad. Both Airalo Esim and nomad Esim worked great for that trip. Lately, there are dozens of travel Esim providers, but not all very reliable or have good customer service. So search around here to see what works for you. For me, the convenience of the travel Esim and reliable service is a must (5g speeds aren't important for me, 4G or LTE if 6 fine for most of the people). Also, with most travel Esims you have to prepay for a certain amount of data that will expire at some time and I had noticed, that most of the time I would not even use 50% of what I paid for. That means I was overpaying. Lately, I discovered providers like BNE, Roamless and Unisim. You only pay for data used and your funds deposited never expire. I would just use the data as needed and even though the price per GB is frequently more expensive, I am actually saving money as only pay for what I need. Wow, I was just going to post a one sentence post 😂

I wouldn't go with a global Esim. Just get an EU Esim and another one for Canada. Airalo Europe or Czech Republic one will work all over Europe. However, there are multiple great providers in addition to Airalo like Jetpack, Roamless and BNE

Agreed on Dtac. You can also get it from Airalo, nomad or many other Esim resellers

Why wouldn't it be possible? Pixel 6 is Esim compatible. As long as it's unlocked, you should be able to install an Esim from many travel Esim providers like Airalo, Firsty, Roamless, Nomad and Red Bull Mobile. Will you have 4G or 5G coverage, that I can't tell. But for me 4G speeds are more than enough to do what I need to do.

Dtac happy tourist. You can buy it directly from Dtac or from a reseller like Airalo or Nomad

A1.net APN is APN for A1 Austria that red Bull Mobile uses to provide mobile Internet. Airalo used to use A1 for their global Esim, but not anymore. Not aware of others. The only other Esim provider that states you can roam on any of 3 major networks in the USA is Unisim, but pricing varies on the network you will use.

Yes. You can use hotspot on all Airalo plans. However, I do not recall a need for me to use it while in Asia

Airalo Asia plan worked well for me for the past year on multiple trips to China, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Japan

If you need a specific provider, I would stick with travel esim providers that clearly list their roaming partners. Roamless, Airalo are 2 that I use that do disclose those

Airalo works well in EU and Europe as long as it's not an unlimited plan. For EU, Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim is great as it comes with a phone number and credits for calls and SMS

If you are looking for an e-visa options for Italy, you are in a wrong place. If you are looking for an esim for Italy, any travel esim like Airalo, Roamless, Ubigi, Firsty and many more do not require KYC

That's a lot of data for a week. I would look into local esim options. If you want to stick with a travel esim many have 20 GB for about $30 US like Roamless, Firsty, Airalo and Saily. Roamless and Airalo also have 50 GB option for about $39 US

Airalo is just fine for London, but do not get unlimited plans. Many people are having issues with unlimited plans due to throttled data and fair use policies

Both companies are solid. I used Airalo Asia esim 4x in the past year in Japan, China and Vietnam without any issues even after they switched providers

All of the mentioned providers by you will work just fine in Europemn and each of them post their pricing for you to compare. If you think Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim that works anywhere in the EU and comes with 10 GB of data and some minutes included for $16 is expensive, than go with any Chinese providers from trip.com, but you will get pretty high ping time

I just used 20 GB Airalo Japan esim in the past 2 weeks and had no issues whatsoever in metropolitan and rural areas. Japan has a very good wireless infrastructure. However, what's best for you, will depend on your needs and how much data you will need.

Yes, most of the Europe plans are a bit cheaper with Nomad compared to Airalo. However, Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim that comes with 10 GB of data, credit for texts and calls and works in the EU and UK is only $16

Airalo works on T-Mobile and Verizon networks

It's hard to make recommendations as you didn't specify how much data you might need. However, as stated already, go with your local provider if price is no issue. Otherwise, you have hundreds of options for a travel esim. Keep in mind, majority of the travel esims are data only. My favorite go to for Europe is the Czech Republic O2 esim for $16 you get 10 GB and some minutes for texts and calls. It works anywhere in the EU and UK ( keep in mind that it's listed all the way at the bottom in Airalo app when you choose Czech Republic. The top options will not work in the EU. Only the one that states data/calls/text)

Yes, looked pretty similar to Airalo offerings. However, for the majority of the countries I checked the price was cheaper. PS they do have an app

Holafly unlimited plans will be throttled daily. Never heard of easysim.global. I used Airalo for high data usage needs. Used over 20 GB in one day in China and speeds were just fine. BNEsim is actually highly recommended here for Turkey as it's cheap and reliable as per users reporting.

I have heard their unlimited have been throttled in many countries

You can get Wim esim and it will work in Canada, USA and Mexico. It comes with a Mexican phone number and plenty of minutes to use. Otherwise, for only Canada and US, I'm not aware of anything unless you go with a global plan like Airalo global or you can get separate plans for Canada and US from Airalo, but each will come with a separate number. You can look into Roamless pay as you go option. It also let's you make calls via their app. If you want to make and receive calls, you can buy a Canadian number from them for a month.

No.. It's much further down. Keep in mind it's validity starts the moment you install it despite most of the Airalo esims validity starts only once it gets activated by connecting to a supported carrier at the destination https://preview.redd.it/wihygnmljp3h1.png?width=1440&format=png&auto=webp&s=11b53d352eb76d7154829953936a4694017a0c33

I make my life simple. I use travel esim providers that worked for me in the past. They aren't the cheapest. Roamless, Airalo, Firsty and Saily( this is a new one for me)

Yes. No issues with Google apps and WhatsApp. I haven't tried hotspot as I had no need, but Airalo generally doesn't restrict that. Either Airalo or Nomad will do for your needs. Both very prominent travel esim companies. I used Nomad 2 years ago in Thailand, so no recent experiences.

My point is as a travel esim provider, Airalo is pretty competitive plus it has esims with a local number for quite a few countries. However, local esim will be cheaper most of the time

Airalo also provides QR code for the set up

Looks like you can check out by paying that price. I would just go for it if that's what you need

Also, you can take a look at Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim. It's $16 for 10 GB and will work anywhere in the EU and UK. It easy to add funds via Czech Republic O2 website or app. Comes with a Czech number

As I mentioned many times lately in this subreddit, my go to for EU and UK is Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim. It comes with the phone number and some credit for calls and SMS. It can be topped up on Czech O2 website or app. It's only $16 for 10gb. Airalo just resels it. You will not be able to track your usage using Airalo app. You will need Czech Republic O2 website or app

Airalo has plans with us phone number. You can get it while I'm your country and you will be all set once you arrive in the USA. However, a local mvno like Tello or US mobile will be much cheaper for a prolonged stay. I would go with Airalo for the first week and once in the USA, get a local esim

You have plenty of options. If you do not need much data, Roamless pay as you go is a great option and it's only $2.45 per GB. My go to esim for Europe in the past 2 years has been Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim. It works anywhere in EU and comes with a Czech number with some minutes and SMS. It can also be easily upgraded or extended using Czech O2 website or app

US mobile would be my first choice. However, if you need a travel esim for convenience, Nomad is just fine. I used Airalo and Firsty there also without any issues.

Ubigi is a pretty good option for Japan. I used Airalo Japan and Asia esim and it also worked just fine

I would also say that BNEsim is the cheapest and the best option for Turkey. Airalo is also fine as, but a bit pricier and uses Turk Telekom

The ones I use do not have such restrictions. To name a few: Roamless, Airalo, Saily, Red Bull mobile, Nomad and Firsty

Your phone is missing 2 major 5G bands used in the USA by T-Mobile and Verizon (carriers used by Airalo). Your phone doesn't have band N41 and N66

Airalo has a plan with a phone number for Canada with a local IP

Airalo or any travel esim providers should work if you do not need a USA phone number. Otherwise, Airalo has plans with a USA phone number. You can install your esim while at home and it will activate once you land i6n USA and connect to a supported network.

Pixel phones might or might not work on 5G due to Google policies. However, you shouldn't have any issues using your pixel phones on LTE. I haven't used Saily in Japan, but Airalo Japan and regional esims worked fine on my pixel 7 Pro on LTE only.

I used Roamless, Airalo and Firsty in Shenzhen in December and all 3 worked just fine.

If you need simplicity, go with a travel esim. Most should do a trick in the USA. If you need a phone number, Airalo has plans with a phone number.

You have many options. You can always buy a local esim, but for the convenience a travel esim might be a better option for you Take a look at Roamless. It's a pay as you go travel esim provider and Europe will cost you $2.45 per GB. With various promo codes and a referral code, you can get this price much lower. Airalo has many options for Europe, but my favorite one is a Czech Republic O2 esim. It includes data, calls and texts on EU and UK. $16 for 10 GB for 30 days I usually would just use Roamless for a short trip and Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim for any trips over 4 or 5 days

Unless you are in a very rural area, a travel esim that uses any of the 3 major providers will work well for you. Roamless is pay per use and works on T-Mobile and AT&T, Airalo now works on T-Mobile and Verizon and has a plan that includes local minutes and SMS. Not sure about Saily as I never tried them yet as they only use Google or Apple ID login. Both use local IP. If you want to have very rural coverage, go with Airalo. If you only need data as needed, go with Roamless pay as you go.

The market is very competitive and new esim providers are popping up daily. You are free to choose any other provider. However, I'm sticking with what works for me and Roamless has been great for me as a travel backup esim or for short trips. And as my trips are generally very short, Roamless works fine and the ability to make calls is also a plus. For longer trips, I usually use Airalo, Nomad or red bull mobile.

I'm not sure what you have been reading. Airalo Austria is pretty straightforward. Czech Republic O2 esim, you have to scroll all the way down in the Airalo app

Airalo Austrian and Czech Republic O2 esim come with a phone number

Airalo has one with a Mexican phone number. Somoswim is Mexican mvno that can be activated in the USA and it works in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Roamless lets you make outgoing calls for pretty cheap to the USA, Wi-Fi calling using your phone number over WiFi or cellular data of another Esim, Google voice you can call US for free using data.

I used Airalo Europe esim in Serbia and it worked great. I had Roamless and Firsty as a backup, but only Roamless worked just fine when I tried 3

For Thailand, IMHO, DTAC Happy Tourist travel esim is the best option. It can be purchased directly from DTAC or resellers like Airalo and Nomad. Airalo sells it starting at $9.90 for 50 gb and 100 min for 10 days. There are also unlimited options, but Airalo is currently sold out.

I used Czech Republic O2 esim (it's the last package now) for $16 USD for 10 GB for 30 days. It comes with a Czech number and credit for texts and SMS. Works in the EU and UK. If you decide to go this route, make sure you get a correct one as Airalo has other packages with the same name listed first. Others might recommend other options for you. Like Nomad, Lyca Mobile, Roamless. They all will work just fine in the UK

As many mentioned, no true high speed unlimited on travel esims. However, if 3 GB per day is sufficient, Airalo EU and UK plan might work for you. But do you truly need unlimited data? Check your current mobile usage. Personally, I use about 700 MB per day on average when traveling as I'm not doing anything that consumes lots of data. When I'm in my home country, I use at least double of that as I'm watching lots of videos

To answer your question, yes it will work just fine. However, I'm not sure what you consider a longer travel, you might want to look into other options depending on your destination.

I used Airalo Asia regional plan in China, also Firsty and Roamless. All 3 worked just fine in southern China

Airalo uses a local Peru provider and you can also get a phone number for calls and SMS with majority packages priced the same as their data only esim. You will need to upload your passport as it's a local esim as per Peru regulations

Keep in mind with Airalo, if something happens to your phone or you get a new phone, you will not be able to transfer your esim nor your phone number to your new device. Also Airalo frequently changes their partners, once this happens you will no longer be able to top up or extend your current plan or number.

Stay away from unlimited plans, unless you clearly understand the limitations. You can get a Firsty First class subscription for €35 for 40 GB in 30 days and looks like it will work in all of your countries. You can also look into Airalo unlimited plans for each country, but that will be limited to 3 GB per day only. If you go with an Airalo unlimited plan, you can get a backup service like Roamless (pay as you go) and use it for high speed data once Airalo runs out during a specific day.

I just recently used Airalo in Southeast Asia mainly in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam. I bought a 100 GB package for $185 and topped up 2 times as I needed lots of data this time.

If you need to make and receive calls, Airalo has an esim for Costa Rica that includes a local Costa Rican phone number which comes with some voice and SMS.

For me Airalo Asian esim, Firsty and Roamless worked just fine in China and Southeast Asia

Trip.com is a reseller. The rate is pretty cheap and more likely you will be just fine. As I stated many times in this subreddit, I just stick with the well known providers. I'm using Airalo right know in Asia and used it without issues in all mentioned countries, but South Korea as my travels didn't take me there this year

My go to choice for eu is Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim. It works anywhere in the European Union and the UK. It does come with a Czech phone number and you can easily top it up for calls or more data

Take a look at Airalo Czech Republic O2 esim. It works in the European Union and the United Kingdom and comes with a Czech phone number. You can top it up in order to make calls, but it does come with some credits for calls

I have an esim from Roamless, Red Bull Mobile and Firsty that I use as a backup or a short trip as sometimes it's not worth it to buy a 1- 3 GB esim when you are in a country for a day or 2. Otherwise, for longer trips I just get what's the best for my needs. I mainly would use Airalo or Nomad. They aren't cheap, but they worked for me in the past 2 years and I like to stick with what works. Otherwise, if you want something cheaper, there are hundreds of esim providers and more are popping out almost daily

I never used them so I can't comment. I stick with the companies that worked well for me in your past like Airalo, Nomad, Red Bull Mobile and Roamless

You can look into Airalo 5GB for $23. But do you really need 5 GB? If you aren't going to be backing up your photos or videos, watching streaming videos and etc 5 GB is a lot of data for my 3 days. If you just need it for maps, navigation and just to stay connected you can go with a pay as you go provider like Roamless where you would get charged only for data used. Search around for current promos and referral bonuses. Roamless isn't going to be cheap at $7.45 per GB, but you will only get charged for what you use. You can always go with a pay as you go to stay connected upon your arrival and then get a local sim card

I think new Airalo plans are very reasonable for Canada once you get at least 10 GB package which is only $18 USD

Just try connecting to every single network using your Verizon esim. once you find one that it will not connect, stick with it and Wi-Fi calling should activate using you Airalo Esim

Yes, you can pause a travel esim plan, but not from Airalo. Firsty has that option and any pay as you go providers like Roamless.

Most of us here tried various esim providers and stick to what we think works for us. It's very individual and as you mentioned, there are lots of providers. I have over 120 esim providers bookmarked, but only use a few. For short duration or data as needed I use Roamless. For longer trips Airalo or Nomad have worked for me well especially in Europe and Asia. All 3 that I mentioned will have an IP address outside of China so you shouldn't have any issues for your needs. However, you can get a VPN service just in case.

It's always helpful when more info is provided like what esim did you purchase from airalo? Airalo has hundreds of different esim. Many will only activate once you are in the destination country and connected to a supported network and some will activate right away. If you bought Moshi esim, it will only activate once you are in Japan even though it could connect to a local network, it will not work until you are in Japan.

I used airalo Czech Republic O2 esim without any issues and was able to receive calls and SMS. You can top it up on the O2 website if you need more credit for calls and SMS. It comes with 10 GB data and some allowance for calls and SMS. The cost is $22 and it's valid for 30 days. Many local esim providers might be a better deal for you and you can get an esim right at the airport. However, if you are like myself, I want to have data the moment I land. Then, I would recommend a pay as you go provider like roamless or Bne esim and use it till you get your local esim. Both of these providers esims can be installed and activated in your home country, so you can even try them at that time Safe travels

Absolutely. But why do you want to buy 2 packages at the same time? You could easily buy another package when data is getting low. Not sure about nomad, but with airalo you can just top it up with a new package using the same esim profile

Your Airalo Esim will only activate once it's connected to a supported network at your destination. The iPhone error is there as it's trying to activate in your home country.

I've been using Airalo for 18 months in various countries without any issues.

I would go with a local provider like Tello, US mobile. Airalo also has a Change+ plan that includes minutes and SMS, but local Esim might be better for him. I used Airalo in the USA on several occasions and had no issues. Tello and US mobile are MVNOs. Tello uses T-Mobile network and US mobile can use any of the 3 major ones. Airalo uses T-Mobile and Verizon.

For Thailand, I like Dtac's happy tourist Esim. You can get it directly from Dtac or resellers like Nomad. Airalo no longer has a Dtac Esim

And USA Change+. Feel free to look at it under the USA Esim 😉 Airalo has many Esims that come with local numbers. Some other examples are Israel, UK and Costa Rica

I'm not sure about Ubigi, but more likely you will be fine for basic data needs. Tello is a local MVNO that uses the T-Mobile network and it has great coverage, speeds and pricing for someone who will just be in NYC. Airalo uses T-Mobile and Verizon network in the USA and it's a bit more expensive compared to Tello. I'm using Airalo change Esim right now locked to Verizon and have no issues. However, due to my phone limitations it's LTE only. In your case, I would consider Tello as you only going to be in NYC and T-Mobile coverage and speeds are great in NYC area.

And Airalo works fine on Verizon

That's the one I used last year. Once in Thailand and activate, you can even download the Dtac app or use it online to add funds or see usage. Looks like Airalo doesn't have that package as of today, but was there last week

How much data are you planning to use? For Asia, might look into regional plans from Nomad or Airalo. For India, I'm not sure. For EU, you have plenty of options but I like the Airalo Czech Republic O2 Esim that works in the EU, UK and Ireland. Look into different packages, but as a backup I would get Roamless or Esim.sm Esim where you can just pay for data as you use it and no need to estimate your data usage. Usually, it's much cheaper to get a local Esim. Having an Esim like Roamless will get you connected until you get your local Esim. Personally, I seldom get local SIM cards, as I just do not have time to deal with it

I had used both Nomad and Airalo in Asia specifically Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. Worked fine for me

Global Esim is very expensive if you add minutes. And as I stated earlier, Airalo Mexican Esim doesn't come with the ability to make calls.

Look into Airalo Czech Republic O2 Esim $22 for $10 GB and works all over EU

I second Airalo Czech Republic O2 Esim if you need to make and receive calls using an EU phone number. For data only, you have lost of providers like Airalo, jetpac, Nomad, Saily, Roamless and many more. BTW, Roamless lets you make outgoing calls using it's app at pretty reasonable rates.

Yes and no. Airalo is l data only Esim for Japan. You can't make regular calls or SMS with it as it doesn't have a phone number. However, as my phone is dual SIM I was able to use android backup calling to make calls and receive SMS using my home Esim over Internet data provided by Airalo

Yep. You can also get Dtac happy Tourist through resellers like Airalo and Nomad

Airalo has Esims for all your countries. You can get one for Belize and Latin America one for the rest

I used Airalo last year and it worked fine, but I wasn't in any rural areas

Taiwan tourist Esims are very reasonably priced. Take a look at DTAC happy tourist Esim. Many providers like Airalo and Nomad resell it or you can get it directly from Dtac. Safe travels

Yes, as long as your phone is Esim compatible and carrier unlocked

Jetpac has a promo for $30 for 10 GB. Airalo is $42 and also works on telcel like Jetpac. However, Airalo North America plan is $46 and works on Telcel and Movistar

You can get Airalo Czech Republic Esim 02 with a phone number one for $22 and it will include data in UK and France

As much as I like Roamless, you better off with a local travel Esim like Dtac happy traveler. You can get it directly from Dtac or through resellers like Airalo and Nomad. It will come with a local phone number, sms and data

For Europe I usually recommend Airalo Czech Republic Esim with phone number (works in the EU also) or Vodafone travel Esims ( https://travel.vodafone.com/europe-esim?i_code=CS-F-34-CTA ) or Orange travel Esim ( https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/europe ). For casual use or pay as you go, Roamless is my go to.

1. You can either buy 2 separate SIM cards one for each country or get a regional like Airalo Asialink 2. I used Airalo in Japan and Thailand and it worked well for me 3. Not for me if my time is valuable. If I will be in the country for more than a week I would still get a travel Esim so I have data once I arrive and then get a local SIM card the next day when I'm in the city.

There are probably other providers available, but Airalo uses Claro and Nomad uses Vivo. I have been looking into Unisim for awhile, but haven't used them yet. Just communicated with their customer support which was very prompt and helpful. They do have an option for Tim Brazil: https://unisim.net/en

There are lots of Esim providers for Dominican Republic like Airalo, Firsty, Roamless and many more. These aren't local Esim providers, but will work in DR. But this is a local provider: https://www.claro.com.do/personas/servicios/internet-de-las-cosas/personas-conectadas/esim/

You can start with Dtac Thailand Happy tourist Esim and then for sure change it to the local plan. You might be able just buy it in the Dtac app, but more likely will need to go to a local store to do it as id verification is required. You can get Dtac travel Esim directly from Dtac or resellers like Airalo or Nomad.

You can start with Dtac Thailand Happy tourist Esim and then for sure change it to the local plan. You might be able just buy it in the Dtac app, but more likely will need to go to a local store to do it as id verification is required. You can get Dtac travel Esim directly from Dtac or resellers like Airalo or Nomad.

Airalo Czech Republic Esim is one of your options. It works throughout the EU and has credit for calls.

Airalo has a Europe package also, but I would look into its Czech Republic esim which also works in the EU and has credit for calls and SMS. However, any local EU SIM cards might be a better option.

If you preload Google maps, you will not need much data at all. However, it's hard to estimate without knowing your usage and how much data each app is using. You can check your phone settings for the date used in the past month and make an estimate. When I travel, I usually do not do anything data heavy so up to 1 GB per day is usually sufficient for me. However, I always have backup esim like Roamless and Firsty just in case I ran out (which hasn't happened yet) You might consider going with Red Bull Mobile. They offer 5 gb for €5 for Germany and 100 MB for sign up. There are also referral codes, but you need to spend €10 for them to be worth it. Roamless also can be an option for you as you only will pay for the data used compared to others like Airalo where if you do not use the data purchased, it goes to waste. Roamless is $2.45 per GB but there are referral codes for $3 readily available, $1.25 sign up bonus and $5 promo codes. Safe travels and enjoy Berlin. Berlin is still on my list to visit.

Check Airalo prices for individual countries for 10 GB each. Singapore $18, Philippines $21 and Thailand $9.90 for 50 gb

You can get Airalo regional for $100 for 50 gb. IMHO it's very expensive for Asia, but you didn't state how much data you are looking to get

Several recent reports state that Airalo Esim doesn't connect to the Verizon network. I haven't tried it myself

As long as you can install an Esim, you can use any provider. I used Airalo and was pleased with the service. A local Esim probably will be better as it will have a lower latency.

There are many options for Europe. Airalo has Czech Esim for $22 that will give you 10 GB of data in EU and GB and some credits for calls. Firsty can provide you free low speed data by watching ads or as cheap as cheap as €1.45 per day for 512 MB of high speed data and unlimited low speed data once your 512 MB reach or you can get 2gb per day plan for €2.50 per day (24 hours). Roamless is $2.45 per gb, but you only pay for what you use. If you need coverage at Sea, Red Bull Mobile is your choice if your ship is using Telenor Maritime. You can also look into local providers like orange or Vodafone travel Esims You can save some money or get free data by using referral codes. Safe travel

Both Saily and Airalo are solid options for Europe. However, I would recommend to stay away from unlimited plans especially with Airalo. If you just traveling within EU, Airalo has a Czech Republic O2 esim that works anywhere in the EU and comes with 10 GB of data and credit for calls for $16.

Airalo has Mexican esim with a phone number

Yes for Airalo if you purchase one with a phone number

Roamless AT&T and Verizon Airalo Verizon and T-Mobile US mobile AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile Red Bull Mobile Verizon and T-Mobile

Airalo also has a local plan $20 for 40 GB

Verizon ha avuto un'interruzione importante per due giorni e probabilmente anche tu ne sei stato colpito. Credo che una delle date fosse il 14 gennaio. Anche Airalo usa la rete Verizon, ma anche T-Mobile non è stata interessata dall'interruzione di Verizon.

Airalo Mexican Esim doesn't support international calling. It's data only

Airalo $50 for 30 GB for 30 days

Airalo has similar pricing.

Airalo has a 10gb plan for $26.

I think most people's gripes are that lines can be long and you gotta fiddle with getting the card in. After a long flight it's just nice to have it ready to go with an esim, which is what Airalo is, installed already.

They clearly work and it was an issue with your phone unless you think we're all bots paid by two different companies. I could understand if you complained about them not providing a solution but saying "they don't work" is just nonsense.

Exactly, because there was an issue with the config on your phone those specific times. Saying "they don't work" is not the same and clearly false.

Travel eSIMs mostly roam on the destination network. You get a SIM from one network provider and roam with that in the destination country (e.g. Japan). Let's say your travel eSIM is issued by a Singapore-based network and you roam with it in your destination country (e.g. Japan). Your traffic will go like this: **Your phone --> Japanese network --> Singapore --> website/server location** and then reverse that for the response back to your phone. This can 'rob' speed and latency. Also in this specific case, Airalo is 4G only in Japan. 50 Mbps is about average for 4G networks. (their 5G speeds there average around 150Mbps, data taken from newest OpenSignal report). The network speed itself is also influenced by how much bandwidth the networks can use/own (e.g. US networks usually own/receive more bandwidth than European/Japanese operators) With all that being said, all the mentioned speeds were far away from being slow or unusable (not really fast either, just regular). You can stream 4K video at around 25Mbps+.

Typical "unlimited" travel eSIM behavior. Most of the time not unlimited high speed and the providers often don't tell you that/bury it in their T&C. There is a higher chance of it being really unlimited if you get SIMs from companies that actually run their own networks (like Orange). Airalo at least tells you what you get per day: https://preview.redd.it/hb7t6kc2t2fg1.png?width=1031&format=png&auto=webp&s=fd7a9d06d0df9b6da6f4ca89a09768f68cd8a339 And they also give you a generous 1Mbps after which is better than the 256/512 Kbps you get with most others. Slow but enough for Maps, Emails, very light web browsing.

Yes, with most travel esim providers like Yesim, Airalo, etc., you can install the esim before you leave to your destination - many providers actually recommend this. Note that there is a difference between "installing" and "activating". **Installing** (which you would do before you leave) refers to scanning the QR code/installing the eSIM itself. **Activating** refers to activation of the data plan purchased - most of the time activation happens automatically when first connecting in the destination country (in your case China). That is why iOS sometimes gives you an error when **INSTALLING** that the plan could not be **ACTIVATED** (because you are not in your destination yet). Be sure that you set the primary SIM for data to the eSIM and activate data roaming for the esim. Disable data roaming for your home (UK) SIM. General tip: Do not get "unlimited" eSIMs, they are not really unlimited. Get a fixed GB bundle instead. Also, Yesim is not really cheap in China. There are other options such as TSimTech on Mobimatter which is $13.99 USD for 20 GB/30 days. (https://mobimatter.com/esim-china). Users have reported that even ChatGPT works with TSimTech plans, so you are unlikely to face any blocked services/websites. (https://www.reddit.com/r/travelchina/comments/1lrn1x9/comment/n1dxsge/) Still, having a VPN handy for when you do encounter blocked services/websites is always good. Hope this helps :)

SoftBank may be the best network in terms of speeds. But (similar to T-Mobile in the US) this can only be the case if the network ACTUALLY HAS COVERAGE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Both KDDI and especially NTT docomo offer better coverage for Japan. Why would I go with Airalo, where 20 GB of data for JP is $26? I can get 50 GB for $18/$22 at Always Mobile/Nesa that is on NTT docomo's 4G network with local JP IP address (IIJ plan). This post might have some good advice but it just sounds like an ad.

Breeze is fine, it is backed by a major eSIM supplier. But it seems like it only supports connection to one network (o2). EscapeSIMs Germany plans are both cheaper and support connecting to 3 networks. Otherwise, the "default" options like Saily, Airalo, Nomad should all be fine.

Most services like Saily, etc. are DATA ONLY, NO PHONE NUMBER INCLUDED. There are exceptions like specific plans from Airalo or a Roamless number.

Both Airalo and Holafly have a high speed data cap (usually per day). Airalo tells you how many GB in their plan details and Holafly sometimes yes, sometimes no (I've seen mentions of 90GB per month, so about 3GB per day of high speed).

Not unlimited, look at the plan details page (for Airalo). Nobody knows the limit for Holafly.

Oof. Especially when comparing Australia to other providers (10GB 30 days): - Nomad £8.78 - Airalo £11.90 - Saily £12.00 - Ubigi £13.50 - BetterRoaming £13.85 And Lebara (at 7 days more but 2GB less): £25, with the non-discount price being £33. Not competitive at all is what I would say.

Can't you just use your Italian plan there with no additional cost? eSIM is just a form-factor. So if you are going to get a SIM card from a Danish network operator, they will have both SIM cards and eSIM available. I would not recommend using travel eSIM providers like Airalo, Maya, etc. for long term stays like this. As for networks: From what I read, TDC (nuuday), Telenor and Telia are all pretty similar. 3 seems to have a bit less coverage than the others but it's probably relatively similar for Copenhagen.

Airalo and Saily are both fine but imo overpriced.. almost $100 for 50GB... I'd personally go with the cheaper options and just use VPN if needed but I totally understand if that doesn't work for you. Btw, I just checked and Nomad also routes via Hong Kong. The Jetpac help person couldn't help me with that but I'm pretty sure it routes through Singapore (it should use APN "globaldata" and IMSI 26), so no restrictions.

These are the 3 large providers in Sri Lanka (and their coverage) as I understand it: 1. Dialog Axiata (very good) 2. SLT Mobitel (good) 3. Hutch (okay) Here are some providers sorted from price low to high: There are **Airalo** and **Monty eSIM** which have good pricing but only support the Hutch network. So this is not optimal if you are looking for good coverage. Then there are **Ubigi**, **Kolet**, **eSIM.sm (with coupon esimdb10) which support both the Mobitel and Hutch networks. They are also just a little more expensive. **Manet, EscapeSIM, Roamify, MicroEsim, eSIM4Travel and MobiMatter Sparks only support the Mobitel network, **Roamless (fix)** only supports the Hutch network. = TLDR; I would get Ubigi, Kolet or eSIM.sm (with code esimdb10) since they all cost roughly the same and support the Hutch and Mobitel network.

Can you please give some insight into your experience? Otherwise it lacks credibility. I personally think Airalo is overpriced a lot of the time and their support is so-so but the data itself has worked fine for me.

Airalo runs on Salt which is the worst of the 3 Swiss providers for coverage *(for the price they're charging I would expect better but thats just me)* Generally, Swisscom has the best coverage in Switzerland. Sadly, almost no esim providers run on their network (I only found "ETravelSIM" but I have never used them). The Sunrise network could also work okay but idk if they have coverage where you are (there are more providers that sell the network such as esim4travel, mobimatter, escapesim)

For Japan in my opinion: [https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/comments/1uzvg9d/comment/oyah55h/](https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/comments/1uzvg9d/comment/oyah55h/) But Airalo should also be fine. For other possible destinations just get a regional SEA eSIM when you need it

For me it would be EscapeSIM (for reasons mentioned) > Airalo > Breeze/Ubigi (they both only support 1 network)

All eSims you can buy on platforms such as Airalo, Nomad, trip.com will bypass the GFW. (Mostly via HK or Singapore) Only the eSIMs that are actually sold in China (by a Chinese carrier) will be affected by the GFW. Definitely purchase and install/setup the eSIM while outside of China. Your plan (e.g. 15 days) will activate when you connect to a Chinese network.

Yeah they need to. Just FYI, Airalo does actually sell a Thailand IP plan (currently only the 50GB 10 day plan on the dtac network).

There are 4 major networks in Peru: Bitel, Claro, Entel, Movistar Looking at the local networks that the providers you listed (and most others) support, it is mostly just one network. Airalo even just lists "Airalo" as network which is not helpful at all. I can only say from the looks of it and not from experience but Orange Travel seems best here. They support ALL networks in Peru (Bitel is 3G only, the others do have 4G available though). This gives you the best chance of having coverage and you can also switch networks manually if one isn't performing. Be sure to get the 20GB world plan if you do, much cheaper than the Peru-specific plan: [https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/world](https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/world) In general, I would skip providers claiming to offer unlimited data. You usually only get a few GB per day of high speed data and very slow (basically unusable) speed after.

Unlimited is not unlimited high speed for both Holafly and Airalo. You will get a set amount of high speed data per day and slow speed after. At least Airalo tells you your daily high speed allowance and speed after (screenshot is from Europe Eurolink plan): https://preview.redd.it/gpeqtucubjdg1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=b1938aa84f46e4b84d5356cf99395cac4792214a 1Mbps is at least usable speed for basic web browsing, email, navigation, maybe Youtube at 360p but nothing else. With Holafly it's just a gamble.

Texting usually activates these kinds of passes. Airalo mostly is data-only, so texting is not included. Your ATT number was then probably used to text. To avoid this, you can also use internet based texting like WhatsApp or FB Messenger.

Don't use Airalo. You definitely need access to the Telcel network for good coverage. Ubigi has that. More budget options would be Nesa (https://nesamobile.com/plans/mexico) orAlways Mobile (https://always-mobile.com/products/mx_zone). I am pretty sure that these two are selling the same product. Both support Telcel and Movistar networks (4G)

Yes that's definitely a very good option since AIS is a local carrier in Thailand: https://www.ais.th/en/consumers/package/international/tourist-plan true/dtac (also local carriers) have a similar very good deal: https://www.true.th/en/prepaid/sim/tourist The true/dtac plan can also be bought from Airalo (https://www.airalo.com/thailand-esim under data / calls / texts option) and Nomad (https://www.getnomad.app/en/thailand-eSIM) == As for using the AIS plan for other countries, I am not sure. It says under terms and conditions (e.g. here https://www.ais.th/esim-traveller/#/mealdetail?areaId=68) "for Thai user only". == TLDR; For usage in Thailand itself you can definitely go with AIS or true/dtac directly (or resold plans via Airalo/Nomad). For other countries, it seems like it's for Thai users only, so would not do that. Also, if you go with AIS/true/dtac, only install the esim when arriving in Thailand on Wifi to avoid issues.

Hello! I recommend getting a fixed GB amount instead of anything "unlimited". For European plans you have many options, including (price low to high): EscapeSIM (Aussie company), Jetpac, MobiMatter (Sparks plans), Nomad, RedteaGO, esim.sm, BNEsim, Saily, Airalo. However, I would advise you to only buy the esim as few days before you leave since many have activation deadlines (sometimes only 30 days).

Disable data roaming on your home SIM, enable it on Airalo. Set the primary SIM for data usage to Airalo.

Have never used them before but Textr eSIM seems to sell eSIMs that work on alm the big 3 networks in Sri Lanka: [https://esim.textrapp.com/plans/SriLanka](https://esim.textrapp.com/plans/SriLanka) https://preview.redd.it/i5bcu5mur32f1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d7793f331db9bf75e1d085021aae13ee831d210 Airalo also has good pricing there but that only supports the Hutch network which seems to have the "worst" coverage.

Great to hear that Airalo works :) I usually don't recommend them because I personally think their pricing is relatively high. Hence why I recommended Breeze, also running on Rogers (13.50 USD for 10 GB when using the coupon code) Anyway, have a good time in Toronto

**Fully agree** with you that it is different based on the country and that there can be okay prices, especially in Asia. I'm also not saying that their product quality is bad. However, imo Airalo often is one of the more expensive providers. The only plan I think is a really really good deal (discounting resold plans like O2 CZ and DTAC Thai that are not exclusive to Airalo) is their "Oceanlink" Oceania regional esim. **Otherwise there is stuff like:** \- $24 for 10GB in Switzerland and then it only connects to the 'worst' network (Salt) which sometimes struggles in the mountains (and Switzerland is a mountainous country). I can get 10GB for under $10 elsewhere and have Salt+Sunrise network included. \- $26 for 10GB in USA? I can get that for under $10. \- $37 for 10GB in Europe ("Eurolink")? Can get that for around $10-15 \- $35 for 10GB in Canada? Can get that for $15-20 with US included. \- $20 for 10GB in Australia? Can get that for under $10. When a PAYG service like Roamless offers better rates than you (USA, Europe), you really have high prices, not even mentioning that Roamless has really great network quality. I also had an experience with Airalo where I tried to inform them that their listed networks in a country were incorrect and just got a bs excuse by their CS..

Airalo also has that plan under phone + calls

Airalo is relatively expensive compared to others most of the time. "Unlimited" data 99% of the time is not really unlimited (unless you buy with a local carrier and even then not always), you either have a daily high speed data cap or an overall data cap (e.g. after 30GB of usage as part of the Usage policy) Keep in mind that travel esims mostly DO NOT provide a phone number or SMS capability, only data. Travel eSims are often used for convenience (as in not having to go to a store etc.) and since the price difference in Europe between local and travel SIM is not big, many opt for and recommend esims.

Airalo and most other esim providers are data-only and do not provide a phone number. Optus has great coverage but Telstra has even better coverage (for Telstra, get an esim from their own website or Boost Mobile to get the full coverage, others are limited)

Setting up Tello (while not substantially) requires a few extra steps compared to simply scanning a QR code like with Airalo and the others I mentioned. Also, Airalo is a really bad deal for the phone number (doesn't matter if you get data-only or with phone number). For $22.50, you get 5GB data/100min calling/50sms at Airalo. You get unlimited GB/text/calls for $25 at Tello (first 3 months are $15).

Honestly, then it might just be Airalo's fault. The frequencies are not really different from IL/NC to CA. If you are in a city, you should definitely get AT LEAST SOME signal.

One of them is AirAlo reselling a eSIM sold by a Korean mobile provider, which is why it requires eKYC, and it doesn't have a FUP likely because it's true unlimited since those plans exist in Korea.

Looked into this, Webbing has apparently had a Japanese exit node since 2024: https://webbingsolutions.com/10-facts-about-webbing/ This matches with the historic data for the only IP range they have that geolocates to Japan (38.87.92.0/23). I don't think historically Airalo was using this range prior to relatively recently though. Also OP: The reason that Airalo is slower in this case is because it's LTE...

Looks like AirAlo is on Salt only. There's https://www.esim4travel.com/switzerland-esim which is Salt + Sunrise. If that doesn't work there's a much more expensive option from Swisscom (https://www.swisscom.ch/en/residential/mobile-subscription/prepaid/tourists.html), which is the incumbent carrier in Switzerland.

TikTok and LLM apps might not work.

I mean if you look at Airalo's offerings, all of their "higher quality" products are just their partnerships with local providers so those are local provider eSIMs, just sold through Airalo. Airalo's pricing is also just entirely uncompetitive with ... just buying an eSIM from Fizz or Public Mobile. Saily is a bit special I agree, they have definitely improved over time, but only really in North America. Their offerings in Asia and Europe are fairly uncompetitive compared to all of the no-name providers, especially on the price front. I wanted to address this part in more detail: > I’m not looking at “local providers”, I’m comparing travel eSIMs. I do not believe that across the entire globe, there is any single eSIM company that is on average better then buying the cheapest option. For certain markets, sure, but not across the entire globe. You might be right that Airalo has the best product for Canada right now unless you want to go directly through a local carrier, but you will also find that their product in Japan kinda sucks: it's a roaming product limited to LTE and insanely overpriced at that. I think it's far better to split the globe up into a few markets, and then make individual determinations for those markets. Europe? Go with whatever is cheapest, this market is possibly the best possible one for traveler. North America? Honestly there are 3 countries in North America just buy from a local provider in one of them, it's cheaper and better (as you've shown statistically this will be the case given how most of them route through Europe or god forbid Asia). East/SE Asia? This is a complex market: lots of local products, but coverage varies heavily between carriers. On average a product from 3HK will be fine though, and usually those are the cheapest options anyway. India? Good fucking luck. You might as well give up and route through Singapore (+100ms), the only realistic choice. This one is tricky because not all eSIM providers will tell you where their breakout is, and some eSIMs will route through Europe for god knows why. Middle East? Sacrifice 150ms routing through Europe or pay exorbitant costs for local eSIMs on arrival. Your choice! (Technically theoretically Singapore is a much better breakout point, but there don't seem to be many if any products that do this, I have no idea why). Australia, NZ? You either sacrifice ~150ms again routing through Singapore or you buy from a local provider, which is much less expensive then the Middle East at least :) What I've found is for most of the world, your choices are between a suboptimal product from a roaming eSIM provider or a nicer but harder to find local product from a local provider. Price wise, usually local providers are much cheaper for larger data plans wherein roaming eSIMs are cheaper for less data. There are _very few_ products you can buy on an eSIM store that are local products, and there isn't any single eSIM provider that has more of them on average compared to any other. So that only really leads to one type of superiority between different providers: their internet breakout points. Even your data shows that quality is highly correlated with where the internet breakout location is. If you must, favor providers that give this information to you on the product page! Most of them wont, but some will show up on esimdb, if you click "details". What is clear however, is that you can't rely on a single eSIM seller to be better then others. I think that even if there were a better carrier _on average_, telling people they should buy from them is probably not the most helpful advice. What people care about isn't whether "on average" a given provider is better or not, but rather whether the product they bought is a good product. Anyways thanks for attending my ted talk.

I've had issues with connecting to the Softbank network on a Pixel 7 using an eSIM from a different eSIM seller. I still don't know what the issue was but they refunded me after they contacted their provider and were apparently told that Pixel phones are just not compatible with their eSIM. I don't think you'll have issues because I believe AirAlo's eSIM is issued by a different provider, but there are still edge cases where specific phone models are not compatible with specific eSIM products.

Might’ve been mislabeled 1 day

The vast majority of the reviews that I've seen for both Ubigi and Airalo have been positive. I have personally used Ubigi with no issues, and I have no reason to think that Airalo isn't just as good. All of these providers are basically just reselling access to the same set of physical mobile networks anyway, so the only real differences are pricing and customer service.

I’ve noticed prices for Airalo have gone up quite a bit. I’ve used them for the past 5 years or so exclusively but wondering if there are now better value eSIM brands now out there

I recently returned from a 1-month trip to South Africa. Went to Cape Town, Johannesburg + spent quite some time in the countryside. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their free time. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + in a lot of coffeshops you are limited to 30 mins of internet. Anyways, I decided to get an eSIM, and it turned out to be the best decision, because I could take calls and work from nice places that didn't have WiFi. I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo, Holafly&co cost. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me $24, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. Whenever I ran out of data, I just topped it up (happened only once tho). I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Took a screenshot of their rates for you https://preview.redd.it/xhwj2wnp1whg1.png?width=2604&format=png&auto=webp&s=22d2dd926233a6c67281f326909f4a87a342327b

I recently returned from a 1-month trip to Spain. Went to Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona + spent quite some time in the countryside. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their free time. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + in a lot of coffeshops you are limited to 30 mins of internet. Anyways, I decided to get an eSIM, and it turned out to be the best decision, because I could take calls and work from nice places that didn't have WiFi. I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo, Holafly&co cost. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me under $9, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. Whenever I ran out of data, I just topped it up (happened only once tho). I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Took a screenshot of their rates for you https://preview.redd.it/ummq0ky01whg1.png?width=2678&format=png&auto=webp&s=5bda3acebc152dc4c9a2adb074a2568219beea5d

I recently returned from a 2-month trip to Italy. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their free time. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable.  I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo costs. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me $9 at a time, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Made a screenshot of their rates for you https://preview.redd.it/kchs3q28xohg1.png?width=2650&format=png&auto=webp&s=682a64ffcb144e65d902143f06c3f155144df41c

I extensively travel between Spain and the US. Need internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + I only spent a week per destination, so a local sim was not justifiable.  I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo and Nomad cost. I don’t need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot and have video calls everywhere I went. 10 Gb for Spain costs under 9 bucks, which is a very fair deal. https://preview.redd.it/5tkszlfwthhg1.png?width=2644&format=png&auto=webp&s=1707b975388fd40b5fcc56f3667896833b2cf740

I extensively travel between France and Spain. Need internet mainly for Zoom calls. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + I only spent a week per destination, so a local sim was not justifiable.  I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo and Nomad cost. I don’t need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot and have video calls everywhere I went. 10 Gb for Spain and France costs under 9 bucks, which is a very fair deal. https://preview.redd.it/4ij0wubughhg1.png?width=2706&format=png&auto=webp&s=74178fc84a93023f14e63b64056be2148af784ae

I recently returned from a 1-month trip to Spain. Went to Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona + spent quite some time in the countryside. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their free time. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + in a lot of coffeshops you are limited to 30 mins of internet. Anyways, I decided to get an eSIM, and it turned out to be the best decision, because I could take calls and work from nice places that didn't have WiFi. I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo, Holafly&co cost. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me under $9, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. Whenever I ran out of data, I just topped it up (happened only once tho). I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Took a screenshot of their rates for you https://preview.redd.it/oxo7sczp0whg1.png?width=2630&format=png&auto=webp&s=3c6e746332b90fd1a1f51b1fcaedae7dc5b3398a

I travel extensively between Spain and the US. Need internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + I only spent a week per destination, so a local sim was not justifiable.  I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo and Nomad cost. I don’t need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot and have video calls everywhere I went. 10 Gb for Spain costs under 9 bucks, which is a very fair deal. You can also buy an esim for your wife and yourself, and activate them from one dashboard, comes in handy when traveling with fam.

I recently returned from a 1-month trip to Spain. Went to Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona + spent quite some time in the countryside. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their free time. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + in a lot of coffeshops you are limited to 30 mins of internet. Anyways, I decided to get an eSIM, and it turned out to be the best decision, because I could take calls and work from nice places that didn't have WiFi. I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo, Holafly&co cost. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me under $9, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. Whenever I ran out of data, I just topped it up (happened only once tho). I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Took a screenshot of their rates for you

I recently returned from a 2-week trip to Italy. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their vacations. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + I don't want to get dependent on it.  I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo costs. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me under $9, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Made a screenshot of their rates for you https://preview.redd.it/yeq3vejawohg1.png?width=2650&format=png&auto=webp&s=7ec98d2511408d5b835ad29e16a9bbc6673665ef

I recently returned from a 1-month trip to Spain. Went to Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona + spent quite some time in the countryside. I was working remotely, wife and kid enjoyed their free time. Needed internet for Zoom calls and work. The internet in most cafes and Airbnb is rarely reliable + in a lot of coffeshops you are limited to 30 mins of internet. Anyways, I decided to get an eSIM, and it turned out to be the best decision, because I could take calls and work from nice places that didn't have WiFi. I was honestly quite appalled by how much Airalo, Holafly&co cost. I didn't need unlimited internet for crazy $, I know roughly how much I use and wanna pay for what I use only. Looked through a bunch of providers, ended up going with [eSIMPal](https://www.getesimpal.com/en-US). It was quite easy to set up, you install the eSIM ones and then can just buy new country packages whenever you need them. 10 Gb cost me under $9, which is a pretty fair deal. The quality was good, and I could use a personal hotspot to make video calls wherever I went. Whenever I ran out of data, I just topped it up (happened only once tho). I also bought eSIMs for my wife and daughter, and activated them from the dashboard. Came in real handy cz they didn't need to move a finger, and I just used my credit card. Took a screenshot of their rates for you

Yep. I always check out competing eSIMS when buying a physical SIM card. I'm always surprised that the oft-recommended brand, Airalo, is much more expensive than even the middle-of-the-road physical SIM card from Amazon. Why would I buy a $42 20 GB data-only 30-day eSIM from them when I can purchase a unlimited data/call/text (w/ a local number) SIM card for only $25 off the marketplace?

AloSIM, betterroaming.com, airalo

AloSIM, airalo, and keepgo will list the carrier(s) and others likely do as well.

Airalo allows the HK esim to be topped up so you don’t have to download load a new esim. Sign into the airalo app and click on my esims.

It’s not a problem. With airalo You buy a service plan and the app or website will provide a QR code to scan to download the esim profile. You will then use the esim.me app the scan the QR code to download the esim profile to the esim.me card. The airalo app can be used to check data usage and top up if needed.

I’ve used mine with airalo, aloSIM, BetterRoaming.com, and tello.

Well, I suppose it depends because in my case Airalo saved my life and Holafly was a nightmare! hahaha

Airalo already gives me 10 Mbps, which is what I'm looking for in a different esim as described.

Different companies negotiate different rates and have different priorities, airalo were one of the originals so have higher margins. Roamless are good and networks are near enough identical for average user. Airalo are always the most expensive, but luckily you have lots of choice! RedteaGo is one of the cheapest in the market and still have decent 5G speeds in 140+ countries. If you're looking specifically only for Europe, I co-founded a network that gives you 1GB free data every month, it's not much, but it's free 😂 -> Yozax.com

eSIMs are usually cheaper with more data, Airalo and Ubigi both work well in Japan. The Virgin travel pass is mostly about convenience, one less thing to set up. If you go the eSIM route, install it before you fly and switch it on when you land. Either way, download offline maps ahead of time. I used an app called Good Trip with offline phrasebooks and info for Japan, handy if your data runs thin.

- Cash, let your credit card company know you're departing so they don't freeze your card. - a 30 day supply (no more) of your meds and double check it's all allowed no issue. - a easy carry bag. Most people use backpacks, but I have wider hips and my shoulders get sore so I altered an over the shoulder sling bag to attach to my belt—if you have issues eith backpacks and shoulder pain from them please DM me and I'll show you how I altered the bag and how it works. - An eSim (I used airlo with no issues). clean the house and deal with any short term perishables right before you leave. - Make sure to do the japan online declaration stuff. - Pack a portable charger (or pick up an Anker one over there for relatively cheap) and check the limits because some aren't allowed to be brought over there. - Pack a pillow if you use anything other than a rock—I stayed at the APAs and I had to buy a new pillow because the standard ones are so firm. -Quality runners (I wore Hokkas), and a thin rain jacket because the rain can be harsh and sudden—I wish I did a few weeks back when I was over there, so many flash floods and rainfall warnings - plan out day by day (or just have a list you pick and choose from) of locations, events, stores, and so on—especially since some things require prior booking - If you have an iPhone then repurchase Suica credits, it can be used like a credit card as well as a train card—if youre on android then just get a physical. - a large suitcase, bigger than you probably think. You will buy things. Too many things. You won't regret any of it lol. - if you have mp3 files or pirated content then back it up to a separate drive, delete anything off your phone, and leave the drive—same goes for uncensored visual porn. - Pack, and check to see if its allowed, any painkillers and anti nausea "emergency meds". Basic ibuprofen, naproxen if you menstruate or get muscle pain/cramps, dimenhydrinate for motion sickness, that kinda thing. I bought little 10 tab tubes and kept them in my bag. -Don't stress too much, most things can be purchased for cheap easily if you forget.

Seconding this. Can confirm we used Airalo Sim throughout my Japan visit and it worked great and was incredibly affordable!

airalo+vpn works, “sorry eSIMs cannot be purchased in India” (turn on VPN) “Yes sir! Buy India eSIM now” lol. Can’t recommend others as I haven’t used

What type of phone? In android simply turn off US sim and turn on airalo. On iPhone follow [this](https://www.airalo.com/help/getting-started-with-airalo/E8DFWD88SHUX/how-do-i-install-an-airalo-esim-via-a-qr-code-on-my-ios-device%C2%A0/WNCIBSRV4C2Z)

Airalo is what you call pre-activated. The plan will work (clock starting) when connected to the network in scope.

It probably depends on the location. In Europe it's absolutely not worth it. My experience (Spain, Portugal) Airalo speed was still 4G, price higher, data allowance and validity period lower than competitors. I used Sparks and had exactly a similar experience (purchase, ease of installation, speed, stability) as Airalo. Just to compare Spain's plan: Sparks 10gb , 60 days, 8.50€ ($9.60) Airalo: 10gb, 30 days, $18

In the EU most local plans (physical and eSim) include some percent of EU roaming as per EU directives. IMO it's still a better deal and speed than online ones like Airalo. In Spain 10€ buys 60gb local data and 6-11 GB EU roaming. And also has a phone number. Other countries may be more but still worth it.

This one is promoted as a cruise solution but it's not cheap. https://www.gigsky.com/ Check with Airalo if they provide service at sea but I doubt it. Look at cruise plan. When at sea the provider is Cellular at Sea https://cellularatsea.com/

Used Sparks, no issues. Bought in € from their app. Used Airalo and IMO not worth it for price, not faster and not anything different compared to Sparks. Sparks is cheaper for the same data bucket and longer duration

I didn't. But probably 4G is limited by design. I have the same thing at home. My cheap prepaid plan is limited to 4G even though the setting is 5G preferred. But their more expensive plans are 5G. In any case Sparks does the job. I like 45 days duration vs Airalo 30+15 which is more than double for pretty much the same product

On Airalo time starts when it connects to the network so it's 24 hrs but others may be different

I stay away from Airalo. Nothing premium about them except inflated price. Usually use Sparks in Europe mainly because they last 60 days

It will not work before they reach Europe but different vendors interpret "activate" differently:some start clock when eSim connects to target network (Airalo) and others - when its purchased

There is no catch, that is what Spanish prepaid plans currently cost. EU usage is 13, read T&C. But still decent. Others are just greedy especially Holafly and Airalo

P7 and up can use multiple eSim profiles. It's probably practical for traveling to multiple countries but in the same country I don't usually pay for multiple eSims. Read their FAQ, all products are different. In Spain Sparks is using roaming from Poland but has multiple provider agreements so can choose the best network manually. Airalo has a local provider but only one. And so on

Any reason not to install Airalo app and buy it there? It doesn't matter where you are buying from as long as it's paid by valid CC or PayPal. After purchase you can install it, but it'll only activate in Europe and that's where the clock starts. I never had any issues. Can you code HARRY5718 for $3 off

I’ve used Airalo in numerous countries and never had a problem.

Chatr has a $149/yr plan. 30GB for the full year, check that out. Otherwise you can get a +1 number from airalo on their global plan for $90USD

Lots of options out there, Airalo has a global one with 130 countries and comes with a phone number, Roamless is more a pay as you go style, tried it recently was fine, both seem to be popular ones, and there's plenty others too

Nomad has an option for 80+ countries on one eSIM Airalo has an option for 130+ countries on one eSIM (also an option to add minutes and SMS)

Hmm airalo 5GB for $27 or Nomd 5GB for $25 both less expensive than Roamless at $6.45/GB but only marginally

Nomad Canada plan using Bell/Telus. Airalo global plan using Bell/Telus/Rogers, probably many more but just checked those 2 apps first.

I was on Turkcell using airalo last year, but I have a Global plan

Fair -- my comment was related to purchasing the data only plan. I've tried both, airalo many more times though and in my experience it seems installation experience, network quality and reliability are mostly on par between the two

As others have said unlimited options are usually capped after a certain point. Airalo has an unlimited China offer, but speeds get throttled after 3GB of usage daily. If you're only using maps, and socials, and don't intend to do heavy streaming while not on wifi it'll probably be suitable

I have the global plan and it runs on A1 from airalo

What makes those less installation hassle? Airalo has US phone numbers too, if that's important for you. Not the cheapest though

I've used Airalo probably a dozen times, big fan. Haven't tried Saily yet I but see their ads all the time. I've never had issues w Airalo in the US, I think the biggest complaint I see is installation related, but I've got an iPhone, use the Direct / one click install method and had no problems, personally. The Settings in iPhone can take a bit to get used to and set up the first time, especially if you want to avoid roaming charges from your carrier. But +1 to Airalo, my guess tho is they both provide more or less similar offerings.

What can't you do with the number that you're trying? My understanding from Airalo support is you can make calls, receive sms including OTP/2FA. Their comment here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Airalo/s/l5cZp2gp0a

Global plan from airalo covers many EU countries, you can get calls Data and texts.

Same. I’m browsing Reddit at the Manila airport on an Airalo eSIM. Had zero issues all over Southeast Asia. I don’t even know what other apps cost, Airalo just works.

Yes, your Japan plan will keep running, but it simply won’t work in Korea. You will have to purchase, download and install another eSIM for Korea. Next time, if there is any chance you will be visiting multiple locations in a short time, you can use either a regional plan from Airalo, or a Saily eSIM. Saily make use of the same eSIM profile in all destinations. You just buy plans as needed. But, with all that said, once a

Unless you need a USA phone number, for calling taxis, hotels etc, you can easily get by with the likes of Saily, Ubigi, Airalo, Roamless etc etc. Or, for a few extra steps you can sign up for Tello, a local MVNO that comes with a local number and costs less than a travel eSIM. No real catch, other than remembering to cancel when you leave or it will auto renew. No, you don't need to be USA resident nor provide formal ID. It could also be useful before you get there for making calls to the USA via wifi calling.

Monaco is so small you can continue using a French network, just tell your phone to do so. The little principality is about 2km x 1km. We walked across the entire country about 4 times, in one day. We also did something like that when we went to Gibraltar. We just stayed on a Spanish network which worked almost everywhere on The Rock. (no, not Dwayne Johnson) Gibraltar elected to withdraw from free EU roaming after Brexit. Same goes for The Vatican. While they apparently do have their own network you might as well just stay connected to Italy. Yes, you can probably fit several European countries on Vancouver Island ;-) But there are possibly better deals than Airalo. Look at Ubigi, Saily, Esimatic, Yesim, Maya Mobile, Roamless, and KeepGo.

Saily and Ubigi both make use of a single eSIM profile for all destinations, just buy plans per country/region as required. Whereas Airalo will require you to download and install a separate eSIM per destination.

First install Roamless and load about $10. This credit never expires and can be used in all their destinations, as a fall back. Next buy the appropriate plan and install an eSIM from Saily. Like Roamless, this same eSIM can be used in all destinations after buying a plan. Saily seem to have some of the best rates in Africa, so this would be my primary connection. You can also install a free esim from BetterRoaming, also as a fall back. Just turn it on in any of their destinations and you will then be sent a link to buy a plan in what they call a zero-rated operation. In other words, you don’t need an active plan to buy one. Ubigi is another option. Their app is also zero-rated, so like BetterRoaming, running out of data is a non-issue. I have all of the above installed. Same eSIM, all destinations. The same cannot be said for Airalo.

Have a look at Saily or Ubigi, both use a single eSIM profile in all destinations. The Ubigi app is even zero rated when the eSIM is on and connected to a partner network. This means that even if you don’t have an active plan when you find yourself in a surprise location you can still use it to buy a plan. I have also used Airalo, Esimatic, KeepGo, RoamLess and BetterRoaming. With the exception of Airalo, all of the above also make use of a single eSIM.

I’ve narrowed it down to Saily, Airalo, Ubigi, Esimatic, KeepGo and Roamless, depending on where I’m going. But, Africa is a very tough nut to crack. For example, if going to Namibia, the only option right now is a local sim from MTC. The other issue is registering local sims in many African countries, and while local prices are cheaper than travel eSIMs, if you’re only going for a few weeks, getting a travel eSIM might be more worth your while. Yes, you can get regional plans for large parts of Africa, but some countries are a lot more expensive than others which pushes the overal price up. So, you may be best served getting plans per country but with a provider that only uses one eSIM profile. Except for Airalo, all the others mentioned above make use of the same eSIM in all destinations. Unlimited? Forget it. Put that idea out of your head. There is no such thing.

If you can offer the same price as local networks like Lyca in Spain and Italy, I'm all ears. And after activation in those countries, you can use them all over the EU with no extra roaming fees. Would you be able to offer eSIMs from those providers before getting to those countries? I was (sort of still am) thinking of becoming an eSIM reseller. It's not that hard to get started, and the capital outlay isn't huge, depending on exactly what type of eSIMs you want to sell, and for which markets: A full service MVNO: Millions. (Think Lycamobile) A full service MNO: Many more millions. (Think AT&T, Vodafone etc) Transatel white label API re-seller: €2500. And you still need your own platform to sell them on. Airalo white label API re-seller: Zero signup costs, for the Airalo program itself. Also need to set your own selling platform up. What I still can't come up with is a significant differentiator. What would I be doing that isn't already being done? Basically, unlimited re-installations; We should be able to swap the same eSIM between devices as many times as we like, just like a physical SIM. That is my single biggest gripe with any eSIM vendor. The other gripe is not being able to easily request a new eSIM if you lose your device with an eSIM already installed. I maintain numbers from 4 countries; South Africa, Spain, Belgium and USA. They all roam, to varying degrees, worldwide. South Africa: MTN. They do eSIM, but you have to go into one of their shops to get one. And if you need to swap it to another device, you have to go back to an MTN store, in South Africa. But I'm not there right now, so I'm still using a physical. I just must not lose it while out the country. You can get a new MTN SIM at any supermarket or department store, country wide. Spain: Lycamobile. They also do eSIM, and you can get one online, but you need to be in Spain to activate it. I already have an active physical Lyca SIM. But they still can't tell me how I can swap my number to an eSIM. Belgium: Base. You can swap the eSIM yourself online, if you still have the device, to receive an sms pin. If you delete the eSIM, or lose the device, you have to go to a Base shop to get another eSIM. USA: Tello. Probably one of the easier eSIM experiences. I got one while outside the USA, and I'm still outside the USA and I still have it, but the polices keep changing, and clear info is scarce. Basically, I care more about ease of use than price. And even then, if your price is 5-10 times more than local prices, I'll stand in line at an airport kiosk for those local prices: Airalo South Africa: $22 for 10GB. Direct from MTN: $8 for 20GB

I’m talking about travel eSIMs like Saily, Airalo etc. They cannot be installed in the UAE, but they can be used in the UAE, on either e& or Du. But yes, if you want a plan directly from either local network with local number, that can only be done in the UAE.

When something is zero-rated it means you don't need a plan. This is generally only possible when you run your own network. Ubigi(Transatel) and BetterRoaming(1Global) both run their own networks. They then cover the cost of data to connect to their own apps/websites. For re-sellers like Airalo or Saily it would be very difficult for them to zero-rate their apps.

It depends on where you live and where you travel. In my case I live in Belgium, but I can use my home plan throughout the EU, Norway and the UK for no extra roaming. Same goes for any other local EU provider. But for Switzerland and any other non-EU country travel eSIMs come in handy. For that I've narrowed it down to a very short list. I'm tired of looking. My top 2 are now Saily and Ubigi. Both are already installed and make use of the same eSIM profile in all destinations, unlike Airalo and many others. Yes, some esims are very cheap, but that doesn't mean they'll work well, if at all. There is a thing called network priority, especially when roaming; In a nutshell, the more you pay, the faster your connection. Other fallbacks are Roamless with their non-expiring credit and BetterRoaming which lets you install an eSIM for free then sends you a link to buy a plan on their website in your destination without needing to look for another connection. It's what's called a zero-rated operation. The Ubigi app is also zero-rated. As long as you have the app and eSIM installed and are connected to a partner network you can buy a plan. So running out of data is a non-issue with Ubigi. When I visit South Africa, I make use of local sims/esims as I used to live there, so I know exactly how they work. Because yes, local is almost always cheaper than travel sim prices and in some countries by a lot.

In that case you will have to look for a local Kenyan provider that offers eSIM, which will also come with a local number, something that might be useful if staying for over a month. Start with Safaricom and Airtel. When it comes to travel eSIMs, my personal short list is, in no particular order: Saily, Ubigi, Airalo, Esimatic, RoamLess, KeepGo, BetterRoaming and Yesim. With the exception of Airalo, all of the above make use of the same eSIM profile in all destinations. RoamLess even has a VoIP service for making calls to any phone anywhere in the world, like Skype used to do. There is absolutely zero difference in performance between eSIM and regular SIM. It all comes down to the provider who issued the sim and/or the local network they operate on. An eSIM will not give you better coverage in the countryside over a regular SIM.

Ok, I don’t know Android, but just like iPhone, you should be able to toggle the sim on. Even if the Airalo eSIM is also on, it simply won’t work outside the US, so don’t worry about using the data from that.

I just wanted to clarify that I didn’t say reselling is a bad thing. I’m still trying to figure out if that is or not. Mind you, if you sell someone elses product and it breaks, you might take responsibility, but how quick can you fix it? I’ve used Airalo and had issues and don’t remember it taking too long. Drimsim; frighfully expensive, but very quick on the live chat. But they ALL have issues. Guess it comes down to how quick they get fixed. The customer service reps on the other end also need to get paid, so maybe don’t go too cheap on your next travel eSIM.

While Airalo requires a separate eSIM profile for all countries/regionas, Saily, Ubigi, Roamless, KeepGo, Esimatic and BetterRoaming all use the same eSIM in all destinations. Just buy the required plan for each.

Yes. Just install the Saily app, buy the required plan, follow the instructions to install the eSIM profile. Saily is one of my favourites, for pricing and user friendlyness, but there are about another 20k options out there, with tons more on the way. But I’ve stopped lookinng for new providers and just stick with what I know works well. Also Airalo, Ubigi, Roamless, Esimatic, KeepGo, BetterRoaming and Yesim, depending on who offers the best deal where I’m going.

Saily, Ubigi and Airalo have reasonable plans for Spain, and while convenient, nothing beats local prices. I think Spain has some of the cheapest local prices in Europe.

Saily and Airalo both allow the management of multiple eSIMs and plans in the same account. No, Ubigi does not. Will need a separate account and email for each device.

Saily, Airalo and Ubig also have some good short term deals for the US.

I'm curious, why avoid MVNO's like Tello? I spend a lot of time in Europe and Africa where I avoid the actual networks. They seem to care less and less about the little people and in turn apepar to be concentrating more on business / wholesale. They've spent enough money setting up their networks, they want their money back, which isn't going to come from $5 subs. Basically, an MVNO doesn't have the humongous cost of securing spectrum licenses, then setting up and maintaining a radio network. This saving is then passed on to the user which often includes much better customer support. This also applies to Airalo, Ubigi, Saily etc. They are also MVNOs, but ones that don't offer voice. But when it comes to performance, I generally notice no difference between an MNO and an MVNO. One thing you can do is check to see what type of network an MVNO may operate; Tier-1, 2, 3 etc

I've done my eSIM research, and the choices are seemingly endless. But, I have narrowed it down to 3: Ubigi, Airalo and Saily. With that said, it still depends on where you're going. For example, Saily is best in places like Africa and the Middle East, but Ubigi has some of the best rates for Europe. If you go the travel eSIM route, you will need to get a plan for each country, or a regional plan. With Saily and Ubigi you can re-use the same eSIM profile anywhere else they offer service in. Airalo requires you to download and install a separate eSIM profile for every country/region. But when it comes to local prices in Europe, nothing can beat them. So, if you can wait until you get to your first country, look for a local sim from Lycamobile. And, you can then keep using that sim in any other EU country for no extra charge. Just install the app and top up with credit card, PayPal, Google or Apple. The catch? You may not be able to use all the data, or they throttle you. I have Lycamobile from Spain; \~150Mbs in Spain, 5Mbps in the rest of the EU. But that's a non-issue, for me. I can still use the whole bundle.

Ubigi might be an option. Same eSIM profile for all destinations. Airalo requires a different one for every location. A word of caution; travel eSIMs can be very expensive in Africa, especially regional ones. It may be far cheaper to find a local SIM, or eSIM. If you happen to fly through South Africa first, a SIM or eSIM from MTN might work for you. MTN roams worldwide, with a ZA number. Incomming text is free, everywhere. However, for a first timer it might be a bit much to set up. Roamless could also be an option for low use. Pay as you go, credit doesn’t expire. Same balance and eSIM for all destinations. So yes, if you want quick convenience, a data only travel eSIM is your best bet. Just be prepared to pay for it.

What you might want to consider when travelling between multiple countries is having to download and install a separate eSIM profile for every destinations. This is what Airalo does. Yes, they have regional plans but these are far from cheap. So what you want to do is consider something like Saily, Ubigi, Esimatic, BetterRoaming, RoamLess or KeepGo. All of those require you to install only 1 eSIM which you then reuse in all destinations. You just buy plans per country. Some providers might be cheap in say Spain, yet one of the others is cheapest in Greece. I have all of those installed and just toggle between the eSIMs as required.

For a month duration go for a 30 day global esim with Airalo, Mobimatter or Saily. You shouldn't have any problems.

Get the airalo app for your device. It takes out the need to manually add.

As I remember correctly you need to have your plan activated before you can log in to their app. You need to buy the plan through their website and once activated (it won't start using data until you land in Japan) you can use the app to add more data as needed. Airalo is completely different, you can log in using an email and password. You can purchase eSIMs through their app without having an active plan. I thought Ubigi sucked for the same trouble you are having and it took a week for a support reply.

Airalo and Holafly will work for you. The only place I had trouble was Bolivia with eSIMs.

A local physical sim card is the way to go like you write about, if you're staying longer than 30 days. I used airalo in brazil and it worked good after I had a ton of problems in Bolivia.

Did a similar trip with Airalo recently without issue. My girlfriend used Ubigi and their support was really slow to contact for account related issues.

For Japan always Ubigi. I had no problems with airalo there but Ubigi has better coverage it seemed on my girlfriend's phone.

I had problems with the global airalo eSIM in peru. It did eventually reconnect but it was down for more than a day. Bolivia was a complete disaster as well.

It's easy to use a lot of data in both places so don't go with a big eSIM provider that will give you less data at a high cost. If you want to save money go with Mobal in Japan and DTAC or TRUE in Thailand. Buy a physical sim and convert to eSIM to save the most money. The expense is low for a lot of 5G data doing this. If you don't want the trouble, spend the money on Ubigi or Airalo, even though their support both suck. They work without issue. Another cheaper option that is simple is using Agoda but the support would be worse and there's no data usage monitor except which is part of your phone OS with android devices, anyways.

I found this was a problem in the past but now (with ubigi, airalo and more) it doesnt activate until you land.  Of course if you were in a country that the esim had coverage and it was part of a regional esim it would activate. 

My experience after using their global esim for two six month stretches in about 9 countries. Some countries were good but that bad ones will make me stay away from airalo for as long as I can. Going without mobile data is impossible for me.

eSIM will be less than t-mobile almost any of them. Airalo, saily or mobimatter any of the big companies.

Airalo works good but you can use esimdb to search for all your options.

It will work. I used airalo for about 1 month in argentina. Before this I had a physical claro sim. I just wouldn't rely on Airalo for more than this. if you are in any country for a month or more, get a physical sim.

Get a claro physical sim if you can, you can buy them at most phone stores cheap and setup over email by submitting a photo of your passport. Airalo was slow in AR but worked. I didn't have problems until Peru and Boliva with total connection failure when using Airalo. A side note, I saved a lot of money in BA with Cabify but needed the AR phone number to get the account setup.

For short trips you might get away with airalo but for anything longer than a couple weeks in each place, i'd want a local eSIM or physical SIM.

You don't need to but it depends how much time you have on your hands to go get a physical sim. I don't like to waste my time which is why I prefer an eSIM. If you use a reasonable amount of data each month, you can also get an eSIM that works in many countries globally with 20GB data and is valid for a year, typically much less than paying for a mobile phone plan in a first world country for a year. Airalo has global plans like this that can save you a lot of money if your data usage is low and you have a calling/text app like tello.

I'm always looking for better options than the big, well know eSIM providers as I travel a lot. The big ones out there like Airalo, Holafly and Ubigi are decent but the problem I've had is reliability and when they go down the support is very slow to act but has always refunded me. I like to check eSIMdb then I'll often buy a local physical sim to save money and get the absolute best service and reliability.

For Greece, you've got a few solid eSIM options depending on how long you're staying: Orange Holiday Europe could work well if you're staying longer-term - they offer pretty generous data allowances and good coverage throughout Greece. Airalo is probably the most popular - they have Greece-specific plans and broader Europe plans if you're planning to travel around. Pretty reliable and easy to set up through their app. Holafly is another good one that actually offers unlimited data plans for Greece, which sounds perfect for what you need. They tend to be a bit pricier but the unlimited aspect is nice. One heads up though - true "unlimited" calling/texting can be tricky with eSIMs. Many of the plans have generous but capped minutes, or unlimited data but limited voice. You might want to supplement with WhatsApp/Telegram for most of your communication since you'll have the data. If you're moving there get a local physical sim card, they're always a better price with more data before unlimited data gets throttled. If you don't have an eSIM tray just convert to eSIM from physical.

Agoda and Klook sometimes have better deals than Airalo, Holafly or the other big eSIM providers. You can also use eSIMdb to find good deals based on country or region. Sometimes eSIMdb will have coupons for Airalo also.

I had problems with airalo globals sims, after a few months it always worked good then I had connection problems and the speed was very very slow in some countries. For a short trip, yes you can use it but otherwise get a local sim and convert to esim if needed.

Use esimdb to find the best deal or promo code for one of the larger eSIM providers. You can't really go wrong with such a short trip. I've only had airalo fuck up on me after I was using it long term. You can roam on verizon in Canada but if you don't have it as part of your plan the data will be expensive or you'll get limited amounts for free. Have an eSIM ready to go, airalo isn't bad but go with the best deal from airalo, mobimatter, saily etc. from esimdb's website. How do you like the Pixel 9 Pro XL? May be my next phone but it looks heavier that the 8 and 7 pro XL. Is it heavier?

Airalo is an option, I had issues with their global plans and reliability however. I now try to look at local eSIM options rather than global plans that always seem to run out of steam before they expire.

I've researched this a lot after using airalo in Japan (without issue, I will add but their support is deplorable, so is Ubigi which also worked without issue but any support request took days to answer). The way to go is Mobal, they are a Japanese company that has a strong charitable promise that sells eSIMs and offers support in English. They leverage many networks in Japan for good coverage.

Only problem with airalo can be connection issues and painfully slow data speed when switching countries.

Airalo is very bad in vietnam. Physical sim is the way to go there if you are spending more than a few weeks.

Never had a problem with airalo. Always connected and provided decent data.  Tried nomad a few years back and couldn't get it to connect. Just got a refund. 

For that length of time, I would get a local provider eSIM when you are there. Assuming you have an unlocked iPhone. Maybe get a ESIM from Airalo for a short period until you can get the local worked out.

Check out Airalo, they have a plan in Saudi.

I had no problems with Airalo when I was there last April.

I have used Airalo a couple of times, early this year I bought the plan that covers HK, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. It covers other countries but used in those. Worked great.

I used Airalo In Dubai and worked fine.

Check out eSIM provider Airalo, full description of how it works. I have used Airalo several times in different parts of the world. You can leave it on your phone and top it off if visiting the same region or just delete it. I have 2 expired ESIMs on my phone of course turned off. Since I plan to use again will top it off. But it’s easy to install a new one if your phone can’t handle multiple.

Check out Airalo eSIMs. They have by country and region so you can compare. Not sure if iPhone 11 is compatible but check it out to see.

Check out Airalo, they may have a regional eSIM that covers all. I know I had one that covered Thailand and VN. May need a separate for other countries.

Check Airalo eSIM, I used them in VN last year.

I’m US, and I use Airalo when in Europe, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore. Check their rates but maybe others with better rates for the US.

Yes, your primary for cellular, but you will turn it off when using your Airalo eSIM and select roaming for it. Usually you activate it on arrival.

You put the Airalo eSIM on and turn on roaming for it. Turn completely off your home cell provider. You will have data to use for web, email, apps, IMessage, WhatsApp, FB messenger.

Airalo works great when I’m out of the US. But need an unlocked phone for the eSIM to work. The have US plans. Data plans are cheaper and you can use WhatsApp, Skype , etc to make calls.

I have used Airalo several times and works great. Check out their plans to see which is best. Either a regional one for both countries or one for each country.

Immigration will give you a physical SIM upon arrival with a small amount of data for free. You can add to this if your phone supports physical SIM. You can also get an eSIM at du or Etisalat in the arrivals hall. If you are going to use an app based eSIM provider, make sure you install and activate before arrival. Airalo and MobiMatter are blocked in UAE, but the SIMs themselves work (or should). Safest bet is to get one upon arrival, though. Source: UAE Resident here and very frequent traveler.

It's unfortunate you had a bad experience but Airalo isn't a scam as I've bought near a dozen of their esims by this point and had mostly good experiences. I've specifically bought the Airalo Europe 30 day esim twice and it's worked pretty good. Connection issues do pop up randomly but it's never for long and not often (maybe once every week or two) - it is frustrating when it happens but it's nice being able to waltz through most of Europe with a network connection.

Weird for one of the big companies not to tell you the APN settings to enter or to come preconfigured with the necessary settings

You can pay in Australian dollars, rather than only US dollars. Which due to the conversion rate to your local currency makes it a lot cheaper in some markets, also airlo and Saily, seem to only focus on ridiculous priced unlimited plans which a lot of people don’t need When I was in Japan, I got 20 gigs of data and went for about 18 GB in two weeks, which was using Maps, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp et cetera

https://preview.redd.it/h762j31bfqjh1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfba087c9fd2f60b510fb51a7313db53241f2ae2 Let’s say, for example you’re going for a 14 day holiday to Canada, Aíralo costs $45

Airalo works well. But also consider BNE sim.

I used Airalo for both of my trips there, and it worked well each time.

I was in Japan 15 DEC - 7 January and I purchased a month long unlimited Airalo ESIM for my IPhone. Within Japan I traveled to: Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Hiroshima Amanohasidate Sendai Nagano Sapporo I had zero issues with data availability, reception, speed or anything else I can think of. Feel free to ask any questions but I’d do it again!

I’ve posted this before but: I was in Japan 15 DEC - 7 January and I purchased a month long unlimited Airalo ESIM for my IPhone. Within Japan I traveled to: Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Hiroshima Amanohasidate Sendai Nagano Sapporo It cost $74 and was through “SoftBank” . I had zero issues with data availability, reception, speed, social media, banking, navigation or VPN Apps or anything else I can think of. Feel free to ask any questions but I’d do it again!

Sure, so you should be able to download the Airalo App and through the app it will let you know if your phone is ESIM compatible. From there you search for the Japan Esims - and follow the step by step instructions provided. You can do all these steps before getting to Japan and have your ESIM once you land. After you land take your phone off airplane mode and the ESIM will activate (as it was previously installed) then that’s about it.

I’ve posted this before but: I was in Japan 15 DEC - 7 January and I purchased a month long unlimited Airalo ESIM for my IPhone. Within Japan I traveled to: Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Hiroshima Amanohasidate Sendai Nagano Sapporo It cost $74 and was through “SoftBank” . I had zero issues with data availability, reception, speed, social media, banking, navigation or VPN Apps or anything else I can think of. Feel free to ask any questions but I’d do it again!

Nope, no issues with my social media, banking, navigation or VPN apps

Forgot to mention- It cost $74 and was through “SoftBank” .

Thanks for these suggestions both! I bought a cheap 7-day 5gb Airalo package to see me through my first week and will stop by dollarama on my arrival :)

Roaming on 3 is likely to be cheaper to the provider than roaming on EE. If you want better latency, tourist eSIMs are available directly from UK networks. For example, EE UK tourist eSIM, unlimited data for 7 days costs £15. Unlike Airalo, this is actually unlimited, it won't cut off after using 3 GB during a day. https://ee.co.uk/mobile/travel-esim-uk If you want access to all networks (EE, O2, 3 UK, Vodafone) this is available on Orange Travel eSIMs. 5G is available on all four. https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/united-kingdom London has more mobile coverage issues than any other capital city in Europe, partly as a complication of it being very difficult to place mast sites in London. Highly complex planning and high site costs had led to a situation where the number of mast sites in London isn't sufficient to offer a consistently high quality service, and this applies to all networks. Indoor coverage gaps are widespread. For this reason, having access to multiple networks is preferable. If using Orange, I'd probably use network selection to connect to EE initially - since performance is more consistent. After that, I'd leave network selection on automatic so the phone can connect to an alternative if coverage on EE is lost.

A lot depends how price-sensitive you are. Airalo is one of the most well-known providers, but also one of the more expensive. There are certainly cheaper options with smaller companies. I'd also suggest using an eSIM where the IP breakout isn't at the other side of the world. As an example, if you're travelling in Asia and you use an eSIM with IP breakout in France, the latency/ping will be long, causing the internet to feel like everything you do has a delay before it begins, especially browsing. This is a problem even if the download speeds are good. Global plans are the most frequently affected by this issue. Billion Connect eSIM have IP breakout in Hong Kong and do plans covering Australia, Vietnam and Japan on their Global-19 option. https://www.billionconnect.net/Global-esim-5572?sourceCode=esimdb There are options like 20 GB for 30 days for $14.99, plus day passes for heavier data users where you get 1 or 2 GB per day for 1-30 days, depending on what you select.

Hi, To ensure you're not charged by AT&T, you can turn off the AT&T SIM in your phone settings before you land. So long as you have a modern device which is compatible with eSIMs, you can use a travel eSIM so long as your phone isn't network locked to AT&T. If you've purchased a network locked phone on contract with AT&T, they can unlock it for you on request once it's paid for in full. Airalo is one of the most expensive providers of travel eSIMs. There are cheaper alternatives if price is a concern. If you only want a few days of data sufficient for messaging and maps, you can buy a small data pack. For example, eSIM Dog sell 500 MB of day for 7 days (Netherlands) for $0.81. https://esim.dog/nl Select 'Fixed GB', then 'Show more options' to see smaller as well as large data allowances. Select the data needed and the duration. I gave you the example of 500 MB (half a GB) for 7 days because chat apps and looking at maps don't use much data. You can buy more data if you need. 1 GB for 7 days on the Black plan costs $1.19. eSIM Dog label the provider by colour. For the Netherlands, the black plans access the Odido mobile network via a third party called Sparks travel (although you don't need to worry about this). The Netherlands has good quality mobile networks, Odido provide good speeds. eSIM Dog email you a link where you can download the eSIM. You can turn the eSIM on in your phone settings. You will need to have data roaming switched on for the eSIM to work. This is because the travel SIM isn't a native Dutch SIM. Yes, you can use iMessage. But no, you cannot use the SIM described above to send standard SMS messages or make traditional phone calls because the travel SIM doesn't provide a phone number, it's data only. If you use Internet-based messaging systems like iMessage, FaceTime, FB Messenger, WhatsApp etc, these will all work for text, pictures and calls, but standard phone calls not using an app won't work unless you turn your AT&T SIM back on and pay roaming fees. You can still call emergency services if needed though, the number is 112.

Holafly is not a scam. I do have criticism of them, but it’s not a scam. In Japan, the last time I tested holafly they worked as reseller of CM Link (China Mobile International). Your data traffic then runs via China and Singapore, which can feel a bit slow. Latency is somewhat poor. I don’t recommend them, but it’s not a scam. At most some aggressive marketing and not very transparent. If you say how long you’re going and how much data you need, you’ll probably get some good recommendations. For unlimited (if you really need that), Sim Local is good, they sell a plan from the local au. I often read people being enthusiastic about an unlimited KDDI plan, but I haven’t tested it myself. Up to about 25 GB, Airalo and Ubigi are good options.

I spent a month on Bali last year, but I only saw Nusa Penida during a very short day trip. The reception there was slightly worse, but not non-existent. Airalo (and Jetpac, as they are resellers of the same Telna eSIM on Bali) had the best speeds. IP-Routing was via Singapore. A local Telkomsel eSIM (directly from Telkomsel) is slightly better, but it comes with annoying KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements and censorship. For example, Reddit doesn't work there due to local 'positive internet' legislation. Actually, you're already pretty well-off with Airalo. An eSIM I always quite like is the one from Three HK (available via MobiMatter). It does have a higher latency, but it’s very cheap and offers roaming via three different networks. This one also provided 5G most frequently. However, the traffic is routed through Hong Kong, so some apps (like ChatGPT and TikTok) are blocked without a VPN. If you want a genuine local eSIM without the hassle at the airport: On sites like Klook, there are companies that will deliver a Telkomsel SIM card to your hotel and do the KYC en IMEI registration afterwards. There are also sites that sell you a local eSIM where you handle the KYC and IMEI registration by uploading your passport, such as eSIM Bali Easy. Personally, I don't find that very privacy-friendly/bit risky. In would personally go for Three HK via MobiMatter if I read your requirements. The connect with 3 networks (all but Telkomsel).

Here to disagree on what most people say on Orange. Orange Travel sells plans with lower network priority and on most plans only 4G. Data is routed over Poland or France depending on the plan you choose. Quality will depend on if you get a French or Polish Orange plan. But they don't say upfront. And the unlimited plans are capped at 10 mbps. Airalo often works with KPN (Dutch) in Europe. Who let you roam on 5G in Europe more often than Orange, and offer better speeds. Other routing partners of Airalo are Webbing, Plus and Telna. They all have European access points. just like Orange. I prefer Ubigi and GoMoWorld over Airalo in Europe, but Airalo is solid. People confuse Orange Travel and Vodafone Travel with the actual European Network Operators. But you do not get the same product. Quality is not the same.

Did you started a support chat? They normally reply relatively fast. Might put you through some hoops but they might be able to help you or send you a new eSIM.

Alpine is legit (just like Stellar, eSIM4travel etc). It’s a reseller. Downside compared to Ubigi, Airalo etc is no app, no usage tracking and no 24 hours live support. But if price is your priority just go for it.

They had a major outage yesterday, but normally they have 24/7 live support. I've spoken to them that way more than once. You just have to get past an annoying chatbot first, but after that, they've always helped me within 2 minutes. My experience is usually pretty good. I think you bought the eSIM during the outage and they might have a backlog bacause of it. Seemed a pretty big issue yesterday. I'm sure they will eventually refund you if you ask them. I hope your Airalo eSIM is good, I think it works quite well in Japan!

I have experience with them in several European countries including the Netherlands (just not Germany). You likely be fine, you just overpaid for what you get. In terms of speed and latency they are not as good as other brands like airalo, Ubigi eyc. But in Europe very acceptable. I only had some serious speed (and upload) issues with them in the UK. Also, hotspot usage is not that good, often limited and in my experience it doesn't work at all 25% of the times. Unless you are using more then 3GB a day (every day) or wanted to use them for remote work you'll be just fine. What's always a good idea is to have a backup just in case. For example bcengi pay as you go. Also, if you ever need support remember that Emma (who you speak to) is AI and that the "specialist" (the actual human being) may take some hours to respond. In that cases it helps to have a backup.

Airalo worked really well for me. They used a local Japanese ip. Just a bit expensive if you need a lot of data, but below 25 GB it's great.

Airalo has plans in Canada that include voice (and they are better in Canada than Holafly). With Holafly, you have to use your UK SIM card to make calls and trigger an expensive day pass. With Airalo +1 is not needed. With Holafly in combination with your home plan for voice +1 is required. However, using the country code never hurts, no reason to leave it out. Perhaps others here know more alternatives besides Airalo that include voice.

Airalo is great, but remember to install the eSIM pre arrival because the Airalo site and app is blocked in Turkey (and I believe also in China). If you have it installed before departure you’ll be fine. MobiMatter is legit, they resell Airalo plans making them a reseller of a reseller in this case. In case of an issue (what is rare) it might take them more time to help but otherwise legit.

It depends on the amount of data you need. But a local EE or Lyca plan (via Sim Local) offer good value for money (not Three, that’s capped in speed). Below 10 to 20 GB Ubigi or Airalo is also fine. But above 20 GB the local plans offer beter value

Airalo has real Belgian plans with a phone number, but they require KYC. What you should get really depends on the length of your stay and how much data your going to use.

Yes, I did. I used them in two European countries and the quality was actually solid. It's a Dutch provider. They resell from several underlying partners, so I can't easily say what it's like everywhere. But in Portugal and Albania, they sold the exact same plans as Airalo for less (with KPN Netherlands as the underlying network). I used the local plans, not the regional. Personally, I'd say if you don't mind the lack of an app and 24/7 customer service, it's a great option. But I've only tried two of their local plans in Europe.

I have pretty bad experience with Yesim. Especially in terms of latency and general product transparency. They even managed to get a warning because of fake reviews on Trustpilot. If any realtime usage (like voip) is a requirement I would never recommend Yesim. The fixed plans are better the the unlimited plans, but still. Only good thing is that support is really quick. Airalo, Jetpac, Ubigi, Bcengi all have local access points and solid speeds.

Airalo offers plans that include a +31 number. The only downside is that you cannot port those numbers, meaning you would have to change numbers, which might be too much of a hassle. It really is a travel product. I understand where you are coming from regarding Bunq, as I left them myself. You can set up a Revolut account pretty quickly as soon as you live in the Netherlands and it will work almost instantly, but having a traditional bank account alongside it is not a bad idea. Maybe Lyca is not such a bad choice after all. You can just buy it before departure and install it as soon as you arrive, since the Wi-Fi at Schiphol is decent and good enough for this purpose. However, they are quite a hassle administratively, and porting your number away from them later on can be a bit of a pain. You are out of luck in that only Lyca and Simyo offer eSIMs for prepaid. Other providers only offer them if you go with a data-only plan, otherwise you will need a physical SIM card. Prepaid just is not very common anymore. Because of the iDEAL requirement, Lyca is the only one left if eSIM is a requirement. By the way, you can buy a prepaid SIM card (physical) at almost any Dutch supermarket, so that could be your alternative. If you are worried about the installation, Airport Telecom at Schiphol sells Lyca plans, but their opening hours are very limited, so I would double-check those.

The well-known brands (like Airalo) are indeed perfectly fine. But buy before arrival, since some providers comply with the ban on selling to people inside the UAE itself. For the UAE, I think you have 2 choices: * the best eSIM is from a local provider, but it comes with censorship, blocks on VoIP, etc. And they are expensive. DU hands out a 24 free plan on arrival. But upgrading is expensive. * Airalo, Voye, Saily are fine. But slightly higher latency because of routing via Western Europe. Avoid the budget options. They often route via East or Southeast Asia. Or the eSIMs via Poland, like GlobaleSIM, can also be poor in my experience (in Dubai at least).

Working with different ones will likely give you the best value, also depends on how long you’re in the country. Japan: my favourite was Sim Local (the au plan). It’s a genuine Japanese data plan. Ubigi and Airalo are also (especially if you need less than 20GB). Holafly was actually pretty poor with routing via China Mobile. High latency and low speeds, first one to stop working in busy places. Korea: Ubigi has local servers in Korea and was the most stable when I tried. Airalo fine but routed via Singapore (although then also sell the local LG plan with kyc, didn’t test that one). Holafly same as Japan, sometimes even gave me a Shanghai ip address so some apps stopped working and slow from the start. No recent experience in Vietnam. If you want one provider for all three countries, Ubigi.

Yes, I’ve used it in Malaysia and Singapore. You have a higher latency than with Singapore routed plans (like Airalo, Jetpac and Ubigi). But the product is totally fine for what you pay and the latency isn’t that bad that it affects normal usage (only things like gaming). It used to be my go to plan for Indonesia. I just never used in Thailand because I always felt the local eSIM makes more sense.

No issues using eSIMs in Istanbul. Tested several and they all work as expected. The law that came into effect on May 1st is about how long you're allowed to use a device in Turkey without paying tax on it, which is a maximum of 120 days. So unless you're here for more than 4 months per calendar year, it's not a problem. I'm also not sure whether Turkish providers register your IMEI the moment you start roaming on a foreign eSIM. It is definitely an issue if you use a local SIM card for more than 120 days in Turkey and didn't buy your phone here. I can also access most provider websites and apps just fine. At first I thought I could access all of them, because a lot of hotels etc. have their DNS routing set up through Google, which apparently lets them bypass local censorship (even without a VPN). When I'm on a pure Turkish connection, Airalo, Holafly etc. are indeed blocked, but a lot of others aren't. But I can confirm Airalo works if you have it installed before you you travel. So I would say, buy and install in advance just to be sure. Perhaps get a backup pay as you go (Bcengi was faster then Roamless on a sidenote).

I've tested several eSIMs in Norway and Finland (haven't been to Iceland or Denmark recently). Most of the better eSIM brands are all solid: Nomad, Jetpac, Ubigi, GoMoWorld, Voye Global, Maya. Your safe by to just pick the cheapest one from these. They often route through the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland or the UK. Speeds were all between 200 and 1000 Mbps. If you're leaning more towards the budget category: Sparks (via Mobimatter), eSIM4Travel and Pingwe are also good. Slightly slower, but still comfortably above 100 Mbps. These providers usually route through Poland or Austria. One thing to watch out for: be careful with some of the budget providers from Asia. They'll work fine technically, but in Scandinavia you really don't want an IP address coming out of Singapore or Hong Kong. Holafly was a bit of a letdown price-wise, and after 13 GB the "unlimited" data stopped. Still fine for 90% of travelers though, although speeds seemed capped at just above 100 Mbps from the start. Airalo used the same probider as Spark and eSIM4Travel for the Europe plan, it works fine but you can get it cheaper elsewhere. Northern European countries tend to be quite expensive when it comes to local prepaid SIMs (haven't verified this in Iceland). So personally would skip that option. I would personally probably pick GoMoWorld Europe plan for this trip.

Airalo is fine, but I wouldn’t use them for unlimited data. I tested Airalo a few month back and they have a local ip. But there are better deals with more generous fair use policy. I would not use Holafly. It uses a roaming profile from China Mobile and speeds are capped from the start, latency is poor. They have a hidden fup in the faq (90 gb per month, so 3 per day) If you have to choose between those two: Airalo. But I really liked the Unlimited AU plan (from Sim Local), they give you at least 10 GB per day and it’s truly local. Also saw some good things about KDDI plans via klook lately, but didn’t test those.

https://preview.redd.it/uhemn8f341og1.png?width=1674&format=png&auto=webp&s=28c653d519d52d019ced15d888e68a5415677fa5 Left is Ubigi (via Maroc), right is Airalo. Same location near Marrakech couple of weeks ago. Airalo does offer 5G in Morocco (see right corner). However, the 5G rollout in Morocco has only just begun, and the Airalo website and api are often outdated on 5G/LTE (similar to their info for the Netherlands, Belgium, etc.). That said, Ubigi performed better. Maroc Telecom has much better coverage than Orange.

Japan: au eSIM (via Sim Local), its a genuine local plan. When I tested Airalo, Voye Global and Truely also gave me a local ip (but that’s not guaranteed. Germany: jetpac routes via France, Netherlands or Uk, so not that bad. Ubigi routes via France but will assign a local IP (some users can switch between local ip or home ip).

I tested both in Norway. Airalo was 300 mbps down, Holafly 75 mbps down. Latency was slightly better with Airalo. Holafly has a 90 GB per month (3 per day) cap, and 256 kbps after, Airalo 3 GB a day and 1 mbps after. Holafly seriously caps hotspot to just 500 mb, so you can’t really share data. If you need a lot of data, I would pick a fixed plan. Nomad and GoMoWorld performed very well and will be cheaper. Nomad has cheap European 50. GB plans for Europe.

You can still use Airalo if you purchase after you leave India. But Bouygues would be a good option, including French telephone number (valid in Finland and Austria). Or GoMoWorld if you only need data. Most providers in perform pretty good in Europe.

What the providers I mentioned do is resell the same local DTAC Happy Tourist plan (the same one you can buy at the airport on arrival), so in terms of the eSIM itself it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. Because Airalo requires a KYC check, I would probably go for eSIMX. eSIMX does have a low Trustpilot score, but it is the cheapest and it is the same eSIM. Just make sure to pick the VOICE, DATA, SMS tab and select the 15- or 30-day unlimited plan (it starts when you install it, even if you are abroad). Do not choose data-only plans, those are roaming plans like Revolut. Airalo (aside from the KYC) will give you a better user experience. Make sure to Google a 15% discount code and don’t select the Maew plans, only DTAC. Maybe some other people here will know other places that sell these plans. Sim Local and eTravelSIM have DTAC plans, but only 10 days.

What the providers I mentioned do is resell the same local DTAC Happy Tourist plan (the same one you can buy at the airport on arrival), so in terms of the eSIM itself it doesn’t really matter which one you choose. Because Airalo requires a KYC check, I would probably go for eSIMX. eSIMX does have a low Trustpilot score, but it is the cheapest and it is the same eSIM. Just make sure to pick the VOICE, DATA, SMS tab and select the 15- or 30-day unlimited plan (it starts when you install it, even if you are abroad). Do not choose data-only plans, those are roaming plans like Revolut. Airalo (aside from the KYC) will give you a better user experience. Make sure to Google a 15% discount code and don’t select the Maew plans, only DTAC. Maybe some other people here will know other places that sell these plans. Sim Local and eTravelSIM have DTAC plans, but only 10 days.

With a German mobile plan you can use your allowance in Saint-Martin (the northern, French side) and Guadeloupe. These are French overseas regions of the EU and are covered by roam like home. Sint Maarten (the Dutch side) is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is not part of the EU. The Maya Mobile Caribbean plan works on Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. Plans from providers that the bot lists (like Airalo) still list “Netherlands Antilles” and will likely work there as well, but since The netherlands Antilles no longer exists it is better to confirm Sint Maarten specifically. I would double-check with Airalo if you plan to use it on Sint Maarten. What I would do: use roam like home in the French territories, and probably Maya Mobile for the rest. On Sint Maarten, be careful when switching networks. ubigi has a cheap plan for Sint-Maarten (both sides) if that worries you.

Get a local sim with a Scottish number in eSIM format, avoid apps like airalo, Holafly that are data only esims as they might not well suited for long term use.

Orange, their data routing is better.

True, but I’ve noticed with Airalo the ping is bad

Airalo also had high pings when I tried to use it.

I used Airalo across four of those cities last month and the speeds were fine but it throttled after 30gb on the "unlimited" plan so read the fine print before you buy

We had a mix of Ubigi and Airalo in our family (with the thinking that if one wasn’t working in one spot the other might be okay). They both worked perfectly the entire time.

I did [Nomad](http://nomadesim.com/japan-eSim) the 20GB plan while the pokemon fest, in 8 days used about 17GBs and was using heavily. I usually set up and add to the phone before the trip, and once i land that it sees the japanese network that is when they count it as active. For my trip i checked Arialo and Orange travel that ive used in the past for Europe… on both those companies the 20GB plan or equivalent was almost $10 more. With Nomad I got majority 5G networks, i only did Tokyo btw.

Depends where you are going. The standard route of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto they all work great. I am currently in Japan and about to head to Hokkaido and doing stuff in the boonies. Have found ubigi is better for that. I've only ever used ubigi and airalo, but I will also say ubigia esim installation is way better. Click a button and it installs. Airalo requires you to scan a QR or manually put in a number which is long and complicated.

20gb for 25$ with Airalo and other services.... Playing double is absolutely unnecesary and its hardly a worry.

For a short trip like that, I’d just grab an eSIM from Airalo or Nomad for data and keep his existing number on WhatsApp / Signal for “calls” back home. They both piggyback on big US networks and work fine in stadium crowds, just pick a plan that explicitly uses AT&T or T‑Mobile. If he really needs actual voice minutes, T‑Mobile prepaid tourist style plans or an AT&T prepaid eSIM from something like US Mobile / Mint can work, but for one week data‑only + WiFi calling apps is usually way cheaper and way less hassle.

If you're looking for an esim that has no connection ot peformance issues at all, then you'll never find one. They can all fail at any time for any reason or have variable performance. The major esims like HolaFly, Airalo, Ubigi, Saily, etc. are basically the same. The only difference is going to be pricing, upload / download limits, etc.

For China specifically though, keep in mind most foreign esims like Esimglobe or Airalo bypass the firewall so apps like Google and Instagram should work fine, which is a big reason people grab them. I used esim China for my trip and it connected to a local network within minutes.

Lol Airalo is way too overpriced. Plus, if you run into any problems, their customer service is non-existent. It's just you and an AI bot

Can confirm Roamless, Airalo and Nomad all work perfectly and bypass the firewall.

Airalo always bypassed the Great Firewall for me.

kaktus (and probably all operators in czech republic) has free roaming to the uk [link](https://www.mujkaktus.cz/roaming-mapa), you pay same as home,, so theres no need to buy airalo esim

er, Im in Germany now on Airalo and 5g no problem

Yes it works. I went cheap different company to start doesn't work finwlly got refund. Airalo so far never let me down

We've had great success with airalo. So far we have used it in Mexico, Jamaica, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Recently used Airalo in France and had a great experience! Traveled a bit around the country and not once I was left without reception. Last year I used the Vodafone travel eSIM in Amsterdam and Prague and I didn’t have any issues either

I have a Visible plan (so Verizon) and I have Roamless (travel eSIM) installed as my secondary so that I can access T-Mobile and AT&T. Roamless is pay as you go so you put your like $20 in your wallet and pay for data when you need. You can do the same with Airalo but that has a fixed time so even if you don't use it it will expire. How often do you run out of data? If it's occasional that should work but if it happens a lot that could get expensive. Roamless in the US is $2.45/GB and routes through VA (meaning you get a US IP address) - AT&T/T-Mobile There's also Qrispy ($2.40/GB and routes through Dallas) - AT&T/Verizon There's a new one called bcengi that also routes through Dallas that is $1.68/GB - AT&T/Verizon This guys is really new but I've tested and it works [eSim.sm](http://eSim.sm) is another one but that one will give you a Polish IP address. If you run out of data every month but just a little bit (under 5 GB) you can also look at a US Ubigi annual plan. It's $59 up front and you get allocoated 5 GB eveyr month for 12 months - use it or lose it. This one uses T-Mobile and I'm pretty sure your routing is local. They also have a 2 GB/month one that is $29 up front.

Under Settings->Cellular set Default Voice Line to your UK sim and your Cellular Data one to the Airalo sim. Make sure both sims are set to "on" under eSIMs. If you have the option of WiFi calling I would go ahead and turn that one while you're still in the UK.

Orange has 20 GB over 30 days for $45.99 - this might have local IP (since all the travel eSIMs look like they roam over Orange) [https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/egypt](https://travel.orange.com/en/buy-a-sim/offers/egypt) Nesa mobile has 20 GB over 30 days ( reloadable) for $32.50 - exit node is UK or Norway Ubigi has 10 GB over 30 days for $26. Airalo has 10 GB over 30 days for $44. They also have an unlimited option but it throttles to 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day. Looks like data in Egypt is just expensive. Would you be able to get some local after you land? That's usually cheaper.

If you buy a travel eSIM like Airalo or Ubigi then that would be a 2nd eSIM and you don't need need the Minternational plan. You would set up WiFi calling before you leave and your calls and data would go through that 2nd eSIM. If you buy the Minternational plan then you wouldn't need to buy anything for that second eSIM. You will be able to just use your number like you're at home. I think you get 500 minutes and 500 text and up to 10 GB of data (depending on how many days you buy). So it's an either/or thing.

How much data do you need and are you staying in one place or going all over? Reason I'm asking is because I've been told that there is not one singular network that will cover all of UK. So I personally would not get Airalo because it's expensive and only gives you access to EE. Ubigi uses EE and 3. Sparks has cheap UK data (15GB for $12.99) and allows you to access all 4 networks. [https://mobimatter.com/travel-esim/sparks-uk-premium-15-gb-esim?destination=GB](https://mobimatter.com/travel-esim/sparks-uk-premium-15-gb-esim?destination=GB) If you are a super low data user use the Global eSIM from eSIM.sm. [https://esim.sm/en/global-esim](https://esim.sm/en/global-esim) It's PAYG (you put money in the wallet and it will deduct as you use data and what's leftover you can use later) and for UK it is $1.33/GB. It also allows you to access all 4 networks in the UK.

Ubigi only has one eSIM regardless of how many plans you've bought. It's not like Airalo where each plan is an new eSIM. Have you installed the Ubigi eSIM on your phone at any time? You actually don't even need to buy a plan to instal the Ubigi eSIM.

True. But he was asking about Ubigi and that's how Ubigi works. They activate immediately when you pay vs. something like Airalo which won't activate until you connect to a foreign (or supported) network.

“Airalo and MobiMatter are blocked in the UAE” Is that a new thing? I was in Dubai April 2023 and was able to purchase Airalo while there. I fought for two days to try to get Xfinity Mobile’s global pass to work and gave up and bought Airalo instead. So you can’t do that anymore?

“Airalo and MobiMatter are blocked in the UAE” Is that a new thing? I was in Dubai April 2023 and was able to purchase Airalo while there. I fought for two days to try to get Xfinity Mobile’s global pass to work and gave up and bought Airalo instead. So you can’t do that anymore?

Lots of options for Europe. We were there (in Europe but did not hit Spain) this past summer and used a regional Europe sim. Was pretty cheap and worked well. We were in Dubai Spring 2023 and used Airalo. It also worked well. But wow have prices come down a lot. I paid $35 for 5 GB of data (valid 30 days). Now that same package is $13. Between Airalo and Ubigi I prefer Ubigi because you only have to install the eSim once. But Ubigi is way more expensive in UAE than Airalo right now.

I bought the esims while there and didn’t have any issues. But that was 18 or so months ago so maybe something has changed. Airalo you can buy anytime and it won’t start ticking down the timer until it connects to the network in UAE, so that will probably work. Ubigi and Roamless can both work also but they look pricy for UAE.

Was there last spring and after fighting Xfinity mobile to get global pass enabled (never worked) on my kids’ phones I ended up buying them Airalo esims while there. I do remember them handing out SIM cards going thru customs. Airalo worked very well for them, better than our Verizon global passes actually.

For a trip like that, buying a local SIM in each country will usually be the cheapest option, especially in Vietnam and Taiwan where data is really inexpensive. If you’d rather not swap SIMs, regional eSIMs from providers like Airalo or Nomad cover all four but cost more. I’d say if convenience matters most, go eSIM; if you’re fine stopping at airports/shops, local SIMs give you better value.

MobiMatter routes through Hong Kong and Sparks routes through Poland. Both will give you quite significant latency because of this when you’re in the US. I’d look at BNE, Umi, Numero, BetterRoaming, Airalo, Firsty or Ubigi for providers that route through the US.