How Do eSIMs Work for Travel? Beginner's Guide

Every traveller has felt the struggle of landing abroad, and your data plan suddenly costing a small fortune. Say goodbye to expensive roaming fees or waiting until the nearest Wi-Fi spot. What you need is an eSIM.

eSIMs help you stay connected to your loved ones (and most importantly, your favourite apps), pretty much from the moment you arrive. And they’re so easy to set up, you’ll wish you had downloaded one sooner. Here’s what you need to know before your trip.

Oh, and did we mention that our booked travellers can get a discount on their eSIM data plan? More on that later.

What is an eSIM?

Think of eSIMs as secondary data plans. They’re not replacing anything on your phone, only helping you to adapt.

You may have heard of traditional SIM cards for travel before. These are physical chips that you buy upon arrival in a new country. You remove your current SIM card, store it securely, and add in your new one. This gives you a new number for your travels, before you switch back upon return home.

Sounds like a lot of hassle, right? eSIMs make everything so much easier. They’re downloaded onto your phone, so once yours is set up, all you need to do is switch it over in your phone settings. And you get to keep your phone number. Yay!

More phones are making the switch to eSIM technology as the default, and phasing out physical SIM card trays.

Benefits of Using an eSIM

• Easy to Set Up: Your phone is basically ready to go on arrival. Download your eSIM at home, then switch it over in your phone settings upon arrival. Simple as that!
• Instant connectivity: Messaging your loved ones when you arrive? Maps for when you’re on the go? An eSIM lets you access that right away
• Flexible data plans: Choose from higher-data plans for streaming and social media, to budget-friendly options for just the essentials. Whatever your travel routine is, you can find an eSIM data plan to match

Stay Connected with Airalo

We’ve teamed up with Airalo, one of the world’s leading eSIM providers. When you travel with us, you can save 10% off your Airalo eSIM, which can be unlocked by reaching out to your personally assigned travel advisor. Consider it a win-win!

Wondering what other perks you can get as a booked traveller? Check out our exclusive Customer Benefits.

How to Set Up Your eSIM

We highly recommend setting up your eSIM before leaving your current destination. You can still do this upon landing, but it saves you time in trying to find the nearest Wi-Fi hub to get it ready.

Step 1: Check Your Phone Compatibility

Most modern phones are, but it’s always worth checking that they can use your normal SIM and an eSIM together, or two eSIMs at once, if you already have one for your current home phone plan. Some older phones may only be able to store one eSIM or not have this functionality.

Wondering how you can find this out? Your chosen eSIM provider should let you check the compatibility before making any purchases.

Step 2: Download Your Chosen eSIM App

There are loads of eSIM providers out there for you to choose from. Many eSIM providers also let you pick from a variety of data packages.

Booked a trip with us? You can benefit from our exclusive Airalo discount. Chat with a travel advisor for more details.

Step 3: Choose Your Data Plan

Pick your destination, then scroll from there. You can choose between different travel durations and data capacity options. Every traveller is different, so make sure you pick the one that accurately reflects your budget, activities and phone habits, alongside how long you’ll be away for.

Step 4: Install it on Your Device

Found the one? Now you just get it ready. You’ll need to keep your phone unlocked and be connected to Wi-Fi while it downloads. If you are having trouble, your chosen eSIM provider should provide troubleshooting advice.

Step 5: Land, Then Activate

You’ll need to be in your chosen destination for this next step. Once you’ve landed, open up your phone settings and go to cellular/mobile data. From there, you can turn on your eSIM and switch data plans.

PSA: Make sure you select your eSIM for Cellular Data and switch off “Allow Cellular Data Switching” to help avoid unexpected roaming fees from your home carrier.

Step 6: You’re Good to Go!

This one’s self-explanatory.

What About VPNs?

Sounds fancy, right? You may have also heard people talk about VPNs before. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a private, secure and encrypted connection between your device and the internet.

Many travellers like to use a VPN for a few reasons. When visiting countries that block access to selected foreign apps and websites, VPNs are considered a helpful option.

If you are travelling to a country where using a VPN is recommended, it’s worth checking if your eSIM provider is VPN-compatible or not.

Regardless, always do your own research and follow FCDO-recommended advice regarding VPN use abroad.

What’s the Difference Between Local, Regional and International eSIMs?

 

• Single-country eSIMs: The most popular option, and ideal for anyone exploring one country in-depth
• Regional eSIMs: Staying in Asia for a few weeks or months? Perfect. This eSIM covers lots of countries within your selected region
• Global eSIMs: Over 160 countries, covered! Perfect for someone who's in Thailand one day, Australia the next

Ready to Go?

Yep, that’s just about everything you need to know about eSIMs! If you have any other questions, we’ll be happy to answer them. Our travel experts are on hand to chat all things eSIMs, plus all your other travel essentials, trips and more.

Don’t forget to check out all the other exclusive Customer Benefits you can get when you travel with us!

Your eSIM is ready, and you're one step closer to that dream trip. Make sure to share and tag us in any travel photos on your group tours, so we can repost (now that you’ve got data, there’s no excuse 👀)...