If you’ve been reading about eSIMs for travel and wondering whether Airalo is actually worth using, you’ve come to the right place. Jess and I have been using Airalo since shortly after it launched, and we’ve used it across multiple trips in Africa, Europe and the USA. So I can give you a genuinely personal take on it, rather than a summary of what their website says.
The short answer is that Airalo is a solid, well-priced option for most travellers, and the product has improved considerably in the past year or two. They now offer both fixed-data and unlimited plans across most destinations, which puts them on a more equal footing with competitors that previously had an edge in that department. That said, Airalo isn’t perfect, and there are a few things worth knowing before you hand over your payment details.
In this review I’ll cover what Airalo actually offers, what our experience using it has been like, where it falls short, and how it compares to the main alternatives. That way you can decide whether it’s the right option for your trip rather than just going with the most recognisable name.
Table of Contents:
Who Should Use Airalo (and Who Probably Shouldn’t)
Before diving into the details, here’s a quick way to figure out whether Airalo is likely to be right for you.
Airalo works well for you if:
- You’re travelling to a single country and want a simple, affordable data plan
- You want the flexibility to choose between fixed-data and unlimited plans depending on your trip
- You prefer a large, established provider with coverage across more than 200 destinations
- You’re a light to moderate data user, or you’re happy with unlimited data at full speed up to a daily threshold
Airalo is probably not your best option if:
- You regularly use more than 3GB of data in a single day and need full-speed access throughout, without any throttling
- You want truly unthrottled unlimited data around the clock (no travel eSIM currently offers this without a fair use policy)
- Account security is a top priority for you (more on this below)
What is an eSIM?
You are probably familiar with a SIM card. It’s the small bit of technology that sits inside our smartphone and allows us to connect to our mobile provider. It’s basically what uniquely identifies you as a subscriber to your mobile service and allows you to be able to make phone calls, send messages, and get online. SIM stands for Subscriber Identification Module.
SIM cards are not unique to smartphones. They can also be used in some laptops and tablets, as well as smart watches and mobile hotspots. In all devices, they serve the same function, which is to identify your device to your network provider and let you access the services you have paid for.
Traditionally, SIM cards have been physical products, consisting of a small bit of circuitry surrounded by plastic. Over time they have shrunk a bit, with sizes including standard SIM cards, micro SIM cards, and nano SIM cards. However, the general idea has remained the same. You get a SIM card from a mobile provider, you insert it in your phone and voila!, you are connected to the world.
eSIM technology is basically an evolution of the physical SIM card. The “e” in eSIM stands for embeddable. Basically, an eSIM is a programmable SIM card that is permanently installed inside the device. So instead of having a physical SIM card that you insert into your device, with an eSIM you can install the SIM card much as you would install an app.
eSIM technology started to roll out in 2016, with most recent smartphones including the technology. When Apple launched the iPhone 14 in the USA, it only supported eSIM, there was no physical SIM support at all. Going forward, this is likely to become a more common practice across manufacturers. For better or for worse, eSIMs are here to stay and the use of physical SIM cards is likely to decline.
Why do you need a Travel eSIM?
These days, being able to get online when we travel can make for a much more seamless travel experience.
We use our smartphones for everything from navigating a new city to paying for transport to making online reservations and doing local research of sights and restaurants.
It’s an invaluable part of our travel toolkit, and having a data plan saves us having to find free WiFi networks as we go.
If you want to get online when you travel internationally, you have a number of options for how to do that. I cover this in detail in my guide to getting online when traveling.
In summary, your main options are to:
- Roam with your home network provider
- Buy a travel SIM / eSIM
- Buy a local SIM card
- Use a mobile hotspot
- Use free WiFi
The right option will depend on a number of factors, including the device you have, where you are travelling to, and how much time you need to spend on your device.
For example, if your network operator offers free roaming in the destination you are visiting, then that is likely going to be your best option. However, this isn’t that common, so you are likely going to want to investigate another option as international data roaming fees can be eye wateringly expensive.
In this case, you might consider either a travel specific SIM or buying a local SIM card. You will just want to check that your phone supports the network in the country you are visiting, as different regions use different frequency bands. You can do that here.
In many cases, buying a local SIM card if your phone is unlocked and supports the available options is going to be the most cost-effective option.
However, it can be quite complicated to find the right operator and deal, and if you are traveling to a destination where you will encounter a language barrier, setting up a foreign SIM can be a daunting task.
Enter the travel SIM / eSIM. These are specifically designed for travelers looking for an easy and relatively cost-effective way of getting online. For a long time the convenience of a travel SIM was somewhat offset by the fact that they were relatively expensive.
However, a number of companies have stepped forward to offer much more competitively priced travel SIMs and eSIMs. And one of those companies is Airalo.
Who are Airalo?
Launched in 2019, Airalo offers a one-stop shop for eSIMs. As of the time of writing, they offer eSIMs for over 200 countries around the world, allowing you to get online virtually anywhere you are likely to be travelling.
What Products do Airalo Offer?
Airalo sells a range of eSIMs. These are available in three categories based on your travel destinations:
- Local eSIMs. These cover one country, and are normally the most cost-effective option if you are only traveling to one or two countries on a trip
- Regional eSIMs. These cover a region, such as Europe, the Caribbean Islands, or Latin America. They can be handy if you have a trip covering multiple countries in a short period of time
- Global eSIM. The global eSIM allows you to connect in around 80 of the more popular countries covered by Airalo. It doesn’t cover every country though, so you will want to check exactly which countries are included if you are considering it.
As well as choosing the category you are interested in, you also need to choose the validity of the eSIM card and how much data it comes with. Airalo eSIMs are generally available for between 7 days and 30 days of validity, and with between 1GB and 20GB of data. This does vary by country though, with the Global SIM being available for up to a year.
Airalo also now offers unlimited data plans for most destinations. These work on a fair use basis, meaning you get full-speed data up to a daily threshold, typically around 3GB per day, after which speeds are reduced until the following day resets your allowance. For most holiday travellers that daily limit is unlikely to be an issue. If you’re not sure how much data you’ll use, the unlimited plans take the guesswork out of it and are worth comparing against the fixed-data options on price before you buy.
Personally we find that we use around 1 – 2 GB of data a week when we travel. Normally this is more than enough for all our research, navigation, and communication needs.
If you plan to share (or watch) a lot of videos or photos, or share your data connection with other devices (using it as a personal hotspot) then you might need more data. If you are only using it for occasional e-mail checking and a bit of social media, you might need a bit less data.
One thing to note is that the majority of Airalo eSIMs (and most travel eSIMs) do not offer any voice minutes. They only offer data. We normally don’t mind this as we normally communicate with WhatsApp when traveling. If we really need to make a call, we use Skype over data.
Some of the Airalo eSIMs do offer voices and calls as well as data. A small number of local SIMs, such as the US and UK eSIMs, as well as the Discover+ version of the Global eSIM offer a version with voice minutes.
So if an eSIM for travel with voice and minutes is important to you that is an option to consider.
How Much Does Airalo Cost?
Pricing varies considerably depending on where you’re travelling, how much data you need, and whether you opt for a fixed-data or unlimited plan. As a rough guide based on current pricing, here are some examples:
- Around $12 to $18 for 5GB of data valid for 30 days in the UK
- Around $17 to $25 for 5GB of data valid for 30 days in the USA
- Around $17 to $22 for 5GB of data valid for 30 days across Europe (covering multiple countries)
- Around $25 to $35 for 5GB of data valid for 30 days in East Africa
Unlimited plans are available for most of the above destinations and are generally priced at a modest premium over the larger fixed-data options. Given that the gap in price isn’t huge, the unlimited plans are often worth considering if you think there’s any chance you’ll need more than 5GB over the course of your trip.
In general, Airalo is competitively priced compared to other travel eSIM providers, and often comes in at the same price or slightly below for equivalent fixed-data plans. The most expensive destinations tend to be in Africa and parts of Asia, though prices across the board have been trending downward as the market matures.
Note: prices change regularly so check the Airalo app or website for current pricing for your specific destination before you travel.
You can earn a $3 credit on Airalo if you use the code LAUREN8516 when you sign up.
Airalo Loyalty Program
Airalo has a loyalty program where you can earn additional credit for every purchase you make.
When you start out, you will get 5% in Airalo credit whenever you buy data. So if you spend $20 on an eSIM package for example, you will get $1 towards a future eSIM purchase.
The percentage credit you earn increases as you purchase more credit, meaning that you start to save more. Currently it looks as follows:
- Traveler (New User): 0 USD – 19.99 USD spent -> 5% Airmoney Reward
- Silver Traveler: 20 USD – 69.99 USD spent -> 6% Airmoney Reward
- Gold Traveler: 70 USD – 199.99 USD spent -> 7% Airmoney Reward
- Platinum Traveler: 200 USD and above spent -> 10% Airmoney Reward
This can definitely make using Airalo even more cost effective the more you use it.
Experience Using Airalo: Our Airalo Review
We have used Airalo on a number of trips, including across Europe, East Africa and even the USA. I will detail our experience using it on trips in Uganda and Rwanda as an example, although the experience is largely the same in every country.
The first thing I had to do to get started with Airalo was to check my phone was compatible. At the time I was using a Google Pixel phone, which is compatible with eSIM technology. The next step was to install the Airalo app, which is available for both Android and Apple devices.
Once downloaded, I signed up to the Airalo service through the app which was a pretty simple process.
Now it was time to choose the eSIM. In my case I was travelling for around four weeks in Uganda. Most of the other eSIM providers I checked out at the time didn’t even have Uganda as an option, so I was pleased to see that it was available as one of the countries to choose from.
There were three eSIM options for Uganda when I signed up, as you can see in the image above. These were a 7-day 1GB option for $7 USD, a 30-day 3GB option for $24 USD and a 30-day 5GB option for $35 USD. I decided that as we would likely have WiFi most of the time, the 3GB 30-day option would be fine for my needs.
I purchased the eSIM, at which point I was sent a confirmation e-mail which contained links to detailed instructions for how to actually install an eSIM.
This was included both as a video tutorial and as step-by-step guides for Android which you can see here and iOS which you can see here. These are available for offline use so you don’t need data to follow the instructions.
I would definitely recommend reading through the guide to eSIM installation. It’s not exactly hard, but as it is likely going to be as new to you as it was to me, it’s worth making sure you get it right.
There are actually a few ways to install an eSIM, depending on your device. The easiest way on most devices is just to use the “direct method” as outlined here. This works on Apple devices as well as most Android devices. With the direct method it’s just a question of a couple of button presses and away you go.
If you have an Android device which doesn’t support the direct method you’ll have to choose either the QR code option or the manual installation option. These are also both possible on iPhone if you prefer to make life a bit harder for yourself.
When I first used Airalo the direct method wasn’t available on Android (it is now thankfully), so I used the QR code install method.
For the QR code install method, part of the process for installing the eSIM required me to scan the QR code using my phone. This can obviously present a bit of a tricky situation as the QR code will be on your phone screen, so you won’t be able to take a photo of it with your phone.
Personally, I opened the e-mail with the QR code on my laptop and took a photo of that with my phone. You can also save the QR code and print it out, or share it to a friend’s device and take a picture of it there.
If you can’t do any of the above, you can also set up the eSIM manually, which just requires following the fairly straightforward instructions.
I followed the install instructions, scanning the QR code as required, and within a couple of minutes I had an eSIM installed on my phone. This felt very futuristic, after years of adding and removing physical SIM cards!
Since then, I have also used the direct method to install an eSIM which is super easy and just requires a couple of button presses.
The last step was to enable mobile data and configure the Access Point Name, or APN settings.
For most eSIMs you can do all these steps before you travel, as the eSIM won’t activate until you connect to a supported network in country. You can check the activation protocol for the eSIM you have purchased from its details page.
As I was already in Uganda and ready to go, I activated the mobile data, made sure my device was configured to use the eSIM for data rather than my primary SIM, and typed in the provided APN settings.
Instructions for how to do this were all provided by Airalo so you don’t need to be an expert to figure it out.
Within thirty seconds I had cellular reception and 4G data. I used it for thirty days with no problems and the 3GB data package lasted well, with a bit left at the end of the trip. We travelled all over Uganda, and we had good reception in the majority of the country, except the most remote areas.
Once I had installed the eSIM, I could easily add data packages if I wanted to. I didn’t need to do this in Uganda, but on a subsequent trip in Rwanda I did need to top up. The good news is that topping up doesn’t require the re-installation of the eSIM, you can just buy a data package and add it to an existing eSIM.
In addition, if I return to Uganda, the eSIM is still on my phone. So I could reactivate it and add data without having to go through the setup process, assuming I don’t change phone in the meantime.
Following my positive experience in Uganda, I used Airalo in Rwanda which was just as straightforward. Here I used a bit more data as I was using my device for tethering as well, so I ended up using the easy top-up process as well to purchase a bit more data during our trip.
We’ve also use Airalo for travels in the USA and across Europe with no problems, getting fast 5G speeds in areas where that is available, and 4G elsewhere.
Overall, my experience with Airalo has been very positive. It only took a few minutes to set up, and once I had installed my first eSIM, eSIMs for other countries were a lot easier to install as I understood the process. It was a little more expensive than purchasing a local SIM card (except in the USA where it is cheaper in our experience), but it was definitely super convenient.
I also liked that, on my phone at least, I could leave my actual SIM installed alongside my eSIM. So I could still receive things like bank authentication messages on my main number whilst using my Airalo SIM for data. This was a lot more convenient than juggling SIM cards.
The main disadvantage compared to a normal local SIM other than cost for us was that the Airalo eSIM did not allow for phone calls or texts. This made it more difficult to make a few needed local calls but we were able to do so using Skype over 4G without problem.
Alternatives to Airalo
The eSIM market has grown considerably since Airalo launched, and there are now several solid alternatives worth knowing about depending on what you need.
Holafly was previously the obvious recommendation for travellers who wanted unlimited data, but Airalo now offers unlimited plans of their own, so the choice between the two is a lot closer than it used to be. Both apply a fair use policy that throttles speeds after a daily threshold, so neither is truly unlimited in an unrestricted sense. The main practical differences now are that Holafly tends to score slightly higher on customer support, and their interface is simple if you just want to pick an unlimited plan without a lot of choices to navigate. Airalo has a larger destination catalogue and more flexibility if you want to mix and match fixed-data and unlimited options across different trips. Worth comparing prices for your specific destination before committing to either.
Nomad is a good middle-ground option with a well-rated app and strong connection reliability. They offer both fixed and unlimited plans across around 100 countries. Worth comparing against Airalo on price for your destination, particularly for Asia and the Pacific where Nomad has strong coverage.
Saily, made by the team behind NordVPN, is worth a look if account security is your primary concern, given that team’s background in privacy. It’s one of the more affordable options in the market and covers a wide range of destinations, though the catalogue isn’t quite as large as Airalo’s.
For most travellers taking a standard trip to a popular destination, Airalo remains a strong choice on price and ease of use. For digital nomads or remote workers who need consistent high-speed data throughout the day and may regularly exceed 3GB, it’s worth looking more closely at whether a competitor’s fair use policy is more generous before you commit.
In our experience, Airalo tends to offer some of the most competitive prices and covers the most countries of the eSIM providers we are aware of. However, some of these other providers might suit you better depending on your needs.
Advantages of Airalo
There are a number of advantages to using Airalo as your travel SIM option.
First, compared to a lot of other travel focused SIM and eSIM solutions, we have found that Airalo tends to be one of the most cost-effective options on the market. It’s also generally cheaper than say renting a mobile hotspot for your trip, and you can share you Airalo data if your smartphone supports mobile hotspot functionality. Just be aware that something like a laptop computer will tend to use a lot more data than a mobile device.
The next reason to use Airalo is that it is relatively simple to install and setup. You can install the actual eSIM prior to your trip if you want, meaning you’ll be able to activate your package and get online as soon as you arrive in your destination country.
This saves you having to navigate your way through the maze of SIM providers in your destination country, and also saves you potentially having to navigate a SIM setup in a foreign language.
Many local SIMs need to have funds added and a data pack activated, and the instructions for doing so are normally only available in the local language. Navigating an app or sequence of SMS messages in a foreign language can be a real challenge, especially where you need to hand over financial information to purchase a data pack.
Many countries also have quite strict controls in place around SIM card purchase, requiring you to provide ID when you buy a SIM. So Airalo can definitely be more convenient, and we have often opted to use it even when it is a little more expensive just because it’s so easy to do.
It’s also worth noting that some newer smartphones come without any SIM slot at all, meaning you have to use an eSIM. Not all mobile network operators around the world support eSIM technology yet, so the option to just use a local SIM might not even be an option for you, depending on your phone model.
The other nice thing about Airalo is that it just works. In my experience, once I activate the eSIM data package I am able to get online within a few seconds. For the majority of my travels I’ve had a good 4G signal with Airalo. The app makes it easier to track data usage and it’s also easy to purchase a top-up data pack for a SIM as well.
Finally, and this will depend on your phone, you can normally have an eSIM installed and active at the same time as a physical SIM. If you have accounts that send you text messages to your phone number for authentication purposes, like a bank card or bank account, being able to receive these whilst using the eSIM for data is really handy.
In the past using a local SIM I’ve had to juggle between the local SIM and my home SIM in order to receive banking authentication messages for example, which can be a real pain. So being able to keep my home SIM active at the same time as having an eSIM for data really alleviates that pain point.
Disadvantages of Airalo
The main downside of Airalo is the compatibility. To use the Airalo service, you need a phone which supports eSIM technology. Whilst this does cover most recent phones, and especially recent handsets from Google, Apple, and Samsung, many older smartphones do not support eSIM technology yet. In this situation, you simply can’t use Airalo.
Another disadvantage of Airalo is cost. In many cases, Airalo can work out to be more expensive than just buying a local SIM card and using that if your phone supports it. Of course, Airalo is normally more convenient as you don’t have to worry about finding a SIM card, finding the right deal, and trying to navigate any language barriers when it comes to setting up the SIM and using it.
It’s also worth noting that whilst Airalo eSIMs cover your data needs, the majority of them do not support voice calls or SMS messaging. You can use voice services like Skype over data, as well as Whatsapp, but if you think you will need to make and receive a lot of local calls then a local SIM might be a better option.
Another thing to be aware of is that eSIMs cannot be transferred between devices. This normally isn’t going to be an issue for most of us, but if you happen to travel with multiple smartphones and also happen to switch SIMs between them for some reason, this isn’t something you can do with an eSIM as they are locked to the device.
The unlimited data plans, while genuinely useful, come with a fair use policy that’s worth understanding before you buy. You get full-speed data up to around 3GB per day. If you exceed that in a given day, speeds drop to around 1Mbps until midnight local time, at which point full speed resumes. For most holiday use this is unlikely to be an issue, but if you’re doing a lot of video streaming, lengthy video calls, or regularly using your phone as a hotspot for a laptop, you may find you hit that threshold on busier days. The fair use details are shown clearly on each plan before you purchase, so do read them for your specific destination.
Customer support is also known to be inconsistent. Most of the time things work smoothly and you never need to contact them. When something does go wrong though, response times can be slow and the initial responses are often templated rather than specific to your problem. This matters most in the scenario where your eSIM fails on arrival and you’re standing in an airport without data. If that’s a risk you want to mitigate, a provider like Holafly, which offers 24/7 live chat support, might be worth the slightly higher price.
Finally, Airalo typically connects you to a single local carrier per country rather than automatically switching between carriers for the best available signal. This is rarely a problem in cities and well-connected areas, but if you’re spending time somewhere rural or remote, a provider that supports multiple local networks may give you a more reliable connection.
Airalo Discount Code
When you sign up to Airalo, you can earn a $3 credit if you use the code LAUREN8516. Signing up is free and you can use the credit towards any eSIM purchase for your future travels.
Airalo Troubleshooting
I wanted to cover some troubleshooting steps if Airalo won’t connect for some reason.
I should say that I’ve had good experiences with Airalo. There have been two things that caused me issues with connecting to the internet.
First, when I did the first manual install of an eSIM on my Android phone I forgot to add the APN details. Instructions on how to do this are included in the set-up steps, so that was definitely my fault.
The good news is that if you use the direct method for eSIM install, this should all be set up properly. But if you are having connection issues, make sure all the settings as outlined in the instructions have been put in properly.
The other thing that caused me issue was really my phone. For some reason, when arriving in a new country I need to physically turn my phone off and on again in order for it to connect to a new network. So if you have all your settings put in correctly and no internet access, turning your phone off and on again is a good idea.
All that said, here are a few things to check if your Airalo eSIM is not connecting when you arrive in a new country.
- Ensure the phone is not in Airplane mode
- Ensure mobile data is enabled and data roaming is enabled
- Ensure you have selected the Airalo eSIM for connectivity (many phones support multiple SIMs, you will need to enable Airalo as your main SIM for data)
- Try turning the phone off and on again
- Ensure all the settings are correctly entered, such as the APN settings, and the right APN is selected.
- Ensure your phone supports the 3G / 4G / 5G bands in the country you are visiting. Different parts of the world use different frequency bands. This website can help you check if your smartphone supports the networks in the country you are visiting.
If none of the above help, you will want to contact Airalo customer service for additional support.
Airalo Review Summary
We’ve used Airalo on a good number of trips and our overall experience has been positive. The app is straightforward to use, the setup process is well documented, and the coverage has been reliable in the countries we’ve used it in. The addition of unlimited plans means there’s now a lot less reason to shop around for a competitor unless you have a specific reason to, such as needing around-the-clock full-speed data or wanting more responsive customer support.
That said, it’s worth being honest about where the rough edges are. Customer support, while fine for routine purchases, can be slow when something actually goes wrong. And the unlimited plans, while genuinely useful, do throttle speeds after 3GB in a day, which is worth factoring in if you’re a heavier data user.
Our recommendation is to use Airalo if you want a reliable, well-priced eSIM from an established provider with a large destination catalogue. Check the pricing for your specific destination, read the fair use terms on any unlimited plan before you buy, install your eSIM before you leave home rather than on airport WiFi, and pay using Apple Pay or Google Pay rather than saving your card in the app. Do those things and you’re very likely to have a smooth experience.
If you are interested in Airalo, you can go to their website here to learn more and check it out yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Airalo
Does Airalo work on my phone?
Airalo works on any eSIM-compatible smartphone. Most iPhones from the XS onwards support eSIM, as do most recent Android flagships including Samsung, Google Pixel, and OnePlus devices. If you’re not sure whether your phone is compatible, check Airalo’s compatibility tool in the app or on their website before you buy.
Do I need an internet connection to install an Airalo eSIM?
Yes, you need an internet connection to install an eSIM for the first time. The best approach is to install it before you leave home and then activate it when you land at your destination. If you leave it until you arrive, you’ll need airport WiFi to get it set up, which can be unreliable. Install it early and save yourself the stress.
Can I use Airalo as a hotspot?
Most Airalo plans support hotspot use, but check the specific plan before you buy as it varies by destination. If you’re planning to regularly tether a laptop or share your connection with multiple devices, bear in mind that hotspot use counts toward your daily full-speed allowance on unlimited plans, and burns through fixed-data plans faster than regular phone use.
What is Airalo’s fair use policy on unlimited plans?
Airalo’s unlimited plans give you full-speed data up to a daily threshold, which is typically around 3GB per day. If you exceed that in a given day, speeds are reduced to around 1Mbps until midnight local time, after which full speed resumes. The specific terms are shown on each plan before you purchase. For most holiday use this limit is unlikely to cause a problem.
Is Airalo safe to use?
Airalo is a legitimate, established company used by millions of travellers. However, a notable number of users have reported account security issues including unauthorised access and fraudulent charges on stored payment methods. To protect yourself, pay via Apple Pay or Google Pay rather than saving your card details in the app, and use a strong, unique password for your Airalo account.
What happens if my Airalo eSIM doesn’t work?
Contact Airalo’s customer support through the app or via WhatsApp. Response times are generally reasonable for standard queries but can be slow when there’s a technical issue involved. If you’re getting no response and need connectivity quickly, buying a local SIM card at your destination is the most reliable backup option. This is another reason to install and test your eSIM at home before you travel, so you know it’s working before you need it.
Further Reading
And that sums up our review of Airalo as an eSIM provider for getting international internet access.
We’ve also got a lot of other resources you might find useful, including the following.
- We have a full guide to getting online when traveling internationally, which should help you decide which is the best option for you
- Depending on your travel plans, you might need a travel router. See our guide to travel routers to help you decide which is right for you.
- We also have a full guide to the best mobile hotspots for you to read if you are interested in one of these devices.
- Fast internet access at home is also important! See our guide to the best home wifi routers for improving your home internet speeds.
- Staying safe online when you travel is important. See our guide to the best travel VPNs for tips on keeping your personal data safe when you’re on the road.
- You’re going to need to power all your devices when you travel – see our guide to the best travel adapters
- If you are heading out onto the road and looking for a laptop to get some work done, see our guide to the best laptops for photo editing
- Thinking of buying a new camera? See our guide to the best cameras for travel
And that’s it! As always, if you have any feedback about the post, or questions for us, just pop them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Laraib Khan says
Great review of Airalo! It’s so important to have a reliable eSIM when traveling internationally. I’ve found that having a good connectivity solution like Airalo can make a huge difference.
Laurence Norah says
Thanks Laraib, we agree!
Andy says
Hi,
Leaving for France tomorrow. On my primary cellular plan, should I toggle Turn on this Line to off? And of course data roaming off?
Thanks,
Andy
Laurence Norah says
Hi Andy,
Yes, you should disable your main line and just use the Airalo eSIM to avoid roaming fees. However you will need data roaming on on the Airalo eSIM I believe, but check the eSIM install instructions. Have an amazing time in France!
Laurence
Amelie says
Hiiii
Hope you are well 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this article about Airalo. I have been doing tons of readings about E-sims and your post was the most useful and easy to read and understand. Also, we got a discount code from you as well, that’s awesome! Thank you so much!!!
I wish you a great day
// Amelie
Laurence Norah says
Hi Amelie,
It’s my pleasure and thanks very much for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot 😀
Enjoy your trip!
Laurence
dale h says
I bought a Airalo eSIM for my Australia trip. I could not get it to work. Now I’m trying to get a refund and all they do is send robot replies. No real human help yet…
Not recommended.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Dale,
Thanks for sharing your experience! I have definitely heard a few negative experiences with Airalo customer service. The main challenge with an eSIM is that there are quite a few variables and reasons why it might not work, from supported network frequencies to handset issues. But I agree, customer service should be able to resolve these issues.
Laurence
Andrew says
Hi, I want to use my regular SIM card with hotel wifi to send pictures and texts to family, and an eSIM card when I’m out and about for Google maps and apps. Is it easy to change from one to the other! How do I do that?
Thanks.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Andrew,
So how easy it is to switch SIM cards will depend on your phone. On most recent phones such as the more modern iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, it is very easy to switch between SIM cards. You can also often have multiple SIM cards active, and allocate them to different tasks. So for example you would likely want to have the Airalo activated for data, and your home SIM for recieving texts.
For the hotel WiFi, you don’t need a SIM card at all. Just be aware that if you send a regular text message, this normally goes over your carrier network, although again this depends on your device. Some messaging platforms will use WiFi to send texts and pictures (such as Whatsapp), wheras some will use your phone network. To be on the safe side, you can disable your regular SIM when connected to the hotel WiFi to ensure messages are only sent over WiFi so you don’t incur any bills.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Noelle says
I purchased 20 gigs of data for $32 in Sri Lanka (high price considering you can get a sim for $10 unlimited data locally), and after 6 days it just stopped working. On top of that, the customer service is non-existent. Mostly just bots. I went three days before they attempted to fix the issue. Which they couldn’t. Nor would they offer me a refund. Instead they sent me $17 in “air cash” to buy a new eSIM….. which I reluctantly did, and this one also doesn’t work. Terrible, and terribly unsafe (for a solo female traveler) experience. Deeply disappointed.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Noelle!
Thanks for sharing your Airalo experience and I’m sorry to hear it was so frustrating. Hopefully your experience is beneficial to others thinking of using Airalo in Sri Lanka. It’s hard to know what might have caused your specific issue, there are so many variables, it’s definitely odd that it stopped working though. In my experience it either works or doesn’t. A local SIM card is often a lower cost option as I mention in this review, but some newer phones don’t even support them, and they can be a hassle to pick up in some countries.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by and safe travels!
Laurence
Tina says
Hi Laurence, thanks for sharing your helpful review. I’m going to Japan on April 3rd and planning to buy the 10 GB for 30 days from Airalo. Currently it’s on sale for $9. I also have a discount code for another $3 off so it will be only $6. Wanted to buy it now and have it installed on my iPhone but not sure if it’s too early and it will work when I arrive in Japan on April 3rd. I sent Airalo a message about the above but no response yet. If you know the answer kindly please let me know. Thank you so much in advance.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Tina! It’s my pleasure, I’m glad you found the review helpful. So yes, you should be able to buy the eSIM, and you can either just install it closer to your trip if you want to play it safe, or you can install it straight away. The latter should work fine because the eSIM for Japan is not supposed to activate until it connects to a supported network in Japan. In my experience, I’ve never had a problem installing an eSIM in advance of a trip, and I have also bought a number of Airalo eSIMs recently because of their sale for upcoming trips and not had any issues with those either.
Have a great time in Japan and let me know if you have any more questions!
Best
Laurence
Thu says
Hi Lawrence, thanks for your response. Airalo Support also responded to me that I can buy in advance as the eSIM won’t activate until I arrive in Japan like you said. I went ahead and bought it already because the sale will end on 2/29.
By the way, when I went to Japan last November I bought an eSIM from Ubigi and it was good too. Now since Airalo has it on sale it’s much cheaper. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Tina
Thanks again.
sussi lise theander says
Hi..after reading your artickle,and many others, I simply can not find anything on ,how to receive verification codes from banks,Revolut,etc. on an E sim?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Sussi,
So the majority of eSIMs are data only, meaning that they don’t support making regular calls or recieving messages. For those that do, the number is going to be different from the number that you will have registered with the bank (each SIM Card, whether it’s a regular plastic SIM or a digital eSIM has it’s own number).
So you have two options.
First, if your phone supports it you can leave your existing SIM in and use that to recieve messages for verification codes, and use the eSIM for data. That’s normally what I do. You just need a phone that supports dual sim dual standby capabilities.
Second, you can get a Google Voice number (although this will depend where you are in the world). These are free, and you can set them up so the message gets sent to your e-mail. You would give the Google Voice number as the number to your banks etc, and the code would come to your e-mail which you could access using the data connection on the eSIM.
I hope this answers your question, let me know if I can offer any more advice!
Laurence
sussi lise theander says
Thank you, I have a Samsung with the card in,and I can add E sims,I live in Spain. So you are saying,that if I leave my sim in,I will get the sms? and if I leave the card in,should I turn off data for that as not to get charged by Orange for roaming?And will the card use the wifi from the E sim then,to get the sms? I am sorry to ask so much,but I never tried an E sim before 😉 and I never heard of anyone using Google voice here in Spain.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Sussi,
Yes, most Samsung phones allow you to run two SIMs at the same time (or at least, easily switch between SIMs). And you should be able to specify which SIM you use for what purpose. So I have a Samsung phone too, and I have it set up to use Airalo for data and my normal SIM for text and voice.
Usually the phone will only use one SIM for one function (although this depends on the model). So as long as you have the Airalo for data then you shouldn’t be charged for roaming. Just be aware that voice / text is the same, so when you are abroad, you can recieve SMS for free but if you make calls or send SMS then Orange will charge for that.
Google Voice isn’t available in Spain unfortuntely so that won’t work 🙁
Safe travels, let me know if you have more questions I am more than happy to help!
Laurence
sussi lise theander says
Thank you very much for your help,will try that and cross my fingers,haha,was actually thinking about getting a cheap phone to put in the normal sim card,but maybe I dont need that now.
Laurence Norah says
Hey Sussi,
It’s my pleasure! You can actually get a very cheap eSIM from Airalo just to test things out and see if it works for your phone. You could even get a cheap esim for Spain for example, and just see if it works. You get $3 in Airalo credit if you use the code LAUREN8516 when you sign up.
Anyway, just an idea! An eSIM would be cheaper than another phone if it works I think!
Laurence
Andy Kuiper says
I tried contacting their support via chat (there is NO phone support) 2x – once you get past the buggy AI questions you’ll be told to ‘wait for an agent’. Trust me, no one will respond. I waited close to an hour the first time and then next day I gave up after 26 minutes… NO ONE WILL SUPPORT YOU if you have troubles installing their via their complicated process. ‘Buying’ the e-SIM was a breeze – installing it is a hassle – getting it to work was impossible – SUPPORT was just not available. I wasted $100 USD with this company – they left me high and dry – as for all the other reviews… buyer beware.
Laurence Norah says
Thanks for sharing your experience Andy. I have heard a few negative things about the Airalo customer experience, here’s hoping they are able to improve. I’ve personally not had issues with the install on multiple eSIMs on different phones, but I appreciate problems do arise and when they do good customer service is key, so it is disappointing to hear about your experience.
Jan says
Thank you for this feedback.
This is exactly what I was reading reading this section for as I’m off to UK again this year. When I’ve had issues with EE, which is telco I join up with over there (have best service in terms of signal) I’ve always been able to ring & speak with them until halfway thru my trip in June last year.They’ve known their ‘stuff’ too which is more than I can say for their shop front staff!!
Sounds like eSim only gives you data & no calls etc so I’ll be giving it a miss & take my chances.
This A1 is a set up or worse I suspect.
Rani says
I purchased the Europe e-sim and worked very well. Was easy to install and their customer support system was very good. The signal was very good and had no issues during my travel. I will purchase again and will recommend to my friends and family.
Laurence Norah says
Glad to hear it, thanks for sharing your experience Rani. I hope you had a good time in Europe 🙂
Andrew King says
Hi, I’ve never used an e-sim before so I’m curious. When I get to my destination and take my phone off airplane mode, will I incur roaming charges before it connects to the local service? Sorry, but I’m a newbie.
Thanks, Andy
Laurence Norah says
Hi Andrew,
This is a great question and it is definitely something to be aware of. So the exact options you have will depend a little on what your phone model is, but most phones that support eSIMs allows you to specify which SIM you want to use for data.
So what I do is as I am boarding the plane, I toggle the phone from my primary SIM to the Airalo eSIM for data, and then enable airplane mode. Then when I land and toggle airplane mode off, it’s on Airalo already.
Another option is that most phones allow you to disable mobile data and / or mobile roaming. So you can do that before you leave. Then when you land, you can switch the phone to the eSIM before enabling mobile data and roaming (Airalo requires roaming to be enabled to work in most cases).
I hope this is clear, but do let me know if not and I’ll be happy to clarify!
Laurence
Andrew King says
Brilliant, thanks!
Neil Brennan says
I set one up today, but would have to say I would not do this again. It’s a bad idea when an actual SIM for the country you are in is available for a fraction of the price.
I’m travelling to Nepal in a few days and thought it would be useful to have an eSIM set up for when I get there, so followed the directions from Airalo. Their documentation explicitly said that the eSIM will be activated once it connects to the correct network, but of course that’s not true. The expiry is calculated from the moment you begin the activation process in the phone app. So I’ve paid for 7 days access and will get ONE.
I contacted Airalo support who, after initially denying I was their customer, expressed their sympathy and told me not to do it again. So I will never do it again.
1GB for 7 days of Nepalse data costs 10USD from Airalo with an eSIM, 28 days expiry for over 20 GB with a real SIM costs 2/3rds of that. It’s a pretty easy choice.
Laurence Norah says
Hey Neil,
Thanks for sharing your experience! I defnitely agree that a local SIM card can work out more cheaply in many countries. And you are correct that the Nepal eSIM should not activate until you arrive in country and it connects to a supported network. I have installed a lot of Airalo eSIMs prior to trips and they haven’t activated until I arrived in country so I am not sure what has gone wrong there. I would have hoped that customer support would have been able to resolve this for you and it is disappointing to hear that they didn’t. I hope you have a great trip to Nepal though!
Laurence
Neil Brennan says
Thanks Laurence, after much to-ing and fro-ing Airalo finally admitted I was their customer and agreed to disable the eSIM and give me a credit, but not an ideal experience in any way. I guess try again right before we leave… The rest of my party will all be getting physical SIMs though 🙂
Thanks for the response – can’t wait to be in Nepal now!
Neil
Laurence Norah says
I’m glad to hear they made it right, and thanks for reporting back. Have an amazing time in Nepal!
Alexander says
I’ve used Airalo in various countries with mixed results. When it works, it’s a great tool for travelers. However, my recent experience exposed a significant flaw – their customer service. After facing connectivity issues, support attempted fixes but ultimately blamed it on their local partner, leaving the problem unresolved. Needing a reliable connection, I requested a refund to switch to a local SIM. This is where things worsened – my emails for a refund were met with silence. It’s disappointing and frustrating; not only did their service fail, but their customer care was equally lacking, showing no accountability for their faulty service. This experience has seriously made me reconsider using Airalo in the future.
Laurence Norah says
Hey Alexander!
Thanks for sharing your experience with Airalo. That is definitely not good to hear about the customer service experience. Ultimately you paid Airalo for a service so I would have hoped that they would have made it right rather than blaming a partner and going silent. I hope you were able to at least get online in the end!
Safe travels
Laurence
lucie says
Hello !! thank you for those advices. It is very usefull.
Do you know wy some eSim do not be rechargeable ? I am canadian an I’m planning a trip in Argentine for 11 weeks. I have en Iphone13.
Thank you
Laurence Norah says
Hi Lucie,
Honestly, I’m not sure. All the eSIMs I’ve used with Airalo have been rechargeable but I do see that the Argentina one does not support top ups.
One thing I did notice though is that the 30 day Argentina eSIM is $26 for 6GB for 30 days. The Global eSIM from Airalo is available for 10gb for 180 days for $59 and it includes Argentina, which would be less cost than buying the Argentina eSIM three times. The only thing is that you would only get 10gb of data instead of 3x 6GB. So a little would depend on how much data you think you need.
I hope this helps a bit and at least gives you an option 🙂
Best
Laurence
Darby says
In one of your replies you said “I’d also advise reading over the install instructions and making an offline copy of them (a screenshot of the app or something).” Can you provide a link to the install instructions or tell me where I can find them to make a copy for future reference please?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Darby,
Sure thing. You can find the specific install instructions for the eSIM you purchase in the Airalo app when you have bought an eSIM.
You can also get an overview of the process on the Airalo website in the help center here. The only difference is that each eSIM has specific instructions if doing a manual install for the APN settings, so you can only get those once you have actually purchased the eSIM. However the overall instructions are the same. That help page also has instructions for saving your eSIM instructions for later.
The general instructions vary a little depending on your device, but you can see instructions for:
Most modern smartphones support the newer direct install method which is literally a one click install option which takes away the majority of hassle. I can highly recommend installing the eSIM before you travel though. Most eSIMs won’t activate until you actually connect to a network in your destination, and getting set up in advance means you’ll be able to get support if you have any issues with install prior to your trip, as well as get online as soon as you reach your destination.
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Tyler says
Hi! My wife and I will be in Europe for 90 days so their Europe esim looks like good option. However, our US phone plan is a Mint Mobile eSim currently. So I assume switching off that eSim to this one would leave no “phone number” for things like texts / banks verification etc and May mean this isn’t the best plan for us? Or can we have two eSims at once? Thank you!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Tyler!
So it will depend on your phone model. I know many recent iPhones for example support dual eSIM, which means you can have two eSIMs active and thus receive texts on both of them. However it is more common for phones to only support one eSIM. In that case you can actually install both eSIMs onto the phone (I have multiple eSIMs installed on my Galaxy S23 at the moment), but only one of them can actually be active at a time. So if you know you are going to receive a text you can toggle to your Mint Mobile eSIM. It’s not a perfect solution but it should work.
Hope this helps and have a great time in Europe!
Laurence
Laurence Norah says
Hey Mitchell,
Sorry to hear about your experience with Airalo. As I said in my review I’ve had a good experience in various locations around the world, but unfortunately the many varieties of phones and phone networks in use around the world means that it’s definitely not going to work for everyone. Maybe if you could share what phone model you have, and what region you were travelling from and to, that might help others understand if they are likely to face issues as well.
Cheers
Laurence
Phil Chomak says
Hi Laurence. My wife and I are going to be in France for 3 weeks. I have a Google Pixel 7a and she has an iPhone SE. My carrier here in California is MintMobile and we plan to use their international plan. We will pay 5 or 10 dollars in advance and use it for texts and voice calls. Texts cost only a nickel apiece and voice calls are 25 cents a minute. We will keep our calls short. We’ve been told that their data plan can get expensive (20 cents per MB) so I’m thinking that Airalo would be a more cost-effective option for data roaming. I believe it’s possible with both phones to use the existing physical SIM card along with the eSIM. We would turn off roaming with our home carrier and just use Airalo for that. Would it be necessary to do anything to switch between the physical SIM and the eSIM or will the phone “know” which one to use for each specific purpose and switch automatically? Thanks!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Phil,
So both the Pixel 7a and iPhone SE support Dual Sim Dual Standby as far as I can tell. So all you need to do on the phone is tell it to use one SIM for calls and texts, and the eSIM for data. Once you have told the phone which one to use for which purpose you should be good to go. The exact process for doing this depends on the phone model but you should be able to find instructions on the manufacturers website I believe 🙂
Have a great time in France and let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Phil Chomak says
Thanks so much for your speedy and clear reply. I will go ahead with my plan and sign up with Airalo. As a backup plan, I may also bring my old Garmin non-phone-related GPS in case I run into connectivity issues while on the road. Thanks again!
Mohsen says
Their eSims stopped working, three of them, on three different phones, iOS an android, all at once yesterday. Their support wanted to check my settings, which is a joke. My eSims have not been working for 12 hours now and their support has no clue how to fix it. They keep saying their “experts” will contact me but they never did. Ruined my Rome trip. I want my money back.
Laurence Norah says
That does not sound like the best experience. I have read a few reports now of Airalo eSIMs stopping working partway through a trip, which is most unusual, and not something I’ve personally had happen yet. Sorry to hear about your experience, but thanks for sharing it.
Sam Mishki says
I used airalo for the first time last week, followed their installation instructions and was able to get mobile data on my phone.
Problem was I couldn’t hotspot my phone data to other devices which is why I got the esim in the first place.
After working with their help desk on and off for three days it still didn’t work. During the process I learned that their carriers may not allow hotspotting data (not because airalo told me, they never did).
Now three days have gone by and when I asked for a refund they say that they’ll give me credit towards future airalo purchases.
Laurence Norah says
Hey Sam,
That is interesting to hear, and not a good experience. I haven’t personally encountered this but it’s not good that this is the case as it’s advertised as a feature. Thanks for sharing!
Laurence
Leigh says
Hello!
Our son will be in Eastern Europe for 9 months. Would you recommend Airalo for this length of time? If so, what are the advantages and if not, what are the disadvantages?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Leigh!
Thanks for your message 🙂 So Airalo might be a good option, but given the length of time he might find it easier to pick up a local SIM card that covers the various countries he is visiting. However it’s hard to know without knowing which countries he is visiting. Airalo has the advantage of being easy to get and it just working, but the disadvantage that it might be more expensive (depending on where he is going, it’s hard to know for sure), and most of their packages don’t includes voice calls.
If you let me know specifically which countries he is visiting I can give a more detailed response 🙂
Cheers
Laurence
Joe says
I tried Airalo for my recent trip to Sri Lanka and the service didn’t work for 90% of my trip.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Joe,
Sorry to hear about this. Something I should add to my guide is the importance of checking supported bands on a phone for the country being visited. Different parts of the world use different 3G / 4G and 5G frequencies, so it’s possible that Sri Lanka’s bands did not match up with what your phone supports. I’m just hypothesizing here though.
Thanks for your feedback though 🙂
Laurence
Ben Ang says
Very comprehensive article and easy to understand. We are leaving for Italy, the Balkans and Greece next week, what regional option should I use? Thank you in anticipation.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Ben,
So this Europe regional eSIM should work, however you will want to check the supported country list as the Balkans is quite a big area containing around 12 countries (depending on which definition you are using), so if you are visiting all of them they are not all included. Most of them are, but you will just want to be sure that the countries you are intending on visiting are included.
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Mandy says
Hello
Family of 3 are travelling to Japan in 2 weeks looking to purchase Airalo e-sim data. We all have 3 devices would you suggest we should buy 20 GB to share the hotspot or buy an individual data for each of us. I am the one will use most of data and we need to use google map a lot in Japan. I think both kids will just having data to use for leisure. I am using Samsung ultra 22 plus my daughter is using Huawei an older phone and my son is using Google Pixel are these all compatible to use for esim Airalo. Also, is there instruction will be given to us how to active the esim after purchase. Do we activate esim only we arrive at our destination or we can activate a day before we leave. Please give us some advice.
Thank you in advance
Mandy
Laurence Norah says
Hi Mandy
So it will be easier to buy separate eSIMs just because it means your son and daughter won’t have to rely on your turning the hotspot on or off. Running a hotspot on a phone is good for occasional use in my experience, but it does tend to eat up the battery life so isn’t an ideal solution for prolonged usage.
For Japan, the eSIM will only fully activate when it connects to the supported network in Japan. So you can definitely install it in advance and the data / timer won’t start going down until it actually connects to the network in Japan. The Airalo eSIM does come with detailed instructions, and you should be able to set it up on all your devices. I am not 100% sure on the Huawei device but the Google Pixel and S22 Ultra should have no problems. I would definitely suggest purchasing and setting up in advance, that way if you have any questions you can contact Airalo support before your trip.
Have a great time in Japan!
Laurence
BILL says
Hi Lawrence,
Great article and great help. I’m going to Portugal and Spain next month. Does a regional Airalo E-sim work in these two countries and how much will it cost? Is the setup easy? I’m using a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Thank you.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Bill,
My pleasure, glad you found it useful! So you have a few options 🙂
First, there’s a Portugal eSIM and a Spain eSIM They are fairly similar, a one week eSIM is around $4.50 for 1GB and a 15 day SIM 2gb SIM is $6.50 for Spain and $7 for Portugal.
However, as you asked about regional eSIMs you’ll probably find the Europe eSIM to be easier. This includes both Spain and Portugal, with a 7 day 1GB option available for $5 and then a variety of 30 day options from 3GB to 10GB available from $13 to $37. There are also longer versions available with much more data. So you just need to decide how much data you want. You can also always top data up from the app, once the eSIM is installed it’s very easy to top up with more data, although it’s normally a bit more cost effective to buy in larger quantities.
Airalo is pretty easy to use, there’s a 1-click install which should work on your S21 Ultra. You just want to be sure your phone is not carrier locked to your network. I’d also advise reading over the install instructions and making an offline copy of them (a screenshot of the app or something). You can do all the set up before you leave as the SIM will only actually activate when it connects to a supported network.
Have a great trip, let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Bill says
Hi Lawrence,
Thanks for your quick response. I will check the options that you mentioned. I really appreciate it.
Bill
shirley says
I am going to Canada and USA for a few months and would like to know about texting and calling. Understand from your post that it is difficult to do so, but would iMessage be possible since it utilises mobile data? As for calling for emergency purposes, is Skype a common way of making calls in this area, or do you have suggestions on how this can be done?
In cases of emergencies, are calls / texts completely unable to be used, or can they be used, except that international charges would apply? Thank you!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Shirley,
So any messaging or calling service that works over data will be fine, i.e. Whatsapp, iMessage, Skpe, facebook messenger, google voice etc will all work fine over the data. The only thing that doesn’t work is SMS text messages and calling using the phone. For emergency calling, Skype now supports emergency calling in the US as outlined here: https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34944/emergency-calling-support-in-skype-for-the-united-states but I don’t think for Canada. However, a mobile phone should be able to make an emergency 911 call even without a SIM card (https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/can-i-call-911-if-my-sim-card-is-not-working) so I think that you should be ok if that is your main use case.
Hope this helps!
Laurence
Shirley says
Hi Laurence,
Thanks for your speedy reply! For SMS texts, would I be able to receive text messages (without replying?). This is because my bank provider usually uses SMS to send one-time passwords for cash transfer. Thanks!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Shirley,
So it depends a bit on your phone and if it supports multiple SIM cards. On my phone for example I can have two SIMs active at once, which can be either two physical SIM’s, or one SIM and one eSIM. I can then configure it to receive messages on one SIM and use data on my eSIM. So in that situation, yes, I can receive text messages from my bank. Alternatively, your phone might support two SIM’s, but only one can be active at once, so you will have to toggle between them to receive the message. There’s no fee to receive a text though, so as long as you have your home SIM with you and disable it for data, then you should be good.
If you let me know what phone you have I can provide a more specific response 🙂
Cheers
Laurence
Shirley says
Hi Laurence,
Thanks again for your quick reply! I use an iPhone 13.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Shirley,
So yes, according to Apple with the iPhone 13 you can use two SIM’s, either one physical SIM and one eSIM or two eSIMs. This is noted here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209044#:~:text=You%20can%20use%20Dual%20SIM,cellular%20plan%20on%20an%20eSIM.
So you can use the Airalo eSIM for mobile data and keep your other SIM active for text messages. Just be aware that if you send text messages or call using your home SIM, it will cost you quite a bit most likely, depending on your carriers roaming fees.
Cheers!
Laurence
Happy says
I will be doing alot of travelling to different countries and at different months, what would be your suggestion as which plan to go for and do I need to do anything when I reach different countries? Thank you in advance 🙂
Laurence Norah says
Hi Happy,
So it depends exactly which countries and how long you’ll be spending in each one. It’s usually slightly more cost-effective to get a eSIM for each country rather than a regional or global SIM, but if you are going through countries quite quickly then a regional or global eSIM might make more sense. You’ll just want to check that the regional or global eSIM actually supports all the countries you plan on visiting as they don’t cover every country.
For individual eSIMs you’d need to switch the eSIM on your phone when you arrive in a different country, which is quite straightforward. If you get a regional eSIM you’d only need to change if you change regions. For the global eSIM you wouldn’t need to change.
Hope this helps! If you share which countries you are going to I can be more specific 🙂
Laurence
Happy says
Will be going to South Korea, Singapore n Malaysia. Thinking of Europe too, thanks
Laurence Norah says
Ok. So Airalo has a regional eSIM for Asia which includes all of those countries. You can get 5GB for 30 days for $20, and other packages are available.
The only eSIM for South Korea on Airalo is an unlimited one for 10 or 30 days, at $32 and $62 respectively, so unless you are planning on using a massive amount of data, I’d say the regional variant is going to be best in this regard.
I’d then probably just get a regional eSIM for Europe, again there are a few options but you can get a 30 day 5GB version for $20 as well.
So you would only need to install two eSIMs for your trip.
Finally, you might consider a Global eSIM. The advantage of these is that they are available for longer durations, so as you said your trips will be over a prolonged period of time this might be easier for you. You can get one with 180 day validity and 10gb of data for $59 and one with a full year of validity and 20gb of data for $69.
Hope this helps!
Laurence
Maddie says
Thanks for the helpful article! Can you clarify about texts and local calls further. If I understand with my iPhone 13, an eSIM card does not allow texting or making local phone calls?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Maddie,
Sure thing. So an eSIM can allow for texts and calls, however, it is up to the provider selling the eSIM card as to whether or not that feature is enabled. In our experience, the majority of eSIMs that are designed for travel use, like the Airalo eSIMs, generally do not support voice or text. There are a few exceptions, some of the eSIM’s Airalo provides for some countries do include this feature, but it is very much the exception to the rule.
I think the main reason for this is cost – most people just want data when they are away, so there is no need to include a feature that the majority won’t need. For calls, you can use a service like Skype, and I generally use WhatsApp to message people. Both these services work over data and don’t require minutes or texts.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Sue Hano says
Very untalented with tech, hope this isn’t stupid but here goes: I have t-mobile for an iPhone 13. T-Mobile says it includes international coverage as part of the plan I’m on (magenta). When I was in Scandinavia my internet on my phone was iffy. I was able to connect to WiFi when available.
I’m heading to Portugal and will be renting a car, so GPS is extremely important. My iPhone settings says the phone is locked, and I thought I heard I can’t add an e-sim (not a new physical sim) to a locked phone.
Not sure why a phone is locked in general but I’m not sure what I should do. My daughter will be with me and she has android (Samsung). Only one of us needs to have the good coverage.
Can you advise? Thanks, you’re very helpful!
Laurence Norah says
Hi Sue!
I will certainly try. So to answer your locked / unlocked question, traditionally carriers have locked devices to prevent users from getting a deal on a phone and then switching provider before the deal expires. However, you can actually unlock a phone on TMobile, you can see the instructions for doing that on T-Mobile here: https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/unlock-your-mobile-wireless-device
You definitely can’t use an eSIM, or any type of SIM actually, other than a T-Mobile SIM until your account is unlocked.
In terms of the Magenta coverage, I believe it only offers 2G speeds which is quite slow. I’m also not sure about the coverage.
On to Airalo. So one option would be for your daughter to get an Airalo eSIM for her Android. Samsung works pretty well with eSIMs (I have a Samnsung and it works great with Airalo). She can also set up a mobile hotspot on her device to share her Airalo data with you.
Alternatively, if you can get your phone unlocked you could add an Airalo eSIM on your phone as well or instead of.
Another option to be aware of, which is worth doing anyway, is to download offline maps for where you are going to be visiting. Google Maps lets you download offline maps for areas you are going to visit, and when they are downloaded you can do routing without needing any data connection. You won’t get live traffic but it will work for getting you from a to b. It will also save your data as it won’t have to download maps as you go.
Hopefully this all helps, let me know if I can offer any further input. Have a great time in Portugal!
Laurence
Dianne says
Purchased for China and it didn’t work for me. Once I got back to the states and contacted them for refund, they questioned if it was installed correctly, which I don’t know. I didn’t access any of the data as the card shows, but they still refused a refund. Even though it wasn’t a lot of money, still a little disappointed.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Dianne,
Sorry to hear about this experience! eSims can be a bit tricky to install sometimes, and in my experience sometimes the phone needs to be restarted as well to get the data flowing. The frustration is that it can be difficult to look up instructions or get support without internet access. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Laurence
Margaret Lewis says
Hi
Useful information.
With an esim would you still be charged roaming fees by your provider? My provider charges a daily rate.
Laurence Norah says
Hi Margaret,
If you exclusively use the eSIM and don’t use your normal SIM from your provider, then you should not be charged a daily rate. In my experience most providers only charge a roaming fee if you actually use their data when abroad. So as long as you switch to the Airalo eSIM and disable data on your providers SIM, you should be fine. I’d recommend checking with your provider what exactly they charge for though. It can be handy to still be able to recieve text messages when abroad for example, which in my experience most providers don’t charge for, and is often required if you need to do any internet banking for example.
Have a great trip!
Laurence
Rui says
Hi I am planning to travel to Portugal for a period of 4 months I make lot of calls and receive Airalo good for me
Laurence Norah says
Hi Rui,
So it depends on how you make and recieve calls. The majority of Airalo eSIM options only include data, so you don’t get voice or text capabilities. If you recieve calls over services like WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype etc, then it will be fine. However, if you are recieving calls where people dial your actual number, then Airalo isn’t going to be a good option as you don’t get an actual phone number. So in this case a local SIM might be a better option.
Have a great time in Portugal!
Laurence
Jacki says
Hi there, thanks for your great article. just wanted to ask if you know what the coverage with AIRALO be like on safari in Tanzania and Kenya. I understand that really remote places may not have coverage (I live in Australia, some of the worst internet in the world) but as we be mostly on safari in the usual tourist areas, just wondering whether an eSim is worth getting. Thank you … Jacki 🙂
Laurence Norah says
Hi Jacki!
I used Airalo on safari in both Tanzania and Kenya and I can say that the reception was surprisingly good! Much of East Africa uses mobile phones for things like making payments, so there tend to be lots of masts, meaning that even in fairly remote areas it worked pretty well. Of course, it wasn’t everywhere, but it was pretty rare not to have a signal.
Hope this helps, and have an amazing trip!
Laurence
Jacki says
Thanks so much for your quick reply Laurence, I’ve gone with Airalo 👍🙂
Colleen says
If traveling with spouse, do you need to each purchase your own Airalo for each phone?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Colleen,
So it depends on your phone and how you want to use it. Normally you would need your own Airalo for each phone. However, if your phone supports tethering (also known as creating a hotspot), then you could share the data between the two devices. You’d need to be near each other and remember to put the hotspot on. It’s also worth noting that creating a hotspot uses up battery faster.
So generally it’s easier to get your own Airalo each, but it is possible to just have one if that works better for you.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Laurence
Linda Reed says
I’m a 70 year old who struggles with technology but found your article very interesting. I’m investigating a 4 month world cruise but still need to keep in regular contact with our family business. Ships internet packages are very expensive so I’m trying to find the best way to stay in contact via apple I phone and my laptop. Any tips?
Laurence Norah says
Hi Linda!
This is a great question. So Airalo is very easy to use, especially on the iPhone, so that shouldn’t cause you any problems. The main issue will be actual call phone reception. An eSIM still needs to be in range of a cell tower to work. So I would have to ask where your cruise is going. If for example it’s a Mediterranean cruise where you will regularly be near land and larger towns, then Airalo would be a great option. But if you are going to be spending long periods of time away from land it wouldn’t work during those periods.
Hopefully this helps, let me know if I can offer any more advice!
Laurence
Mickey B says
use Airalo for my weekly travels and absolutely
Love it . Basically live on a plane and it’s saved me so much.
Laurence Norah says
Glad to hear you are enjoying Airalo Mickey!
Christine Berryman says
Will the eSim just connect when I go from one country to another? We are going to the uk, France Italy and Malta
Laurence Norah says
Hi Christine!
Yes, if you purchase the Europe regional SIM which covers all the countries you are visiting it will just work in every country as you arrive there.
Let me know if you have any more questions, and have a great trip!
Laurence
Mary says
How did I not know about this? Gamechanger. Thank you for the detailed article.
Laurence Norah says
My pleasure Mary, hope you find the Airalo service as useful as I have 🙂