How to Get Online When Travelling Abroad: Every Option for 2026

If you’re planning an international trip, one of the first practical questions is how you’re going to get online once you land. The good news is that staying connected abroad has never been easier or cheaper, and you almost never need to come home to one of those horror-story phone bills.

Jess and I have been travelling full time since 2010, and we’ve used every method in this guide to get online in country after country, on phones, tablets and laptops. We don’t sell SIM cards, eSIMs or hotspots, so the recommendations here are simply what we actually reach for, and what we’d steer you away from.

The quick answer: for most travellers with a reasonably recent phone, a travel eSIM is now the simplest way to get mobile data abroad. You buy it before you fly, it activates the moment you land, and you keep your normal phone number.

There are two big exceptions. If you’re taking a short trip and your existing plan already includes roaming where you’re going, you may not need to buy anything at all. And if you only need maps and messaging rather than constant data, free WiFi plus a few offline maps can be all you need.

This guide covers internet access while travelling, rather than calls and texts, although a few of the options below handle those too. I’ll go through every realistic way to get online, when each one makes sense, and the traps that cause those nasty bills in the first place.

 

Which Way to Get Online Is Right for You?

Three things decide the best option: where you’re going, how many devices you need online, and how much data you actually use. Match the row below to your trip and you have your answer, with the detailed run-through underneath.

Your situation	What we’d choose	Why
One country, a week or two, modern phone	Travel eSIM	Set it up before you fly, no shop hunting on arrival, and you keep your number.
Several countries on one trip	Regional or global travel eSIM	A single plan covers the lot, so there is no swapping SIMs at every border.
Short EU trip on a UK or EU plan	Check your existing roaming first	Many plans still bundle EU roaming cheaply or for free. Only buy an eSIM if yours charges a daily fee.
Heavy data, or working from a laptop	Local SIM, or a mobile hotspot	Both let you tether freely. Watch unlimited eSIM tethering caps, which can be tight.
Family, or several devices to connect	Mobile hotspot	One device gets everyone online without buying an eSIM per person.
RV, boat, or somewhere off-grid	Satellite, plus your phone’s satellite SOS	Satellite works where there is no mobile signal at all.
Just maps and messaging, on a budget	Free WiFi and offline maps	Plenty if you don’t need to be online every minute. Download your maps before you go.

 

The Best Ways to Get Online When Travelling

Below are all the realistic options for getting online abroad, in the order we tend to recommend them in 2026. At least one of these will work for your trip, and for many people the answer is the first one on the list.

 

1. Use a Travel eSIM (Our Default for Most People)

An eSIM is a virtual SIM card built into most phones sold in the last few years. Instead of posting you a piece of plastic, the provider sends you a QR code, you scan it, and a data plan for your destination is installed on your phone. There’s nothing to wait for and nothing to physically swap.

The reason we now reach for an eSIM first is that it solves the two most annoying parts of getting online abroad. You set it up at home before you fly, and it connects automatically when you land. And because an eSIM runs alongside your normal SIM, your usual phone number stays active for calls and texts. That matters more than you might think, because so many of us now receive banking and login codes by text.

Two things to check before you buy. First, your phone needs to support eSIM technology. Most iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards and most recent Android flagships do, but do check yours is on the list. Second, your phone needs to be unlocked, which most are these days unless you’re still paying one off through a carrier.

We have tried several eSIM providers over the years, and these are the ones we keep coming back to:

• Airalo is our usual first port of call. It covers over 200 countries and regions, the app is easy to use, and in our experience it often works out as good value as a local SIM, which is unusual for a travel-focused service. You can buy a plan for a single country, a region such as Europe or Asia, or a global plan. One thing to know about the global plan is that it covers a large but limited set of countries, well over a hundred, so do check your specific destinations are included rather than assuming the word global means everywhere. New customers can get $3 in free credit with the code LAUREN8516 at sign-up. We go into much more detail in our full Airalo review.
• Holafly sells unlimited-data eSIMs, which is appealing if you’d rather not count gigabytes. The snag is tethering. On most destination plans Holafly limits how much of that unlimited data you can share to a hotspot, often only a few hundred megabytes to a gigabyte a day, so it’s a poor pick if your real plan is to tether a laptop all day. Their standalone monthly global plan is the exception, with unlimited tethering.
• Nomad is a good shout for heavier data users, with generous data packages across 200-plus destinations. New customers get $3 in free credit with code LAUR82DF.
• aloSIM is another solid option covering 175-plus countries, and a useful one to compare prices against for your route. You can get $3 in free credit on your first data purchase with code 5INUXOH.

Which one works out cheapest will vary by destination, trip length and data needs, so it’s always worth plugging your trip into two or three of them before you buy. We compare them in detail, and pick our favourites for different situations, in our best travel eSIM guide.

The case for an eSIM: it’s the quickest, lowest-effort way to land in a new country already online, with no roaming surprises and your own number still working. If you have a compatible phone, start here.

The case against: your phone has to support eSIM and be unlocked, and for a very short trip in a country your existing plan already covers, you might be paying for something you don’t really need.

 

2. Check What Your Existing Mobile Plan Already Includes

Before you spend anything, it’s worth five minutes checking what your own provider offers for the countries you’re visiting. This is the option people most often overlook, and occasionally it means you don’t need to buy anything at all.

In the US, T-Mobile is the standout here. Its plans now include data in over 215 countries and destinations, with a few gigabytes of high-speed data on the mid-tier plans and unlimited slower data beyond that. The old “2G in 140 countries” line you may have read is well out of date. Google Fi Wireless, formerly Project Fi, is the other strong US option, with international high-speed data built into its Unlimited Premium plan across 200-plus destinations.

For UK travellers, the picture changed after Brexit. The EU “roam like at home” rule that once guaranteed free roaming across Europe no longer applies to UK SIMs, and most of the big networks have brought back daily roaming fees or fair-use caps. So the old advice to assume free EU roaming on a UK plan is now wrong.

Some plans still include European roaming at no extra daily charge and others charge a couple of pounds a day, so check yours specifically rather than guessing. If yours charges, a Europe eSIM will usually be cheaper for anything more than a day or two.

If you’re travelling on an EU SIM, the good news is the opposite. The EU roaming rules remain in force and have been extended to 2032, so an EU SIM continues to work across the bloc at home prices, as the European Commission’s roaming page confirms.

One important habit whatever your plan. If you’re not planning to use your provider’s data abroad, switch off data roaming in your settings before you leave home. This single step is what stops your phone quietly racking up charges the moment you land, and it’s the cause of most of those bill-shock stories.

The case for using your own plan: if roaming is already included or cheap where you are going, it’s the easiest option of all, with nothing extra to buy or set up.

The case against: speeds can be throttled, fair-use caps can be low, and outside your plan’s included regions the per-day or per-megabyte charges add up fast.

 

3. Buy a Local SIM Card

Buying a physical SIM card in the country you are visiting is the old-school approach, and in the right situation it’s still the cheapest way to get a lot of data. This is often what we do when we’re staying in one country for a while.

You can usually pick one up on arrival at an airport kiosk or any phone shop, and in some countries from a vending machine in the arrivals hall. UK networks such as Three, for example, sell pay-as-you-go SIMs that are good value for visitors and easy to grab once you land. You’ll need an unlocked phone for any local SIM to work, and you can find SIM options like these if you’d rather sort one before you fly.

A local SIM gives you the fastest local speeds at local prices, and once it’s in your phone you can usually tether other devices to it, turning your phone into a WiFi hotspot for your laptop or tablet.

The trade-offs are real, though. You lose access to your normal number while the local SIM is in, so you won’t receive your usual calls or texts. Some countries require local ID or a passport to activate a SIM, which can be a bit fiddly. And if you’re hopping across several countries on one trip, buying a fresh SIM in each one quickly becomes more hassle than it’s worth. For multi-country trips, an eSIM almost always wins.

The case for a local SIM: usually the best value for lots of data during a longer stay in a single country, at full local speed.

The case against: you give up your own number, activation can be awkward, and it makes no sense for short or multi-country trips.

 

4. Use a Mobile Hotspot

A mobile hotspot is a small standalone device that connects to a mobile network and creates its own WiFi network for your devices to join. The big advantage is that it gets everyone online at once, which is really why it’s our pick for families or anyone travelling with several devices. There’s no phone to unlock and no per-person eSIM to buy. Some newer units even offer 5G speeds.

The downside is that for a single person connecting a single phone, a hotspot usually works out more expensive than the options above, and it’s one more thing to carry and keep charged. It only does data, too, with no calls or texts. So it’s mainly worth it when you have a group, a laptop, or an RV to keep online. You can read our full guide to the best mobile hotspots if you want to dig into specific devices.

You have two ways to go: buy a hotspot you keep and top up with data, or rent one for a single trip.

Buying a hotspot makes sense if you travel regularly, because you only pay for the hardware once and then add data as you need it. We travel with the GL.iNet MUDI, which takes a local SIM, doubles as a travel router, and has a battery big enough to charge a phone in a pinch. There are plenty of other 4G and 5G hotspots around too, many of which let you drop in a local SIM on arrival. Just check the device supports the network bands in your destination before you buy.

Renting a hotspot still makes sense for a one-off trip where you’d rather not own the hardware, though it’s a bit of a shrinking niche now that eSIMs cover most people. If you do want a rental, GlocalMe offers 4G plans around the world with quite reasonable daily rates, and their DuoTurbo unit also lets you add your own SIM if you prefer to pay as you go.

For Europe specifically, HipPocketWiFi has competitive packages and will deliver the device before you travel. Use code TRAVELCATS5 for 5% off a HipPocketWiFi rental. Expect rental rates of roughly $6 to $15 a day depending on destination and data, and read the terms, since many providers throttle speeds after a daily allowance of around a gigabyte.

The case for a hotspot: the best way to connect several devices or people at once, and ideal for a family trip or working on the road.

The case against: overkill and pricier than an eSIM for a single user, another gadget to charge, and everyone needs to stay in range of it.

 

5. Consider Satellite Internet

For most trips you’ll never need this, but if you’re heading somewhere with no mobile signal at all, satellite is the answer. It comes into its own for RVs, boats, and remote locations where cell towers simply don’t reach, and at big events where tens of thousands of people overwhelm the local network.

The standout for travellers is Starlink, whose Roam plans are designed exactly for this. Because Starlink uses satellites in low orbit, speeds are far better than the older satellite services, and the portable Starlink Mini dish is small enough to pack into an RV or even a large backpack. Roam is billed monthly and you can pause it between trips, although pausing now carries a small standby fee rather than being free, so factor that in if you only travel occasionally.

In the US you’ll also see HughesNet and Viasat, but for travel use Starlink is the one we’d point you to. Amazon’s rival service, now called Amazon Leo, began launching satellites in 2025 and is starting to roll out in 2026, though it’s not widely available yet.

There’s also a newer and far more accessible form of satellite connectivity, and it’s probably already in your pocket! Recent phones can connect directly to satellites for emergencies, with no extra hardware at all.

An iPhone 14 or later includes Emergency SOS via satellite, and the newer models add Messages via satellite on iOS 18, so you can text for help when you’re off the grid. Apple has kept extending the free period, and explains how both work on its Emergency SOS via satellite and Messages via satellite pages.

Google’s Pixel 9 and later include Satellite SOS, free for the first couple of years and currently covering the US and Canada. Samsung’s Galaxy S24 and S25 handle satellite messaging too, though unlike Apple and Google it leans on your carrier offering it rather than being built in, so check with your network.

This is for emergencies and the odd off-grid text rather than streaming video, but if you hike, sail or drive through empty country, it’s a real safety net that didn’t exist a few years ago.

The case for satellite: it works where nothing else does, which makes it invaluable for RV life, sailing, and travel well off the grid.

The case against: it’s the most expensive route and overkill unless you’re regularly off the grid, and the hardware is bulky compared with everything else here.

 

6. Just Use Free WiFi

If all of the above sounds like more than you need, the simplest option is to lean on free WiFi as you go. Plenty of travellers do exactly this, and if you don’t need to be online every waking minute it works fine and costs nothing!

Free WiFi is pretty easy to find in much of the world. In the UK, most cafes, bars, museums, public spaces and even a lot of public transport offer it, and the same goes for the US and most of Europe. Your hotel or rental will nearly always include it too, of course.

The trick that makes a WiFi-only trip work is preparation. Download offline maps of your destination before you leave, save anything you’ll need on the move, and switch off data roaming so your phone doesn’t quietly fall back to mobile data when the WiFi drops.

A small piece of kit that helps here is a travel router, which can grab a weak hotel or cafe signal and rebroadcast a stronger, more secure network for your own devices. We currently travel with the GL.iNet Beryl, which is well reviewed, inexpensive, and doubles as a layer of security on networks you don’t control. Our friends at ITC have a full round-up of the best travel routers if you want to compare options, and a companion guide to the best home WiFi routers for improving your connection back home.

The case for free WiFi: it’s free, often faster than mobile data, and with a little preparation it’s plenty for light users.

The case against: you won’t be online everywhere or all the time, and public networks carry security risks, so we always pair this approach with a VPN.

 

How to Avoid Bill Shock

After years of doing this, a handful of small habits make the difference between a smooth trip and a horror-story bill. These are the ones we stick to every time.

Switch off data roaming before you fly. If you’re using an eSIM, a local SIM or WiFi rather than your home plan’s roaming, turning off data roaming is the one step that matters most. It’s what stops your phone connecting to an expensive foreign network the instant you land.

Read the fair-use small print. Plenty of “unlimited” plans are unlimited only up to a point, then throttled, and roaming add-ons often have a data cap buried in the terms. Knowing your cap before you go beats discovering it halfway through the trip.

Remember an eSIM is data only. A travel eSIM gets you online, but it doesn’t give you calls and texts on a new number. The upside is that running it alongside your normal SIM keeps your usual number live for the codes and calls that matter.

Check your phone is unlocked and eSIM-capable. Both are easy to confirm before you leave and very annoying to discover at the airport. A quick check with your carrier settles it.

Mind the tethering limits. If you plan to share your connection to a laptop, watch the hotspot caps on unlimited eSIM plans, which can be far lower than the data allowance itself. For heavy tethering, a local SIM or a dedicated hotspot is the safer bet.

Don’t assume “global” means everywhere. Global eSIM plans cover a long list of countries, but not every country. It takes a moment to confirm your specific destinations are on the list before you rely on one.

 

Don’t Forget a VPN

However you end up getting online, we strongly recommend using a VPN, especially on public WiFi. Open networks in cafes, airports and hotels are easy for others to snoop on, and a VPN encrypts your connection so your passwords, banking logins and other sensitive data stay private. It’s a good habit on any network, even ones that look perfectly safe.

We have a detailed guide to why you need a travel VPN, but in short these are the two we recommend:

• Private Internet Access is one of the best-value VPNs going, with a huge choice of servers, support for streaming, and apps for every device you’re likely to travel with. You can take a look here.
• NordVPN is among the most respected services around, with strong apps and competitive multi-year pricing. Enter travelcats at checkout to save on the two-year plan.

If you only do one thing on this list before connecting to a hotel network, make it installing a VPN.

 

Quick Summary

Here’s the whole guide boiled down to a few lines:

1. If you have a recent, unlocked phone, an eSIM such as Airalo is the simplest way to land already online while keeping your number.
2. Before you buy anything, check whether your existing plan already includes roaming where you are going, and switch off data roaming if it does not.
3. Staying a while in one country and want maximum data for your money? A local SIM usually wins.
4. Travelling as a family or with several devices? Look at a mobile hotspot you can rent or buy.
5. Heading somewhere with no mobile signal, or living the RV life? Consider Starlink, and know your phone’s satellite SOS is there for emergencies.
6. Happy to be online only some of the time? Free WiFi plus offline maps and a VPN will do the job for nothing.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest way to get online when travelling abroad?

For a longer stay in a single country, a local SIM card usually gives you the most data for your money. For shorter trips or multi-country routes, a travel eSIM is normally cheaper once you factor in the hassle, and free WiFi is the cheapest of all if you only need to be online some of the time.

The free option is to switch off data roaming, download offline maps before you go, and rely on WiFi as you travel. Pair it with a VPN to stay secure on public networks.

Can I just use free WiFi when travelling internationally?

Yes, and plenty of people do. In most of the world you will find free WiFi in cafes, hotels, museums and on much of the public transport network, so a WiFi-only trip is realistic if you don’t need constant data.

The key is preparing for the gaps. Download offline maps, save anything important for offline use, and switch off data roaming so your phone doesn’t fall back to expensive mobile data. Use a VPN on public networks, since they aren’t secure by default.

Will my phone work with a travel eSIM?

Most phones sold in the last few years support eSIM, including iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards and most recent Android flagships, but it’s worth confirming your exact model is on the provider’s compatibility list before you buy.

Your phone also needs to be unlocked, which most are unless it’s still tied to a carrier contract. If your phone is older or locked, a local SIM or a mobile hotspot is the better route.

Do I keep my own phone number when I use an eSIM?

Yes. An eSIM runs alongside your existing physical SIM, so your normal number stays active for calls and texts while you use the eSIM for data.

This is, of course, one of the main reasons we like eSIMs. You can still receive the banking codes, two-factor logins and calls that come to your usual number, without swapping any SIM cards in and out.

Is roaming in the EU still free?

If you have an EU SIM, yes: roaming across the EU is still included at home prices under rules that run to 2032.

If you have a UK SIM, that’s no longer guaranteed. After Brexit, UK networks were free to bring back roaming charges, and most have added a daily fee or a fair-use cap for Europe. Check your specific plan before you travel, and if it charges, a Europe eSIM is usually cheaper.

Do I still need a VPN if I’m using an eSIM or local SIM?

When you’re on mobile data through your own SIM or eSIM, your connection is reasonably secure, so a VPN is less essential than on public WiFi. Many travellers still run one for privacy and to access services from home.

The moment you connect to public WiFi, though, a VPN becomes essential. Open networks in cafes, airports and hotels are easy to snoop on, so we always switch the VPN on before joining one.

How much mobile data do I actually need?

For most travellers, maps, messaging, email and general browsing use surprisingly little data, often well under a gigabyte a day. Streaming video is the big exception, so an hour of YouTube at standard quality can use close to a gigabyte on its own.

If your phone use is mostly directions and messaging, a small plan goes a long way, especially if you download maps and music for offline use. If you stream or back up photos on the move, budget for a lot more, or use WiFi for the heavy lifting.

Can I share my connection with my family or other devices?

Often yes. A local SIM in an unlocked phone usually lets you tether, turning your phone into a WiFi hotspot for laptops and tablets. A dedicated mobile hotspot is purpose-built for this and is the easiest way to get a whole family online at once.

The thing to watch is eSIMs. Some unlimited eSIM plans cap how much data you can share to a hotspot, so if heavy tethering is the plan, a local SIM or a hotspot device is the safer choice.

How do I avoid a huge phone bill when I get home?

The number one step is to switch off data roaming before you leave, so your phone can’t connect to an expensive foreign network without you choosing to. Almost every bill-shock story starts with roaming left switched on.

From there, decide your method in advance, whether that is an eSIM, a local SIM or WiFi only, and read the fair-use caps on any roaming add-on. A little planning before you fly is what keeps the bill predictable.

How can I get online in an RV or somewhere remote?

Where there’s mobile coverage, a mobile hotspot is the simplest option, and you can boost a weak signal with an external antenna. The problem comes when there’s no signal at all, which is common in remote spots.

For off-grid travel with no signal, satellite is the answer, and Starlink’s Roam plans with the portable Mini dish are the standout for RVs and boats. For emergencies, remember that recent iPhone, Pixel and some Samsung phones can now send messages directly via satellite with no extra equipment.

 

Further Reading

That sums up our guide to getting online when you travel. The best choice comes down to your destination, your budget and how many people you’re keeping connected, but one of the options above will see you online and your homecoming bill free of nasty surprises.

We have plenty of related guides that pair well with this one:

• For the full run-down on travel eSIMs and our favourite providers, see our best travel eSIM guide and our Airalo review.
• If a hotspot sounds right for your trip, read our guide to the best mobile hotspots.
• Planning to lean on WiFi? Our friends at ITC cover the best travel routers and the best home WiFi routers.
• Keep your data safe on the road with our guide to the best travel VPNs.
• You’ll need to keep everything charged, so see our guide to the best travel adapters.
• Working from the road? Take a look at our pick of the best laptops for photo editing and the best cameras for travel.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback about getting online when you travel, just pop them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help.