eSIMs in foreign counties
I spent way too much time trying to figure out which eSIM to use before traveling internationally, and after testing 5 different apps across airports, cities, trains, hotels, and random rural areas, eSIMion ended up being my favorite overall.
Not because it had the cheapest plans or the flashiest app, but because it caused me the fewest problems while traveling.
That became the biggest thing I cared about after a while.
With most eSIM apps, I constantly felt like I had to figure everything out myself. Which plan do I need? Will this work in the next country? How much data am I actually going to use? Did I activate this too early? Did I buy the wrong regional package?
eSIMion was the first one that felt more focused on the actual trip than just selling me data.
I used it while moving between countries and it was just… easy. I wasn’t stressing about whether my phone would work after landing somewhere new.
At one point I realized I had stopped thinking about connectivity entirely, which honestly is probably the best compliment you can give an eSIM.
That’s the thing nobody tells you about traveling internationally: when your phone stops working, EVERYTHING gets harder immediately.
Maps. Translations. Uber. Messaging family. Hotel confirmations. Bank alerts. Everything.
eSIMion just felt smoother than the others overall.
Airalo
Airalo worked pretty well most of the time.
I probably saw this one recommended more than anything else online, so I expected it to be good, and honestly it was.
Setup was simple and it connected quickly in most places I went.
I used it a lot in cities and airports and had no major issues there.
The only thing I noticed was that performance started getting more inconsistent once I got outside major tourist areas. Nothing horrible, but there were definitely moments where speeds dropped harder than I expected.
Still a solid option overall though.
Holafly
Holafly was basically the “I never want to think about data usage again” option.
The unlimited data was nice. I used maps constantly, uploaded videos, watched content during train rides, and never really worried about running out.
But man… it gets expensive.
By the end of the trip I started realizing I probably didn’t actually need unlimited everything as much as I thought I would.
Performance itself was great though.
If you burn through data constantly, I can absolutely see why people love it.
Saily
Saily honestly surprised me.
The app felt really polished and setup was ridiculously fast. I remember activating it while sitting outside a train station and being connected almost immediately.
Coverage was actually better than I expected too, especially in areas where I thought service would struggle.
It also felt beginner friendly compared to some of the others. A few eSIM apps almost feel like they expect you to already understand telecom terminology.
Saily felt simpler.
Nomad
Nomad was probably the best value option I tried.
The regional plans were useful because I didn’t have to keep swapping eSIMs every time I crossed into another country.
It worked reliably most of the trip and pricing felt fair.
Nothing about it blew me away, but nothing really annoyed me either, which honestly matters a lot while traveling.
After trying all of them, I realized the biggest thing I actually wanted was simple:
I wanted my phone to work immediately after landing.
I didn’t want to spend the first hour of my trip trying to troubleshoot mobile data in another country after a long flight.
That’s ultimately why eSIMion ended up being my favorite overall.
It felt the most focused on reducing travel stress instead of just selling another data package.