Are travel esims worth it?
If you ever traveled to another country since the year 2000, there is a high chance you’d want to have your phone with you and actually be able to use the internet on it.
In the past, you’d have to either keep hopping between WiFi networks or get roaming with your existing number. Depending on where you’re going, roaming can get quite expensive. I remember last time I went to Switzerland a few years ago, even though I was only there for 10 days, my roaming charges were more expensive than my monthly phone bill, even though I didn’t watch videos or do anything crazy!
The good news is that nowadays you can get an eSIM for dirt cheap.
What is an eSIM?
An eSIM is a sim card that you can install on your phone, without the need to fiddle around with changing your main physical sim card. Virtually all modern day mobile phones have the ability to install a “travel esim”, “virtual sim” or “eSIM” (side note: isn’t it funny how we still put “e” in front of everything? That’s a trend I thought would be dead a long time ago).
What are the benefits of eSIMs?
There are 3 main benefits from having a travel eSim:
- You don’t need to mess with your normal eSIM when you’re traveling. You can just install the virtual SIM / eSIM and it doesn’t interfere with your normal sim card.
- They’re a lot cheaper in more countries. You can buy an eSIM for as low as $3 for 1GB.
- You can easily monitor your usage and top them up if you need to, while knowing exactly how much you’ll spend.
Where can I activate travel eSIMs?
The good thing about eSIMS is that you can activate them with just a few clicks, without having to mess with your normal SIM card.
If you’re interested in testing it out for yourself, I recommend you check out Virgin Connect Roam, who currently have a free 500mb travel esim that let’s you can test esims for free on your phone before you commit.
As with any new technology, the best way to learn how it works is to experiment with it yourself.
Happy travels! 👋