You know that feeling when after a twelve-hour flight with bags under your eyes you step off the plane, barely knowing what day it is, and instead of the rest you’re craving, you’re desperately running around the airport terminal? Looking for a local operator’s stand, trying to negotiate a tariff with hand gestures, and then using a paperclip to dig your SIM card out of your phone. Well, you can leave this travel ritual behind with confidence. The future belongs to digital cards, and the best travel eSIM lets you be online the moment the plane taxis to the terminal.
This little digital marvel called eSIM is essentially a chip built right into your phone. You don’t need to physically change anything, go anywhere, or sign anything complicated. You handle everything from the comfort of home before you even pack your suitcase. And once you land on the other side of the world, you simply connect to the local network. Let’s take a look together at which eSIM is best for travellers and which services are really worth it on the road.
TL;DR
- LK SIM (our choice): Our own eSIM with regional packages for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and both Americas, plus a global tariff for over a hundred countries. Website in Czech and support directly from us.
- Airalo: An absolute classic and market leader offering excellent coverage in over two hundred countries and an exceptionally intuitive app for purchasing data packages.
- Saily: Great choice for budget-conscious travellers who care about security, backed by the creators of the popular NordVPN service.
- Holafly: Ideal partner for data-hungry users, offering unlimited data in many destinations so you don’t have to count every downloaded megabyte.
- Yesim: Excellent compromise that often includes free virtual private network (VPN) with data, which you’ll appreciate in countries with restricted internet.
- Revolut and local alternatives: Today you can easily buy data packages directly in your Revolut banking app, or opt for services like Nomad or Airhub for advantageous regional offers.
When eSIM is worth it: summer in Europe and winter in exotic places
Travel has its rhythms and so does our need to be online. When planning a trip, you’re not just thinking about the weather, but subconsciously also about how much you’ll rely on navigation, translators, work, or sharing experiences. Each season and each destination brings slightly different digital challenges that are worth preparing for in advance. Simply put, data season lasts all year round, only its form changes depending on where you’re flying.
Summer road trips across Europe and beyond
If you’re driving through Europe in summer, you have a big advantage thanks to EU roaming. But as soon as you cross the border into Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Montenegro, your data suddenly stops working and you could face astronomical bills. This is where regional eSIM packages come in.
You buy one tariff for all of Europe and cross borders without the slightest signal interruption. If you head to the United States or Canada in summer instead, where distances are huge and coverage outside cities can vary, a quality eSIM will give you access to stable networks from local carriers so you won’t get lost somewhere in the middle of the Nevada desert.
Winter escapes to exotic Asia and Latin America
When it’s freezing at home, many of us grab a backpack and escape to the warm countries of Thailand, Vietnam, or Mexico. This is where the true power of global eSIM cards shows. In Asian metropolises like Singapore or Tokyo, you’ll enjoy lightning-fast 5G networks, while on remote beaches in Bali you’ll catch reliable 4G.
In these destinations, eSIM is literally a lifesaver because negotiating in local shops can hit an impenetrable language barrier. Just scan a QR code by the pool and you can instantly share photos with a cocktail in hand to your friends back in freezing Europe.
Why you shouldn’t rely only on hotel Wi-Fi
Accommodation is the be-all and end-all of every trip. Whether you’re sleeping in a five-star resort or a small remote cottage somewhere in the mountains, internet access fundamentally affects your comfort. You might think the local Wi-Fi in your room will be enough. But from our own experience, we know that relying only on hotel internet is often a lottery with very uncertain outcomes.
Imagine you’re driving a rental car, the sun is slowly setting, and you still don’t have anywhere to sleep. If you don’t have data, it’s quite a crisis situation. With an eSIM card in your phone, you simply stop at a rest area, open your favourite booking app, and within minutes you’ve secured a room at the nearest guesthouse. You don’t worry about not being near a café with free Wi-Fi. You have complete freedom to change plans on the go, which is exactly what makes travel a true adventure.
Hotel networks are also often public or protected only by a very weak password that every guest from the last five years knows. Logging into online banking or handling work emails over such a network isn’t exactly secure. When you have your own data package through eSIM, you create a completely secure connection on your phone. Some providers, like Yesim, even add VPN to the data, so your evening browsing in bed is doubly protected and no one can steal your sensitive data.
Best travel eSIM: service comparison
The range today is really wide and each provider offers something a bit different. We’ve selected five services that make sense for travel. We’ll start with the one we use ourselves.
LK SIM: our own eSIM
LK SIM was built because after years of travelling, we got tired of jumping between different providers’ apps and figuring out what we were actually buying. You’ll find regional packages for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America and a global tariff that works in over a hundred countries. Together it covers over 170 destinations.
You buy the eSIM on the website in Czech, pay in euros, and install it by scanning a QR code at home. After landing, you just turn on data. And if something gets stuck, you write to us in Czech, not to anonymous support in a different time zone.
To be honest: LK SIM is our own product, so by purchasing you’re also supporting this blog. If one of the other services suits you better, feel free to go for it. We have a detailed review of each one.
👉 Choose a package at lk-sim.com
Airalo
When you say eSIM, most travellers immediately think of Airalo. It’s basically the king among operators. You’ll find a huge selection of options, intuitive interface, and coverage that reaches over two hundred countries worldwide. Their app guides you through installation so smoothly that even someone who doesn’t normally touch technology can manage it. A huge advantage is the ability to top up data directly in the app when you’re running low, so you never get cut off from the world. We break it down in detail in our Airalo review.
Holafly
If you’re one of those who constantly uploads videos on the road, streams music, and likes to watch a series in the evening, then Holafly is like a holiday with all-inclusive service. Their main draw is unlimited data. You pay a slightly higher amount upfront, but then you don’t worry about anything. You don’t have to anxiously check the indicator of consumed megabytes, you simply just enjoy the absolute freedom this solution brings. You’ll find more in our Holafly review.
Saily
Saily is a relatively new player on the market, but it has immediately won the hearts of backpackers everywhere. It’s backed by the creators of NordVPN, which guarantees a high security standard, and it also offers very attractive prices. It’s like discovering the best hidden café that the tourist crowds haven’t found yet. Details are in the Saily review.
Revolut
If you already use the popular financial app Revolut for convenient payments abroad or ATM withdrawals, we have great news for you. Revolut now offers data packages directly in its own interface. It’s the embodiment of elegance and practicality. You pay for accommodation, check your account balance, and with just a few clicks you can also set up local data for more than a hundred countries worldwide. Everything is in one place, neatly packaged, without having to download additional apps or enter your payment card elsewhere. Prices are also set to confidently compete with even the cheapest providers on the market. How it works in practice is described in the Revolut eSIM review.
Cross borders without losing signal
The best trips are often those where you don’t just stop in one country, but explore the wider surrounding area. When you embark on a big road trip across South America or discover the beauty of Southeast Asia, each border crossing used to mean another round of hunting for a new connection. Fortunately, this stress is now a thing of the past.
Regional and global data packages for nomads
Providers know very well that modern travelers know no borders. That’s why regional packages were created. For example, you can buy one plan for all of Asia and move freely from Vietnam to Cambodia and then to Thailand, while your phone automatically and seamlessly switches to the strongest local networks.
If you’re true globetrotters and plan to fly from Europe to the USA and from there to Australia, you can opt for a global eSIM that works in more than a hundred countries at once. It’s absolute freedom of movement without having to deal with technical minutiae in every new country.
Conclusion: which eSIM to choose
The world is shrinking and travel is more accessible today than ever before. Technology goes hand in hand with our desire for discovery and breaks down the last barriers that separated us from a completely seamless experience. We believe that the next time you hear the announcement “welcome to your destination” on the plane, you’ll pull out your phone with a smile, turn on your data, and set off to explore the world without any delay.
If you don’t want to compare anything complicated, start with LK SIM. It covers most trips across Europe and to exotic destinations, and if you run into any issues, we’re here to help with dedicated support. For unlimited data, Holafly is worth it, and if you already have Revolut, you can buy data directly in the banking app.
Make sure you have the right app on your phone before takeoff, because the best eSIM for international travel is simply one that you don’t even think about during your vacation, yet it constantly has your back.
Frequently asked questions
What is an eSIM and how does it actually work?
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a small chip that’s built directly into your smartphone or watch from the factory. You don’t need to physically insert any plastic card. It works by downloading a digital profile from your chosen carrier through an app or by scanning a QR code, and your phone immediately connects to the local mobile network.
Which eSIM services are best for Europe and which for Asia?
For travel outside the European Union (for example, Switzerland or the Balkans), travelers often reach for Airalo or Saily because they offer budget-friendly regional packages. If you’re heading to Asia, excellent coverage and prices are offered by Nomad or the Airhub platform, which often provides very attractive rates for popular Asian tourist destinations.
How can I track my data usage and potentially save money?
The apps from all the mentioned providers (e.g., Airalo, Holafly, Yesim) have a clear indicator in their interface where you can see how much data you have left. If you want to save money, we recommend turning off automatic background app updates on your phone, disabling autoplay videos on social networks, and backing up photos only when you’re connected to reliable hotel Wi-Fi.
How do I find out if my phone supports eSIM technology at all?
This technology is supported by the vast majority of newer smartphones today. For Apple, these are models from the iPhone XS and newer, for Samsung models from the Galaxy S20 series and up, and newer Google Pixel phones also have support. The easiest way is to look in your phone’s settings in the “Mobile Networks” section – if you see an option for “Add eSIM” or “Add mobile plan,” you’re good to go.
Can I still use WhatsApp and my original number with an activated eSIM?
Yes, and that’s the best part! Your phone can have your home SIM card active (only for receiving calls and SMS) while simultaneously using an eSIM for data. Apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, or Telegram remain firmly linked to your original phone number, so your friends and family won’t even notice that you’re messaging over a foreign carrier’s data.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (simple monthly subscription) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
