Over the last 4 years, this eSIM has saved me countless dollars and headaches while traveling

In 2015, I found myself walking with a friend at 3 AM to a Walmart in the middle of nowhere, Las Vegas, because we had just landed and really needed prepaid SIM cards for an 8 AM press conference. Unfortunately, Walmart’s SIM card display was locked, and the night shift clerk didn’t have the key, making this entire story a badge of honor and horror. (Off-strip Vegas on foot at 3 AM isn’t an experience I want to relive.) In 2014, a year before that, I sat for two hours on a bench in the middle of Stephansplatz, Vienna, trying to decipher what the Austrian messages I was receiving on my new prepaid SIM said and how on earth I could activate the data plan to go online, all in a language that was absolutely foreign to me without access to Google Translate.

Getting connected while traveling has always been a challenge, but things changed a few years ago when eSIMs started making their way. Suddenly, I could install a secondary eSIM on my compatible phone in addition to my primary SIM card, without inserting a physical card, going to any store, or talking to any rep. And I could get online in a matter of seconds, no unnecessary activation wait times or undecipherable messages.

One of the first eSIMs I ever used in 2021 was an Airalo one during my trip to Geneva, Switzerland. Since then, I’ve used the company’s eSIMs in Turkey, the UAE, Lebanon, and the UK, but I also went with other eSIM providers in Canada and Albania. So let me tell you about my experience with Airalo and what I like and dislike about it.

My favorite part about getting an eSIM is that I can do all of my research, buy, and install my eSIM from home, before I even set foot on a train or plane. It’s all super fast, too. Before eSIMs, it used to take me hours to understand the different prepaid operator plans and data subscriptions to pick the right one for a quick trip. With eSIMs, it’s a matter of finding the right mix of gigabytes of data and days of validity, all while making sure the operator has good coverage based on user reviews. Basically, a thirty-minute affair if I’m being thorough — often less.

If you’re traveling, I recommend shopping around with different providers before you buy. Mobimatter and eSIMdb are two aggregators I’ve used many times to compare prices from various eSIM providers, but in my experience, Airalo’s prices are usually very competitive, especially for short stays of a few days, which is most of my travel.

In 2022, when I had to make a one-day layover in Istanbul to carry urgent out-of-stock cancer meds back to a family member in Lebanon, Airalo was the only option with a cheap 1GB one-day plan. Now, it’s even offering that for free as a welcome gift! Then, when I returned to Lebanon for a few days last summer, Airalo was the only option, full stop. The telecom ecosystem in my home country is very confusing and expensive, with no way to buy an eSIM without going to a local store, which defeats the whole purpose. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Airalo recently added a Salbeh plan in Lebanon, even if it costs $10 for 1GB of data, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

In general, though, I have saved dozens of dollars each trip by going the eSIM route because there are so many options that I can always find one that suits my current trip. Instead of wasting $20-30 each time to buy a new local SIM card and just use it for a few days, I can always find a short, tailor-made plan for less than $10.

Before eSIMs, I also had to find a carrier store in the airport or near my hotel, make sure which documents were required to buy a new card, wait in line, talk to clerks, and sometimes wait 24 hours for the SIM card or data plan to activate. Now, this whole process is moot with eSIMs. It takes less than five minutes to buy an eSIM, install it, and activate it.

Since I have an active Airalo account, this process is now even faster for me. I keep the app archived on my Android phone and redownload it before a trip. I’m already logged in, so I just buy the card I need, get a quick link to install it directly on the same phone, click that link, and bam! The card is installed and ready. There are also QR codes and manual installation steps available, in case you prefer to go that route.

Once I install an Airalo eSIM, the app shows me tutorials to ensure it works. There are a few things I keep in mind here.

First, I need to turn on roaming for the Airalo eSIM (and any other eSIM). The first time I used an eSIM, I was wary of that step, but don’t be afraid of it; there are no extra charges. It’s a prepaid SIM after all, and it’ll only work in the countries and on the networks where it’s supposed to. Besides, roaming is how most of these operators can service large multi-country areas with one plan.

I also have to make sure I switch my primary data SIM when I reach my destination. I can keep using my regular physical SIM card all while I’m in France, but the moment my train reaches Switzerland or the UK, or the moment my plane lands in Dubai or Beirut, I have to switch the primary data SIM in my Android phone’s settings. Sometimes, you’ll have to verify the data network profile for the SIM, too, but in general, that’s already correctly set up, so you don’t have to mess with it. I was stung by this once on a different operator and couldn’t get online until I found a free Wi-Fi connection and could look up the proper APN settings. I don’t think that’s ever happened with Airalo, though. 

And lastly, the eSIM won’t connect and become active until you land in your destination country. So when I bought and installed my London eSIM, for example, it only started working when the Eurostar train crossed the English Channel from France into the UK.

Convenience is the biggest benefit of using eSIMs. When I attended my brother-in-law’s wedding in the UAE, I installed my Airalo eSIM in France and activated it when my plane landed in DXB. My data connection turned on the very moment the plane landed, so I could talk to our family on WhatsApp and coordinate my pick-up time and location outside the airport. Nothing comes close to this, except roaming on your main SIM card, but you’re definitely not paying roaming fees for this convenience here.

Which brings me to price. Airalo has very reasonable prices for its plans. Suppose you’re coming to Europe for a couple of weeks. You can get a 3GB plan for $13 that works across 39 countries, which should be enough for browsing the web, getting driving directions and using public transit on Google Maps, and talking to your friends and family on WhatsApp, Telegram, or Google Messages.

You can also tether this connection to your computer or other devices. I often use this to connect my tablet or computer while traveling, so I never have to get on any public Wi-Fi network. Most times, I even avoid my hotel’s Wi-Fi and stick to the eSIM.

The current consumption is also shown in the Airalo app, so you can always know if you need an extra top-up. My trip to Lebanon lasted 10 days, while the available eSIM was limited to seven. So, instead of buying a new one and activating it again, I just topped up the first eSIM with another one once the seven days were over.

And finally, if you’re hopping around several countries, you can get a regional Airalo SIM that covers multiple countries or the whole world. There are cards for Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and more. I’ve never had to use these, but if I ever do that South American cruise, I know what eSIM I’ll buy.

I know I’ve gushed about it a lot already, and this is starting to read like an ad, but Airalo isn’t perfect. The limited plan choice is my biggest problem with it. Sometimes, I look at the available offerings, and I think, hmmm, there should be something better. Either more gigabytes of data or a cheaper price for a shorter period of time. 

For example, if you’re only staying for a few days or a week, you don’t need a plan that lasts 30 days, and you might be able to get more data for less money with other providers. When I went to Canada for a couple of weeks, I wanted a 10GB plan, which was $35 on Airalo, but $17 on Globalesim. That’s half the price! Sparks had a $10 10GB plan for my 9-day trip to Albania, whereas Airalo’s 10GB plan was $25. This is why I recommend shopping around for plans and using some aggregators like Mobimatter or eSIMdb to find the most convenient plan for your trip. Keep reliability in mind, too, as some plans that seem too good to be true aren’t good indeed.

Airalo doesn’t have unlimited plans either, which can be problematic if you want to stream music, watch videos, back up all your travel photos, or do a lot of video calls. When I had to do some work on a trip to London, I grabbed the Holafly eSIM instead because I knew I needed the unlimited plan instead of watching the gigabytes counter tick down like a hawk.

Plus, as far as I can tell, Airalo’s plans are all data-only with no calls or SMS plans, while some other companies give you a phone number for a few extra dollars. That can be handy if you want to call a restaurant for a reservation, communicate with your Airbnb host, or ask about an attraction before going there.

And finally, I’ll advise you to look at the supported networks in the country you’re going to before picking Airalo. In Turkey and the UAE, I was connected to a 5G network, but in the UK, Switzerland, and Lebanon, the eSIM was limited to 4G in 2022-2024, even if the operators supported 5G. That’s no longer a problem in the UK since it’s been upgraded to 5G, but Switzerland and Lebanon remain restricted to LTE. Just check the “Additional information” section before buying an eSIM and see what the operator and speeds are.

Overall, I definitely recommend you look at eSIMs when you’re traveling. They’ll be much cheaper than any roaming plan your operator offers, but they’re almost as convenient because you can do your entire setup before you even travel and then get online the moment you land.

And if you want an eSIM, Airalo has been an excellent and reliable option for me with many benefits. I was happy with it in Turkey, Lebanon, Switzerland, the UAE, and the UK, and I didn’t have any glaring issues except in remote areas or some underground subway stations, but that has more to do with network infrastructure than the eSIM itself. And remember, Airalo isn’t the only option, so shop around before you commit.