This Phone Hack Can Save You Hundreds on Your Next International Vacation

An eSim could change the way you travel.

As a sustainable travel journalist, staying safe and saving money while on the road are just as important as finding the next compelling story. Over the years, I’ve come to learn a couple of digital cost-saving tricks that I happily share with everyone I meet. The first is having a bank account with Wise that allows me to open up new currencies with the tap of a screen, doesn’t charge me ridiculous fees, and has worked in every ATM I’ve put the card in from Mongolia to Zanzibar – Sierra Leone to Santiago. The second is an eSIM. Staying connected while traveling is not just convenient, but it’s also a safety and security measure. Whether it’s getting a hold of your vacation rental owner when you can’t find the key, ordering an Uber, or telling loved ones you’ve arrived safely, staying connected is our sixth sense in the 21st century.

Know Before You Buy

Before buying an eSIM, check if your phone is compatible. Most recent iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and other newer devices support eSIMs. However, your phone must be unlocked. If it's locked due to a carrier payment plan, it won't work with an eSIM. If you bought your device outright, it should be compatible. I use an iPhone 15 Pro Max and thanks to Apple’s recent software updates, installing an eSIM has never been easier and no longer requires QR code scanning and other hoops to jump through.

Choosing the Right eSIM

Pioneering eSIM company Airalo has always been my go-to choice. They have over 200 countries and regions to choose from and are used by over 10 million travelers worldwide. Like other eSIMs, you purchase it directly through its app. Traveling to more than one country? Choose from regional plans that cover multiple countries in areas like Europe or Southeast Asia instead of buying multiple eSIMs.

With over 60 eSIM providers out there now, finding the best price isn’t always easy, but eSIM directories like eSIMDB and esims.io match you with the best price for your destination. However, it’s best to research the eSIM and coverage of the network the eSIM will be using in your destination as some newer eSIM companies may not have the established networks compared to that of long-standing companies like Airalo.

The Pros and Cons

While some U.S. carriers like T-Mobile and Google Fi offer “unlimited” international roaming, these are often limited to low data speeds and can cap out while roaming. Roaming packages from home rarely allow you to hotspot while traveling internationally while Airalo allows me to hotspot while on the road making it easy to work from my laptop, and usually has many networks in one country it bounces between, depending on the signal strength.

Tips and Tricks

To save money at home as well, I now use an eSIM for data and have a talk and text plan with a local provider. (They start at around $15/month.) Sometimes it’s best to toggle off “Automatic” under "Network Settings" and choose the network manually as I’ve found in the past the eSIM doesn’t always pick the strongest option.

To avoid iMessage issues and still receive Two two-factor authentication text messages, keep your "Default Voice Line" to your home network (but keep data roaming off), and turn your "Cellular Data" to your eSIM.

And be sure to purchase your eSIM before departure so you can use it right away when you land. The most convenient timing is to load your eSIM before going into airplane mode on a flight.