How to choose and use eSIMs when traveling abroad as a family
How to use an eSIM for international travel
Families can save money and use cell phone data abroad with global eSIMS
How to find the best eSIM for your trip
Destination
What region are you visiting, and which providers cover it?
Data
Would you prefer a set or unlimited amount of data?
Price
What is your budget, and what if you need more data?
Our family has relied on this eSIM provider since 2022
For our family, Airalo eSIMs have been reliable, easy to buy and install, and consistently available wherever we travel all over the world.
Different eSIMs are right for different trips and circumstances. Here are other providers we haven’t used personally, but are comfortable recommending based on experiences we’ve heard from other travelers:
Here’s how our family has used eSIMs in other countries
Of course, every family, mobile carrier, plan, and phone setup is different. Here’s a quick summary of our family to give you context:
- Our own family of four is based in the USA, but we travel extensively and often stay at least a month in countries around the world
- 3 devices: We two adults and our teen each have an Apple iPhone
- Our tween daughter doesn’t have a phone yet
- When abroad, we use a data-only eSIM for that country or region
- We adults keep a basic US-based mobile plan for voice and text, but we don’t use the plan’s data when abroad
- Our teen doesn’t have a regular phone plan at this point, and uses only Wi-Fi or his data eSIM
- Many of our trips to a country last at least a month, sometimes up to three months, so we use our eSIMs extensively, and sometimes top them up or get a new one
Our family’s experiences using eSIMs around the world
Europe
Regional/multi-country
Airalo Europe Regional eSIM
Anthony used this eSIM during our family’s three-week visit to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland
Holafly eSIM for Europe
Jodie used this eSIM during our family’s three-week visit to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Disclosure: Holafly offered us a free eSIM to try out.
Individual countries
Spain eSIMs
We used this eSIM during a 1-month+ visit to Sevilla and Tarifa
Portugal eSIMs
We used this eSIM during a 1-month visit to Porto and Lisbon
Finland eSIMs
We used this eSIM during a 1-month visit to Helsinki
Poland eSIMs
When Anthony used too much data by the time we got to Poland, he didn’t need to worry about it. A quick switch to this eSIM kept him connected in Warsaw and Gdansk.
Asia
Regional/multi-country
Asia eSIMs
Our family used this regional eSIM across 6 countries over 5 months
Airalo 90 day 50 GB and
Airalo 30 day 10 GB
Individual countries
Japan eSIMs
Our family has used it on multiple 1-3 month trips to Japan
Vietnam eSIMs
We’ve used this eSIM on a three-month visit to Vietnam
Taiwan eSIMs
We used this eSIM during a 2-month visit to Taoyuan and Taipei
North America
USA
USA data eSIMs
One spring, we experimented with a 30-day, data-only eSIM, while keeping voice and text with our US-based mobile carrier. The eSIM worked just as well at home as abroad.
Africa
Morocco
Morocco eSIMs
We used this eSIM during a 6-week visit to northern Morocco, including Tangier, Rabat, Fes, Volubilis, and Meknes