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Anyone used an eSIM in their phone on holiday?

21 replies

Bichette · 30/01/2024 14:43

We're off on holiday to Thailand soon for 3 weeks and I'm wondering if it's worthwhile getting an esim for my mobile data or is it just as easy to pick up a local SIM card?

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Kucinghitam · 31/01/2024 02:49

I use an ESIM for travel to SE Asia. I like it because I can have everything set up before I even leave the UK, and I'm connected "like a local" from the moment I get off the plane, without having to go searching for a SIM vendor.

LaPalmaLlama · 31/01/2024 02:53

Also you can have both SIMs ( your physical uk SIM and the eSIM) going in the same phone so it doesn’t mess up your WhatsApp etc. I use primary SIM for everything else and eSIM for data. The only issue I’ve had is sometimes I have to manually select the carrier for the eSIM to make it work.

Skyrain · 31/01/2024 03:05

I have used Airalo which worked well on holiday. I also liked the fact I was all set up before I arrived.

MariaLuna · 31/01/2024 03:06

Goodness me, I have no idea what an "eSIM" is.

I travel a lot (solo) - Europe, Africa, US, Asia - and just take my mobile and connect to the hotel/restaurant/cafe wifi when there. Never had a problem, it works like being at home.

Mind you never been to Thailand (on my list) so things might all be different there.

I'm clueless about a lot of stuff - VPN for instance, comes with age lol.

madamepresident · 31/01/2024 03:07

I use one here in Malaysia. It's completely fine and easy to use

Kucinghitam · 31/01/2024 03:10

Good point @LaPalmaLlama - I also have both SIMs active, means I don't miss any important text messages/calls (e.g. bank).

(WhatsApp will keep working like nothing has happened even if you change your SIM, BTW).

MurielThrockmorton · 31/01/2024 06:20

Yes, we used EasySim in the US. Turned off our sims as O2 wanted £6 a day, which for the two of us was £108! Worked well, we just didn't receive any phone calls or SMS messages whilst we were there, which didn't bother us as most things come through data these days. We did connect through Wi-Fi as well, but having the data when we were out particularly to use maps for the subway, et cetera was useful.

aramox1 · 31/01/2024 06:24

Yes, in the US- totally easy and cheap

whirlyhead · 31/01/2024 06:32

I permanently have a physical sim (Spanish) and eSIM (uk) on my phone. I just keep data turned off on the UK number as I live in Spain. It works fine and doesn’t affect WhatsApp which uses my UK number via my Spanish data allowance (or wifi)

LaPalmaLlama · 31/01/2024 10:18

MariaLuna · 31/01/2024 03:06

Goodness me, I have no idea what an "eSIM" is.

I travel a lot (solo) - Europe, Africa, US, Asia - and just take my mobile and connect to the hotel/restaurant/cafe wifi when there. Never had a problem, it works like being at home.

Mind you never been to Thailand (on my list) so things might all be different there.

I'm clueless about a lot of stuff - VPN for instance, comes with age lol.

An eSIM isn’t an alternative to Wi-Fi- it’s instead of using your usual carrier’s roaming data packages, so if you want to have access to data if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. I’m in Asia for work this week and in some remote places where Wi-Fi is pretty unreliable and also a lot of smaller places don’t have it as data packages are really cheap. My roaming via EE isn’t working- colleague has same issue so presumably a carrier problem. I can just fire up the eSIM for a few $ a day- problem solved. I use Holafly but there are loads of different ones.

Bichette · 31/01/2024 13:22

This is all very useful, thank you.
Looks like airalo is one of the more popular providers

OP posts:
Bichette · 31/01/2024 13:33

Probably a daft question,but can the data be shared on different devices?
ie: can DH and I install the esim on both our mobiles and share the data?

OP posts:
Kucinghitam · 31/01/2024 13:36

Bichette · 31/01/2024 13:33

Probably a daft question,but can the data be shared on different devices?
ie: can DH and I install the esim on both our mobiles and share the data?

No, one eSIM per phone. But, you can use your phone as a hotspot for your DH to use your data.

Leafbuds · 31/01/2024 13:40

I used Nomad on a recent trip and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. I had a data only package, so still had my regular number to receive texts and calls if needed; or if I wanted to send any normal texts/calls - but I never call while away, and I rarely text anyone who doesn't use imessage, so for those few occasions, I didn't mind paying. For everyone else, it was imessage or Whatsapp, which use data. It was so good to be able to use data everywhere and check emails, weather, websites, maps etc without worrying about accidentally using data. It was all set up before I left the UK and I had both sims active at the same time while I was there, and just the UK one while I was here. There is an app that let me see how much data I was using.

637ea · 31/01/2024 13:56

I'm going to Malaysia tomorrow.
Does anyone know where I can get one of these eSims?
It would be massively useful!

Kucinghitam · 31/01/2024 14:00

637ea · 31/01/2024 13:56

I'm going to Malaysia tomorrow.
Does anyone know where I can get one of these eSims?
It would be massively useful!

I use Yoodo but I’m not affiliated Grin so please don’t blame me if it’s not suitable Grin

ChimneyPot · 31/01/2024 14:05

I use them in the US and have used in Morocco too.

The advantage of using eSIM for data and your usual sim for everything else is as a pp said you still get texts and alerts.
Prior to using eSims I used to use a prepaid US sim but missed verification requests from my bank to confirm purchases and ended up with my card being frozen!

Leafbuds · 31/01/2024 20:19

637ea · 31/01/2024 13:56

I'm going to Malaysia tomorrow.
Does anyone know where I can get one of these eSims?
It would be massively useful!

Just google the country and e-Sim, and various choices will pop up. You can then decide how much data you need, and what the price is for that country, with various providers.

I went with Nomad, as they had some fairly small amounts of data available as a package for the country I wanted. I didn't need loads, as I had wifi much of the time, and I didn't want to pay for a lot more than I needed.

Others might have been cheaper if I had wanted lots of data. Or if it had been a different country. Or had wanted a phone number as well (to use for texts/calls - I didn't want that, as I wanted to access texts/calls from my normal number, and just not use it to make any calls; but some people do want that service as well, which is more expensive).

Different ones have apps that might be more/less easy to use and keep track of, so you might prefer one or the other of those. Also you can check what happens if you run out of data - how easy is it to top up with extra, and how much does the extra cost? that helps you decide what size package to go with in the first instance.

mmgirish · 01/02/2024 15:24

We travel a lot and use airalo all the time. Always works well.

Faitham · 12/07/2024 21:56

I've had a great experience using an eSIM while traveling in Europe. It's so much easier than dealing with traditional SIM cards or worrying about crazy roaming fees. With an eSIM, you usually just need to scan a QR code or download the profile from your provider, and bam, you're connected to a local network without the fuss. It's perfect if you're hopping between countries because you don't have to keep switching out SIM cards or deal with activation delays. Just make sure your phone supports Esim Europe (most new models do these days) and check the coverage in the places you'll be visiting. It's been a game-changer for me – saved me a load of time and hassle on trips. Highly recommend giving it a shot next time you're abroad!

Robgv · 29/09/2024 22:16

Sure I'm always using Esim while traveling. It's very useful especially if you need large data plans.
You can compare and find the best esim plans for you on Esims Compare, sharing here their esims for Thailand page.

Compare eSIM for Thailand Travel | 40+ Data Plans | EsimsCompare

Stay connected while traveling in Thailand! Use our advanced filters to compare data plans from reliable providers and find the best tourist eSIM packages.

https://esimscompare.com/countries/thailand/

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