Getty
Travelling is a lot smoother when you can simply pull out your phone to make a last-minute booking, let people know you’re delayed or just post updates on your adventures. But beyond the reach of complimentary WiFi, using your phone can become very expensive, very quickly. Fortunately, there is a growing number of options that make it more affordable, including eSIMs.
The best eSIM for international travel can seamlessly connect you to a local network at your destination, with travel plans you can pre-pay and top up easily so you know how much you’re spending.
Gourmet Traveller’s pick of the best eSIMs for international travel
What is an eSIM?
Unlike a traditional SIM card you put inside your phone, an eSIM is digital and can be set up on most modern smartphones. Usually, you just download an app, follow the setup steps and choose a plan for your international travel destination or destinations.
It’s an elegant solution to swapping out a physical SIM card when you arrive. Or resorting to international roaming with your Australian network provider when you hadn’t planned on it – a scenario I know all too well.
On one memorable occasion, I got separated from friends in New York and ended up with an eye-watering phone bill as I used Google Maps and made calls to try and find the Irish pub they said they were at (anyone who has been to Manhattan can attest to the impressive number of venues this description can apply to). Another time, I had a lengthy delay in Singapore on my way home from Europe and turned on roaming to let my family know, which may still be one of the most expensive phone calls I’ve ever made.
Since then, I’ve tried data roaming packs and considered travel SIM cards, but an eSIM also means there’s no need to remove the regular SIM card. Not to mention clear pricing and plans that can be paid before before even getting to the airport.
So if you’re planning your next jaunt to Europe, Asia, North America or anywhere else, here we have rounded up some of the best eSIMs for international travel based on features including the types of plans available, app features and extras. We’ve also included details of the price for a 5GB eSIM for Europe and/or global coverage to give you an idea of the potential costs.
The best eSIMs for international travel
01
Best for: Global coverage
Airalo has eSIMs you can use in over 200 global locations and is one of the most popular eSIM brands available, with over 20 million users worldwide. It’s also the eSIM Gourmet Traveller shopping editor Rachel Weisz chose for a two-month solo trip across Europe.
“I chose the Airalo 50GB 90 day SIM and paid US$100, which was out of my desired price range and was 30-days too long for my trip. But honestly, it was absolutely worth it. Installation was so easy and I didn’t have to stress about keeping my current sim in a safe place,” she said.
As a solo traveller, I felt comfortable knowing I had what felt like unlimited data anywhere in Europe. I would also receive emails when I had 25% data remaining, and knew that topping up would be easy if I ever got to that point.
Rachel Weisz, Shopping editor
In terms of pricing, the plans vary a lot depending on where you’re going, how long you want to use the eSIM and how much data you want. The cost can also go up for eSIMs that have data as well as network calls and texts.
But to give you an idea, we found plans from around $7.50 for 7 days with 1GB data, while a global eSIM that offered 20GB of data, 200 SMS and 200 minutes for calls was $139.50 for 365 days. The most expensive eSIM we found was a Eurolink 42-country plan for 180 days, which offered 100GB of data for $289.50.
Price for a 5GB eSIM for Europe: $31.50 for 30 days
Price for a 5GB global eSIM: $55 for 60 days
Key features:
- Works in over 200 countries
- Choice of country, region and global eSIM plans
- eSIMs valid from 7 days to 365 days, with 1-100GB data and some plans that include network calls and texts
- Notifications when data runs low
02
Best for: Flexible data plans and security features
Saily has travel data plans for over 200 countries, as well as eight region-specific eSIMs and a range of global eSIM options. You can choose plans to suit trips of all kinds of lengths, and get notifications when you’ve used 80% of the data limit so it’s easy to top up. We were also impressed by the data calculator on the site, which is a handy way to decide how much data you’ll need when you’re overseas so you don’t under- or over-spend on your eSIM.
Created by the same company as the digital privacy tool NordVPN, Saily also includes an ad blocker and web protection features you can turn on in your eSIM settings to increase your privacy and security. Plus the ability to change your virtual location, which could be handy for reading the news and accessing your streaming accounts that might otherwise be geo-blocked in a different country.
While the plan prices are in US dollars, you can still set up a Saily eSIM in Australia and choose the best plan for your international travels – and once you have this eSIM you can use it for any Saily plans you want.
Price for a 5GB eSIM for Europe: USD$19.49 (approx. AUD$30) for 30 days
Price for a 5GB global eSIM: USD$33.99 (approx. AUD$52) for 60 days
Key features:
- Works in over 200 countries
- Choice of country, region and global eSIM plans
- Add new destinations to your existing eSIM, rather than needing to install new ones for each trip
- Ad blocker and web protection features
03
Best for: Unlimited data and call plans
Australian brand SimCorner has grown from a small kiosk into a globally-recognised brand that sells both physical SIM cards and eSIMs for international travel. It has plans for over 150 countries, as well as eSIMs for Europe, North America, Asia and other regions.
As well as data-only plans, SimCorner also has eSIMs that offer a local phone number at your destination so you can make and receive calls and SMS. The pricing is also competitive. For example, a 30-day eSIM for the USA with unlimited data and calls or texts the USA was $67, with the option of adding 5G connectivity in Canada and Mexico for $5. And a 30-day eSIM for Europe with 30GB of data and unlimited calls and texts was $69 – which is less than a 5GB data-only Europe eSIM from some other brands.
Editor’s note: SimCorner is also planning a Black Friday sale, offering early access to newsletter subscribers. I’ll also add details here when the sale is live.
Price for a 5GB eSIM for Europe: $20 for 30 days
Price for a Europe and UK eSIM with data, texts and calls: $37 for 30 days with 12GB data and unlimited EU/UK texts and calls
Key features:
- Works in over 150 countries
- Choice of country and region eSIM plans
- Offers plans with data, calls and texts
- 24/7 customer support
- 5% price beat guarantee
04
Best for: Paying for what you need
Roamless offers the flexibility of a single eSIM with pay-as-you-go and prepaid plans for over 200 countries. It automatically switches between networks and countries, and there’s no expiry if you pay as you go. So if you don’t spend what you’ve paid for you can still use it next time.
But what really sets Roamless apart from many of the other eSIM brands is the in-app calling feature. It means you can call a hotel, tour company, restaurant or any other landline while you’re overseas – even if you hadn’t planned on it.
Price for a 5GB eSIM for Europe: USD$17.95 (approx. AUD$27) for 30 days prepaid
Price for a 5GB global eSIM: USD$33.95 (approx. AUD$52) for 30 days
Key features:
- Works in over 200 countries
- Choice of worldwide pay-as-you-go eSIM (RoamlessFlex), or prepaid country, region and global eSIM plans (RoamlessFix)
- In-app calls (RoamlessFlex only)
05
Best for: Easy data top-ups
With coverage for over 200 countries and regions, instant set up and a huge variety of prepaid plans, Ubigi makes it easy to get an eSIM for international travel. What really stood out to me was that Ubigi lets you top up even if you’ve already run out of credit on your plan. In comparison, some other eSIMs would cut out and only allow you to top up or buy a new plan when you found a wi-fi connection. So Ubigi could be a good choice for people who aren’t sure how often they’ll use their phone while travelling, but who also don’t want to be cut off if they end up using all their credit.
It also has one-off, monthly and annual plans, making it popular for business travellers, digital nomads and anyone else planning longer stays abroad. But keep in mind that prices are not in Australian dollars – you can choose to pay in US dollars, British pounds, Euros or Japanese Yen. And as I couldn’t find a 5GB plan at all, I’ve looked at the cost for a 3GB and 10GB plan instead.
Price for a 3GB eSIM for Europe: USD$8 (approx. AUD$12) for 30 days
Price for a 10GB eSIM for Europe: USD$16 (approx. AUD$24) for 30 days
Key features:
- Works in over 200 countries
- Choice of one-off, monthly and annual plans
- Recharge in the app without wi-fi or data
- Data plan is activated when you arrive at your destination
- Data-sharing allowed
- Student discounts offered
06
Best for: Short trips and changes
Nomad has eSIMs for over 200 countries and regions, as well as global plans if you’re crossing borders on your trip. The data-only plans can be great for shorter trips, with plans that range from 1-365 days. You can also top up a plan as you go.
You can check pricing on Australian dollars on the website and app, and it’s listed by the cost per GB of data, which I found helpful for getting a sense of the value for money. I also noticed plan pricing was competitive for many of the countries popular with Australian travellers. But there can be quite a bit of variation. For example, plans for Southeast Asia-Oceania started from $1.83 per GB, while for Latin America it was $5.53 per GB and for Africa it was $6.85 per GB.
Price for a 5GB eSIM for Europe: $21.32 for 30 days
Price for a 5GB global eSIM: $54.82 for 30 days
Key features:
- Works in over 200 countries
- Easy to understand pricing, which can be viewed in Australian dollars
- Short-term plans and top-ups
- Notifications when data is running low
07
Best for: Easy-to-use features
Since launching its first eSIM offering in 2018, Holafly has built a reputation for eSIMs that now cover over 270 locations. This includes regions, countries and even cities, with options for data, calls and more. It offers eSIMs for over 270 locations and an easy installation before you leave, which means one less step to think about when you’re overseas.
You can also keep your WhatsApp number, use your physical SIM at the same time and share data with family or friends you’re travelling with. Plus customer support through live chat, WhatsApp and email.
Price for an unlimited data eSIM in Europe: $117 for 30 days
Price for an unlimited data eSIM in Asia: $74 for 14 days
Key features:
- Works in over 270 global locations
- Easy to understand pricing, which can be viewed in Australian dollars
- Unlimited data plans allowing you to set the date range for your trip
- Data-sharing options
- Refunds available for up to 6 months if your plans change, your device isn’t compatible or for connection issues
What is the best eSIM for international travel?
Just as there are lots of different eSIMs for travel, there are also plenty of opinions about which is best. I read reviews and forum discussions where some people would praise one eSIM brand, only to have others criticise its price, network reliability, customer service or something else specific to their travel plans and experiences.
“I found the whole experience looking for one quite frustrating,” Gourmet Traveller‘s Rachel Weisz said. “A lot of the reviews and articles online were not from Australians and I would have really loved a first-person piece on what eSIM was worth your buck. I found all of them quite expensive and [at first I] couldn’t justify the price.”
But after finding one that met most of her requirements, and taking it on her trip, Rachel had a more positive perspective.
“I would absolutely get an eSIM again because, despite my initial frustration (which probably just came from the unknowing), it was so easy to set up and I had no issues with the eSIM during my trip. It’s just one of those boring but necessary products for an easy Euro summer.”
So thinking about your own travel plans, budget and what you’ll mostly be using your phone for will help you find a suitable eSIM.
Four tips to get the best eSIM for your travel plans
1. Check your phone’s compatibility
A lot of smartphones in Australia now have eSIM compatibility. If you have an iPhone, a simple way to check is by going into the Carrier Lock section of your settings, then checking for a 15-digit IMEI number under Available SIM (or Digital SIM for iOS 14 or older). If you have an Android device, just dial *#06# and you can view IMEI and SIM details. You could also check your phone’s user manual, or search online.
2. Decide what type of eSIM you want
Data-only eSIM plans are the most common for travel, and still mean you can call or message people through different apps. But if you also want to make phone calls and texts at your destination, focus on eSIMs that support this. For example, Airalo, SimCorner and Roamless all have different data, call and text options.
3. Consider pricing
Most eSIM travel plans have a set amount of data for a limited period of time, such as 5GB for 30 days. But not all eSIMs have pricing in Australian dollars. So make sure you keep currency exchange rates in mind if you’re shopping around, as well as international transaction fees. It’s also worth checking how an eSIM plan compares to a traditional travel SIM or even your Australian network’s international roaming options.
4. Test the eSIM app
An eSIM app should help you get set up, keep track of how much data and time you have left, and top up as needed. But all apps are different, so it’s worth downloading one before you pay for a plan to check that you’re able to find and do everything easily. The last thing anyone wants when they’re away is to be dealing with phone issues, after all.
Related articles:
- The best noise-cancelling headphones for long-haul flights
- 9 best luggage brands to upgrade your travel
- The domestic and international flight sales worth knowing about in 2025
