E-SIMs while abroad (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Apologies if I missed anything up thread but will be going the eSIM route (likely airolo) when visiting Scandinavia this spring from the US. Before I delve into it on my own, I will be in Finland and Norway which suggests that I will have to buy two different eSims (unless as someone mentioned there is a ‘Regional’ eSIM).

I may just forego the Norway one since I will only be there a few days and just use hotel WiFi to save complications.

I believe my phone only has one eSIM ‘slot’ so can you download multiple eSims, and then turn them on and off as needed or do you have to delete and install new eSims when you cross over into another country?

Thanks

Airalo do regional eSIMs so there's one for Europe.

Europe eSIM | Travel Without Roaming Fees | Airalo

Coverage across all popular countries in Europe. Instantly connect to a mobile network. Affordable eSIM plans. 100% digital installation. 24/7 support. World's largest eSIM marketplace. Download your Europe eSIM now.

www.airalo.com

I used something similar last summer when I was island hopping in the Caribbean and it worked well. It's much easier than getting a new sim for each country.

 

[coastalbirder]

Apologies if I missed anything up thread but will be going the eSIM route (likely airolo) when visiting Scandinavia this spring from the US. Before I delve into it on my own, I will be in Finland and Norway which suggests that I will have to buy two different eSims (unless as someone mentioned there is a ‘Regional’ eSIM).

I may just forego the Norway one since I will only be there a few days and just use hotel WiFi to save complications.

I believe my phone only has one eSIM ‘slot’ so can you download multiple eSims, and then turn them on and off as needed or do you have to delete and install new eSims when you cross over into another country?

Thanks

Another vote for Airolo. We've been using Airolo on overseas trips for the past two years with no problems. We used the Airolo 'Europe' eSIM last year in the UK and Ireland and the service was excellent - convenient to have seamless service and a little cheaper than buying separate eSIMs for the UK and Ireland (just bought one eSIM for 30 days). You could check to see if it also covers Norway and Finland.

Perhaps this was discussed above, but one note on installation vs activation that I was unsure of until using eSIMs. You can install the eSIM at home before you leave. It won't activate until you toggle it on and it connects with the local network in your destination, so the number of days/GB won't start tallying until then.

 

[jogresh]

The fee was $50.00 for thirty days.

Cheers. Quite pricey compares to Airalo, or getting a SIM in the airport.
Appreciate the info. 🙂👍

 

[njlarsen]

I have recently started using Zadarma as a tool for calling a phone from a device using internet. Now I see they also offer an eSim solution. Does anyone have any experience with them? Initially, I am wanting to use an eSim in the US, and Zadarma mentions three different networks they can use.
Niels

 

[nartreb]

Hey Niels,
which three networks? There are only three that matter in the US: Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Everybody else who offers national coverage does so by purchasing time on those networks. But that works without any kind of user intervention, so if you see a plan you like from a smaller player like Boost or US Cellular, there's little reason to avoid them.
Note also that US cell coverage tends to have gaps even in fairly populated areas. If you're staying in one place for a while, ask a local which carrier offers the best coverage in that area. (Don't trust any maps published by the carriers.)

 

[njlarsen]

Hey Niels,
which three networks? There are only three that matter in the US: Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T.

Those three
Niels

 

[njlarsen]

I just found a link to trustpilot and compared the responses for Airalo and Zadarma. Airalo gets really poor ratings, people saying that their account in Airalo gets hacked and the company is unhelpful.
Niels