E-sim vs physical sim

I happen to have my unlocked old Iphone 6, and am wondering about the merits of buying a sim card for it, vs. buying an e-sim...

Since an eSIM will not work in your (very) old iPhone 6, buying one for that phone seems like it would be a poor choice. Proceed to Plan B.

Data eSIMs are inexpensive enough that I don't understand not going that route.

Regardless of whether you go SIM or eSIM, your phone must be unlocked.

Last year my wife and I toured for six weeks on two eSims without issue - I recommend them now to anyone. I like that I can arrange the eSim entirely at home, and I don't have to spend time in a phone shop for a physical sim when I arrive in country. Two thoughts though:

• The data-only eSims (the majority) are inexpensive and work well for what you describe - staying in touch with each other or local contacts or friends/family over WhatsApp, and/or accessing the internet, etc. However, having an eSim with limited phone capabilities is advantageous for one reason - calling ahead for restaurant reservations. We found last fall that reaching out to restaurants on WhatsApp sometimes works, sometimes doesn't work, and calling on their main phone number was problematic on a data-only eSim.
• The only disadvantage to an eSim is that their timeframes are often limited to 30 days or less. If your trip is longer than that, you'll have to reload the eSim at some point but that's usually a straight-forward process using the relevant mobile app for the eSim provider. I just wish that the notable providers would consider a timeframe longer than 30 days.

having an eSim with limited phone capabilities is advantageous for one reason - calling ahead for restaurant reservations

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've addressed this problem by maintaining a Google Voice account that allows me to make voice calls using a data-only SIM. The cost is something like a penny US per minute, which is in my mind negligible.

@periscope- actually when I’ve been to Italy the last two times I used esim and had much better service than using a regular sim. Aside from which esim don’t need to worry about losing it but iPhone6 isn’t compatible.

Thanks, the e-sim for our newer phones looks like the way to go. I tried downloading google maps for offline use on my old phone (iphone 6), and found its software could not be updated to support this. But there is a bewildering variety of e-sims to choose from. for an iphone 13: Orange, Holafly, Airalo, Tim, Vodafone, etc., etc. Any help with choosing the best value for 14 days in Italy for reliability and ease of installation and use and cost of data would be appreciated.

I've had great success with Nomad data-only eSIMs in Spain, France, the UK and Ireland. Also in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Finland and Estonia. But not yet in Italy. I will gain that experience this summer.

Ease of use and customer support have been superb.

I gather you can also make voice calls with a data only e-sim using WhatsApp, and not just on WiFi, but with an e-sim cellular data internet connection. I should investigate if a Google Voice account has further advantages, as per jphbucks post. Nomad also looks good--thanks for the tip.

Departing for Italy in April. Looking to utilize an esim for the first time and it looks like I'll try Airalo. Gets good reviews and there are Utube videos to help out.

Just a note that voice calls on WhatsApp will require that the other user is also on WhatsApp; not a standard phone line, so far ar I'm aware.
I used an Orange Holiday eSim last year for a month. It worked quite well for data and the few times I needed a voice call.

I’ve used both eSIM and physical SIMs, and I gotta say, they both have their perks. With eSIMs, it’s super convenient - no more losing those tiny cards or swapping them out. It’s like having your SIM card built into your phone. Plus, when you travel, you can just hop onto a local network without hunting down a new SIM card. It’s a real lifesaver in Europe, where roaming charges can be a nightmare. But, physical SIMs aren’t all bad either. Sometimes you just want that physical piece of tech in your hand, you know? Plus, they’re easy to pop out and swap between phones if you like to switch it up.
In the end, it depends on what you value more - convenience or tradition. I’m all for Esim Europe these days, especially living in Europe where they’re pushing the tech forward.

During my visit (to France) in 2023 I used an e-sim purchased from Bouygues, which was easy to purchase and worked wonderfully. Prior to this year's trip (to France and Italy) I had switched mobile carriers to TMobile and needed to do nothing at all in either country. I didn't need to pay anything extra for data, I would have needed to if I had wanted to make calls--which I avoided.

What are the recommendations for esims for Italy? I have found Vodaphone and Airolo. Any recommendations for one or the other?

Airalo eSIMs connect you to networks provided by other companies. It doesn't have its own network. It's a convenient source of eSIMs if you don't want to do your own research.

Airalo eSIMs connect you to networks provided by other companies. It doesn't have its own network. It's a convenient source of eSIMs if you don't want to do your own research.

Nomad works exactly the same way. I've found them to be less expensive, generally, than Airalo. But both companies offer a good product.

I had great success with Vodaphone eSIM coverage throughout Rome, Tuscany, and Umbria. It provided better coverage than TIM, which was our prior year choice. It's also the network that Verizon uses if you use their travel points (on certain plans, like my SO has now). https://travel.vodafone.com/

My advice on eSIM setup is to a) make absolutely sure your phone is compatible; and b) read the setup instructions all the way through.

The instructions aren't tough, but it's a series of steps. I overlooked the step of switching Roaming from my home provider to the eSIM before I left the US, so I was a bit concerned that I'd get a charge from my home provider when I had to turn on that network briefly in Rome to shut off Roaming (then you flip to Vodaphone to turn it on for their system). Happily, I wasn't charged, but I did hustle like I was switching a camera battery before it forgets the timestamp. I heartily loved it otherwise, because it saved standing around the phone store for 30+ minutes while they futz with a physical SIM switch, plus the discomfort of handing someone your unlocked phone.

Speaking of battery switches reminds me that if you're bringing a separate camera, don't forget to change the time/date on it, as needed, to match your phone there. You'll thank yourself later when you dump all of your photos into a folder and the timestamps actually match up (voice of experience...twice!).