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eSims for Italy- weighing my options but I need help

Posted by on

I've been thinking about what to do while overseas. When I traveled to the UK a few years back, I purchased a physical sim card. It was fine. I ended up losing my original SIM card in the travel, and had to buy a new one when I got back to the US. I'm not saying that's a dealbreaker but...just something to keep in mind.

A good friend of mine travels overseas pretty frequently and has always just relied on Wifi. I was leaning this way for a bit. It seems like the most simplistic approach for sure. A lot of places have Wifi nowadays, free Wifi at that, so I feel like it's doable.

That said....I feel like I use my phone more frequently than I even realize. Maybe I need to check a restaurant's hours on the fly. Maybe I need to pull up my email to check something real quick. Maps are hugely crucial. All of these are things that CAN be solved (check hours before I go out, save emails to my phone, use paper maps) But, there will be 1 or 2 or several situations that will come up, that I won't even see coming.

Enter the eSim game. It gives me the benefit of nothing physical to keep track of and access to the internet that I want and potentially need. So, I have decided to go with an eSim. One decision down.

I have narrowed it down to 3 options- all with pros and cons. No clear cut winner.

Airalo- this seems to be the one that comes most highly recommended. Also prices are decent. Data allowance is a slight concern. I'd like to believe that 5GB would be enough. $20 for the Europlan. But, when compared to unlimited data, 5GB seems so small. It also doesn't include calls or texts. Which is fine-ish. I have a Google Voice number so I should be fine.

Holafly- this was initially my first choice. Unlimited data, and also, up to 60 mins of phone calls is a huge draw. (I can receive calls from home but cannot dial out) It is the priciest option at $27-34. Unfortunately, it is limited by number of days. One option is 7 days, the next is 10 days. I would need something for 8 days. I hate to bump up to the 10 day option. Now...I could probably strategically go without either at the beginning or the end.

Bouygues Telecom- This feels like the compromise. At $22, it is right in between. Data isn't unlimited but it is 15 GB which I imagine should be plenty. Calls and texts are included (within Europe only). I haven't heard or read much about this particular company though. It's not one of the big ones that seem to get mentioned frequently.

Does anyone have experiences that they can share or recommendations? Thanks!

Posted by
7969 posts

I used Airalo last year and bought 10GB for a 30 day period, and by the end of the 30 days, I still had a little under 1 GB left. And like you, I am a heavy user. I used my phone a lot when I was traveling and still had plenty of data. So for an 8 day period, 5 GB should be more than enough.

FWIW, Airalo is now providing phone numbers with data plans. Read this post for more info: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/airalo-now-has-a-plan-with-data-text-and-calls

Posted by
4803 posts

I can’t compare since I also have only used Airalo for data. I HAVE also used Orange (both tourist plans) but won’t go back to that. I find that I am using about 1.5G/week on average - Messenger, photos, WhatsApp, Google Maps, basically whatever I want (with the exception of occasionally going to Airplane mode when I am driving and using offline maps).

Holafly won’t work for me and I hadn’t heard of Bouygues Telecom. I posted on another topic what I think will be my approach for my next 8 week trip.

Edit: I see that Orange now has an eSim good for 28 days with 50G and 120 min. for €49.99. Just for comparison. https://travel.orange.com/en/offers/all-inclusive/
Also I missed that you only need 8 days. If Orange is cheaper, it’s fine for that length. The time limit of 14 days got me.

Posted by
2544 posts

What are the options with your current carrier? We have Verizon. I used the monthly $100 plan for unlimited data on my 3 week road trip. I was on my phone a lot - making dinner reservations, using maps, TripAdvisor, navigating with train apps, etc. Logistical stuff.

I discovered that two of our phone plans include a free international pass day each month, and you can collect up to 12 days. So my husband used WiFi on some days, and used his 12 travel passes over the course of our 22 days. That might be a benefit you don’t even know you have.

Posted by
7969 posts

travel4fun makes a good point. It's always a good idea to check with your carrier first to see what it offers in the way of international phone plans.

As noted, Verizon has 2 plans - $100 a month or $10 a day. T-Mobile, which I have, has free international calling plans available for the unlimited data plans (I have Magenta Max, now Go56Plus) that automatically apply when you travel. If you don't have those particular plans, you can still purchase an int'l plan for $50 a month, $35 for 10 days, or $5 a day.

Other cellular plans vary but it's worth checking your carrier's plan out before you pay for an eSIM plan.

Posted by
77 posts

Thanks everyone.

I use Verizon, and $100 is just too much for me. I did think about putting the phone in airplane mode, just use Wifi, and then turn the phone on if and only if necessary, and then just paying the $10 for those specific days if it comes up. But ultimately, I would rather pay a little more and have full access.

I am aware that Airalo has a data/talk/text plan now, but it's pretty pricy by comparison, so I just don't think I could justify it.

Posted by
5687 posts

melmay14, what kind of calling do you need to do? Use the Google Voice app and your existing Google number to call home for free (using mobile data or WiFi). You may not be able to get incoming calls in the Google Voice app with just a data eSIM. I get incoming Google Voice app calls with my Dutch Vodafone SIM, but it has voice service (even though I rarely use it).

I can't imagine why 5GB for 8 days wouldn't be plenty. I used barely 2GB in 10 days on my last trip to Europe last fall. I did use WiFi whenever I could at the hotel etc, but I used data a lot for maps and social media as I moved around. As long as you don't stream video or use data say to backup photos, 5GB of data should be plenty for 8 days.

Posted by
77 posts

I've already messed things up, sheesh.

So I decided to go with Nomad. It was the best pricing, and I found a pretty good discount code. So, I went with the 5GB plan.

I then added the eSim to my phone.

However, on my Nomad account it says it must be activated by 9/9/23. Now...my interpretation was that the eSim was valid for 30 days ONCE the eSim was activated. Basically that is was 30 days from time of activation, not 30 days from time of purchase.

I did send a message to Nomad, and I am hoping they can help me. Ugh starting off with a goof already.

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