Hi.
I'm heading to Vienna and Budapest this fall and will use Airalo eSIM service based on past positive experiences with them in Italy and Spain.
Would you recommend getting the Regional option (Europe) or the two individual countries (Austria and Hungary)?
I had read that the Regional option from them can be a bit slower due to switching but I can't find that reference again.
Thanks.
Lee
We just returned from Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. We used the regional Airalo and didn’t notice slow times. The service was seamless when we moved countries so I would recommend the regional esim.
I’ve have great success using Airola eSim for my numerous international trips these last 18 months. I’ve used the multi country options. I’m especially happy that voice, data and text is available with some plans. It has been faster and more reliable than my home cellular carrier’s international connectivity.
Used the Airalo Regional esim in Scotland, Slovenia and Italy in April this year and it worked seamlessly and with good speeds. Got another Airalo Regional esim yesterday for our upcoming London/Barcelona trip.
I am currently in Europe on a five country trip using a regional Airalo esim and it has worked well for me. I did underestimate the amount of service I would need for daily use when out and about. I originally bought a 30 day 3G esim but used it all up within 18 days of travel in Italy, Slovenia and UK. I used google maps a lot and only had access to wifi back at my rooms in the evenings. So I then needed to buy another regional one to top up for continued coverage. It was my first time using an esim and I was pleased with the coverage and installation process.
Pat: you may have been able to top up your existing esim without having to buy a new one. I usually get the 5gig and have never run out of data but I think adding data to an existing esim is an option.
I originally bought a 30 day 3G esim but used it all up within 18 days of travel in Italy, Slovenia and UK.
Yeah, 3G would get used up relatively quickly. I bought a 10 GB for 30 days and that worked well for me, as I use a lot of data. But either way, Carol is right—it's much easier to top off data if you start running low than to buy a new eSIM plan.
Wonderful info here, thanks so much. I will plan on a regional eSim.
I've used Airalo country-specific plans for my last 3 or 4 European trips, which have worked well.
Thanks!
I bought a 10 GB for 30 days and that worked well for me, as I use a lot of data.
Oh, Mardee, Mardee, Mardee. Ten gigs is not "a lot of data" to use in a month. Trust me on this. :o)
500 gigs? That's a lot of data. Not that I've ever used that much, of course.
Maybe this is a beginner question, so I appreciate your patience please. Would someone mind explaining, in basic terms how a eSim works exactly? I'm in Canada with Koodo and usually use their international daily fee plan, but it really adds up.
I must admit I'm not awesome with new tech stuff despite being in the age bracket where most would assume I should be!
Is there any downsides to an e Sim? Do I have to remove my current Sim card? Does it affect anything else on my phone like pictures etc? I really have no idea, so please be kind :).
Thank you
PQ
An eSIM is just software you download to your phone while you have access to reliable WiFi (at your hotel, before you leave home, etc.). The eSIM will not affect photos, web surfing, etc. You do not need to remove your current physical SIM; you just turn it off via Settings on your phone. Note: Not all phones are eSIM-capable. You should be able to determine whether yours will work with an eSIM by Googling the model number.
Be aware of what type of eSIM you are buying. Most provide cellular data only, in which case there will not be a telephone number connected to the eSIM and you won't be able to make or receive calls (unless you use some sort of WiFi calling software).
No phone number on an eSIM means if you want texting capability on an Android phone, you have to use your home SIM for that function, so you need to check to see what your regular phone plan will charge for that. I have Google Fi, and texts are free. The way my phone works is that incoming texts arrive as usual, but when I install a new eSIM and go through the (usually simple) activation procedures, my ability to send outbound texts initially disappears. I end up doing a bit of fiddling (turning my home SIM on again, but being sure the eSIM is set as the primary SIM) to get texting capability back. On my Samsung phone I then need to select my home SIM for texting to each contact I want to text. (Fortunately, I don't text with very many people.) Other brands of phone may allow you to change just one setting to make your home SIM primary for texting; you'll be able to find the information by Googling, but it may take a bit of patience since phones vary.
Because I keep my home SIM turned on (but not for data usage), my phone number remains active, and calls can come in. I pay only about $0.25 per minute for phone calls, so if I get one occasionally, it's not a big deal. I can also make outbound calls if I need to. There are eSIMs that give you a new phone number if you need to make calls.
Important: You wouldn't want to use your home SIM for texting if it results in a daily charge. In that case, you should explore an alternative like WhatsApp, which requires WiFi. You can play around with WhatsApp before you leave home; be sure your regular contacts have it on their phones. (It's free.)
I used Airalo eSIMs very heavily during lengthy trips this summer and last. Other than the fiddly business with texting, I've only occasionally had issues. They usually seemed to be related to network reliability of the local telephone company. If you use a mapping program that requires internet connectivity, as I do, it's prudent to recognize that you may occasionally not have a signal. Whether that's a problem with the SIM or the internet server you are hitting, I do not know, but the problem occurs for me sometimes when I'm walking around Washington DC, where I live.
The activation steps for an eSIM can vary a bit, but it's usually simple. If my phone doesn't give me internet access within just a few minutes after I switch to a new country/eSIM, I check the settings on my phone to be sure I've made the eSIM primary, etc. If everything looks good on my end, I restart the phone. That normally solves the problem. I had a Nomad eSIM for one of the Balkan countries that I never could get to work. It could have been user error, but I decided to walk away from the less-than-10-euro expenditure and just stick with Airalo.
I'm sure you can find videos about activating eSIMs on YouTube. Try to find one using the phone model you have. It's really not difficult. If there seems to be a problem, I just take a deep breath and review the instructions (which can vary by eSIM) rather than panicking. Your home SIM will still be in the phone, so if you get in a bind, you can always turn it on and make it your primary SIM; you'll just have to pay the daily charge until you turn it back off.
Wow! Acraven, thank you SO much. I never really understood what people meant by an eSim and now I definitely do! I so appreciate all the time you took to explain it so thoroughly to me.
Thanks again,
PQ
