Nothing ruins a holiday or business trip faster than realizing you can’t access mobile maps, can’t reach the Airbnb host, and can’t send your partner the pretty pic you snapped of the sunrise as you landed at a foreign airport.
Staying connected while traveling used to mean either paying outrageous roaming fees or fumbling with foreign SIM cards in airport bathrooms. Thankfully, we’ve got better options now. So, what exactly are your options in 2025 and beyond?
International Data Roaming: The Expensive Convenience
This is the “do nothing” option. Keep your regular SIM card, land in another country, and your phone works as usual. Your carrier handles everything in the background.
The upside is that zero effort is required. The downside is that your wallet will hate you. Roaming charges can hit $10+ per day, and that’s if you’re lucky. Some carriers charge per megabyte, which adds up faster than you’d think when you’re loading Instagram or using Google Maps.
It’s decent for short business trips where your company’s footing the bill, but for a two-week vacation, there are smarter moves available.
Local SIM Cards
Buy a SIM card from a local carrier when you land. You get local rates, which are almost always cheaper than roaming. In places like Thailand or Brazil, you can grab a tourist SIM at the airport with plenty of data for under $20.
However, it can turn out to be quite a hassle. You’re swapping tiny pieces of plastic that love to disappear. And you’ll have a different phone number in each country, which gets confusing fast if you’re hopping around. Also, good luck if you don’t speak the language and need to troubleshoot data settings.
For single-country trips where you’ll be staying for a while, it works great. For multi-country adventures, it gets annoying real quick.
Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
Rent a small Wi-Fi hotspot device that connects to local networks and shares the connection with your devices. Popular in Japan and parts of Europe.
The advantage is that multiple devices can connect — great for families or groups. You’re not messing with SIM cards, and you get reliable speeds.
But you’re carrying another device that needs charging. You have to remember to return it (or pay hefty fees). And if you’re traveling solo, you’re basically paying for connectivity you could obtain more simply. Of course, if you step out of reach of the device, you’ll likely lose connection.
eSIMs
An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into your phone. No physical swapping required — you just download a plan and activate it. Done.
The beauty of eSIMs is flexibility. Planning a trip through several South American countries? You can load regional plans that cover multiple borders without swapping cards. Heading to Brazil specifically? Setting up an eSIM for Brazil gets you connected before you even land, which is a massive help for navigating local arrival logistics or ordering a car the second you walk out of the airport.
Most newer phones support eSIM (iPhone XS and later, recent Samsung Galaxys, Google Pixels). You’ll receive texts and calls on your usual number, but use the eSIM data for all the rest. No tiny cards to lose, no hunting for carrier shops, and no language barriers to deal with.
Picking the Right eSIM Provider
Not all eSIM providers are created equal. Here’s what to actually check:
- Check coverage: Read the reviews of providers in the countries you’ll be visiting to make sure you’re choosing the right provider.
- Check data limits/speed: Some providers offer “unlimited” plans, but they don’t tell you about the small print that mentions limiting the account after 2 GB.
- Check activation simplicity: A good provider makes the instructions for activating the card and retrieving your number easy, before you even purchase your plan.
In the End…
The right connectivity solution depends on your trip. For a quick business stop, maybe roaming’s fine. Having a long-term stay in one country might mean a local SIM works best. But for most travelers doing the typical week or two abroad, especially across multiple destinations, eSIM technology hits the spot of convenience and cost. Your phone’s already essential for travel — might as well make staying connected easy.