eSIM on iPhone for a short trip to France and the UK
January 13, 2023 6:10 AM Subscribe
We'll be traveling from the US in February -- three days in Paris, four days in London. I'd like to have data on at least two of our phones. AT&T's international day pass is $10 a day, which is convenient, but seems unnecessarily expensive for the entire week. Our phones are unlocked, so we could use local eSIMs -- but how? Which ones?
I've never done this, and frankly, I don't know how. I don't know how much data we'll need for basic maps, web browsing for buying tickets, viewing menus, etc., and which carriers are "better" in the regions. I'm reasonably certain we'll need separate carriers for each country, but beyond that I'm a bit at sea. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I've never done this, and frankly, I don't know how. I don't know how much data we'll need for basic maps, web browsing for buying tickets, viewing menus, etc., and which carriers are "better" in the regions. I'm reasonably certain we'll need separate carriers for each country, but beyond that I'm a bit at sea. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Best answer: Seconding Airalo and also specifically the Eurolink regional SIM. I used it for a trip last September to Romania and France and it worked beautifully. It will connect to different carriers in the different countries, but you don't have to do anything once the eSIM itself is activated.
One important thing to keep in mind is that the majority of Airalo eSIMS, including the Eurolink eSIM (and a lot of other eSIMS) don't give you a local phone number, i.e. you get data but you can't make or receive any phone calls.
Calls that go over data or wifi, like FaceTime, Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, etc. all work fine -- just no classic "use the Phone app and dial a number" calls.
I know there are eSIMS out there that do give you a phone number, but I'm not as familiar with those options.
(Airalo is not the cheapest and you can often save by buying individual eSIMs for each country and/or buying local eSIMs, but if this is your first time I think it's worth the convenience. If you end up doing more international trips in the future you can look into cheaper and/or local options.)
posted by andrewesque at 6:50 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
One important thing to keep in mind is that the majority of Airalo eSIMS, including the Eurolink eSIM (and a lot of other eSIMS) don't give you a local phone number, i.e. you get data but you can't make or receive any phone calls.
Calls that go over data or wifi, like FaceTime, Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, etc. all work fine -- just no classic "use the Phone app and dial a number" calls.
I know there are eSIMS out there that do give you a phone number, but I'm not as familiar with those options.
(Airalo is not the cheapest and you can often save by buying individual eSIMs for each country and/or buying local eSIMs, but if this is your first time I think it's worth the convenience. If you end up doing more international trips in the future you can look into cheaper and/or local options.)
posted by andrewesque at 6:50 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Thirding Airolo. Mind you, sometimes it doesn't work very well and the customer service has been dismal when problems arise. That said, it's so cheap (relatively speaking) that it's still the best deal and what I've used when I've been travelling internationally for work in the last two years. When problems have come up while I'm already on a trip (i.e. the phone call issue andrewesque mentions will sometimes come up if I need to, for example, call my bank to verify something while on the road), it's not difficult to buy a local SIM card as a worst case solution.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:17 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:17 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've recently used Ubigi twice (in different European countries) and had good luck both times -- plus when I fucked up the initial eSIM install process (I wasn't paying attention to the instructions; their instructions were correct, I was just in the middle of other stuff as well) it only took them like two hours to come back with a fix, which I really appreciated. They have a wide selection of plans available, and once you've installed everything getting a new plan is trivial.
posted by aramaic at 9:02 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by aramaic at 9:02 AM on January 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm on my way home from Singapore, where I just used Holafly with no issues. On my last trip to Brussels/Italy last November, I used Orange. I've also read lots of recos for Airolo, and just haven't tried them yet. It was incredibly convenient to set up and worked seamlessly both times.
posted by mrmcsurly at 12:31 AM on January 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by mrmcsurly at 12:31 AM on January 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
+1 for Ubigi. I used them on a trip to France last year and got good coverage & speed, even in rural areas.
posted by welsh robot at 2:26 PM on January 14, 2023
posted by welsh robot at 2:26 PM on January 14, 2023
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posted by socky_puppy at 6:15 AM on January 13, 2023 [4 favorites]