GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
For years, I did what most American travelers do: I called my carrier before a trip, added an international plan, and hoped it wouldn’t cost too much. On my trip to Austria, Germany, and Switzerland last year, that meant going with AT&T, which charged me $12 per day for throttled data, spotty coverage, and anxiety. I accepted this as the price of keeping connected to family and friends.
Then, while traveling by train between Salzburg and Munich, my connection failed just as I was about to share photos of the Alps and the Bavarian towns I passed through. This made me wonder: isn’t there a better way?
There was, and I wish I’d found it earlier.
What's your favorite travel eSIM? 10 votes Saily 10 % Airalo 50 % Nomad 0 % Holafly 0 % I've never used a travel eSIM / I get international coverage with my carrier 20 % Other (let us know in the comments) 20 %
The wonderful world of travel eSIMs
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
That solution came when a fellow traveler mentioned eSIMs almost in passing, the way people talk about things they assume everyone already knows. I didn’t, which I know is surprising, considering I cover tech for a living. Looking into it, I quickly found myself in a rabbit hole and was genuinely surprised by how mature this market had become in Europe.
An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into your phone. Instead of swapping a physical card, you scan a QR code or download it from an app, and your device loads a local or regional data plan. No hardware, no waiting, and you don’t need to hunt for a carrier kiosk in an unfamiliar airport or a local shop that sells SIM cards.
Before I arrived in Munich, I started researching the available providers. A few things matter most when you start evaluating your eSIM options, regardless of where you’ll travel.
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