Best eSIMs for international travel: Compare plans, coverage & fees

Staying connected while you travel abroad has become just about as important as taking your passport. Whether you’re navigating unfamiliar streets, translating foreign languages, working remotely, or simply keeping in touch with family and friends, having mobile data makes life easier.

These days, more and more Aussies are choosing to use eSIMs. A convenient option, they’re often cheaper than paying for roaming data and can be set up from the comfort of your hotel or even before you leave home. This guide is going to go through how travel eSIMs work, what to look for when choosing them, and compare some of Australia’s best options. You can also learn more about the Wise card, an easy way to stretch your dollars when paying in foreign currencies.

Table of contents
What’s an eSIM and how does it work for travel? eSIM vs. Physical SIM Best eSIMs for International Travel Saily Airalo Holafly Nomad Maya Simify Travelling soon? Bring along the Wise card to spend at mid-market rate

What’s an eSIM and how does it work for travel?

An eSIM is a digital SIM card that uses a SIM that’s built into your phone. Rather than having to visit a shop and get a physical SIM card, you can simply download an eSIM profile from a provider and activate it instantly. Once activated, it connects to the local network, just like a physical SIM does, and you can start using your plan.

The benefit for travellers is that you can set up an eSIM for the places you’ll be visiting before you even leave home, and have data the moment you step off the plane. As you change places, you can change eSIMs with just a few taps on your phone.

eSIM vs. Physical SIM for Travel: What’s the difference?

The main difference between the two is convenience. With a physical SIM, you need to find and buy a card locally, then swap it into your device. Meanwhile, an eSIM is completely digital; no need to hunt for phone shops or juggle multiple, tiny SIM cards, trying not to lose one. That said, sometimes the data plans for a local physical SIM can be cheaper, and not all devices have eSIM capability.

Key factors when choosing an eSIM for overseas travel

When deciding which eSIM to get for your overseas travels, here are some of the key factors to consider.

• Device compatibility - Check whether your phone supports eSIM, and if the eSIM providers you’re interested in are compatible.
• Coverage - Ensure that the eSIM provider offers coverage in the areas you’ll be travelling, checking which local networks they use.
• Plan types - Take a look at the plans and consider whether you want one that’s data-only or includes calls and tests, and what regions or countries you want it to cover.
• Pricing & payment structure - See how the cost per GB compares to other providers, as well as whether the plan is prepaid or subscription-based, and if any expiry periods apply.

Best eSIMs for international travel (Top providers & plans)

In the table below, we outline some of the best eSIMs for international travel, including their coverage and pricing.

eSIM Providers	Coverage	Plan Types	Pricing	Best For
Saily	200 destinations	Data	Prepaid	Regional plans
Airalo	200+ destinations	Data Data/Call/Text	Prepaid	Wider coverage
Holafly	270+ destinations	Data	Prepaid	Unlimited data
Nomad	200+ destinations	Data	Prepaid	Affordability
Maya	200+ destinations	Data	Prepaid with optional auto-renew	Asia-Pacific Region
Simify	Not specified	Data	Prepaid	Local support

Let’s delve into each of these eSIM providers in a little more detail.

Saily

A relative newcomer to the eSIM market, Saily was made by the creators of NordVPN.¹ They offer prepaid eSIM data plans, which offer internet access in 200 destinations around the globe.

• Plans can range from 1GB to Unlimited
• Notifies you when you’ve used 80% of your plan allowance
• Automatically activates your eSIM plan when it detects you’ve arrived at your destination

The Saily eSIM plans are available for specific countries or regions, including an option for a global plan that covers 113 countries.

Here’s an idea of some of the plans and pricing available for these popular travel destinations.

Coverage Area	Plans & Pricing
Japan³	500 MB free 1 GB (7 days) for 3.99 USD 5 GB (30 days) for 10.99 USD 10 GB (30 days) for 17.99 USD 20 GB (30 days) for 24.99 USD Unlimited (15 days) for 48.99 USD
Europe (35 Countries)²	1 GB (7 days) for 4.99 USD 5 GB (30 days) for 19.49 USD 10 GB (30 days) for 35.99 USD 25 GB (60 days) for 48.99 USD Unlimited (30 days) for 71.99 USD

You’ll notice that the pricing is listed in USD. This is not uncommon for eSIM providers, so when paying for eSIM plans, it may be worth using a multi-currency card like the Wise card to help cut down on currency exchange and foreign transaction fees.

Airalo

The first eSIM store, Airalo, was founded in 2019 and has grown to over 20 million users.⁴ Their eSIM plans allow for coverage in over 200 destinations around the world.

• Plans can range from 1GB to Unlimited
• Managed through the Airalo eSIM app
• Install digital data packs before you arrive so you're connected as soon as you land

Airalo offers packages for individual countries, regions, and a global plan that covers 138 countries.⁵ These packages may be data only or include data, calls, and texts.

Here are some of the data plans available for travel to Japan and Europe.

Coverage Area	Plans & Pricing
Japan⁶	1 GB (7 days) for 7.50 AUD 5 GB (30 days) for 17.50 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 28.50 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 39.50 AUD Unlimited not available for Japan
Europe (42 Countries)⁷	1 GB (7 days) for 8.00 AUD 5 GB (30 days) for 31.50 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 58.00 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 77.00 AUD Unlimited (10 days only) for 55.00 AUD

With Airalo, you can select AUD as your account currency.

Holafly

Holafly offers prepaid data eSIMs for more than 271 destinations, with regional and country-specific plans.⁸

• Focused on Unlimited data plans
• Managed through the Holafly eSIM app
• Pay for data packs based on destination, travel time, and number of people

The way Holafly manages its data packs is very different from most other eSIM providers. Rather than set plans, you choose the number of days, area of coverage, and number of eSIMs, and they’ll give you a set price for unlimited internet for that period.⁹

To give you a better idea of the pricing, here’s what it would cost for 1 traveler to get an eSIM for Europe and Japan, for varying periods of time.

Coverage Area	Plans & Pricing
Japan⁹	Unlimited (7 days) for 41.30 AUD Unlimited (14 days) for 74.00 AUD Unlimited (30 days) for 117.00 AUD Unlimited (60 days) for 168.00 AUD
Europe (33 Countries)¹⁰	Unlimited (7 days) for 41.30 AUD Unlimited (14 days) for 74.00 AUD Unlimited (30 days) for 117.00 AUD Unlimited (60 days) for 168.00 AUD

Nomad

With Nomad, customers can get data eSIMs for more than 200 countries and regions.¹¹

• Plans start at 1GB¹²
• Add-on data plans may be available depending on the destination
• Instant connection once you’ve arrived at your destination

Nomad has local eSIM plans, regional eSIM plans, and a couple of global plans that cover 54, 82, 106, or 112 countries, depending on which option you choose. Here’s the pricing for some of their plans for Japan and Europe.

Coverage Area	Plans & Pricing
Japan¹³	1 GB (7 days) for 9.18 AUD 5 GB (30 days) for 16.83 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 33.65 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 52.01 AUD Unlimited (10 days only) for 47.42 AUD
Europe (36 Countries)¹²	1 GB (7 days) for 8.41 AUD 5 GB (30 days) for 22.94 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 33.65 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 68.83 AUD Unlimited not available for Europe

Maya

Maya Mobile offers prepaid and unlimited eSIM plans that provide mobile data in over 200 destinations.¹⁴

• Plans can range from 3GB to Unlimited
• Instant plan activation or select a future activation date
• No limitations on mobile hotspot to share Wi-Fi

With Maya, the plans either include a set amount of data or are unlimited, with the option to set the plan to auto-renew if you want.

These are some of the plans and pricing available for Europe and Japan.

Coverage Area	Plans & Pricing
Japan¹⁵	3 GB (10 days) for 9.99 AUD 5 GB (30 days) for 17.99 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 29.99 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 43.99 AUD Unlimited (30 days) for 97.99 AUD
Europe (35 Countries)¹⁶	3 GB (10 days) for 11.99 AUD 5 GB (30 days) for 14.99 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 22.99 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 35.99 AUD Unlimited (30 days) for 80.99 AUD

Simify

Simify is an Australian company that is focusing more and more on offering eSIM’s to people travelling abroad.¹⁷

• Unlimited and set GB data plans
• 100% money-back guarantee for cancelled or delayed trips, incompatible devices, or trouble connecting
• Most plans support hotspotting

Simify doesn’t mention how many destinations they support, but like the other eSIM companies, you can search for a plan by country or region.

Here are some of the data plans available for travel to Japan and Europe.

Coverage Area	Plans & Pricing
Japan¹⁸	5 GB (7 days) for 25.00 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 39.00 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 75.00 AUD Unlimited (30 days) for 109.00 AUD²⁰
Europe (43 Countries)¹⁹	5 GB (7 days) for 25.00 AUD 10 GB (30 days) for 39.00 AUD 20 GB (30 days) for 75.00 AUD Unlimited (30 days) for 99.00 AUD²¹

Travelling soon? Bring along the Wise card to spend at mid-market rate

Now that you've figured out how to stay connected, don't forget the best way to spend without paying more than you should overseas. The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 7x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up AUD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in AUD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card

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This general advice does not take into account your objectives, financial circumstances or needs and you should consider if it is appropriate for you. Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected Australian banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more please visit https://income-climb.live/au/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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Sources:

1. Saily
2. Saily - Europe
3. Saily - Japan
4. Airalo - About
5. Airalo - Global E-Sim
6. Airalo - Japan
7. Airalo - Europe
8. Holafly - Destinations
9. Holafly - eSIM for Japan
10. Holafly - eSIM for Europe
11. Nomad - Shop
12. Nomad - Europe
13. Nomad - Japan
14. Maya
15. Maya - Japan
16. Maya - Europe
17. Simify
18. Simify - Japan
19. Simify - Europe
20. Simify - Japan unlimited
21. Simify - Europe unlimited