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Three ways to get online in another country, what each actually costs you in time and money, and how to decide before you are standing in an arrivals hall.
There are three ways to have working data in another country. Each is the right answer for somebody, and the wrong answer is picking one at the airport because you did not think about it.
Best when: the trip is short, or your plan already includes the country you are going to.
Nothing to set up, your number keeps working, and calls and texts arrive as normal. That last point matters more than people expect — banks and airlines still send verification codes by SMS, and a service that texts your old number is unreachable if that number is sitting in a drawer.
The catch is price, and the price is where operators are least clear. Check the specific rate for the specific country before you go, including what happens when a bundled allowance runs out. "Unlimited" in roaming terms often means unlimited at a speed that cannot load a map.
Best when: you are staying a while, you need a local number, or data is genuinely cheap where you are going.
Usually the cheapest per gigabyte, and a local number is useful for domestic deliveries, taxis and anything that verifies by SMS.
The cost is time and friction, all of it front-loaded into the worst possible moment. You need to find a shop, you may need ID or registration, the airport kiosk is often the most expensive place to buy one, and you lose your usual number while the local SIM is in the phone unless it takes two.
Best when: you want data working the moment you land, and your phone supports it.
An eSIM is a mobile plan installed as software. You buy it before you travel, install it, and it activates when you arrive — no shop, no queue, no swapping a physical card in a taxi rank while holding your luggage.
Your usual number stays active alongside it, so verification texts still arrive. That combination — local data plus your real number still reachable — is why eSIMs have taken over for short international trips.
Two things to check before you rely on one. First, that your handset supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked; most recent flagship phones do, many mid-range and older ones do not. Second, what the plan actually covers: some are single-country, some regional, and the cheap ones are frequently data-only with no calls or texts of their own.
A weekend somewhere your plan already covers: roam, and stop thinking about it.
A month in one country where you will need a local number: buy a local SIM, but do it in town rather than at the airport, and have a way online for the first day.
Anything in between — most international trips — an eSIM bought before you fly is usually the least total hassle.
Every one of these options is easier to arrange from your sofa than from an arrivals hall. The decision costs ten minutes in advance and an hour of your first day if you leave it.
eSIM connectivity is a feature we are building into AirConnect. It is not available yet — if it would be useful to you, [join the waitlist](/waitlist) and say so.
AirConnect brings flight search, booking and trip management into one place. Join the waitlist to hear when it launches.