Staying in Europe for months: when an eSIM is right and when a local SIM wins
A travel eSIM is built for trips of days or weeks. For a semester abroad or a stay of several months, the honest answer is that a local SIM usually ends up cheaper. The eSIM still has a job: the first weeks, and the trips you make once you are settled.
See the Europe packThe first weeks: land with data
The day you arrive you need maps, the address of your room, messages with the landlord and the university or the office. A local SIM often needs a passport, sometimes a local address or bank account, and a shop that is open. A data eSIM installed at home works from the moment you land, with no ID and no account.
A 10 GB or 20 GB pack lasts 30 days from the first connection, which is usually enough time to get settled and sort out a local plan calmly.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
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How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
After that: a local SIM is usually the better deal
Over several months, a monthly plan from a local operator generally costs less per GB than a travel eSIM, and it gives you a local phone number. That number matters more than it seems: banks, flat rentals, delivery apps and many public services ask for one. If you stay for a semester or longer, plan to switch.
Your travel eSIM and the local SIM can live in the same phone, since most phones take more than one line.
Weekend trips from your new base
Once you live in an EU country with a local plan from there, EU roam-like-at-home rules cover trips to the rest of the EU and the EEA, usually with a fair-use limit on data. Switzerland and the United Kingdom are outside those rules, and many operators charge roaming there. For a weekend in Zurich or London, a country pack or the Europe pack avoids that charge.
The EU roaming calculator shows how many GB your own plan gives you abroad.
Is an eSIM good for a semester abroad in Europe?
For the first weeks, yes: you land with data and no paperwork. For several months, a local SIM is usually cheaper and gives you the local number that banks and landlords ask for.
How long does a travel eSIM last?
The 10 GB and 20 GB packs last 30 days from the first connection. You can top up the same eSIM if you run out of data.
Can I keep the eSIM and a local SIM in the same phone?
Yes, most phones take more than one line, so both can be installed at the same time.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See the Europe pack