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Love it or hate it, but at this point, nobody travels to deconnect completely. Am I right, or am I the only one who thinks that internet is a must during a trip??
I have been using local SIM cards for a long time now, so I don’t have to rely on hotel wifi and can stay connected even when heading from A to B, or while looking for my Grab at the airport. But I think it was during my last India trip whenI finally caved and realized that an eSIM is going to be a must-have travel accessory from now on.
Getting a SIM card in India is a hassle, to say the least. I was lucky enough to have my good friend Joe organize some Vodacom guys to come to my guesthouse in Delhi to hook me up with a SIM card. It was also Joe who called Vodacom later, after I had run out of my daily data, to get me more. He paid for the data, and I paid him in cash, but unfortunately, not everyone has a Joe in their life and thus has to face said hassle when trying to get a local SIM card in India.
While getting a local SIM is easy and cheap in many countries in Southeast Asia, a myriad of different packages and plans can make it really hard for travelers, especially if you don’t speak the local language. And in many countries, providers are scaling back on cheap prepaid SIM cards for tourists, pushing more expensive, exclusive tourist SIM cards for foreigners.
All that to say, I have finally converted, become an eSIM fan, and teamed up with Sim Local.
What is an eSIM & why do you need it?
Let’s start at the beginning: An eSIM is a digital SIM card that you install on your phone without your regular SIM card ever leaving the device.
I think by now we have all learned about the pesky roaming charges that can destroy any vacation budget (usually after you have returned home, which is even worse). Some carriers may include roaming in certain countries, i.e., you can call and use data in Mexico with many US plans, or you can use my German SIM within other EU countries. However, that isn’t always the case, or it can get very pricy.
A better option is to get a local SIM card at your destination or, even easier, a Sim Local eSIM.
Here are some of the advantages:
1. You buy your eSIM usually before you arrive at your destination. That means you can check out different packages and compare prices from the comfort of your couch, install it, and start browsing as soon as you land.
And no more arriving at Marrakech airport at 11 pm only to realize that all the SIM card counters have closed! Ups.
3. Your regular SIM card stays in your phone, meaning you can continue using your WhatsApp number and receive SMS. The latter is really useful to receive codes for banking transactions or apps you are installing.
2. You can simply switch off roaming and know exactly what you are spending as you pay your eSIM beforehand. And even if you have to top up, you will know what you are spending.
4. While I still love getting a local SIM card in many countries when it is cheap and easy, in some it is getting trickier. Prepaid SIM cards are hard to come by, for example, in Brazil, where you don’t just need your passport but a local tax number, CPF. In Vietnam, SIM cards sold at the airport are known to stop working after a day, and in South Africa, cheap top-ups are tricky to figure out if you don’t know the system.
All in all, plenty of good reasons to switch to an eSIM from Sim Local.
Use my code MIDNIGHTBLUE to get 5 % off and order your eSim here.
Sim Local eSIM Plans 2026: Global, Unlimited & Local Options
Sim Local offers eSIMs in over 180 countries, as well as for different regions if you are planning to travel around. Formost of these countries, you can get an eSIM with a set data package valid for a certain number of days. The amount of data depends on the country and the package. They include small packages like the 1GB eSIM for the Maldives, valid for 3 days, as well as big packages like the Vietnam eSIM with 180 GB for 30 days.
Prices are competitive with other eSIM providers and, unlike some, include an unlimited Sim Local hotspot tethering – this means you can share your data with another person and/or device. Another big advantage: many plans have a top-up option. So if you run out of data or your eSIM expires, you can simply top it up in the Sim Local app.
While most eSIMs don’t provide a local number (usually due to a more complicated registration process), some of Sim Local’s do. You can find eSIM plans with calls & texts in an extra section when browsing ‘destinations’.
Find a Sim Local eSIM with calls & texts
There are two other features that I particularly love from Sim Local: the global plan with roaming and their new Unlimited and Unlimited Pro plans.
Sim Local Global Plans
Now, technically, a global eSIM is nothing new, and plenty of providers offer them. That said, I always find them really expensive and would never actively search for one, even if I were to plan a trip around the world.
I came across a global plan from Sim Local by accident when I was browsing eSIMs for Morocco. The best valuedoption listed was the global 20 GB eSIM from Orange that would work not only in Morocco but in over 70 countries through roaming. It was marginally more expensive than a regular 20 GB eSIM solely for Morocco, and even came with a French number and some international calls.
I realized just how practical that eSIM was when I had a layover in Dubai during my next trip to Thailand, realizing I hadn’t bought an eSIM for my one night in transit. Since my Moroccan / global eSIM hadn’t expired yet, I simplyactivated it again and used it for my time in Dubai.
In total, they have 4 global eSIMs (1 from Orange and 3 from Three UK) that you can use with roaming in over 70 countries and get 12, 18, 20, or 30 GB.
Get a global eSIM with roaming
Sim Local Unlimited & Unlimited Pro Plans
In addition to plans with a set amount of data, they also offer Sim Local unlimited data plans. That is something many eSIM providers offer. But here is the kicker: Few will tell you about the very limited fair usage policy before you buy such an unlimited plan.
The fair usage policy is something many network providers have implemented to make data usage fair to all users. It means you can only use a certain amount of data per day at high speed before the speed gets throttled. For the majority ofproviders in most countries, that limit is 2-3 GB per day. If you go over this, your speed gets throttled until it resets the next day, and you get a new 3 GB allowance.
Don’t get me wrong, for most users, 3 GB is plenty. However, it is not truly unlimited, and if you tend to use a lot of social media, Google Maps, or want to stream, you will run out faster than you can say Netflix.
This is where Sim Local can help. They offer two unlimited plans for 7 or 15 days, with a generous fair usage policy of 5 GB per day for the Unlimited plan or even 10 GB per day for the Unlimited Pro plan. And of course, if you go over, you can still surf with a reduced speed of 1 Mbps.
Best of all? The hotspot/tethering is not limited to the unlimited plans either!
At the moment, you can get the Unlimited and Unlimited Pro for the following countries:
Get a Sim Local Unlimited or Unlimited PRO plan
How does a Sim Local eSIM work?
Before you buy any eSIM, you need to check that it is compatible with your phone. To check if your device is compatible, have a look at this list. Most newer generations of phones are. In addition, you will need to make sure that your phone is unlocked.
Once you have sorted this, you can buy your Sim Local either on their website or through the app. You can download the app through the Google Play or the Apple App Store. While I hate having too many apps on my phone, this one is really useful to buy a top-up or connect to their 24/7 support. You can also check how much data remains for some plans.
Before you order your eSIM, you have to confirm once more that your device is compatible and unlocked.
You will either continue as a guest or log in to your account. Payment can be made through credit card, Apple Pay, Bancontact, eps or iDEAL (don’t forget to add the discount code MIDNIGHTBLUE first to get 5 % off your purchase!).
Once your payment has gone through, you have a few options to activate your eSIM: Use One-Click, scan your QR code, or enter a manual code. The One-Click option is available through the “Download your plan” button in the app. All three methods are explained in detail here for various phones.
Once you have installed your plan, you will need to set the new eSIM as your data preference and, most importantly, enable roaming! This is something you will do once you have arrived at your destination. Then you are all set and can start browsing.
Now this is important: Generally, your Sim Local eSIM will activate as soon as it connects to the network in your destination. At the latest, it will activate 60 days after you purchase, while some will activate immediately. This will depend on the kind of eSIM you bought, and is clearly stated on the description for each eSIM from Sim Local. Make sure to double-check and only install those with immediate activation (for example, for UK eSIMs) once you arrive. This way, you are not wasting any days while you are still at home.
What to do if it doesn’t work? Sometimes, even the most experienced traveler, aka yours truly, gets confused after a long trip and finds herself in a long line for immigration, not able to connect with her new eSIM. If this happens to you, simply hop on the airport wifi and open the Sim Local WhatsApp support. Honestly, the service could not be better (or faster)! They asked some me questions and to send some screenshots, and immediately determined that I had, in fact, forgotten to turn on data roaming – silly me. And best of all, I got to chat to a human and not a bot!
Sim Local eSIM FAQ
What is an eSIM?
An eSIM is a digital SIM card perfect for traveling, so you don’t get stuck with high roaming charges or crappy hotel wifi.
What is Sim Local?
Sim Local is a premier eSIM provider offering eSIMs with data plans in over 180 countries, as well as global plans with a real phone number and roaming options. You can buy and top up your eSIM online or through the Sim Local app.
What makes Sim Local better than their competitors?
Unlike other eSIM providers, Sim Local offers unlimited data plans with a daily allowance of 5 GB or even 10 GB in many countries. Their global plans’ prices are unmatched, and they also offer unlimited hotspot tethering.
Where can you use the Sim Local unlimited data plans?
Sim Local Unlimited and Unlimited Pro are currently available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the USA, and Vietnam.
Does Sim Local offer customer support?
Yes, and it is great! You can reach a real human around the clock via WhatsApp.
Keen to try a Sim Local eSIM for your next trip?
Use my code MIDNIGHTBLUE to get 5 % off and order your eSim here.
