Guide
Internet abroad: every way to stay connected when you travel
Roaming, a local SIM, a travel eSIM, Wi-Fi or a pocket router: how they differ, which one fits your trip, and what to do before you fly so your data works the moment you land.
There are five ways to get internet abroad: your home carrier’s roaming, a local SIM card, a travel eSIM, Wi-Fi and a pocket router. For most trips the easiest is a travel eSIM installed at home: data comes on as soon as you land, and your home number stays in the phone. Roaming makes sense when you need very little data, a local SIM when you need a local number, and Wi-Fi only helps where there is Wi-Fi.
Is roaming with your home carrier worth it?
Roaming with your home carrier makes sense when you need little data: there’s nothing to buy or set up, and you keep the same number. The downsides are just as clear. Every carrier sets its own roaming terms and changes them, so you need to check before each trip. If you’ll use a lot of data, roaming usually costs more than a plan for your destination, and in some countries it doesn’t work at all or only with restrictions.
If you do plan to roam, check your carrier’s app before the trip: does roaming work in your destination, how is data charged, and is there an add-on that fits? Better to find out at home than from the first text after landing.
Should you buy a local SIM card?
A local SIM card makes sense when you need a local number: you buy it at the airport or a phone store, usually with your passport. Some countries also register your phone by its IMEI, with rules that change from time to time. A local number is handy for long stays and calling local numbers.
The catch: a line after a red-eye flight, a conversation with a salesperson in another language, and swapping cards in the tray. If your phone has only one SIM slot and no eSIM, your home SIM has to come out, and your bank’s texts stop arriving. Many phones do have a second slot or eSIM, though, so the home SIM can stay put. On a multi-country trip, you repeat the whole routine at every border.
How does a travel eSIM work?
An eSIM is a digital profile that replaces the plastic card. You buy it online and install it by scanning a QR code, with no store visit. A travel eSIM runs as a second line: your home SIM stays in the phone, your number works as usual and receives texts, and your data runs through a plan for your destination. For calls on the road, messaging apps do the job.
MoreSim has travel eSIMs for 200+ destinations. You can buy one on the website or in the @moresim_bot Telegram bot and pay with Telegram Stars from any country, right in the bot (bank card and SBP payments currently work with cards issued in Russia); the QR code lands in the chat in about 30 seconds. The plan starts counting on first connection to a network in your destination, so you can install it at home ahead of time. MoreSim plans are mobile data only, with no phone number: you can call over messaging apps where they aren’t restricted, and bank texts arrive on your home SIM.
There’s one requirement: your phone has to support eSIM. That depends on the model and on the market it was made for, since some models have regional versions without eSIM. You can check your phone right in the bot.
Are Wi-Fi and a pocket router enough?
Wi-Fi only helps where you are: almost every hotel and café has it, and it’s usually fine for evening uploads, but step out the door and you’re offline. Open networks in cafés and airports are also not the place for banking apps or typing in passwords.
A pocket router (also called a mobile hotspot or MiFi) is a separate device with a SIM card that shares internet with several gadgets. You rent or buy one. It works for a group, but it’s one more box to charge, carry around and remember to return. The hotspot feature on a phone with an eSIM does the same job.
Side by side, the five options compare like this. Carrier and plan terms change, so check them before each trip.
| Option | When it connects | Store visit needed | Home number | Multiple countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming | Right away, if roaming works in that country | No | Stays | Depends on your carrier’s terms |
| Local SIM | After you buy it on arrival | Yes, usually with a passport | Stays if you have a second slot or eSIM; with one slot, the card comes out | New SIM in every country |
| Travel eSIM | Installed in advance, switched on after landing | No | Stays for texts | One plan per country, or a regional plan |
| Wi-Fi | Only within range of a network | No | Stays | Wherever there’s a hotspot |
| Pocket router | Once you have the device | Rental or purchase | Stays | Depends on the device |
What’s the best way to get mobile data for your kind of trip?
Pick your option by trip length, the number of countries and whether you need a local number. For a week in one country, the simplest setup is one eSIM for that country, installed at home: data comes on almost as soon as you land, your home number stays active, and you don’t waste vacation time hunting for a phone store.
For a multi-country route in Europe, the regional “Europe” plan is the easy option: one eSIM for the whole trip, with nothing to reinstall at borders. Before buying, check that every country on your route is on the plan’s list. As of October 2026, the MoreSim catalog has two other regional plans: “Caribbean Islands” and “Australia & Asia” (despite the name, it only covers Australia and New Zealand). For other routes, get a local plan for each country: several eSIM profiles can live on one phone, and you switch between them in Settings.
For a winter stay or a month or more of remote work, you have more options. If you need a local number for renting a place, food delivery or dealing with a landlord, a local SIM is worth it. If you only need data, an eSIM with a bigger allowance plus top-ups along the way does the job without a store visit. To top up a MoreSim plan without a new eSIM, use “Top up data” on the eSIM card in your account or in the bot’s app, if top-ups are available for that plan.
What to do before you fly
Before you fly, do everything that needs a stable connection, since there may be no Wi-Fi at the arrival airport.
- Check whether your phone supports eSIM.
- Buy a plan and install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi.
- Check your carrier’s roaming terms if you plan to use roaming.
- Turn off mobile data on your home SIM so your data doesn’t go through your home carrier. Keep the line itself on if you’re expecting bank texts.
- Download offline maps for every city on your route.
- Screenshot your bookings, tickets and the address of your first place to stay.
- Turn off automatic app updates and photo backup over cellular.
How much data do you need abroad?
How much data you need depends on your habits, not the number of days. Maps, messaging, ride-hailing and translation apps use very little: a week of them plus moderate social media usually fits into 3–5 GB. What eats data is video, stories, video calls, automatic photo backup and working from cafés with big files. If you post videos every day or work remotely, give yourself some headroom. Guessed too low? No big deal: you can top up the plan.
If your eSIM is installed but there’s no internet after landing, check two settings: is the new line selected for cellular data, and is data roaming turned on for it? Still stuck? Message us: support is available via /support in the bot, a ticket in your account and email.
FAQ
How do I get internet on my phone when traveling abroad?
There are five main options: your home carrier’s roaming, a local SIM card, a travel eSIM, Wi-Fi and a pocket router. The easiest is to install a travel eSIM at home before you go: after landing, you just pick it for cellular data and turn on data roaming for that line. Turn off mobile data on your home SIM so your data doesn’t go through your home carrier. Hotel Wi-Fi is fine for big downloads, but it won’t help once you step outside.
Travel eSIM vs roaming: which is better?
Roaming wins on zero setup, but every carrier has its own terms, and in some countries it doesn’t work at all. A travel eSIM runs as a second line: your home number stays on for bank texts, while data runs through a plan for your destination. If you’ll use a lot of data, an eSIM usually works out better; roaming makes sense when you need very little and would rather not set anything up. Either way, check with your carrier whether roaming works in the country you’re visiting.
What SIM card should I get for traveling abroad?
If you only need data, a travel eSIM is the easiest option: you buy and install it at home, with no store visit and no card swapping. A local SIM makes sense when you need a local number for a long stay or local calls; you usually buy it in a store with your passport, and some countries also require phone registration. Check in advance whether your phone supports eSIM.
How can I save mobile data abroad?
Match your plan to your habits and stop apps from wasting data. Turn off automatic app updates and cloud photo backup over cellular, download offline maps before you fly, and upload heavy videos in the evening over Wi-Fi. For maps and messaging you don’t need much. If your data runs out early, you can top up the plan without buying a new eSIM.
Should I turn off roaming when I travel abroad?
If your data runs through a travel eSIM or a local SIM, turn off cellular data or data roaming on your home SIM. Otherwise your phone may use your home carrier’s roaming, which is usually the pricier option for heavy data use. Keep the home line itself switched on so you still get calls and bank texts. On the travel eSIM, on the other hand, you usually need to turn data roaming on.
Can I make calls with a travel eSIM?
MoreSim plans are mobile data only, with no phone number, so there are no cellular calls or texts on them. You can call over messaging apps where they aren’t restricted in your destination. Your home SIM stays in the phone as a second line, and bank texts reach it as long as your carrier supports roaming.