Travel is synonymous with planning and for us at GSMArena this also includes how to deal with roaming charges when we go abroad as we need an uninterrupted internet connection at all times.
With embedded SIM (eSIM) support now widely available on phones, tablets and smartwatches, choosing a travel data plan is a quick and easy process, and we had the chance to test Airalo and Yesim’s travel eSIM plans over the course of a week London trip.
Download the travel eSIM package and get instant mobile data as soon as you get off the plane. It’s very convenient and a great way to start your trip. Not having to deal with unreliable hotel and public Wi-Fi networks is another bonus.
The process of activating an eSIM is very simple, but you may encounter some pitfalls. In this article we will try to cover the entire process from selecting and purchasing a travel eSIM to actually using the eSIM.
Setup process
The first step you need to take is to make sure your device supports eSIM. You can use our database to see if your device has an eSIM. These are the eSIM-enabled smartphones in our database. We also have a list of tablets here.
Airalo supports 200 countries and regions, and Yesim covers 120 countries. Both services offer local eSIMs for accessing a specific country, regional eSIMs for accessing multiple countries in the same region or continent, and global eSIM profiles (the most expensive, but cover all supported countries/ region, in case you are traveling between continents within a short period of time). There are no contractual obligations here, as both services are pay-as-you-go.
Travel eSIM validity varies by country and plan, ranging from 7 to 365 days. The minimum amount of data you can buy on Airalo is 1GB, while most countries have a limit of 20GB. Yesim plans start with 3GB and go up to 20GB. More expensive plans are valid for longer, so keep that in mind.
One area where Yesim has an advantage is with its unlimited data plans which, while pricier, don’t give you any data caps, which is useful if you plan on downloading large files and hotspot data to other devices.
Most Airalo and Yesim plans don’t include text messages or phone calls, although both services offer virtual international numbers that allow you to receive incoming text messages for account activation. You can get a valid virtual number in the United States, Netherlands, Canada or Israel from Yesim for the equivalent of $2.75 per month or $33 per year.
Airalo’s Discover+ Global eSIM plan (supported in 125 countries) includes valid Austrian phone numbers for sending and receiving text messages and calls. Calls and text messages are fixed on this plan, with the cheapest plan offering 10 minutes of talk time and 10 text messages.
The setup process for Airalo and Yesim is very similar – you select and purchase your eSIM plan from their website or through their respective apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
After successfully purchasing a plan, it will appear within the app. You can then follow the guided setup process to activate your eSIM. This involves scanning a QR code sent to your account. After scanning, you will automatically be directed to the settings page in the settings menu. If you prefer, you can also enter the activation code manually.
It is recommended that you activate your travel eSIM card before traveling so that you don’t have to deal with the setup process when you arrive at your destination. It’s important to have a stable internet connection during the setup process, and you obviously shouldn’t turn off your phone during this time. The setup process will then ask you to assign a default SIM for calling and data, and you can enable a new travel eSIM for the latter.
Another key step here is to activate the data roaming option for the new eSIM profile. Otherwise, the travel eSIM card will not be able to automatically connect to the destination network.
If you run into any issues during setup and installation, both services have support chat features that can help you resolve any potential issues.
experience
We tested Airalo and Yesim over a 5G connection on the O2 network in London. Prior to arrival, we installed two eSIM cards on two iPhone 15 Pros following the on-screen activation instructions. When we landed in London our phones automatically connected to the O2 network and we had mobile data.
We purchased a 5GB data plan on both services, with the Yesim plan valid for 15 days and the Airalo plan valid for 30 days. After applying the promo code, each plan costs the equivalent of $12.
In our experience, both services work well for basic social media, navigation, and music streaming. Less demanding tasks like Google Maps navigation, search queries, and instant messaging worked without any issues.
Some data-intensive video apps, such as Instagram and TikTok, sometimes take a few seconds to refresh, but this is related to the actual network coverage of your local operator (in our case, O2). When the network connection is OK, everything works fine.
We also tested Airalo and Yesim plans as hotspots, and these proved to be reliable, especially if your hotel Wi-Fi is slow.
We conducted preliminary network speed tests at Stansted Airport, 68 kilometers from central London. Coverage here isn’t the best, as we got 12.6 Mbps upload speeds and 1.01 Mbps download speeds on Yesim. Our Airalo eSIM manages upload speeds of 9.27 Mbps and download speeds of 0.15 Mbps at the same location. Ookla Speedtest rates both services as suitable for 1080p video maximum resolution.
Ookla speed test results at Stansted Airport and central London.
Once in central London, our network speeds improved significantly, with peak uploads of 87.9 Mbps and downloads of 21.4 Mbps on both eSIMs. That’s enough for 4K video streaming, online gaming, and anything else you might want to do with a mobile internet connection.
in conclusion
Travel eSIM is a reliable and easy-to-set-up service that helps you avoid paying excessive roaming charges when traveling abroad. Airalo and Yesim are two leading providers in this field and served us well during our week-long trip to London.
Whether using Google Maps to browse city sights, order food, or scroll through social media, both services gave us uninterrupted connectivity as soon as we landed on British soil. They also come with a well-optimized app and easy-to-follow setup instructions.
Network speed and coverage will depend on the local operators Airalo and Yesim have deals with. Buy an eSIM plan for almost any country in just a few clicks and have the peace of mind knowing you’ll have mobile data when you arrive.
One of the disadvantages of a travel eSIM is that its pricing is typically higher than local data plans from established carriers. You can’t switch eSIM profiles between devices like you can with a physical SIM card, and most plans only offer mobile data, so you won’t get calls or text messages.
Having said that, we can recommend Airalo and Yesim for your next trip abroad. Both apps offer great service and easy-to-follow installation processes, making them a valuable tool for frequent travelers.
If you want to try Airalo or Yesim you can use our code GSM Arena Get 10% off your purchase.
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