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Physical SIM cards: the traditional option
A physical SIM card is the plastic chip you slide into your phone. For international travel, a local SIM means buying a new card on arrival — at the airport, a phone shop, or a convenience store — and swapping out your home SIM to get local data rates.
Advantages:
- Available everywhere, including countries where eSIM support is limited
- Often very cheap for high-data plans in Southeast Asia and South Asia
- No dependency on your phone having eSIM capability
Disadvantages:
- Requires a physical SIM swap — fiddly, requires a SIM ejector tool, and you need somewhere to safely store your home SIM
- Not available until you arrive, meaning you land without connectivity
- If you lose the SIM or damage it, you're offline until you can replace it
- Doesn't work well for multi-country trips (a Thai SIM isn't much use in Japan)
eSIMs: the modern alternative
An eSIM is a digital profile installed on your phone. You purchase it before you fly, install it in settings, and it activates the moment your phone connects to a local network on arrival.
Advantages:
- Activated before you land — you're online immediately on arrival
- No physical swap — your home SIM stays in place for calls and texts
- Multiple profiles storable on the same device for different countries
- No hardware to lose or damage
Disadvantages:
- Requires a compatible device (most smartphones from 2019 onwards — check before assuming)
- Some cheaper phones and phones sold in China don't support eSIM
- Slightly higher cost per gigabyte than local SIMs in some markets (Thailand, India)
When a physical SIM still makes sense
- You're visiting a destination with limited or no eSIM support
- You need a very high-data plan cheaply (Southeast Asia local SIMs are still hard to beat on pure value)
- Your phone doesn't support eSIM
- You're staying long-term and want a local number
When an eSIM wins
- You want to be online on arrival without queueing at an airport kiosk
- You're visiting multiple countries
- You want simplicity — no hardware, no swapping, no losing things
- Your phone supports it (and if you have a post-2019 smartphone, it almost certainly does)
The verdict
For most international travellers, an eSIM is the better option — particularly for one- or two-country trips where the convenience of pre-install and immediate activation outweighs any minor cost premium.
Airalo is the most widely used eSIM marketplace for travellers, with local and regional plans for 200+ destinations. Plans can be purchased and installed in under five minutes.
For a deeper look at how eSIMs work, see our eSIM explainer.
Frequently asked questions
Is an eSIM better than a physical SIM for travel?
For most short trips, yes. An eSIM can be bought and installed before you fly, activates when you land, and leaves your home number active on the same handset. A physical SIM still wins where you need a local number, a very large data allowance, or where your handset does not support eSIM.
Can I use an eSIM and a physical SIM at the same time?
Yes, on most modern handsets. Dual SIM support lets you keep your home SIM active for calls and texts while an eSIM carries your data abroad.
Does my phone support eSIM?
Most flagship handsets released in recent years do, but support varies by model and by the market the handset was sold in. Our eSIM device compatibility guide explains how to check in under a minute.
Do I need to remove my physical SIM to use an eSIM?
No. An eSIM is a profile stored on the phone itself, so both can be active at once and you choose which one carries data.
What happens to my home number when I use a travel eSIM?
It stays active if you leave your home SIM in place. Most travellers switch off data roaming on the home line and let the eSIM handle data.
Can I reuse the same eSIM on a second trip?
It depends on the plan. Some can be topped up and reused across a region, while others expire after a set validity period. Check the plan terms rather than assuming it will still work.
Is an eSIM harder to set up than a physical SIM?
Setup is usually a QR code scan or an in-app install, and it takes a few minutes. The real difference is that you do it before you travel rather than queueing at an airport kiosk. Our step-by-step install guide walks through it.
What if my eSIM does not connect when I land?
Check that data roaming is enabled for the eSIM line, that the eSIM is selected as the data line, and restart the handset. Most connection problems come down to the phone still defaulting to the home SIM.
Should I buy a local, regional, or global plan?
That depends on how many countries you are visiting and how long you are away. Our comparison of local, regional, and global eSIM plans covers the trade-offs.