Every traveller encounters a few common challenges, whether it's flight delays, jet lag, or navigating an unfamiliar destination. But one issue that almost everyone faces is finding a reliable internet connection while travelling abroad.

Bad connectivity is a headache as it is when you’re home, maybe on your commute, and your data fails midscroll. But poor data is a completely different thing; it might find you in a strange city without ever trusting Google Maps, or stuck in a restaurant without a translation tool, or stuck in a hotel lobby unable to find your online reservation.

So, you need a good, reliable data plan. But roaming can be expensive, so what can the traveller do?

That is where the eSIM comes in,

What Is An eSIM?

Well, as its name might imply, an eSIM card is a type of SIM; it does stand for embedded SIM card after all. However, an eSIM differs from the traditional SIM card in several ways. For starters, a traditional SIM card is made of silicon and plastic, is sold separately from the phone and most importantly, you can easily remove it from the SIM card tray and swap it out for another.

An eSIM or digital SIM card, however, is a chip that is soldered directly into the phone's hardware when the phone is still in the factory being manufactured and thus cannot be removed as a traditional SIM card. However, the greatest difference is that while a traditional SIM card can only hold one active line, an eSIM, however, can hold two or more, allowing a user to swap between them.

This is what makes using an eSIM for travel such a popular option.

Why Do World Travellers Love The eSIM?

As stated, an eSIM is able to host more than one active line, and so travellers can keep two active lines, one for their country of travel and one for their home country, which makes it useful for multinationals too. This allows users to make use of eSIM data wherever they are and have a consistent connection throughout their travels.

Another way it helps is that a global esim plan allows users to purchase what might be called a ‘global eSIM plan.’ A data plan that can be used across borders and regions, with many eSIM providers offering such plans.

How to Obtain an eSIM?

As stated, an eSIM card is already built into your phone, so you don’t have to buy it, but simply activate an existing one. Many mobile data plan providers allow users to do this online by simply scanning a QR code and paying online.

You are also able to browse eSIM roaming data plans online. Some plans are only active in certain countries, and some are for entire regions, like you can get an Eastern Europe plan or a Southeast Asia data plan. These plans allow you to remain connected across the borders of that region.

Conclusion

With the ability to store multiple plans, switch networks without physical SIM swaps, and activate services in minutes, eSIMs make travel much easier for everyone.If you are planning a trip, you should figure out if your device supports eSIM and explore the available plans ahead of time.