Short answer: you have five realistic ways to get online abroad, and the right one depends on where you are from and where you are going. If you hold an EU SIM travelling inside the EU, your existing plan is probably free to use. For almost everyone else, a prepaid travel eSIM is the cheapest predictable option.
The five options, compared honestly
| Option | Typical cost | Best for | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier roaming | €5–15/day outside your zone | Very short trips; EU SIMs inside the EU (often free) | Unpredictable bills; charges appear after the trip |
| Travel eSIM | Fixed EUR bundle, from ~€0.30/GB | Most travellers with a recent, unlocked phone | Needs an eSIM-capable handset |
| Local SIM card | Cheap per GB locally | Long stays where you want a local number | Passport registration, shop queues, losing your home SIM slot |
| Pocket Wi-Fi rental | €5–10/day | Groups of four or more sharing | Extra device to charge, collect and return |
| Public Wi-Fi only | Free | Very low-need trips, tight budgets | No data when you need it most; security risk |
Check this before you assume you need to pay
If your SIM card is from an EU or EEA country and you are travelling within that area, "roam like at home" rules generally let you use your normal domestic allowance at no extra cost. Before buying anything, check your plan's roaming terms. Two things to watch: Britain left the EU roaming area after Brexit and many carriers reinstated daily fees for the UK, and some cheaper domestic plans cap roaming data well below your home allowance.
Travellers from outside the EU — the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Switzerland, Turkey and the Balkans — rarely have free roaming anywhere, and this is where a travel eSIM makes the clearest difference.
Why roaming bills are so unpredictable
- Daily fees trigger on first use. Checking one message at 11pm can start a full day's charge.
- Zone boundaries are confusing. Neighbouring countries often sit in different pricing zones, and a short border hop can cost more than the rest of the trip.
- Add-on bundles have fine print. "Unlimited" international packs are frequently throttled after a few gigabytes or exclude tethering.
- You find out afterwards. Roaming appears on the bill weeks later, by which point nothing can be done.
- Background data counts. Photo backup and app updates can consume your allowance before you have deliberately used anything.
A prepaid eSIM inverts this: you pay a known amount up front for a known allowance, and when it is gone nothing further is charged. Our detailed eSIM vs roaming comparison works through example trips.
A note on public Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is a useful supplement but a poor primary plan. Beyond availability, there are two practical problems. Many networks in airports, cafés and shopping centres require SMS verification to a local phone number, which visitors do not have — this is common in Turkey, for example. And open networks are genuinely unsafe for banking or entering passwords. Use hotel Wi-Fi for large downloads, and your own mobile data for anything sensitive.
How much data will you actually use?
| Activity | Rough consumption |
|---|---|
| Maps navigation | ~5 MB per hour |
| WhatsApp text and voice notes | Negligible |
| Web browsing and email | ~20–50 MB per hour |
| Social media scrolling | ~300–600 MB per hour |
| Video call | ~500 MB per hour |
| Streaming video (HD) | ~1.5–3 GB per hour |
In practice: 3–5 GB for a week of maps and messaging, 10 GB for two weeks including social media, and 20 GB or more for remote work or sharing a hotspot. Stream and back up photos on hotel Wi-Fi, not on your bundle.
Popular destinations
- Turkey eSIM — Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia
- Greece eSIM — Athens and the islands
- Italy eSIM — Rome, Milan, the Amalfi Coast
- USA eSIM — New York, LA, Miami and nationwide
- Japan eSIM — Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka
- All 190+ destinations
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to get internet abroad?
If you have an EU SIM and stay within the EU, your existing allowance is usually free — that is the cheapest. Otherwise a prepaid travel eSIM is normally the lowest predictable cost, starting from roughly €0.30 per GB.
Should I just turn off roaming and use Wi-Fi?
It works for very low-need trips, but you will have no data exactly when you need it — finding accommodation, calling a taxi, or re-routing after a cancelled train. Many public networks also require a local phone number to sign in.
Is a local SIM card cheaper than an eSIM?
Per gigabyte, sometimes yes. But you have to find a shop, register with your passport, and remove your home SIM — losing your own number. For trips under a month an eSIM is usually the better trade.
How do I avoid a surprise roaming bill?
Turn off data roaming on your home SIM, install a travel eSIM, set the eSIM as your data line, and enable roaming only on that line. Your own carrier then cannot charge you for data.
Setup in four steps
- Pick your destination in the eSIM shop.
- Pay and receive the QR code by email within minutes.
- Install at home over Wi-Fi — iPhone guide or Android guide.
- On arrival, enable data roaming for the eSIM line only.