Americans are using a nifty travel hack to avoid a huge phone bill this summer.
Each year, as many as 20 million Americans travel to Europe for a holiday.
Some spend their time hopping between Greek islands, while others plan trips around must-see UK sights.
Even with bargain flights and careful spending, one cost often gets overlooked until it’s too late: your mobile bill.
Many travellers learn the hard way that using a phone abroad without the right plan can rack up charges fast—sometimes before you’ve even settled in.
Recent figures suggest US visitors can pay more than $12 per day for data roaming, and that can add up quickly over a week or two.
To avoid that, more holidaymakers are opting for international eSIMs, which can substantially reduce what you pay for mobile data overseas.
Here’s what to know.
If you’re getting ready for a European getaway, buying an eSIM before you fly can help you dodge an unexpectedly high bill.
There’s a wide range of eSIM plans available to US travellers, with options varying based on the countries you’ll visit and the length of your trip.
As an example, Holafly offers an unlimited Europe 14-day eSIM for $45.51.
That breaks down to roughly $3 a day—around $9 less per day than typical roaming costs.
If you don’t need unlimited data and you’re aiming to spend less, ByteSim sells a 500MB 15-day eSIM for $10.
It also means you can forget the hassle of swapping tiny physical SIM cards in and out of your phone.
If you haven’t used one before, an eSIM is a built-in digital SIM inside your device.
You pick a provider, choose a plan, and the data package is downloaded to your phone.
From your phone’s settings, you can switch between carriers as you move from country to country.
With a data-only eSIM, your current phone number typically stays the same—unless you decide you want a European number.
You can also switch between lines through your settings, depending on your location and which plan you want to use.
And if you use up your data, most providers let you top up. To help prevent roaming fees, make sure your ‘primary number’ line isn’t being used for mobile data while you’re abroad.