The quick verdict
There is no single best option for everyone. The right choice depends on where your home SIM comes from, how long you are away and whether you need a local phone number.
- Roaming on your home plan is best when it is already included or cheap for your destination, for example many EU SIM holders travelling within the EU.
- A travel eSIM suits most short and medium trips where roaming is expensive or limited: you set it up before you leave, pay a known price, and keep your own number on the same phone.
- A local SIM makes sense for long stays, for people who need a local number, or for phones that do not support eSIM.
A simple rule of thumb
First check what your home operator charges for data in your destination. If it is included in your plan, roaming is hard to beat for convenience. If it is not, compare that cost with a travel eSIM for the length of your trip. Only look at a local SIM if you are staying long enough that the shop visit pays for itself, or if you specifically need a local number.
Option 1: roaming on your home plan
Roaming means your own SIM connects to a partner network abroad, and your home operator bills you for what you use. Nothing needs to be installed. You land, the phone finds a network, and if data roaming is on, data works.
How much that costs varies enormously by operator, plan and destination. Some plans include roaming in certain countries. Others charge a daily fee for using your home allowance abroad. Others charge per megabyte, which can add up quickly with maps and photo uploads.
Roam like at Home in the EU
Under the EU's 'Roam like at Home' rules, people with a SIM from an EU country can generally use their domestic allowance in other EU and EEA countries without extra roaming charges, subject to fair-use limits. This is a real advantage, but it does not apply to everyone. It does not cover SIMs from outside the EU, it does not automatically cover non-EU countries in Europe, and some operators apply their own limits. Check your own operator's terms before relying on it.
Pros and cons of roaming
- Pro: no set-up at all, and your number works exactly as at home.
- Pro: sometimes included in your plan at no extra cost.
- Con: outside included zones, it can be the most expensive option.
- Con: daily fees or speed caps may apply, and the details are often buried in the small print.
- Con: the bill arrives after the trip, so mistakes are found late.
Option 2: buying a local SIM card
A local SIM is a prepaid card from a mobile operator in the country you are visiting. You buy it at the airport, a phone shop or sometimes a supermarket, put it in your phone and use local rates.
For long stays it can be good value, and it gives you a local number, which is useful if you need to receive calls from local businesses or register for local services.
Pros and cons of a local SIM
- Pro: local rates, often good value for longer stays.
- Pro: a local number for calls and texts in the country.
- Con: you have to find a shop on arrival, often after a long journey, and many countries require you to show a passport to register a SIM.
- Con: in a single-SIM phone, the local SIM replaces your own, so your normal number is unreachable until you swap back.
- Con: it covers one country. On a multi-country trip you may need several cards.
- Con: instructions, menus and top-up methods may be in a language you do not read.
Local eSIMs from local operators
Some local operators now sell their own eSIMs. These can combine local rates with digital delivery, but availability for visitors varies, and some still require registration in person or a local payment method. Check the operator's own website before you count on it.
Option 3: a travel eSIM
A travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan for a country or region, delivered as a digital SIM profile. You buy it online, install it with a QR code before you leave, and it sits next to your own SIM. When you arrive you turn on data roaming for the travel line and use it for data, while your own SIM stays available for calls and texts. If you are new to the idea, start with what a travel eSIM is.
Pros and cons of a travel eSIM
- Pro: set up at home, so you are connected the moment you land.
- Pro: a known, prepaid price with no bill afterwards.
- Pro: your own number stays active on the same phone.
- Pro: regional plans, such as the Europe plan, cover several countries with one install.
- Con: your phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked.
- Con: most plans are data-only, without a local number. A Data + calls plan is the exception.
- Con: for a long stay, a local SIM can work out cheaper per gigabyte.
Side by side: the factors that matter
Here is how the three options compare on the questions travellers ask most often.
Cost
Roaming ranges from free to very expensive depending on your operator and destination. A local SIM is usually cheapest per gigabyte, but you pay with time and effort. A travel eSIM is priced up front for a fixed allowance or a number of days, so you know the total before you leave. See the prices page for current Spidot plans.
Convenience
Roaming needs no action. A travel eSIM needs a few minutes at home. A local SIM needs a shop visit after you land, and sometimes paperwork.
Your phone number
With roaming and with a travel eSIM, your own number stays active. With a local SIM in a single-SIM phone, it does not. In a dual-SIM phone you can keep both, which we explain in dual SIM explained.
Coverage
All three options ultimately use the same physical mobile networks in the destination. Roaming and travel eSIMs connect to partner networks; a local SIM uses its own operator. In practice, coverage in cities is usually good on any of them, and gaps in remote areas affect everyone. If one particular network matters to you, check which networks a plan uses on its destination page.
Multi-country trips
Roaming may or may not cover every country on your route. A local SIM generally covers one. A regional travel eSIM is designed for this case. Our Europe trip internet guide goes into the details for a European itinerary.
Which option for which trip
Abstract comparisons only go so far. These typical trips show how the choice usually plays out.
A week's city break
If roaming is included in your plan, use it. If not, a small fixed data eSIM covers maps, messaging and booking apps with no effort on arrival. A local SIM is rarely worth the queue for a short stay.
Two or three weeks across several countries
A regional eSIM is usually the most practical choice, because you avoid buying a card at every border and your settings stay the same throughout. Roaming can work if your home plan covers every country on the route.
Remote work while travelling
Data use climbs quickly with video calls and tethered laptops. An unlimited eSIM priced by the day avoids rationing, with the caveat that speed may slow after heavy use. For a stay of several months in one place, compare it with a local SIM or home broadband.
Frequent short trips
If you travel to the same region several times a year, a no-expiry plan lets unused data carry over between trips, so you are not buying a new plan each time.
Moving abroad or long study stays
A local SIM or contract is usually the better long-term choice, especially if you need a local number for banks, landlords or employers. A travel eSIM is still useful for the first days, until your local line is set up.
You can combine them
The options are not mutually exclusive. A common set-up is to keep your home SIM for calls and texts, with data roaming turned off, and use a travel eSIM for data. You stay reachable on your normal number, two-factor codes by SMS still arrive, and data costs are fixed in advance.
Calls and texts on your home SIM are still charged by your home operator at its roaming rates, so check those if you expect to make many traditional calls. Most travellers find that app-based calling over the eSIM data covers almost everything. Our guide to keeping your WhatsApp number explains how messaging apps behave in this set-up.
Avoiding surprise charges whichever you choose
- Read your operator's roaming terms before you leave, even if you plan to use an eSIM, so you know what happens if your home SIM uses data by accident.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM if you are using a travel eSIM for data. The setting is separate for each line.
- Watch for ships and planes. On ferries and cruise ships, phones can connect to onboard networks that are billed separately and can be costly. Keep data roaming off on your home SIM at sea.
- Check your balance on prepaid options. Spidot customers can check how much data is left at any time.
Where Spidot fits
Spidot sells prepaid travel eSIMs. You choose a destination on the destinations page, pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and receive the QR code by email straight after payment. Before you buy, check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. If roaming is already included for your trip, you may not need us at all, and that is a perfectly good outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Is a travel eSIM cheaper than roaming?
Is coverage worse on a travel eSIM than on a local SIM?
Can I use a local SIM and a travel eSIM together?
What if my phone does not support eSIM?
Do I need to show a passport for a travel eSIM?
Plans for this trip
Check the plans and live prices before you go. You receive the QR code by email right after payment.