If you’re travelling overseas and want to avoid expensive roaming charges, a travel eSIM is one of the easiest ways to stay connected. There’s no tiny plastic SIM card to swap, no tools required, and setup on an iPhone is super easy, and only takes a few minutes.
For many travellers, eSIMs are becoming the easiest and cheapest alternative to paying daily roaming fees through your mobile provider.
What is an eSIM?
An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into your iPhone, sometimes referred to as dual sim. Instead of inserting a physical SIM card, you simply load a mobile plan directly onto your phone, alongside your original sim.
Most modern iPhones support eSIM/dual sim, including:
- iPhone 11, iPhone XS and newer
-
iPhone SE (2nd generation and newer)
Getting Set Up
Once you purchase your eSIM, you’ll usually receive a QR code by email.
On iPhone, you can often install the eSIM by simply:
- Opening the email containing the QR code
- Pressing and holding (force clicking) the QR code
- Tapping “Add eSIM” or “Open in Settings”
- Following the prompts on screen
Your iPhone will guide you through the rest of the process step-by-step.
Travel eSIMs vs Your Telco
Older travellers are increasingly choosing eSIMs because they are:
- Much cheaper than international roaming
- Easy to install before you leave home
- Convenient for tours, and multi-country trips
- Great for maps, messaging, emails, and keeping in touch with family
Instead of paying $10–$20 per day in roaming charges, many travellers can get an entire trip’s data for a fraction of the cost.
Savings
RoamMate offers travel eSIMs for your overseas adventures. They're data only packages and they're much more cost effective than a typical telco's offering. We don't offer calls or texts, but you can still use services like WhatsApp, Instagram and Google Maps which use a data connection.
For example, if you're a Telstra customer heading to you could grab our Europe 10GB 30 Days eSIM instead of buying Telstra day passes:
Telstra |
RoamMate |
|
| Keeping in touch | Yes, calls and texts over cell network | Yes, using apps that work over data (iMessage, Facetime, WhatsApp etc) |
| Data allowance | 28* GB total (*2 GB per day) | 10 GB total, used over your trip |
| Price | $140 🤯❌ | $60 ✅ |
That's a $80 difference.. An extra consideration is your Telstra day pass won't roll over day to day, so any of the 2GB per day you don't use, you lose. Check out our eSIMs here.
A Few Helpful Tips Before You Travel
- Install your eSIM while you still have internet access at home or at the airport
- Keep your home SIM active if you still want to receive calls or texts
- Label your eSIM something simple like “Europe Trip” or “Holiday Data”
Summary
Installing an eSIM on an iPhone is much easier than most people expect. In many cases, you can simply press and hold the QR code and let your iPhone do the rest.
For travellers wanting a simple, affordable way to avoid roaming fees overseas, an eSIM is one of the easiest travel upgrades you can make.
