Airalo review: my experience using an eSIM for data abroad

For me, Airalo is worth it on short trips outside the EU and on trips that take in several countries. For a longer stay in one country, a local SIM card bought on arrival is cheaper. When you set up the eSIM, remember to turn on data roaming for the eSIM line, or you won’t get any internet.

Quick factsby Milan Bez Mapy

When it’s worth it

Trips outside the EU of up to 10 days, and trips through several countries; for a longer stay in one country a local SIM is cheaper

How I do it

I install it at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before I fly; the validity period starts only once it connects at the destination

Watch out

Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line, or you won’t get internet; leave roaming off on your home SIM

What it costs

In Mauritius 1 GB of data cost me €9; in popular countries the packages are much cheaper

Downsides

Most eSIMs can only be installed once, and support took an hour to reply

On a cruise ship

Doesn’t work on the open sea, only in port or close to the coast

Is Airalo worth it? I first tried Airalo in Mauritius and have used it ever since on every trip where EU roaming doesn’t cover me. In this review I explain what I like about it, what annoys me and when you’re better off with a local SIM card.

• Tip from Milan With the code MILAN1877 you get a discount on your first Airalo eSIM.

What is Airalo and how does it work?

Airalo is an Android and iOS app for buying an eSIM for data abroad. An eSIM is an electronic SIM card: instead of putting it into your phone, you install it as a profile through the app or with a QR code. Your home SIM card stays in the phone, so you can still receive calls and texts on it.

I was surprised by how many countries the app covers. It even has Greenland, where getting hold of a local SIM card is anything but easy. As well as single-country packages, Airalo sells regional packages for a whole continent and global packages that work in dozens of countries at once.

Before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM. On many phones you can simply dial *#06#: if an EID line appears, you have eSIM. The phone also needs to be unlocked, which means it can’t be tied to a single network.

How to buy and install an Airalo eSIM

The whole thing takes a few minutes. I do it at home on Wi-Fi, a day or two before I fly:

1. Download the Airalo app and create an account.
2. Choose the country or region you’re travelling to.
3. Pick a package based on the data allowance and the number of days.
4. Pay by card and install the eSIM straight from the app.
5. When you land, switch on the eSIM line and turn on data roaming for it.

That last step is the one people often miss. In the destination country an Airalo eSIM behaves like a roaming SIM, so unless roaming is switched on for that line, you won’t get any internet. Roaming on your home SIM card can stay off, so your own provider doesn’t charge you for data.

For most eSIMs, the package’s validity period only starts once the eSIM connects to a network in the destination country. Some packages, though, start counting down as soon as you install them, so check the package details before you buy. In Mauritius, after a 10-hour flight from Istanbul, I switched off flight mode while we were still on the plane. By the time we’d taxied to the terminal, I was online, reading my WhatsApp messages, and had already messaged my mum to say I’d landed.

How much does Airalo cost?

Prices depend on the country and the size of the package. In Mauritius, 1 GB of data cost me €9, which isn’t cheap. In popular countries the packages are much cheaper, and the more data you buy, the less you pay per gigabyte. The app also often runs discounts on individual countries, so it pays to spend a few minutes comparing before you buy.

My rule is simple: I only buy as much data as I’ll actually use. Abroad I use mobile data for maps, WhatsApp, banking and email. Videos and social media wait for the hotel Wi-Fi. If you do run out, you can top up the package in the app without installing a new eSIM.

Can you make calls and share data with Airalo?

Most packages are data only, but for some countries, and among the global packages, there are also options with minutes and texts. I’ve only ever bought data, because I make my calls on WhatsApp.

You can also share your data through a hotspot. If you’re travelling as a couple or with friends, one of you buys the eSIM and the others connect to that phone. Bear in mind, though, that the data runs out faster and the battery drains more quickly.

Airalo eSIM in Turkey and other countries outside the EU

Airalo makes the most sense where EU roaming doesn’t work. Turkey isn’t in the EU, so ‘roam like at home’ doesn’t apply there, and your provider charges for data at its own rates, which tend to be high. It’s a similar story in Switzerland, where EU roaming usually doesn’t apply either, and in countries outside Europe such as Egypt, Thailand or the USA.

So before every trip I check my provider’s prices for that country and compare them with the Airalo package. I don’t bother within the EU, where ordinary ‘roam like at home’ on my Slovak SIM card is all I need.

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Airalo pros and cons

What I like about Airalo

• You buy the eSIM from your sofa at home, and it takes a few minutes.
• You’re online as soon as you land, without hunting for a phone shop at the airport.
• Usually you don’t need a passport or the registration that many countries require for local SIM cards. For some countries’ eSIMs, though, Airalo asks you to verify your identity before you buy, for example with your passport.
• It works even in countries where a local SIM card is hard to get, such as Greenland.
• Your own number stays active, so you still get text messages from your bank.
• Regional packages cover a trip through several countries with a single eSIM.

What I don’t like about Airalo

• Data is almost always more expensive than on a local SIM card bought on arrival.
• Most eSIMs can only be installed once. Delete one from your phone by mistake and you have to buy a new one.
• Support is slow to reply. First you have to get past a chatbot, and only then do you reach a human.
• Most packages don’t come with a phone number, so nobody local can call you.

When Airalo is worth it and when it isn’t

For shorter trips of up to 10 days, Airalo is the obvious choice for me. I pay a few euros more and save the time I’d otherwise spend finding a shop and dealing with the paperwork. It’s also worth it when you’re travelling through several countries. In Southeast Asia, people often combine Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in one trip. Buying a new SIM card in each country is a waste of time, whereas a regional eSIM sorts it all out in one go.

Longer trips to a single country are a different story. I’ve spent several weeks in Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Australia, and on trips like those it pays to buy a local SIM card once you arrive. For the same money you get far more data, and often a local number too.

• Tip from Milan If you’re travelling across several continents, have a look at the global packages in the app, which work in dozens of countries at once. The code MILAN1877 gets you a discount on your first Airalo eSIM.

Does an Airalo eSIM work on a cruise ship?

I looked into this before my first cruise, when I sailed from England to New York on the Queen Mary 2. Out on the open sea there are no land-based masts, so ships run their own maritime mobile network via satellite, and calls and data on it are expensive.

On Airalo’s website I found an article about eSIMs for seafarers, but I couldn’t find a specific package for use at sea in the app, so I wrote to support. An hour later they replied that they could offer me a global eSIM. But they also pointed out that an eSIM needs a signal from a land-based network, so they don’t guarantee coverage at sea. It only works when the ship is in port or close to the coast.

On a cruise, then, only count on Airalo in port. On the open sea you’re left with the ship’s Wi-Fi or its expensive onboard network. I explain what I set up on my phone on the Queen Mary 2, and why I crossed the Atlantic without internet, in my article on using an eSIM on a cruise ship.

Airalo discount code

Airalo has a referral programme. If you sign up through a friend’s link, you get a discount on your first eSIM and your friend gets credit towards their next purchase. When you sign up, you can use my code MILAN1877. Once you’ve signed up, the app lets you generate your own code to pass on.

My verdict on Airalo

These days I use Airalo on all my trips outside the EU, mainly because it’s so simple. For short trips outside the EU and trips through several countries, I think it’s the most convenient option. But if you’re going on a longer trip to one country and use a lot of data, a local SIM card works out cheaper. The drawbacks are still the higher price and the slow support: when I had a question, it took them an hour to reply.

• Tip from Milan On Omio you can compare flights, trains and buses for your next trip.

Airalo eSIM FAQ

Is Airalo worth it?

In my view, yes. For short trips outside the EU of up to 10 days and for trips through several countries, Airalo is the most convenient option. For a longer stay in one country, a local SIM card bought on arrival works out cheaper, because you get more data for the same money.

How does an Airalo eSIM work?

Airalo is an Android and iOS app where you buy a data eSIM for a country or region and install it as a profile directly on your phone. Your home SIM card stays active, and with most eSIMs the Airalo package’s validity period only starts once the eSIM connects to a network in the destination country.

Why is my Airalo eSIM not connecting to the internet?

Usually because data roaming isn’t switched on for the Airalo eSIM line. In the destination country the Airalo eSIM behaves like a roaming SIM, so roaming needs to be switched on for that line specifically. Roaming on your home SIM card can stay off, so your own provider doesn’t charge you for data.

Is an Airalo eSIM worth it in Turkey?

Yes, an Airalo eSIM is a good choice in Turkey, because Turkey isn’t in the EU and ‘roam like at home’ doesn’t apply there. Your home provider charges for data in Turkey at its own rates, which tend to be high, so compare them with the Airalo package before you go.

Does an Airalo eSIM work on a cruise ship?

Not on the open sea. An Airalo eSIM needs a signal from a land-based mobile network, so it only works in port or close to the coast. Airalo support confirmed to me that they don’t guarantee coverage at sea, so out there you’re left with the ship’s Wi-Fi or its expensive onboard network.

This article isn’t sponsored. I paid for Airalo with my own money, and I mention the discount code because I use Airalo myself.

There are more tips for your phone in my article on travel apps. You can also read how to call Slovakia from abroad.

Happy travels!