Staying connected
Phone data abroad is mostly a cost question.
Checked Jul 2026
In most of the places US travelers go, coverage is not the problem. The problem is that your carrier will happily charge you about 10 to 12 dollars a day for something an eSIM does for a fraction of it, and that in a fair number of countries the cheapest honest answer is not an eSIM at all. Here is how to tell which situation you are in, then the detail for your destination.
Sometimes the answer is that you need to do nothing, and we would rather tell you that than sell you something. Canada is the clearest case: T-Mobile includes it on most plans, and Verizon and AT&T sell a Canada and Mexico pass for a few dollars a day. Look at your own plan before you buy anything.
Across western Europe, Japan, the UK and Australia, coverage is strong and this is purely a cost decision. The US carrier day passes run about 10 to 12 dollars a day, which on a two-week trip is real money, and an eSIM bought before you fly is typically a small fraction of that for the same networks.
In a few countries the cheapest eSIM is the wrong one, because reach varies enormously by carrier. In Indonesia you want something Telkomsel-backed once you leave South Bali, and in Costa Rica a Kolbi-backed plan is what actually works in the cloud forests and on remote coasts. Price second, network first.
China is its own category. On a Chinese network the Great Firewall blocks Google, Maps, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and VPNs have become unreliable. The fix is not a cheaper local SIM, it is a roaming eSIM set up before you fly that routes your traffic outside the country.
What we earn, and where we do not
We earn a commission on eSIM links, so it is worth being plain about the incentive.
An eSIM is genuinely the right answer for most trips, and it is also the thing on this page we get paid for. Those two facts sit uncomfortably together, so the rule we hold ourselves to is simple: where your existing plan already covers you, we say so and earn nothing. Canada is the obvious example, and it is written up that way.
We also flag the places where coverage is honestly thin no matter what you buy, such as the remote Australian Outback and most of Namibia, rather than implying a data plan solves geography. And where the local network matters more than the price, we name the network to look for instead of pointing you at the cheapest option.
The version of this that costs us the most is worth stating plainly, because it comes up more often than we expected. In a number of countries a local SIM bought on arrival is simply cheaper than any eSIM, sometimes by a factor of ten: India is the clearest case, at a few dollars for a month of daily data. In a few others, a short stay on hotel and public wifi genuinely needs no data plan at all. Those pages say so, in the first paragraph rather than the last, and we earn nothing from them.
Country by country
Where a country has a connectivity wrinkle worth walking through, we have written it up. Each one lives in that country's guide.
Of the 39 countries we have given a verdict so far, 26 have an honest answer that is not the eSIM we earn a commission on. The rest of the list is still being checked.
ArgentinaStaying connected in Argentina.Argentina is the country where the cheap option is real but awkward. Local data costs very little, buying it as a foreigner is inconsistent, and none of it helps once you are on Ruta 40.
ArubaWifi is usually enoughStaying connected in Aruba.On a resort week the wifi covers it. Island prepaid is expensive enough that an eSIM is the better buy if you do want data.
AustraliaAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Australia.Strong in the cities, on the coast and in the towns, and honestly absent for long stretches of the remote Outback.
AustriaStaying connected in Austria.Austria covers its cities, towns and main valleys well, which for a country that is mostly mountains is a real achievement. The gaps are high up and narrow, and they are worth knowing before a hiking day.
BahrainStaying connected in Bahrain.Bahrain is an island you can drive across in an hour, comprehensively covered, with lighter internet restrictions than its larger neighbours. There is not much of a story here, which is the honest thing to report.
BrazilDo the mathStaying connected in Brazil.A local chip undercuts everything per gigabyte, and the store visit is uneven. You do not need a CPF, whatever the internet says.
CambodiaBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Cambodia.A few dollars buys tens of gigabytes, among the cheapest data anywhere. One day of roaming costs more than the whole month.
CanadaCheck your own plan firstStaying connected in Canada.Most US unlimited plans include Canada at no extra cost. Look at your own plan before buying anything.
ChinaAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in ChinaThe one country where an eSIM is not about price: a roaming plan set up before you fly routes around the firewall. VPNs are unreliable.
ColombiaBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Colombia.Claro is a few dollars and has the widest reach. The eSIM case here is landing able to order a ride, not price.
Costa RicaAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Costa RicaKolbi has the widest reach, so buy the network rather than the cheapest plan. Parks and remote coasts still drop out.
CroatiaStaying connected in Croatia.Croatia covers its coast, its cities and its main islands well, so this is mostly a price decision. What thins out is the bit between islands and the limestone interior nobody drives through by accident.
CzechiaStaying connected in Czechia.Czechia has excellent coverage and some of the cheaper prepaid data in Europe, and no connectivity story worth padding out. That makes this page short, which is the honest length for it.
DenmarkStaying connected in Denmark.Denmark has among the best coverage in Europe and no signal story worth telling. The one thing worth knowing is that two parts of the Kingdom are not part of your Denmark plan.
Dominican RepublicWifi is usually enoughStaying connected in the Dominican Republic.Resort wifi covers an all-inclusive, and a data plan often undercuts the resort premium wifi upsell.
EcuadorStaying connected in Ecuador.Mainland Ecuador is straightforward: decent coverage in the corridor where everyone travels, gaps in the Amazon. The part that catches people is the Galapagos, which for your phone is somewhere else entirely.
EgyptBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Egypt.A local pack is 6 to 12 dollars, and the arrivals-hall kiosks price above the shops in town.
El SalvadorStaying connected in El Salvador.El Salvador is small, increasingly visited, and reasonably well covered where visitors go. Local data is cheap and the gaps are short, which makes this a short page.
FranceAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in France.Strong coverage in the cities and towns, so a cost decision. Expect thinner signal in the Alps and Pyrenees.
GeorgiaBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Georgia.A Magti or Silknet SIM at the airport is 4 to 9 dollars. Tusheti and upper Svaneti have no signal at any price.
GermanyAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Germany.Strong almost everywhere, so a cost decision. Favour a Telekom-backed plan for rural travel and long ICE journeys.
GreeceStaying connected in Greece.Greece covers its cities and its big islands well, so the decision is mostly financial. The exception is the bit of a Greek holiday that involves being on a boat, where everybody loses signal equally.
Hong KongBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Hong Kong.Local prepaid is 6 to 13 dollars with ubiquitous wifi behind it. Note Hong Kong sits outside the mainland firewall.
HungaryStaying connected in Hungary.Hungary has excellent coverage, including deep in the Budapest metro, and cheap prepaid data. There is no connectivity trap here, so this page is short rather than padded.
IcelandCoverage is the real issueStaying connected in Iceland.The Ring Road is fine and the Highlands and F-roads are not. Here this is a safety question rather than a price one.
IndiaBuy a local SIMStaying connected in India.A Jio or Airtel plan is about 4 dollars for 28 days at 2GB a day, roughly a tenth of an eSIM. The cost is paperwork, not money.
IndonesiaAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in IndonesiaWhich network you ride matters more than the price: you want Telkomsel once you leave South Bali.
IrelandStaying connected in Ireland.Ireland covers its cities and towns well and its far west less so. The thing most likely to catch you out is not a mountain, it is an invisible border: drive north from Donegal and your plan may quietly stop working.
ItalyAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Italy.Strong in the cities and towns, so a cost decision, with gaps in the high country and the remote south.
JamaicaStaying connected in Jamaica.If your week is a north-coast resort, the wifi probably covers it. If you are driving into the Blue Mountains or across the island, the calculation changes and so does the coverage.
JapanAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Japan.Coverage is among the best anywhere including the bullet trains, so this is purely a cost decision and the eSIM wins it.
KuwaitStaying connected in Kuwait.Kuwait is compact, urban and well covered, and local data is cheap. There is little to warn about, which makes this a short page rather than a padded one.
LaosBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Laos.Cheap, and buy the network rather than the price: Unitel has the reach. The gaps between towns are real on any plan.
MexicoCheck your own plan firstStaying connected in Mexico.Usually included on the big three unlimited plans. If you do buy, the network matters more than the price: Telcel for anywhere rural.
MoroccoBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Morocco.A local SIM is 5 to 10 dollars. The one honest point for an eSIM is handset-specific: Moroccan carriers lag on visitor eSIM support.
NamibiaCoverage is the real issueStaying connected in Namibia.Coverage follows the towns and the tarred roads. Most of the country has no signal on any network, so buy data cheaply and plan offline.
NetherlandsAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in the Netherlands.Among the best coverage in Europe, trains included, with nothing to plan around. Purely a cost decision.
New ZealandCoverage is the real issueStaying connected in New Zealand.Towns and highways are covered, Fiordland and most DOC tracks are not. A locator beacon is what the rescue services expect.
NorwayStaying connected in Norway.Norway covers its coast and valleys better than a country this shape has any right to, and then stops sharply above and inland. The two things worth checking before you buy are the mountain passes and Svalbard.
OmanStaying connected in Oman.Oman gives you two things to think about, and neither is price. The desert and the mountains have real coverage gaps, and whether app calling works is a question we could not answer confidently, which is worth saying rather than guessing at.
PhilippinesDo the mathStaying connected in the Philippines.The local pack is cheaper per gigabyte; a travel eSIM sits outside the registration process and its 30-day clock. Price against friction.
PolandBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Poland.Under 10 dollars for tens of gigabytes, and EU roaming means one Polish starter can cover a multi-country European trip.
PortugalStaying connected in Portugal.Portugal is well covered wherever you are likely to go, so this is a cost decision rather than a coverage one. The wrinkle worth two minutes is the Atlantic islands, which some plans treat as separate destinations.
QatarStaying connected in Qatar.Qatar is small, rich and comprehensively covered, so signal is not the story. The story is whether you can call home on WhatsApp, and the honest answer is that we could not pin it down.
Saudi ArabiaStaying connected in Saudi Arabia.Saudi Arabia has two things worth knowing that are not about price: buying a local SIM involves fingerprints, and the country's much-reported 2017 decision to allow internet calling is disputed by some current sources.
SingaporeWifi is usually enoughStaying connected in Singapore.On a short stopover, hotel and public wifi genuinely cover it. If you do want data, the local SIM is enormous value.
South AfricaBuy a local SIMStaying connected in South Africa.An ordinary MTN bundle is about 5 dollars for 10GB against 20 dollars for 3GB on a tourist pack. RICA registration is the price of that gap.
South KoreaDo the mathStaying connected in South Korea.The local unlimited plan is the expensive one here, unusually for Asia, and ubiquitous wifi means a modest allowance goes far.
SpainAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Spain.Strong in the cities, on the coast and the islands, so a cost decision. The rural interior and mountains thin out.
Sri LankaBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Sri Lanka.An airport tourist pack is 5 to 10 dollars for 25GB or more, which is less than a single day of carrier roaming.
SwedenStaying connected in Sweden.Sweden is a long country with most of its people in the bottom third, and the network follows them. In the south this is purely a cost question. North of Ostersund it stops being one.
SwitzerlandDo the mathStaying connected in Switzerland.Swisscom sells unlimited data at about 2 francs a day, so a heavy week can beat an eSIM. Check any Europe plan covers Switzerland at all.
TaiwanDo the mathStaying connected in Taiwan.Unlimited over the counter at about 10 dollars for five days. Heavy use favours the SIM, light use the eSIM.
ThailandDo the mathStaying connected in Thailand.Both options are cheap, so it comes down to whether you want a Thai number or data working the moment you land.
The BahamasStaying connected in the Bahamas.The Bahamas is the one country on this site where the biggest phone bill risk has nothing to do with which plan you bought. It is the water, and it catches cruise passengers and day-boat trippers alike.
TurkeyAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in Turkey.The inversion: visitor SIMs run 25 to 40 dollars, well above resident pricing, so here the eSIM really is cheapest.
United Arab EmiratesAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in the UAE.App calling is blocked on local networks and messaging is not. A travel eSIM sometimes routes around it, as a side effect and not a promise.
United KingdomAn eSIM is the pickStaying connected in the UK.Excellent coverage including most of the Tube, so purely a cost decision against a carrier day pass.
VietnamBuy a local SIMStaying connected in Vietnam.Viettel is 5 to 8 dollars a month on unusually good coverage. Registration is enforced, so buy from an official counter.- Buy a local SIM
- A local SIM is clearly cheaper. The honest cheapest pick is a local or airport SIM, often several times cheaper than a travel eSIM. We earn nothing on that and it is still the right answer here.
- Coverage is the real issue
- No SIM fixes the gaps. The problem here is signal rather than price, and no purchase closes it. Plan to be offline: downloaded maps, details saved, somebody told where you are going.
- Do the math
- Genuinely too close to call. A travel eSIM and the local option land close together, and which wins depends on your trip length, your data use or how much a shop errand is worth to you.
- Wifi is usually enough
- You may not need to buy anything. On a typical trip here, hotel and public wifi cover it and buying data is optional. We would rather say so than sell you a plan for a problem you do not have.
- Check your own plan first
- Your US plan likely covers this. Most US unlimited plans already include this country, or sell a cheap regional pass for it. Look at what you have before you buy anything at all.
- An eSIM is the pick
- A travel eSIM is the honest call. Coverage is not the problem and the local alternatives do not undercut it, so a travel eSIM genuinely is the cheaper or more predictable option here.
Carrier pricing and eSIM plans change faster than almost anything else we cover, so treat the day-pass figures as current ranges and check your own plan before you travel. For what your card does to every other purchase abroad, see cash or card by country, and for getting around, taxis and ride-hailing. More on how we work, and how we handle commission, is on our methodology page.
Compare a whole region
Weighing up where to go? See how the countries in a region stack up on cost, cash, tipping and getting around, with a clear pick for each.