AD – paid post in collaboration with Sim Local
Listen up travellers, international students and digital nomads! If you want to save money abroad on your phone bill, you need to check out eSIMs. Not only do eSIMs avoid the need to change physical SIM cards on your phone, they’re also the best way to pay for your phone usage at the same rates as a local while travelling- no need to incur high roaming costs! You really can save money abroad with an eSIM, and it’s a real lifesaver when you need to access apps and maps on the go.
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What is an eSIM and how does it work?
You might be wondering, what exactly is an eSIM? An eSIM is is an industry-standard digital SIM that allows you to activate a mobile plan, without having to use a physical SIM card. Instead, an eSIM is already built into your device.
An eSIM does everything that a physical SIM card does, but it’s instantly activated, and offers far more flexibility. You don’t need to manage multiple SIMs, and it’s super simple to set up directly from your device.
You can verify if your device supports eSIM by going to ‘settings’ on your phone, tap ‘about phone,’ and tap ‘show EID.’ If you see an EID number, your device is compatible with eSIM technology. If you wish to see a list of supported devices, you can find that here.

Saving money abroad with an eSIM
When you travel internationally, you’re probably used to either swapping out physical SIM cards, or paying high data roaming charges with your current network provider. OR perhaps you only use your device when you’ve got access to WiFi. Either way, it’s not ideal, especially when we now rely on devices so much while travelling.
When you use an eSIM with a company like Sim Local, you’ll get the best eSIM for travels, with instant access to local networks upon arrival, local fees and no high roaming charges from your home network provider. You’ll also be safe in the knowledge that you can connect whenever you need to- whether that’s contacting your friend or checking Google Maps to avoid getting lost!
Costs of eSIMs vs roaming
So what is the exact cost saving that you can make when you use an eSIM abroad, rather than using your home network roaming services?
Let’s say you’re travelling to Europe from the UK, for 14 days. At the time of writing, if you head to Sim Local, you could get 12GB of data, with 200 texts and 30 international calling minutes for just £17.50 for those 14 days. And if you want to try an eSIM for yourself? Head to Sim Local for your low cost eSIM for travel and use my code THRIFTY10 to get 10% off! That would make your eSIM just £15.75.
If you compare that to other UK network providers, many will charge you anything from £1.67 a day, £2.42 per day or even £2.75 per day (over the course of 14 days that works out at £23.38, £33.88 or £34.58 respectively). The cost saving could be big depending on your home network provider.
As you can see, there’s a lot of money to be saved abroad using an eSIM! It could really make a difference to your overall holiday or travel budget. Not to mention the fact that it’s much easier than having to either notify your provider that you’re going abroad, or juggling multiple SIM cards.

Benefits of using Sim Local
Sim Local is the perfect place to buy your eSIM for travelling abroad– they even offer a global eSIM, which keeps you connected in over 149 countries. It’s perfect if you’re planning a multi-destination trip, or you’re going travelling for several months.
When you purchase with Sim Local, you will get your eSIM instantly, and can set it up in a matter of minutes. You can then rest easy that all of your connectivity needs are taken care of- whether that’s an Uber from the airport, or using Google Maps in your hire car.
Other benefits of using Sim Local include the fact that you can purchase your eSIM in advance, and then activate it on your departure date. And if your trip is cancelled or you change your mind? You can get a refund! It’s super flexible.
Sim Local has 5 star ratings across Google, Trustpilot and Tripadvisor, and scores highly for customer satisfaction. It’s also very affordable, meaning that you’ll save more money abroad on your phone bill than ever.
Remember to use my code THRIFTY10 to get your 10% off when you use Sim Local!
