One eSIM.
127 countries.

One profile for 127 countries sounds like the answer to every trip. For some trips it is, and for most it is the most expensive way to buy data we sell.

This page is about telling those apart, because the global plan is easy to sell and easy to oversell.

When the global plan is the right buy

There is a clear line, and it is about how many countries you touch rather than how far you go.

Four or more countries on different continents. A month through Europe, the Gulf and Southeast Asia is exactly this plan's trip.

A route you cannot predict. If you do not know which countries you will be in next week, one profile that works in 127 of them is worth paying for.

Frequent short trips over a year. The 1GB plan with 365 days of validity is unusual and genuinely useful for someone who flies often and uses little.

A crew or a team moving between regions. One plan shared beats coordinating a dozen country plans.

When it is the wrong buy

We would rather lose the larger sale than have you overpay, so here is the other side.

One country. Almost always a mistake. Japan, Italy, Turkey and Thailand all start at $1.99 against $15.99 here.

Two or three countries in one region. A regional plan is cheaper. Our Europe eSIM and Southeast Asia eSIM both start at $1.99.

A beach holiday anywhere. You will be on resort wifi most of the time and a small country plan covers the rest.

A long stay in one place. A local plan or a local SIM will beat this on every measure.

What the six plans cost

Six plans, all with a data allowance, and no unlimited option.

• 1GB for 7 days at $15.99. A short multi country trip with wifi in the evenings.
• 1GB for 365 days at $28.99. The interesting one, for someone who travels often and uses little.
• 3GB for 30 days at $37.99. Where most month long trips land.
• 5GB for 30 days at $57.99.
• 10GB for 30 days at $104.99.
• 20GB for 90 days at $176.99. A long trip or a working quarter.

All six can be topped up from your account, which matters on a long trip where you cannot judge usage in advance. The top up lands on the same eSIM within about a minute.

The plans run on 3G, 4G and 5G, and the phone takes whatever the local network offers.

The 365 day plan is the one to look at twice

Most travel data expires in days. A year of validity changes what the product is for.

It suits the occasional traveller. Four or five short trips a year, a few hundred megabytes each, and one purchase covers the lot.

It suits a spare line. Installed and dormant, it is there when your own carrier fails abroad or your phone is stolen and replaced.

Validity starts on first connection, not on purchase, so installing it early costs you nothing.

It is 1GB, not unlimited. That is roughly a fortnight of maps and messaging spread across a year, so treat it as a safety net rather than a working plan.

What 127 countries actually means

The coverage list is on this page and it is worth reading rather than trusting the number.

Europe is nearly complete, including the United Kingdom, Turkey, Ukraine and most of the Balkans.

Asia is strong, with Japan, China, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and most of Southeast Asia.

The Gulf and North Africa are well covered, along with Israel, Jordan and much of the Levant.

The Americas cover the United States, Canada, Mexico and most of South America, plus Puerto Rico and the French Caribbean.

Africa is partial. South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria and about a dozen more are on it, and many are not.

The gaps to check are the Pacific islands, most of the Caribbean, Central Asia beyond Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and several countries in West and Central Africa.

How much data a long multi country trip uses

More than a single country trip, because every new city means maps, transport apps and translation.

• Two weeks across three countries. 3GB.
• A month across five or six. 5GB.
• Three months overland. 20GB over 90 days, topped up if needed.
• Working from a laptop as you go. 10GB a month at least, and use accommodation wifi for anything large.

Because these plans can be topped up, starting one size down and adding data is a sensible way to buy.

Crossing borders on one profile

This is the whole point of the product, and it is worth knowing how it behaves.

You do nothing at a border. The eSIM finds a network in the next covered country by itself, usually within a few minutes.

Toggling airplane mode speeds it up when it is slow to attach.

An uncovered country breaks the chain until you reach a covered one again, which is why the list matters more than the headline number.

Your own number is untouched, so calls, texts and bank codes keep arriving on your home SIM in every country.

What a pay as you go eSIM gives you

One payment, no contract and nothing to cancel afterwards. No shop visits and no registration in a dozen different countries, several of which require identification for a local SIM.

These are data only plans. Your own number stays live on your normal SIM, so calls, texts and verification codes keep arriving.

Hotspot sharing is supported, which suits a couple or a group crossing regions together.

Will your phone take an eSIM

Most phones sold since 2019 will. Open the dialler and type *#06#. A 32 digit EID next to the IMEI means the hardware supports eSIM.

The handset also has to be carrier unlocked, and not jailbroken or rooted. Our compatible devices list is searchable by model.

Installing before you travel

Install at home on your own wifi. The eSIM sits dormant until it first connects to a network in a covered country, so being early costs nothing and is especially worth doing on the 365 day plan.

Scan the QR code from your phone settings and name the new line something like Travel. Keep your home number as the default for calls. On arrival, turn data roaming on for the eSIM line and turn mobile data off for your home SIM.

The installation guide has the exact menu path for iPhone, Samsung and Pixel.

What this plan will not do

It will not give you a phone number in any country, so anything insisting on a local mobile will not be satisfied.

It will not cover the Pacific islands, most of the Caribbean, or a number of African and Central Asian countries. Read the list against your route.

And it will not be the cheapest option for one country or one region. That is what the country and regional plans are for.

Buying, and what happens next

Pick a plan from the list on this page and check out. The QR code and the manual activation line arrive by email within about a minute, and both stay on your account page.

If the plan will not connect at all, or your phone turns out not to support eSIM, our refund policy covers it for 30 days.

If your trip is one region rather than the world, compare our Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East plans first.