The best eSIM for backpackers
There's no single best eSIM for every backpacker. There is a best one for your route. Here's what to look at, with today's prices for the classic trips.
Popular routes, one eSIM or several
| Route | One eSIM | Separate |
|---|---|---|
| Banana Pancake Trail | €32.99Asia | €41.464 eSIMs |
| Japan and Korea | €20.99Japan + Korea | €23.482 eSIMs |
| Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia | €32.99Asia | €40.973 eSIMs |
| Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Bali | €19.99Southeast Asia | €31.964 eSIMs |
| India and Nepal | €34.49Asia 28 | €41.482 eSIMs |
| Japan, South Korea and Taiwan | €21.49Asia + Europe | €36.473 eSIMs |
A month of normal use: about 0.6 GB a day, so 20 GB for 30 days. Prices from our catalogue on 24 October 2026, VAT included. Separate eSIMs means the cheapest eSIM for each country on its own (a regional one where there's no local one), with the days and data split evenly over the countries.
Start with your route
Backpacking means borders, and that’s the first question: one regional eSIM for the whole trip, or a local one for each country?
- One regional eSIM is one QR code. Your phone switches network at every border, without a SIM shop or a new install. For trips up to about a month through several countries, it’s usually the cheaper and easier choice.
- Local eSIMs per country are cheaper per GB, and on long trips that adds up. Two months or more, mostly in one or two countries? Then separate ones often win.
Some countries settle it for you. Laos and Nepal have no local eSIM with us, so you need a regional one there anyway. The table above shows what that means for the most popular routes.
What to check before you buy
Which networks. Every eSIM uses local networks, but not every eSIM uses the same ones. Check which networks a plan uses in each country, and whether you get one or two. With two, your phone has a fallback when one is weak. Our country pages list them, for example for Thailand and Vietnam.
What happens when the data runs out. Some plans stop, others slow down. On our 3 GB plans and bigger, you stay online at 128 kbps: enough for messages and maps, so you can still find your hostel. Some regional plans, such as Asia 16, stop instead. The buy box on each page tells you which.
How long it’s valid. Most plans run for 30 days from when you first connect. On a longer trip you need a new plan for each period. Our route planner counts that for you.
Hotspot. Working from a laptop or sharing with a travel mate? Check that hotspot is allowed. It is on most of our plans; the few where it isn’t confirmed say so on the page.
Unlimited or a data pack. Unlimited usually means a fair-use limit: on ours, 1 GB a day at full speed, then 5 Mbps. For most backpackers a data pack is cheaper. See how much data you need.
Keep your own number
An eSIM is data only, so keep your home SIM in your phone for bank texts and verification codes. Switch off data roaming on your home line, and you won’t get a roaming bill. WhatsApp keeps working on your own number over the eSIM’s data.
When a local SIM is the better deal
To be fair: a local SIM bought at the airport or a phone shop is often the cheapest way to get a lot of data in one country, especially on a long stay. You also get a local number, which some local apps need. The trade-off is the counter, the passport check, and a new SIM in every country. An eSIM is ready when you land and works across borders.
Before you fly
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and isn’t locked to your home network: does my phone work?
- Install the eSIM at home, on wifi. It only starts counting when you first connect at your destination. Step by step: iPhone or Android.
- Download offline maps for your first stop, in case anything goes wrong on arrival.
Prices, networks and plan rules come from our own catalogue.
Last updated on 24 October 2026.