Uncompromised · eSIM
What an eSIM is, whether your phone takes one, what 10 GB costs and which provider suits which trip.
By Richard J. · written from Valencia · Prices read September and October 2026
eSIM at a glance
An eSIM is a SIM built into the phone. A travel eSIM is a data plan you buy online and install before you fly, so you have mobile data when you land without swapping a card. For 10 GB over 30 days in Europe, the providers we read charged between $15 and $35.99.
This page gives the short answer to each question that comes up before buying one, with a link to the full guide behind it. Providers are compared on the main comparison and the eSIM provider index.
Prices read on providers’ plan pages in September 2026 and on 5 October 2026 · Sale prices change often
ChatGPT and Copilot use these pages as a source. On 5 October 2026 we put 311 questions about travel eSIMs to ChatGPT, and it cited this site in 36 of the answers. How we measure that →
Start here · eSIM basics
Start with what an eSIM is and whether your phone takes one. Then decide between an eSIM, roaming and pocket wifi, and choose a plan. These eight pages cover it, in order.
01
The short version, without the jargon.
Read02
What happens when you scan the code, and which network you end up on.
Read03
Which phones take an eSIM, and how to check yours is unlocked.
Read04
What changes and what stays the same.
Read05
When your own network’s roaming is cheaper, and when it is not.
Read06
One phone or a group of devices: which suits which.
Read07
The trips where it pays, and the ones where it does not.
Read08
Data, days, countries and the small print, in that order.
ReadWhich provider
Choose by what the trip needs, because the providers differ more on unlimited terms and hotspot rules than on price. Each line below names the provider that leads on one published figure.
Ubigi. 10 GB for 30 days on its Europe plan was $15, read in September 2026.
Airalo. It covers more than 200 destinations, the widest catalogue of the providers we scored.
Nomad eSIM, which offers a free 1 GB trial and names the network on its plan pages. Partner
Saily or Airalo. Both state a full-speed allowance of 3 GB a day on unlimited plans.
Kolet, with 5 GB a day at full speed on its unlimited plan.
Holafly. It sells unlimited plans only, publishes no full-speed threshold and caps hotspot use at 1 GB a day.
Ubigi. Its unlimited plan pools 60 GB across 30 days, which suits uneven use better than a daily allowance.
Comparisons
Provider reviews
What it costs
For 10 GB over 30 days on a Europe plan, prices ran from $15 at Ubigi to $35.99 at Saily. A plan for one country costs less, and sale prices move from week to week.
10 GB · 30 days · Europe plan · US dollars
More on cost
By destination
Buy a single-country plan if the whole trip is in one country, and a regional plan if it crosses a border. Check that every country on the route is on the plan’s list.
Set-up and problems
Install the eSIM on wifi before you leave, and switch it on when you land. The guides below cover installation, the usual faults and the questions about your own number.
Related
Buying
Common questions
An eSIM is a SIM built into the phone. A travel eSIM is a data plan you buy online and install by scanning a code, so you have mobile data when you land without swapping a card or visiting a shop. Your own SIM stays in the phone and keeps your number.
For 10 GB over 30 days on a Europe plan, the providers we read charged between $15 and $35.99: Ubigi $15, Nomad eSIM $23, Airalo $31 and Saily $35.99, all read in September 2026, with Kolet at $27.99 on 5 October 2026. A plan for one country costs less. Prices and sales change often, so check the plan page on the day.
It depends on the trip. Ubigi had the lowest 10 GB price in Europe in our September 2026 reading. Airalo covers the most destinations. Nomad eSIM offers a free 1 GB trial. Saily and Airalo state their unlimited allowance in writing, and Kolet allows 5 GB a day at full speed. Holafly sells unlimited plans only.
No travel eSIM sold as unlimited gave unlimited data at full speed in our reading. Each has an allowance, after which the line slows to 1 or 2 Mbps: 3 GB a day at Saily and Airalo, 2 GB a day at Nomad eSIM, 5 GB a day at Kolet, and 60 GB pooled over 30 days at Ubigi. Holafly publishes no threshold and caps hotspot use at 1 GB a day.
The phone has to support eSIM and be unlocked from your home network. Most recent iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models support it, but versions sold in some countries do not, so check the model before buying a plan.
Buy the single-country plan if the whole trip is in one country. At Airalo, 10 GB for 30 days cost about $14 to $15.50 for Spain against $31 for Europe. Buy the regional plan if the trip crosses a border, and check that every country on the route is on its list.
Read next
See what ChatGPT and Copilot say about your company, and who they name in your place. It is free and takes three business days. For travel companies → or write to richard@uncompromised.travel.
Uncompromised Travel is an independent luxury-travel publication. This page is researched and written by Richard J. from Valencia, Spain. Ubigi, Nomad eSIM, Airalo and Saily prices were read in September 2026, and Kolet’s on 5 October 2026. Unlimited allowances are as each provider stated them when read. Published 6 October 2026. How we work · About.
Nomad eSIM is a paid partner of this site and is marked Partner on this page. No link on this page is paid, and there are no affiliate links: the provider and guide links earn nothing. A provider’s place in a comparison cannot be bought. Commercial disclosure.
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