What to choose for connectivity abroad: Roaming, a local SIM or a travel eSIM

A smartphone has long since become the true control centre of any trip, from navigation to banking apps. But this only works under one condition: mobile internet needs to switch on right after landing and stay stable for the whole route. Roaming and buying a local SIM fit that logic less and less.

That’s why Australians are looking for an alternative and turning their attention to the next generation of travel eSIM services, such as the one offered by the Swiss company Yesim, one of the pioneers of this market.

Roaming vs travel eSIM

Let’s look at the price difference between roaming and a travel eSIM, using a ten-day trip to Bali as an example. Telstra’s International Day Pass for Indonesia costs A$10 a day for 2 GB, which comes to A$100 over ten days. Yesim’s unlimited plan for the same period comes to around A$51, half the price. Telstra’s unused gigabytes expire at the end of each day, and going over the limit triggers a paid top-up. Yesim’s package, on the other hand, stays active for the entire trip and is not tied to calendar days. The final roaming bill usually becomes clear only after you’re back home, while Yesim’s price is fixed before you even fly out.

Local SIM vs travel eSIM

The first hours in an unfamiliar country are wasted hunting down a carrier’s kiosk, standing in line and picking a plan in a foreign language. A travel eSIM profile, by contrast, activates right after landing. Every new country on the route means getting another local SIM and connecting to a new operator, whereas a single eSIM profile covers the whole itinerary at once. And while a local SIM sits in the phone’s slot, there’s a risk of missing bank SMS messages and authorisation codes. A travel eSIM, on the other hand, runs in parallel with your home SIM, so there’s no need to remove the original SIM.

Yesim as the new standard for travel connectivity

Yesim has been operating in the travel eSIM market since 2019, has helped more than 4 million travellers and covers more than 200 destinations. Its plan lineup includes the Global Package (80+ countries), the Global Plus Package (140+ countries) and Pay & Fly, which uses a pay-as-you-go model. SwitchLess Networks technology automatically selects the strongest signal among 800+ partner operators, which is how the eSIM delivers stable mobile internet anywhere on the route. Setup happens through the app, with no documents and no lines. Connectivity can be tested with a 500 MB trial package for A$0.84, and the promo code GETYESIM15 gives new users a 15% discount.

On 24 August 2026, Yesim officially became a member of the GSMA, the international association bringing together mobile operators and organisations across the global mobile ecosystem. For users, this has practical significance, as closer industry cooperation can expand coverage and make connectivity abroad even more reliable.

The answer to what to choose for connectivity abroad depends on the traveller’s priorities. But if a good price, minimal hassle after landing and a trip without overpaying matter, the rational choice remains a travel eSIM. That is exactly the model being developed by next-generation providers such as Yesim. Yesim is a travel eSIM provider that gives travellers flexible, app-based mobile data in 200+ destinations, so they can plan connectivity around their itinerary rather than a rigid daily roaming package. Visit the website to find out more.