Airalo is the best eSIM I’ve used so far during international travel

Last month I went to Europe twice in one week and changed my clothes for work. (I didn't know the second trip was coming until the first one was blocked, otherwise I would have tried to just stay on the continent.)

Admittedly, these trips can sometimes happen relatively last minute, so I sometimes forget to purchase an eSIM to avoid paying hefty roaming charges. However, fortunately, I was recently offered the opportunity to test Airalo, which I had not yet used abroad, and I was very pleased with the experience.

On the first trip, which consisted of BarcelonaI was there for five days. In this case, it was worth choosing the seven-day 5GB option for $13. Meanwhile, the second trip was Berlin for three days and I got the 3 GB 3 day option for $11. Very affordable, especially since my carrier Koodo charges me $18 per day in these European countries. Even Easy Roam passeswhich offers a one-time fee for unlimited use of your plan will be $50 for 14 days. (This would actually be a good idea if I was going to stay in Europe longer.)

Along with decent prices, the reception remained consistent throughout my travels in both countries. The only time it dropped was when I visited Park Güell in Barcelona, ​​a complex of unique architecture and gardens designed by the famous artist Antoni Gaudi. However, I wouldn't blame the eSIM for this as the park is located on a ridge overlooking the city, so it's easy to see why reception would be worse here regardless of your connection type.

But it’s this flexibility that I really liked about Airalo. With our convenient mobile app, you can view rates by country and in Canadian dollars, so there are no hidden conversions at checkout. In each country you will find different data days and increments, as well as unlimited data transfer options. (The latter are also quite reasonably priced; for Japan, for example, three days are just $18.)

My only complaint, which I realize is more of “my” problem, is that there are no options for one or two days. On my last full day in Germany, I unexpectedly walked 30,000 steps and saw many cities, so I ended up using more data than I thought I would. Since it was my last day, I only wanted a little more to help me get back to the hotel safely and then head to the airport the next morning, but my only option was three more days for $6. To be fair, it's still pretty cheap, especially compared to the inclusion of Easy Roam, but it was still a bit overkill for my particular situation. It's also easy to see how many of my trips to the US, which can often last one night (or, in the case of New York, even the same day), could benefit from hypothetical one-night options.

Park Guell, Barcelona

However, the prices are quite reasonable, so this is by no means a big problem. Overall, this pay-as-you-go feature is still very convenient. After all, you never know how much data you're going to use, and so having to guess with a one-time purchase before you go can be challenging. Spend too much and you'll be left with extra data that will likely go to waste. Spend too little and you'll have to struggle to get more. And since you get five percent “cashback” on every purchase by default (and up to 10 percent the more you use it and level up), the credit I was gifted and put towards the initial eSIM purchase simply went towards topping up. Comfortable.

Now I'm interested in trying Airalo if I ever return to Asia. During my holiday in Japan last year, I used FlightHubwhich was affordable and worked surprisingly well, but unfortunately limited to those booking travel through an agency. And this year during my Assassin's Creed Shadows trip to KyotoI used Ubigi which I heard was pretty good and sure enough it was. However, I paid $32.40 USD ($48.36 CAD at the time) for 25GB for 30 days, while the highest 30-day option for Airalo is 20GB for $34.50, so it will be a bit cheaper. Plus, you'll get your money back, which is nice.

Here's what's great about eSIM: you have many options today. But after this unconventional “Euro trip” I'm definitely going to give Airalo another chance the next time I go.