If you’re looking for an easy way to stay connected when you travel that’s convenient, affordable and reliable, I might just have the perfect eSIM solution for you!
An eSIM (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module) is a type of SIM card that is downloaded as software directly onto your device, rather than a physical SIM card that’s placed in your phone.
They allow you to use your phone abroad without paying roaming charges from your home provider or having to find a local, physical SIM card.
eSIMs are super handy for travel and are becoming more and more prevalent. I’ve tried eSIMs in the US and France and definitely see the benefit of using them.
So I was very excited to review Sim Local, an eSIM company based in the UK, when they reached out. The timing was perfect, as we were just arriving in France to start the beginning of a seven month Europe trip with our dog and baby!
Below I’ll share my full experience with Sim Local, including my review of the plans available, set-up, installation and actually using the eSIM on the ground.
Spoiler alert: Everything went really smoothly and I highly recommend Sim Local!
I was especially impressed by the easy set-up and the fact that they have plans that offer calls and texting, whereas many other eSIM companies only offer data plans. I’ll get into this more in my full review below.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Sim Local without promise of a positive review; all opinions are my own. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks to you and Sim Local for your support!
Why use an eSIM?
There are a few reasons why more and more travellers are choosing eSIMs over physical SIM cards or roaming using their home cellphone plan.
1) You can get connected right away
Rather than having to find a store that sells SIM cards and wait while you get one loaded into your phone, you can connect as soon as your plane touches down with an eSIM.
You can do most of the set-up prep at home and easily get started with your eSIM as soon as you land. This is handy if you’re trying to coordinate with other travellers, need directions to get to your accommodation, have to book a rental car, etc.
You can get set up before you even de-board the plane!
2) All of your SIM cards are in one place
With an eSIM, you don’t have a physical SIM card. So you can easily switch from one eSIM to another or back to your home plan at the touch of a button.
If you’re someone who travels often, this can save a lot of headaches. Gone are the days when you had to keep track of all the little SIM cards you had for every different country.
And when you’re using an eSIM provider like Sim Local, you can easily view all of the available eSIM plans on their app or website. You don’t have to run from store to store trying to find the best deal.
3) It’s cheaper than roaming
If your home cellphone company is trying to tell you that you have to pay $15/day to stay connected on your three week trip to Australia, RUN!
That’s $315 on top of your regular cellphone bill! Do you know how many eSIMs you could buy for that price? (So many.)
eSIMs are incredibly affordable. In some cases, you can get a week’s worth of data for just a few dollars. And they can even be cheaper than setting up a local SIM card.
Cons of using an eSIM
For all their pros, there are a few cons that are often associated with eSIMs.
The main two are 1) you have to be tech-savvy to set up an eSIM and 2) eSIMs are only good for data, but not if you want to call or text.
However, Sim Local actually gets rid of both of these cons. Their set-up is easy and they walk you through it, so you don’t have to be a tech wiz at all. And their plans offer calling and texts, not just data!
Which eSIM to choose
When I first opened up the Sim Local app, I was prompted to enter my travel destination. After selecting France, I was brought to a page with tons and tons of eSIM plan options.
There were plans for just data or data with calling and texts. Plans for a week, 30 days or more time. Plans with just a little bit of data and plans with unlimited data.
I also could have selected a Europe-wide plan if I was travelling around the continent and not just staying in France.
Honestly, it was a little bit overwhelming scrolling through all of the plan options. Luckily, Sim Local has a fix for that. Their Find My Plan tool is a quick way to choose which plan is best for you.
You simply answer a few questions about the length of your trip, how much data you like to use, etc. and it matches you with the best plan for your needs. So handy!
The first plan I wanted, marketed as one of the most popular choices, was unfortunately out of stock. But my second choice was available.
Setting up my Sim Local eSIM
After selecting the eSIM plan I wanted for France, I then moved onto installing and setting it up on my phone. This was the part I was most nervous for as I assumed it would be complicated.
But it was actually quite easy!
I checked out as a guest but then ended up making an account to be better able to track my eSIM usage. After checking out, I was given set-up instructions and they were also emailed to me.
The instructions were very clear with step-by-step notes and important warnings, like when to install and not to stop the process mid-installation. I had the option to use the app or scan a QR code to start the installation.
There was even a video I could watch to walk me through it. For visual learners, that’s a great addition.
Anticipating a clunky set-up with multiple steps and things not working right, I was surprised and relieved to find that all I had to do was click a button and everything was in place.
It was very easy to make my selections, such as choosing my Sim Local eSIM to use for data and calling.
One quick button to set up 
Two minutes later and set-up is complete!
But in case you need extra help, Sim Local has your back. In addition to step-by-step instructions in the app and via email, and video demonstrations, they also offer 24/7 live support via WhatsApp.
This is such a useful feature! I know so many people who have struggled with eSIMs, including some of my own past experiences.
It would have been so helpful to be able to talk to an actual human in the moment when my tech wasn’t working right.
And offering this via WhatsApp means you don’t have to be connected to data or cell service – likely connections you don’t have if you are struggling with your eSIM installation.
You can use WhatsApp with wifi on your phone or laptop/tablet. Way easier than trying to find a phone and call a long distance support number or wait hours for a chatbot.
So set-up was a breeze and there was lots of help available if needed. A huge win for Sim Local eSIMs!
Using my eSIM for France travel
I hit the ground running with my Sim Local eSIM on our first day in Paris. To really test its powers, I compared it to the roaming feature of my home service back in Canada.
Right away at lunch, I noticed I had much better service with the Sim Local eSIM than my regular SIM card’s roaming options.
Sim Local had connected me to Lycamobile, a popular mobile service brand here in France. Because of that, I could count on reliable service throughout our travels.
There were a few points where my service was spotty on both my Sim Local eSIM and my original SIM card from home. But perhaps those were just dead spots in the city where many mobile providers struggle to provide steady service.
Because I chose an eSIM with calling in France, in addition to data, I was set up with a phone number through Lycamobile. This was super handy to have the option to make local calls in France (note that there may be fees for international calls, read your plan details).
I did receive a number of texts from Lycamobile, however. They seemed to want me to register with them, which I wasn’t sure I needed to do since I had signed up through Sim Local.
It would have been a nice touch if Sim Local had shared info about what the process would be with Lycamobile and if I did need to do anything. To be fair, I could have reached out to Sim Local to ask and I’m sure they would’ve responded quickly.
Sim Local vs Airalo comparison
Before I wrap up my review, I wanted to quickly compare my experiences using Sim Local and Airalo. I know Airalo is a popular eSIM provider, so I thought it would be helpful to look at both options.
I used Sim Local in France in September 2025 and have previously used Airalo in Southern France in February 2024 and in Arizona, USA in October 2023.
My data worked great with both Sim Local and Airalo eSIMs. No complaints about internet coverage on the ground.
I was able to get my Airalo eSIMs set up on my phone but have heard from many people who couldn’t get their Airalo eSIMs to work.
My mom, who learned about Airalo from me, couldn’t get hers to work and ended up buying local cards on her Spain and Portugal trip.
And even though my Airalo set-up worked, the Sim Local set-up was way easier. The instructions were clear and it was a simple process, unlike Airalo where I actually had to Google how to do it.
Importantly, Sim Local offers plans with calling and texting, while Airalo seems more limited on this. I checked their current plans for France and Europe, and none appear to come with calls and texts.
Sim Local also offers more plans and plans with more GBs of data, if you’re a high-data user.
As far as pricing goes, Sim Local and Airalo are about equal. For the same amount of data, their prices differ by no more than $1.
Wrapping up my Sim Local review
In case it wasn’t clear, I’m a pretty big fan of Sim Local!
They more than blew my previous eSIM experience with Airalo out of the water and I’ll definitely be turning to them for my next international trip.
To recap, the things I liked best about Sim Local eSIMs:
- Super easy to download and install. It took me just a couple of minutes with no tech glitches or confusion.
- Step-by-step instructions, video demos and 24/7 live support if you need it. No more running to Google if you need help!
- Their data plan out-performed the data offered by my roaming plan from home multiple times during our France trip.
- There are lots of plans to choose from and a quiz to help you find the best plan for you. I went with a plan that offered data, calling and texts, which was so handy.
- Pricing is transparent and they have a no-questions-asked refund policy, so you can have peace of mind giving them a try.
With more of the world becoming digital, gone are the days when you could travel without internet or cell connection (unless you’re doing an off-grid adventure, in which case, more (non-digital) power to you).
We use our phones for directions, to message accommodation hosts, to order food, to book train tickets, to pay for purchases and, yes, to post on social media.
An eSIM is the easiest way to get connected as soon as you land in your new destination. And from my experience, Sim Local is an awesome eSIM option for your next trip!
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