Roaming

Roaming is using your home carrier's service on a foreign network — convenient, but usually the most expensive way to get data abroad.

Roaming means your home carrier lets you use voice and data on a partner network abroad, billed through your normal account. It requires zero setup — and that convenience is priced in: international roaming is typically billed per day or per megabyte at rates far above local prices.

A travel eSIM replaces only the data side of roaming: you buy a local or regional data plan for the destination, while your home SIM stays active for calls and SMS. For most trips this costs a fraction of carrier roaming day passes.

Roaming still has legitimate uses: very short trips, destinations without eSIM coverage, or when you must keep your home number for incoming calls at all times.