Guides

A practical guide for visitors: which networks work where, what data costs, how to skip the airport SIM queue, and the one setting that matters after landing.

What the Smart and Globe booths at Manila airport sell, what it costs in time and pesos, and when a local SIM beats an eSIM for a visitor.

Since 2022 every Philippine SIM must be registered with an ID. What the rule means for visitors, what the booth will ask for, and why an eSIM sidesteps it.

What to expect from Smart and Globe on the islands most visitors go to, where it drops out, and how to prepare for the boat rides.

Same networks, different prices and a different way of buying. Where we are cheaper, where Airalo is the better choice, and what is actually the same.

Dial one code and you know. Plus the list of iPhones, Samsungs and Pixels that work, and the two things that stop an eSIM from installing.

Your days start counting the first time the eSIM connects to a network in the destination, so you can buy and install it months before your trip.

What a gigabyte actually buys you in maps, messages, Instagram and video, and how to pick between 3, 5, 10 GB or unlimited without overpaying.

How dual SIM works on a trip: your regular line stays on for calls and texts, the eSIM does the data, and WhatsApp carries on as if nothing changed.

Yes, on every plan we sell. What tethering does to your data, when unlimited makes sense, and the iPhone setting that trips people up.

Travel eSIMs route traffic through a gateway in another country. What that changes, what it does not, and how to deal with apps that notice.

The five-minute routine that means you walk off the plane already connected: install at home, set up the lines, and flip one switch at arrivals.

The six checks that fix almost every "installed but not connecting" problem, in the order they usually turn out to be the cause.

Day passes from US carriers run around $12 a day. A travel eSIM for the same trip is usually under $20 total. When each one makes sense.

Every unlimited travel plan has a daily full-speed allowance and a slower speed after it. Here is exactly how ours works and who it is for.

What a visitor needs to know about data in Thailand: the networks, what plans cost, the airport SIM counters, and why the eSIM skips the passport step.

Coming to the US? What a prepaid data eSIM gives you, what it does not (a US number), and how it compares to the carrier stores and roaming.

Data for a trip to Mexico: the two networks our eSIM uses, what it costs, and when the cheap Telcel SIM from a corner shop is the better deal.

Data for Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast. The networks, the cost, and the phone registration rule that catches visitors with local SIMs.

Montenegro is not in the EU, so European roaming plans usually stop at the border. What our eSIM covers, what it costs, and what to expect in the bay.

Data for a Dominican trip: what the eSIM covers, what it costs, resort Wi-Fi versus mobile data, and what to expect once you leave the hotel.