As someone who’s constantly on the go, I’m honestly a bit embarrassed by how long it took me to explore the best eSIM options for travel. I’ve been relying on my home carrier’s ‘low-speed data’ plan from the US for years, making do with slow internet and hunting for WiFi whenever possible.
When Orange Travel reached out to me about trying their eSIM, I figured I might as well give it a go. And it really changed my travel experience being able to have hassle-free data wherever I go.
So, let me tell you, eSIMs are a total game-changer—and they’re incredibly easy to use! I don’t know why I kept putting off learning about them (maybe you’ve been in the same boat?). Either way, trust me—it’s well worth spending a few minutes to find the right one for your needs. Once you’ve got it, you’ll be breezing through your travels with high-speed data and way less WiFi stress.
Gone are the days of queuing up to buy a new SIM card at the airport. Now, with a single app download, you can stay connected across multiple countries, regions, or even globally!
What You Should Know About eSIMs
Before you dive into downloading your Orange eSIM, here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know.
How Do eSIMs Work?
Still scratching your head over how eSIMs work? No worries—you’re definitely not alone. They’re actually really straightforward. Think of them like the physical SIM cards you’ve used in the past, except now it’s all digital. You download an eSIM for a specific region through one of the services listed below, activate it on your phone, and just like that, you’re online while abroad.
You’ll typically choose from various data packages based on the region you’re visiting. Most newer smartphones (2018/2019 onwards)—including iPhones, most Samsung/Android devices, and Google Pixels—are eSIM compatible, and you can easily grab one via the apps mentioned below.
In most cases, you can download just one eSIM that works in multiple countries, such as Orange which covers over 100 locations. You can choose the eSIM that works best for your trip or the countries you will be visiting.
Orange Travel
Orange is one of the newer eSIM providers on the market. Orange has the best coverage for its eSIMS within Europe, but also in dozens of other countries too. Orange is already a well-known network in Europe providing cell service and plans to millions of people, so it’s only natural that they also have a dependable eSIM product too!
How it Works: With an Orange Travel eSIM, you can choose your destination, data, and length of time between their most popular options: World (see below), Europe, France, UK, Morocco, and USA. These are just their most popular destinations, but they cover over 100 countries, which are the most popular tourism destinations in the world, from all over Asia to much of Africa, too.
Simply type in your destination country and check their plans. Most countries come with an affordable, 2-week eSIM plan with connections to a global network of distributors.
They cover over 100 countries worldwide, and their best-selling product is their “Orange Holiday World” eSIM for €44.99, offering 10 GB of 4G/LTE Data. It’s valid in all of Europe and in all of the countries they cover worldwide, too.
While it’s easy to select one country and get an eSIM for that country, this “OHW” plan is the best if you will be visiting multiple countries in one trip, such as train travel around Europe or backpacking in Southeast Asia. This allows you to travel hassle-free in multiple locations without having to change your eSIM.
Pros: As Orange is already its own telecom operator in over 30 countries, you can expect some of the best data in Europe, especially as it connects to its own network (with partnerships with other top networks globally, too). The OHW eSIM is a solid deal compared to other eSIM costs, and you can also select cheaper plans if you will just be going to one country.
You can also use data tethering (to your laptop etc) with this eSIM, and it lasts 14 days. They also have a 28-day Europe eSIM if you need more time.
Overall, Orange is a great eSIM selecting for 2-week trips around the world of month-long trips around Europe. For me, Orange would be my first choice as an eSIM especially in Europe.
Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.