Recently I traveled outside the EU, so no usage of my 4G network without a lot of extra costs. Where I normally have the mindset ‘nice opportunity to stay away from constant stimuli via socials’, I knew that this time I really needed Google Maps. And I know there is Maps.me, but that doesn’t work as well as Google Maps. I was never very keen on local SIM cards or e-SIMs, but after a lot of research I decided to test Holafly for this occasion. In this review I will explain how it works and why I was hesitant at first.
I once rented some kind of portable WiFi device in Japan. That is a kind of phone-like thing that you take with you and connect to when you want internet. But that is really less convenient than simply having everything in one device. In addition to my earlier objection about the social stimuli that I can do without for a while, I was never a fan of a local SIM card anyway. As my phone does not support two physical SIM cards, it would mean I could not be reached on my Dutch number for normal calls. Those happen almost daily, so no, not handy.
My phone does support E-SIM. So an option there, but I was also afraid of something perhaps a bit unrealistic: that it either would not work properly or that I would install it incorrectly, causing it to roam the internet via my home provider instead of the 4G network of the e-SIM provider without me noticing. Such a thing leads to a huge bill after. Not the type of souvenir I want to take home.
How does e-SIM work?
An e-SIM is actually a virtual SIM card that always connects you to the best local network, provided that the e-SIM provider is partnering with them. But in general those e-SIM providers – at least Holafly – have many partners and therefore good coverage. So you can use mobile internet almost anywhere in the world.
Experience with Holafly
So I did some online research and there are quite a few providers of e-SIMs. It seems like a fairly competitive market at the moment, but after comparing I felt that Holafly came out best. It had the simplest and most transparent explanation, installation seemed simple and quick and the reviews were generally good. I decided to go for it.
The newer iPhone models with recent iOS could even install the e-SIM automatically. That was music to my ears. And indeed I managed to install it within five minutes.
But I don’t think ‘automatic’ fully applies to the installation: you have to answer a number of ‘questions’ yourself about how you want to have it installed. However, Holafly gave a kind of ‘example answers to those questions and the consequences of those answers, which helped me figure it out quickly.
For example, questions concerned the name you want to give your e-SIM and which network you want to receive calls from and which network you want roaming to take place on. Important settings, but with their guidance that automatically becomes visible once you have chosen your package, as well as an app that helps you, it’s very doable.
I especially liked that in the iPhone settings you can clearly see which network is primary and which network is secondary. This also allows you to set which network you receive calls from and which network your 4G internet/mobile internet runs through. That gave me some kind of confirmation that I was sure that I would not receive a big bill from KPN later.
Start with Holafly
First check whether your device is suitable for use of e-SIM. You can see this on the Holafly website with one of their tools that is linked when you want to apply for a package. You then select a period online during which you want to have internet. You will receive your e-SIM by email. Then you can install it on your phone. Do this in a place with good WiFi so that your internet is fast enough to complete this process. When you activate your subscription it takes effect, so it is useful to do this only at your destination or just before.
Are you visiting multiple countries? Then choose a multiple-country package so that you can be sure in advance that you have coverage in all those countries.
Holafly’s coverage in Indonesia and Malaysia was really good. I have only had less decent coverage a few times in very rural areas, but I thought that was an acceptable amount. It was very nice to be able to find your way when necessary. I certainly intend to use Holafly again when I am outside the EU again and need internet for this reason. Perhaps other e-SIMs are at least as good, but once I have a good experience with a specific one, I prefer to stick to what I know when it comes to these types of things.
Discount for Holafly
The costs of the e-SIM differ per country and the period you want to use it, but it is in any case much cheaper than buying a package through your own provider such as KPN or T-Mobile. I paid about 28 euros for 8 days of unlimited internet in Indonesia and Malaysia.
If you would like to give it a try, you will receive a five percent discount via my link. This is an affiliate link which means that if you purchase the e-SIM through this link, I will also receive a small discount for my next use. I am writing this piece completely unpaid because I want to share my experience for others who also have doubts about this.
A quick overview of the advantages of using e-SIM:
- No roaming charges;
- Unlimited data;
- You will remain reachable on your (Dutch) number if you wish (at least with an iPhone, I have not been able to test this with Android, so check this carefully yourself if this is a must for you!);
- You can keep your physical SIM card in your phone;
- Installation is not rocket science;
- You will see a confirmation in the settings of your phone that the internet runs via your secondary SIM, good against the fear of higher bills from your own provider;
- Coverage is really good;
- You can make VOIP calls via WhatsApp and the like if the country you are in has not blocked this;
- You can share your data with other devices. This was not the case before and I thought this was a really cool addition so that you can also work with it on your laptop, for example.
Possible disadvantages of using e-SIM:
- You cannot call or text on an e-SIM via the normal line. An e-SIM is only for internet use and possibly VOIP (calling via the internet, for example via WhatsApp). If you (also) want to call via a normal line, you will have to buy a local SIM card;
- Older phones may not be suitable for e-SIM or may require manual installation that may be more complex;
- Choose your period carefully: you cannot extend it, you must request and install a new e-SIM if you decide halfway through that you want it longer;
- It is unknown to me whether Android phones also let you call with your own SIM in addition to the Holafly SIM, you would have to test/find this out yourself.
If you have any questions, let me know. 😊 But I would definitely use this again in the future! 😊