Quick answer: A travel eSIM gives you mobile data abroad from about £4 for a week, installed by QR code in minutes. Your UK number stays active for calls and texts.
Cite this page: Atravel.uk, “Land with data already working”, updated 12 November 2026. https://atravel.uk/esim/
Cheaper than roaming, simpler than a local SIM
Roaming with your UK network costs £2–£6 a day in Europe and considerably more further afield. A travel eSIM covers the same trip for a fraction of that, and you keep your own number for bank codes and messages.
Buying a local SIM at the airport means a queue, a passport check and a new number nobody has. The eSIM is installed at home, on your own Wi-Fi, in about two minutes.
Choosing the right amount of data
A week of maps, messages and the odd photo uses around 3–5GB. If you upload video, work from the road or travel as a family sharing a hotspot, go for 10–20GB or unlimited.
Check the country list, not just the plan name: many “Europe” plans exclude Turkey, and “USA” plans often skip Canada and Mexico. One regional plan usually beats three separate ones.