Most travel eSIMs are data only. Ours comes with a real UK phone number, so you can make and take calls and send and receive texts, exactly as you do at home.
Your number while you travel
+44 7___ ___ ___
A real UK mobile number, not an app-based calling add-on.
See plans and pricing
What a phone number actually changes
A data-only eSIM gets you online. That covers maps, messaging apps and email. It doesn't cover anything that needs an actual phone line – and abroad, that turns out to be a lot.
| | eSIM.net Vodafone Travel | A data-only eSIM |
|---|
| Mobile data | Yes | Yes |
|---|
| Your own phone number | A UK number | No |
|---|
| Make outgoing calls | Yes | No |
|---|
| Receive incoming calls | Yes | No |
|---|
| Send and receive texts | Yes | No |
|---|
| Receive bank and 2FA codes by SMS | Yes | No |
|---|
| Call a taxi, hotel or restaurant | Yes | Only on WhatsApp |
|---|
| Be reachable with no internet connection | Yes | No |
|---|
| Hotspot and tethering | Yes | Usually |
|---|
| Delivered by QR code | Yes | Yes |
|---|
The row that catches most people out is the SMS one. Banks, airlines and ticketing sites still send one-time codes by text, and a data-only eSIM has no number for them to send to. People tend to discover this at the moment they're trying to check into a flight or authorise a card payment.
Before you buy any travel eSIM, ask the provider one question: will I get a phone number? If the answer is no, you're buying data, not a phone.
Four times a data-only eSIM lets you down
The bank wants to text you a code
You're checking into your flight home and your card gets declined. Your bank sends a one-time code by SMS. With a data-only eSIM there's no number for it to arrive at, so the code never comes and the payment never goes through.
The taxi driver can't find you
You've ordered a car and the driver is circling the wrong block. They call. Your phone doesn't ring, because a data-only eSIM has no line to ring on. They give up, and you're outside with your luggage ordering another one.
The restaurant only takes bookings by phone
Plenty of good places abroad have no booking app and no web form, just a number on a sign. With a real phone number, you call them. Without one, you walk over and hope.
Someone at home needs to reach you
A data-only eSIM means the people who matter can only get you when you're on wifi with the right app open. With a UK number, they call you on your normal number and your phone rings, wherever you are.
What you get
| Phone number | A UK number, included |
|---|
| Calls | Unlimited local calls in the country you're in |
|---|
| Texts | Send and receive |
|---|
| Data | 25GB |
|---|
| Validity | 30 days |
|---|
| Coverage | 75 countries |
|---|
| Network | Vodafone |
|---|
| Speed | 5G where available |
|---|
| Hotspot | Included at no extra cost |
|---|
| Delivery | Instantly, by QR code |
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How it works
1. Buy online
Takes a couple of minutes. No app to download.
2. Scan the QR code
Arrives by email straight after you pay.
3. Land and switch on
Your number and data are live when you arrive.
Questions people ask
Do I keep my normal SIM working too?
Yes. The eSIM sits alongside your existing SIM, so you can leave your usual number active for anything that needs it and use the eSIM for calls, texts and data while you're away.
Will I get my bank's security codes?
You have a real number that can receive SMS, so text messages reach you the same way they do at home.
Will it work on my phone?
Any eSIM-compatible handset, which covers most phones sold in the last few years.
How quickly does it arrive?
Instantly. The QR code is emailed as soon as you've paid, and you can install it before you travel.
Can I use it as a hotspot?
Yes, tethering is included at no extra cost.
How long does the plan last?
30 days from activation, with 25GB of data and coverage across 75 countries.
Data is the easy part
Every travel eSIM sells you megabytes. This one also gives you a number people can ring.
See plans and pricing
