Travel guide

Regional eSIM or one plan per country? A comparison to help you choose the cheaper option

Blog3 min read

In short

If your trip is in one country, a local plan is usually the simplest and cheapest choice. If you’ll move between two or more countries, a regional plan saves you buying an eSIM for each country and keeps you connected when you cross borders. 22SIM offers local plans in more than 220 countries and more than 30 regional plans.

Many trips today aren’t limited to one country: a European tour between Paris, Rome and Barcelona, a business trip between Riyadh and Dubai, or Umrah followed by a visit to Bahrain. In all these cases travelers ask the same question: should I buy a plan for each country, or one regional plan that covers the whole trip?

What's the difference between a local plan and a regional plan?

A local plan is made for one country and connects only to that country’s networks. A regional plan covers a group of countries on one eSIM, such as a GCC plan, a European Union plan, or a Europe, UK and Turkey plan, so your phone automatically connects to the available network in each covered country without changing any settings.

Quick comparison

CriteriaLocal plan per countryOne regional plan
Number of eSIMsOne per countryOne
Cost for one countryUsually cheapestUsually higher
Cost for several countriesRises with each countryUsually cheaper
Crossing bordersInstall a new planConnection continues automatically
Managing usageSeparate data per countryOne data allowance for the whole trip
Best forStaying in one countryTours and multi-country trips

When should you choose a local plan?

  • If your whole trip is in one country, like a holiday in Istanbul or a family visit in Cairo.
  • If you'll stay a long time in one country and need a large data allowance.
  • If the local plan for that country offers more data or an unlimited plan at a good price.

When should you choose a regional plan?

  • If you’ll visit two or more countries on the same trip.
  • If you travel between countries by train or car, such as European tours or crossing the King Fahd Causeway.
  • If you want one eSIM and one balance instead of tracking several plans.

Two practical examples

Example 1

A 10-day trip across France, Italy and Spain

A European Union plan covers all three countries on one eSIM, instead of buying three separate plans. If you add London or Istanbul to the tour, choose the Europe, UK and Turkey plan, because the UK and Turkey are outside the European Union.

Example 2

A 5-day business trip between Riyadh and Dubai

Compare the price of two local plans (Saudi Arabia and the UAE) with the price of a GCC plan, and pick the cheaper one. If the trip is Umrah followed by a visit to Bahrain, the “Saudi Arabia and Bahrain” plan may be the simplest choice.

A tip before you buy

Always check the list of covered countries in the regional plan’s description before you pay, and make sure every stop on your trip is included. Then compare the final price with the total of the local plans for the same countries, taking data allowance and validity into account.

Frequently asked questions

No. Just keep data roaming on for the eSIM line, and your phone will automatically connect to the available network in the new country.

22SIM offers more than 30 regional plans, including GCC, Europe and Middle East plans, alongside local plans in more than 220 countries.

For one country it’s usually more expensive than a local plan, but it usually becomes cheaper when your trip covers two or more countries.

In this article

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