Best eSIM by Country: Every Destination We've Tested

We've been traveling full-time since May 2022, and in that time we've put an eSIM through almost every kind of trip a family can take. Subway platforms in Tokyo, the firewall in Shanghai, beach days in Da Nang, night markets in Chiang Mai, road trips through Europe. This is our running guide to the best eSIM for each destination, pulled from the individual country guides we've written, with the discount code and a direct link in each section so you don't have to click away to use them.

The same code works everywhere: ADAMANDLINDS takes 5% off any Holafly destination eSIM, or 10% off a monthly Holafly Plan. Holafly is the world's first international mobile operator, and after testing the field we use it as our default. One eSIM, installed at home over WiFi, working the moment we land.

Best eSIM Code by Destination at a Glance

The same code works everywhere. Here's the quick reference for every destination we've covered, with the discount you get and a link to the full guide further down.

How the Discount Code Works Everywhere

Before the country-by-country breakdown, the part that applies to all of them. Code ADAMANDLINDS is a standing affiliate code, not a seasonal promo, so it doesn't expire and it works on every order rather than just your first. On a destination eSIM it takes 5% off. On a monthly Holafly Plan, the subscription that covers 160+ destinations on one eSIM, it takes 10% off.

If you're traveling as a family, each person needs their own eSIM, and the code applies to every order. We usually buy all five in one session at the kitchen table before a trip, scan each QR code on WiFi, and set them to activate on arrival.

Best eSIM for Japan

Japan is where we've spent more time than anywhere, 325 days across more than a dozen trips, so it's the country we can speak to with the most confidence. Coverage is excellent almost everywhere, including the parts that surprise people: deep underground on the Osaka subway, on the shinkansen between cities, out in the countryside around Koyasan. We've never lost signal somewhere it mattered.

Holafly partners with NTT Docomo here, which is the network you want in Japan. For the full breakdown, including data on plan length and the spots where we actually used it, see our best eSIM for Japan guide.

Best eSIM for China

China is the one country where the eSIM choice genuinely makes or breaks your trip. The Great Firewall blocks Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Gmail, so a standard travel eSIM leaves you with data but no working apps. We ran the Holafly China eSIM across Shanghai, and it has a VPN built into the plan, so the blocked apps loaded without installing or configuring anything separately.

This is the one destination where we'd tell you the cheap option is a false economy. Full detail is in our best eSIM for China guide and our explainer on whether an eSIM works in China at all.

Best eSIM for Thailand

We've spent 327 days in Thailand, much of it around Chiang Mai, and connectivity has never been the thing we worried about. Coverage is strong across the cities and holds up on the road between them. The Holafly Thailand eSIM uses the catch-all setup, so it activates on arrival the same way every other plan does.

The full version, with the spots we tested and how it handled the move between Chiang Mai and the islands, is in our Thailand eSIM guide.

Best eSIM for Europe

Europe is the case where the regional plan earns its place. Instead of buying a separate eSIM for Italy, then Spain, then Portugal, one Holafly Europe eSIM covers 40+ countries, so you cross borders without changing anything. We've used it on multi-country runs through Italy, Portugal, and the Nordics, and the handoff between countries was invisible.

For single-country trips we also have dedicated guides for Italy, Spain, and Greece. The wider regional breakdown is in our Europe eSIM guide.

Every Other Destination We've Covered

Beyond the marquee countries above, we've written full eSIM guides for these destinations too. Each links to the complete guide, and the code ADAMANDLINDS works on all of them at checkout.

Best eSIM for a Cruise

Cruise data is its own problem. The ship's onboard WiFi is slow and priced by the day, and your phone keeps trying to grab the maritime cell signal at the kind of roaming rates that produce a frightening bill. The fix is the same eSIM approach as on land, switched on in port. When you dock, a destination eSIM gives you proper data to use your time ashore, then you switch back to airplane mode at sea to avoid the maritime charges.

We've sailed transatlantic with kids and have a Barcelona to Port Canaveral crossing coming up, so this is a live setup for us rather than theory. For a Caribbean itinerary, one regional eSIM covers the islands you'll actually step off the ship onto. The full breakdown is in our cruise mobile data guide.

Which Holafly Plan Should You Get?

For a single trip to one country, a destination eSIM is the simple answer. For longer or multi-country travel, the monthly Plan is usually the better deal, and the code takes 10% off it rather than 5%.

Holafly vs the Alternatives

The comparison that comes up most is Holafly versus Airalo. Airalo is cheaper for short, data-capped trips. Holafly wins on unlimited data and on not having to think about gigabytes, which is what matters to us as a family of five on long stays.