Saily Review: eSims That Keep You Connected for Less

So today’s post is a quick one, but I have found a new thrifty thing to share.

I have often complained a bit about my issues with phone plans and being in two countries and then the $10/day travel plan I use connected to my U.S. phone number when I’m outside the U.S. or the U.K. While I still don’t have a perfect plan for the times I need security codes, etc. connected to my U.S. bank accounts, my best friend did introduce me to a more affordable approach when traveling.

eSims.

Am I super behind the times? I mean, I knew a bit about them, and I do understand SIM cards, but they sometimes wreck my phone, they sometimes don’t work, they can be challenging to use. You see where I’m going.

She visits me for about two weeks every summer and the first summer we got her an EE sim card for her phone, which worked (after a trip to the store to get it working). When she got home she had tons of problems getting her regular sim to work again and had to go to the phone store and the Apple store to get it all sorted.

For the next two years, we followed the same pattern, with a slightly easier transition back and using different carriers. It was never super smooth, but eventually we got there. And it would usually cost her about £20 for 5-10 GB of data.

This is also weird because how do you know how much data you are using? We both googled how to figure it out and were still a bit flummoxed. Also, how can you track which apps are causing the real problems (cough, cough, Instagram) and which are a low pull on data despite constant usage (like Google Maps).

Well, this year she got a new phone and can’t even use physical SIM cards anymore. She turned up in England with an eSim through Saily, and I have to say – I am entirely sold here.

She told me it was super easy to use. She installed it before taking off, toggled the switch on upon arrival at Heathrow, and was texting me before she was off the plane.

This is what it looks like when you log on for the first time (though there is probably no data or country listed since you won’t have one yet).

We had a long weekend getaway planned to Croatia and Montenegro, so I had a chance to try it out myself. The prices were much better than the $10/day travel plan (I paid $6 for 5 GB in Croatia and $3 for 1 GB in Montenegro), which is generally what I’ve used on these shorter trips before, because as our primary navigator and activity booker, not having access to maps and email confirmations was always a no-go.

You’ll go to a page that looks like this right after purchasing the eSIM.

I downloaded the app and was shocked by how easy the whole thing was. I fumbled for a minute or two the first time setting up the eSim, despite having super clear instructions. However, after doing it the first time, I have zipped through the setup.

It’s just 1, 2, 3, toggle on the SIM.

I also like that you can track your GB usage, which I have always struggled to make sense of when traveling. You can set it for an auto top-up if you’re concerned about getting disconnected, or you can manually choose to add data if you find you need more than you guessed you would.

One small thing I learned is to fully install the eSim before arriving in the country, as you can’t set it up without WiFi. I did my Croatia eSim before leaving the UK, fully installing it but leaving it toggled off on my phone. When we landed in Croatia, I went to the Cellular option, toggled on the Croatia Sim, and it all connected in about a minute, and I was good to go.

With Montenegro, we drove there, and as we crossed the border, I tried to set up the SIM but couldn’t get it to connect until we stopped for lunch. I was able to use the restaurant WiFi, so just make sure you’ve set everything up before leaving somewhere where your WiFi or cellular data is currently working.

As you read this post now, I am wandering Egypt and using yet another Saily eSim. It was definitely more expensive (closer to $40), but since $40 is less than $90, I still consider it a win.

Want to try an eSIM app? Use my code MELISS5247 during checkout to get USD $5 off (full disclosure, it will also send me a $5 credit)! Buy your first Saily data plan now at https://saily.onelink.me/ymzx/referrals