Best eSIM for UK Travel: Sim Local Review + Discount Code

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Trying to choose the best eSIM for your UK trip? With so many providers out there, it can be hard to figure out which one offers the best coverage, service, and value. If you’ve already come across Sim Local and are wondering if it’s actually any good, you’re in the right place.

I live in the UK and was excited to partner with Sim Local to test their UK eSIM in a range of locations, including urban, coastal, and rural, so I’ve seen how it performs in various settings. I’ve also used other eSIMs around the world, including Airalo and Maya Mobile, so I’ll be comparing Sim Local with some of its biggest competitors.

In this post, I’ll give you an honest breakdown of what worked, what didn’t, and whether I’d recommend Sim Local for your trip. I’ll also help you decide whether to go with an eSIM or stick to a physical SIM you pick up at the airport. And if you do go with Sim Local, I’ve got a discount code to help you save.

Let’s dive into this Sim Local eSIM review to see if Sim Local is the best eSIM for your UK adventure.

How I Tested Sim Local’s UK eSIM

I wanted to test the eSIM in a variety of locations to give an in-depth review of the network coverage. Living in a rural location in Devon, which is in the South West of the UK, network coverage isn’t always great, so I was interested to see how Sim Local’s plans stacked up against my usual network provider.

I also tested Sim Local’s UK eSIM in various locations in towns, on the Somerset coast and in Exmoor National Park, where the signal is usually poor in some areas over a period of 7 days.

Which Sim Local UK eSIM Plan Should You Choose?

Sim Local provides coverage in over 200 countries, with different plans to suit your needs. You can select a single destination or a whole region, such as Europe. You can also select global plans if you’re planning to travel to multiple countries on an extended trip.

For your UK eSIM, you can choose from the networks EE, Three, Lycamobile and Smartroam. I recommend choosing EE as the network in the UK with the best and most consistent coverage.

If you’re unsure of which plan to choose and how much data you might need, you can use Sim Local’s Find My Plan tool on the homepage, which will ask a series of questions to help you pinpoint the correct plan for your trip.

You can also choose between having a data-only SIM without a phone number or you can choose a SIM with calls and texts, which will come with a phone number. If you only intend to use the SIM for data, such as Google Maps, browsing the internet, and sending WhatsApp messages, you can safely opt for a data-only SIM, but this means you won’t be able to make phone calls or send and receive text messages.

One word of warning about data-only SIMs – I opted for a data-only eSIM in Botswana and later regretted it when I got into a difficult situation and needed to call a taxi, which I couldn’t do because I didn’t have a phone number or calls included in my SIM plan. So carefully consider whether you’ll need to make phone calls, especially in an emergency, while travelling alone or when you might need to receive verification codes to log into your online accounts.

You’ll then need to choose how long you’ll want your UK eSIM to last, with plans varying from 15 days, 30 days and 90 days.

Your last decision to make is how much data you’ll need. When choosing a data plan, I tend to get a little more than I think I need, just in case. Of course, you may need less data if you’re staying in an accommodation with free WiFi, as any streaming or social media scrolling will likely be done while connected to WiFi.

I opted for a 30-day UK eSIM with the EE network. The plan cost £15.00, which I thought was very reasonable, especially as EE is the UK’s most reliable network.

The plan I chose had:

• Plan type: Data, calls & texts
• Days of use: 30 days
• Data: 80GB (on a special offer)
• Local phone number: Yes
• Calls: Unlimited local minutes
• Texts: Unlimited local SMS
• Hotspot: Included
• Speeds: 4G

One word of caution: before you purchase an eSIM, make sure your phone is compatible, as older phones may not have the capability.

How to Set Up Your Sim Local UK eSIM: Step-by-Step Guide

You can purchase your UK eSIM via Sim Local’s website, which is very simple to use. It was easy to see the various plans and choose between them. The Find My Plan tool was extremely useful in helping me identify the eSIM that would best suit my needs.

After I had made the purchase, the welcome email came through instantly with the phone number and instructions on how to set up the eSIM in the email.

You can install the eSIM by downloading the Sim Local app on your phone and downloading your plan from there. I decided to install my plan by scanning the QR code in the email. This instantly downloaded the plan to my phone within seconds.

The eSIM activates as soon as it’s installed, so it’s best to wait until you arrive in the UK, or just before you take off, if flying into the destination, before installing it.

The first email with installation instructions was followed by a second email with information on arriving at the destination and how to check if the SIM is installed properly, with links to talk with the team on WhatsApp if customer support is needed.

When you arrive at your destination, remember to turn your normal SIM off in your settings, so you don’t incur charges. Only the eSIM should be activated.

Sim Local UK eSIM Coverage: My Honest Review

I used Sim Local’s eSIM for UK and Europe travel over a period of a month in a variety of locations in the South West, including urban towns and cities, coastal regions and rural countryside locations.

In comparison to my usual SIM, I found the network coverage with Sim Local’s UK eSIM vastly better. In places where I would usually struggle for signal with my usual SIM card, I had good signal and was able to use data, make calls and send messages.

The only occasion where I struggled with no signal was while staying in a cottage in Exmoor National Park. I had limited signal at the cottage itself, but this is true of any network provider, as the infrastructure in rural parts of the UK isn’t the best, so this isn’t a reflection on Sim Local specifically.

Sim Local vs Airalo vs Maya Mobile: Best UK eSIM?

I’ve tested a couple of different brands of eSIMs on recent trips, including Airalo and Maya Mobile.

One of the main differences I noticed between Sim Local and its competitors is that Sim Local offers the choice of network provider, while most of their competitors only offer one network or simply don’t tell you which network they are using. I was able to choose between EE, Three and Lyca Mobile, effectively selecting the provider with the best UK coverage.

The other main difference was that some of their competitors only offer data-only eSIMs. After my experience in Botswana, where I was unable to make a phone call in a difficult situation, I would never opt for a data-only eSIM again.

I also found Sim Local’s website easier to use than the competitors I’ve used in the past, as the plans and pricing seemed clearer, and the ‘Find My Plan’ tool really helped me to identify the right plan for me.

It’s also worth noting that Sim Local has representatives at London airports, so if you do have any issues with activating your eSIM, you can speak to someone in person.

eSIM vs Physical SIM for UK Travel: Which is Better?

I’ve used physical SIMs regularly in the past, but now only use eSIMs, primarily for the convenience. The last thing I feel like doing after a long flight is waiting in line at a network stand in the airport, trying to avoid being upsold a data plan I don’t need.

The benefit of an eSIM is that you can buy the plan you need in advance and activate it just before you take off. That way, when you arrive at the destination, you can access data as soon as the plane lands, rather than having to wait to activate a physical SIM at the airport.

Purchasing your eSIM in advance of your trip means one less thing to worry about when you land!

Frequently Asked Questions

I was pleased to partner with Sim Local to test their UK eSIM for this sponsored post. All opinions are my own. I would only ever recommend products I think you’d love.