Explainers · 5 min read
Data only or with a number? What a travel eSIM actually gives you
Nearly every travel eSIM is data only. Of the 236,811 plans we track across 61 sellers, 591 include a phone number with calls and SMS, from a handful of sellers. The other 236,220 give you internet and nothing else. That is not a limitation the market has failed to fix. It is the product most travellers want, because a phone number turns out to be the thing you least need abroad and the thing that costs most to provide.
This guide sets out exactly what each type does, where a number is worth paying for, and the one thing people buy a number to fix that it does not fix.
What a data only eSIM gives you
Internet, on the phone, over the local network. Everything that runs on internet runs: maps, messaging, email, browsing, streaming, and every app that makes calls over data. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal, Telegram, Google Voice, Skype, Teams, Zoom. Calling home is a data call and costs a few megabytes a minute.
What it does not give you is a phone number. So:
- You cannot dial a local landline or mobile from the phone's dialler on that line.
- Nobody can ring a local number and reach you on it.
- No SMS arrives on it, because there is no number for SMS to arrive at.
None of those matter if your home SIM stays in the phone. It keeps your real number for calls and texts, receives free while roaming on most carriers, and the travel eSIM carries the data. That dual line arrangement is the whole reason data only plans work, and we set it out step by step in the guide to keeping bank codes working abroad.
What an eSIM with a number adds
A local mobile number for the duration of the plan, with some minutes and texts, usually local only, sometimes with international minutes at extra cost. In practice that means:
- Calling local restaurants, taxis, hotels and offices that do not use WhatsApp.
- Being reachable on a local number by local people, which matters for work and for some rental and delivery services.
- Registering with local services that verify by SMS to a local mobile. Some ride hailing and food delivery apps, some banks for opening a local account, some government portals.
For a holiday, the first of those comes up occasionally, and WhatsApp covers most of it in most countries. The second and third are work and residency situations. If you recognise yourself in them, a number is worth it. If not, you are paying for something you will use once, if at all.
The prices
The plans with numbers cost more, and the gap is not small.
| Plan type | Plans tracked | Typical price for 5 GB | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data only | 236,220 | Under $10 from the cheapest sellers in most countries; about $20 on average | Validity 7 to 30 days is standard |
| Data plus number | 591 | Two to three times the data only price for the same country | Often shorter validity; minutes are local unless stated |
The premium reflects a real cost. A number is an allocation from a local operator, and it has to be registered, which is why plans with numbers frequently require passport details at purchase where data only plans do not.
The thing a number does not fix
People buy a travel eSIM with a number because their bank codes stopped arriving. It does not help. The bank sends codes to the number on your account, which is your home number. A temporary foreign number on a travel eSIM is a different number, and the bank has never heard of it. The codes keep going to the home SIM, which is exactly where you want them, as long as it is switched on.
The same is true of WhatsApp. Your account is registered to your real number and stays there, whatever eSIM carries the data. Registering it to the temporary number would move your account to a number that stops existing when the plan ends. Our guide to keeping WhatsApp on a travel eSIM covers that.
Choosing, in one minute
- Will you need to phone local businesses that are not on WhatsApp? In most of Europe, Asia and Latin America, most are. In the US and parts of the Middle East, fewer.
- Do you need to be reachable on a local number for work?
- Will you register for a local service that insists on a local mobile?
Three no answers, buy data only and keep the home SIM alive. Any yes, look at the plans with numbers for your destination and check what the minutes actually cover.
The default for a holiday is a data only eSIM as the data line and the home SIM switched on with roaming off. Calls home go over WhatsApp or FaceTime, bank codes arrive on the home number, and a local number is a problem you never had.
Emergency numbers
Emergency calls do not need a number, a plan or a SIM. Every phone can dial the local emergency number, 112 across Europe, 911 in North America, 999 in the UK and several other countries, on whatever network it can see, including with a data only eSIM as the only line. The phone will also often show the local emergency number on the lock screen. This is worth knowing so that the lack of a number on a travel eSIM never feels like a safety gap. It is not one.
A word on WiFi calling
If your home carrier supports WiFi calling, your real number works for calls and texts over any internet connection, including the travel eSIM's data. Enable it before you leave. It turns a data only eSIM into something close to a full line on your own number, and it is free on most carriers. Some carriers require the phone to have been on their home network recently for it to work abroad, so switch it on a few days before flying rather than at the gate.
Where to see the plans
Every country page lists every plan we track for that destination, and plans with a number are marked as data plus voice in the table. Filter to the size you need, and the cheapest genuine option of each type is visible at a glance.
Questions people ask
Does a travel eSIM come with a phone number?
Almost never. Of the 236,811 plans we track, 591 include voice and SMS. The rest are data only. A data only plan gives you internet and nothing else; calls and texts go through apps, or through your home SIM alongside it.
Can I make calls on a data only eSIM?
Yes, through any app that calls over the internet: WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal, Telegram, Google Voice, Skype. What you cannot do is dial a local landline or receive a call to a local number. Most travellers never need to.
Can I receive SMS on a data only eSIM?
No, there is no number to text. SMS to your existing number still arrives on your home SIM if it is switched on with roaming SMS working, which is free to receive on most carriers. That is how bank codes keep working.
When is a local number worth it?
If you need to call local businesses that do not answer WhatsApp, if you are working in the country and need to be reachable on a local number, or if a local service insists on verifying a local mobile. For a two week holiday, that is rarely any of them.
Does a number on a travel eSIM fix bank verification codes?
No. The bank sends codes to the number it has on file, which is your home number. A temporary foreign number on a travel eSIM is not that number. Keep the home SIM alive instead; our guide to bank codes abroad has the setup.
Are eSIMs with numbers more expensive?
Yes, typically two to three times the price of a data only plan of the same size, and validity is often shorter. The number costs the seller a real allocation from a local operator, and that is passed on.
Compare plans for the places in this guide
236,811 plans from 61 sellers, ranked by real price per GB, with prices checked against the shops themselves.
