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If you’ve found this post because you’re trying to decide whether you need an eSIM for your next holiday, here’s the short version.

I’ve used eSIMs on family trips before, including Bali, and recently used Yesim again while we were in Turkey. It was reliable, easy to set up before we travelled and gave me mobile data when I actually needed it, without paying for more than I was likely to use.

I know a lot of readers find my blog when planning trips from outside the UK too, so this is one of those Travel Extras that works well wherever you’re travelling from, especially if you want your mobile data sorted before you land.

👉 Browse Yesim eSIM plans here

Now, here’s why checking my mobile data has become part of my pre-holiday routine…

There are some things I never forget before travelling. Passports are checked about five times, airport parking is booked, boarding passes are downloaded and I almost always have a packing list somewhere that I’m constantly adding to.

Checking my mobile data coverage, on the other hand, has caught me out more than once.

I’d actually used an eSIM in Bali and thought it was brilliant. It was simple to set up, worked exactly as I’d hoped and meant I didn’t have to think about roaming charges while we were away. Somewhere between Bali and our next trip to Turkey though, I’d clearly forgotten the lesson.

When we landed in Antalya, I realised I hadn’t checked that my roaming bolt-on actually covered Turkey.

Greece? Yes.

Sweden? Yes.

The Netherlands? Yes.

Turkey? Whoops.

Antalya airport offers an hour of free WiFi, which sounded ideal until we tried to connect. It needed a verification code that we struggled to access and, after several attempts, we gave up. Normally that wouldn’t have mattered too much, except our luggage decided to take the scenic route and we spent what felt like forever standing by the carousel waiting for the very last cases to appear (no exaggeration – they really were the last to arrive).

It’s amazing how quickly you miss having a reliable internet connection. I wanted to let family know we’d arrived safely, check a couple of emails and the girls were more than ready for a few minutes of emergency entertainment after a long journey. I was also starting to wonder whether our transfer would still be waiting for us after we’d spent so long inside the terminal.

Standing there, I promised myself I’d stop relying on airport WiFi and sort my data before travelling.

That reminder led me straight back to Yesim.

One of the reasons I like it is that it fits how I actually travel. Most of the time, we’re perfectly happy using the hotel WiFi, but this holiday wasn’t entirely time off. I had a couple of work video meetings and conferences to join, and I wanted something that was more reliable than hoping the hotel connection behaved itself. But this was only for the odd day or two, and I didn’t need coverage for our entire trip.

What I particularly love about Yesim is that I didn’t have to buy a huge bundle of data I’d never use, or pay for days when I didn’t really need it. Depending on where you’re travelling, you can choose plans based on how much data you need or how long you’re away. For me, that flexibility made far more sense than paying for a package that would mostly go unused, and the prices are incredibly reasonable. Even better, I wasn’t left feeling as though I’d paid for something that I only used for a fraction of the time I was actually out of the country.

The app is straightforward, everything can be set up before you leave home, and the eSIM only activates when you arrive, so you’re not accidentally using data before you’ve even left the UK.

Since that trip, adding an eSIM has quietly become part of my holiday checklist. It sits alongside travel insurance, airport parking and downloading boarding passes. It’s one of those small jobs that takes a few minutes but makes arriving somewhere new much less stressful.

If you’ve got a holiday coming up, I’d genuinely recommend taking a look before you travel.

👉 Browse Yesim eSIM plans here

* Sarah @ Sarahnity Travel is an Independent Travel Agent affiliated with Inteletravel whom hold ABTA P7384. Inteletravel are appointed agents with suppliers that hold ATOL. Some promotions and links are to other Affiliate services (e.g. Amazon, Expedia, Viator and Get Your Guide) where you will make bookings directly with those platforms and I may receive a small commission for any purchases or bookings made through those links. Please note that all prices quoted are generated from a live booking system and are therefore subject to change until deposit/payment is received and booking confirmed.