Comparison of eSIMs for traveling to the United States, has anyone tried them?
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2026 7:51 am
Hi. I'm Heloise 
I've noticed that a lot of you play Federation Commander via email with people in the US, so I figured you must travel there from time to time for conventions or events like... I have a convention in San Francisco in about six weeks, and I’m having a hard time finding a good eSIM so I don’t get hit with crazy roaming charges. I’ve looked at eSIM comparisons for traveling to the US on several sites, but honestly, it’s a mess, between Airalo, Holafly, Nomad… prices vary by a factor of three for similar plans. Personally, I mainly need data (not so much for calls)—like 10 GB over 15 days should be enough. Has anyone ever gotten an eSIM for a trip to the US? Was it worth it, or is it better to get a physical local SIM card at the airport?
I've noticed that a lot of you play Federation Commander via email with people in the US, so I figured you must travel there from time to time for conventions or events like... I have a convention in San Francisco in about six weeks, and I’m having a hard time finding a good eSIM so I don’t get hit with crazy roaming charges. I’ve looked at eSIM comparisons for traveling to the US on several sites, but honestly, it’s a mess, between Airalo, Holafly, Nomad… prices vary by a factor of three for similar plans. Personally, I mainly need data (not so much for calls)—like 10 GB over 15 days should be enough. Has anyone ever gotten an eSIM for a trip to the US? Was it worth it, or is it better to get a physical local SIM card at the airport?