Telstra vs eSIM: which is actually cheaper for your trip?

Prices in USD for the Sim Local plans, AUD for Telstra, correct at time of writing, check  our destination page for current pricing anywhere you're headed. The pattern holds well beyond these two examples: Telstra's day-pass model charges a premium for a fairly small daily allowance, while a destination-specific eSIM plan is usually built around how much data you actually need for the whole trip.

It's not always the wrong call. A few real scenarios where sticking with Telstra is reasonable:

• Very short trips (a day or two) where buying and installing a separate eSIM isn't worth the five minutes it takes.
• Trips to New Zealand or nearby Oceania destinations, where Zone 1 pricing ($5/day) is far more reasonable than Zone 2.
• Trips where you'll barely use data at all, mostly on hotel or venue Wi-Fi, since you only pay Telstra for the days you actually use your phone overseas.
• Zero setup: it's already there on your existing SIM and number, with nothing to install or configure.

• Far more data per dollar on anything longer than a very short trip, as the table above shows.
• A known total cost upfront, rather than a daily charge that creeps up the longer you're away.
• Doesn't touch your Telstra bill or plan at all, it's a completely separate purchase.
• Many plans include hotspot tethering, useful for a laptop or second device.
• Your Telstra SIM stays active for calls and texts on your normal number the whole time, so you're not choosing one over the other, you can run both.

• Check your phone supports eSIM and isn't locked to Telstra.
• Buy your destination eSIM on simlocal.com before you fly, you'll get a QR code by email.
• Install it at home, on Wi-Fi, ahead of your trip.
• Set the new eSIM as your data line, and leave your Telstra SIM selected for calls and texts.
• Make sure Telstra's International Day Pass isn't switched on for the trip (or turn off data roaming on the Telstra line) so you're not paying for both at once.

No. You need to manually activate it in the My Telstra app before you travel, Telstra says activation can take up to 2 hours, so it's worth doing at home, not at the airport.

Technically yes, since they can sit on the same phone, but there's no reason to pay for both, turn off the Telstra Day Pass (or don't activate it) if you're relying on an eSIM for data, and just keep your Telstra SIM active for calls and texts.

It's the most reasonable of Telstra's roaming options, $5 a day for 2GB is far more competitive than Zone 2's $10 a day. For longer NZ trips it's still worth comparing against a dedicated New Zealand eSIM, but the gap is much smaller than with Zone 2 destinations.

You'll either get an automatic top-up or an SMS offering one, at $10 per additional 2GB, valid for 31 days, on top of whatever you've already paid for the Day Pass itself.

No formal notification is required, you just need to activate the Day Pass yourself through the My Telstra app before you leave, since it doesn't switch on automatically.