By Luka – The CometSMS November 2025
I’ll be honest: I thought I had this eSIM thing figured out after my first smooth trip to Istanbul. QR code, scan, connect — easy, right?
Wrong.
Over the next six months, I made every rooki
e mistake in the book. I wasted money, lost data, and once ended up completely offline in the middle of rural Portugal with no way to call for help.
But here’s the thing: I learned the hard way so you don’t have to.
Today, I’m spilling the tea on the 7 biggest eSIM mistakes I made — and exactly how to avoid them so your next trip is stress-free, connected, and actually enjoyable.
Let’s dive in.
I was flying from Athens to Istanbul. I bought a “Europe 30-Day” eSIM for $25. Sounded perfect.
Landed in Istanbul. No signal.
Turns out, Turkey is not in Europe for most eSIM providers. It’s considered “Middle East” or “Asia”. My plan? Useless.
I had to pay $15 for 1GB at the airport just to get online.
How to Avoid It:
Pro Tip: Save the coverage map as a screenshot. No Wi-Fi? You’ll still know if you’re covered.
My phone (iPhone 14) can store 8 eSIMs. I didn’t know that.
After three trips, I had:
I tried to add a Spain plan — “No space available.”
I had to delete an old profile (goodbye, Japan data I paid for) just to activate the new one.
How to Avoid It:
I helped my friend activate an eSIM in Thailand. QR code scanned. “This SIM cannot be added. Contact your carrier.”
His phone was locked to AT&T. Even though it supported eSIM, AT&T wouldn’t allow third-party plans.
We spent 2 hours on the phone with support. No fix. He ended up buying a physical SIM.
How to Avoid It:
I bought a “budget eSIM” in Vietnam for $5. Activated it. Speed: 0.3 Mbps.
Uploading a photo took 12 minutes. Google Maps? A slideshow.
Turns out, the provider only offered 3G in rural areas. Fine print said: “5G in major cities only.”
How to Avoid It:
I was in a Facebook travel group. Someone posted:
“eSIM for Bali – $3 for 10GB! DM me!”
I DM’d. Got a QR code. Scanned it. Nothing happened.
Then I realized: It was a phishing link disguised as a QR code. My phone tried to open a fake website.
I didn’t lose money, but I wasted 30 minutes and nearly compromised my data.
How to Avoid It:
I bought an eSIM for Portugal. I waited until I landed to scan the QR code. No Wi-Fi at the gate. Airplane mode still on.
I had to pay $10 for airport Wi-Fi just to activate it.
How to Avoid It:
I bought an “Unlimited Data” eSIM in Spain for $39. First 3 days? Blazing fast. Day 4? Speed dropped to 512 kbps.
Fine print: “Unlimited at high speed for 20GB, then reduced speed.”
I couldn’t stream, upload, or even load Instagram.
How to Avoid It:
After all these mistakes, I made a simple checklist I use before every trip.
Want it? Click here to download the free PDF → eSIM Travel Checklist
It includes:
I’ve now used eSIMs in 12 countries without a single hiccup — because I stopped making these mistakes.
You don’t have to be a tech wizard. You just need to avoid the traps I fell into.
Here’s the truth: eSIM isn’t hard. But it’s easy to screw up — if you don’t know the pitfalls.
Save this post. Bookmark it. Share it with your travel buddy.
And the next time you’re at the gate, stressed about data — you’ll smile, scan your QR code, and think: “Luka warned me about this.”
Safe travels (and strong signals), Luka The CometSMS – Turning travel chaos into connection
P.S. What’s your worst eSIM mistake? Drop it in the comments — let’s help each other travel smarter.
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