Guide
Best eSIM for the USA: for a family visit or a road trip
Roaming in the USA costs a lot on almost every European and Balkan plan, and trips there tend to be long and data-hungry: maps on the road, rides, video calls across the time difference. A travel eSIM installed at home connects when you land at JFK, Chicago or Detroit, and keeps your own SIM in the phone.
Your options for internet in the USA
| Option | Works when you land | Keep your number | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming on your home plan | Yes | Yes | None, but usually very costly |
| US prepaid SIM | After you find a store | No, new number | A store visit, and swapping SIMs |
| Free Wi-Fi | Cafés, hotels, airports | Yes | Logins, and nothing on the road |
| Travel eSIM | Yes | Yes, for WhatsApp and iMessage | Two minutes at home |
Which networks does it use?
Our USA plan connects to AT&T and Verizon, the country's two biggest networks, with 5G where available. Between them, they cover the cities, the suburbs and the interstates very well. The USA is huge, though: in national parks, deserts and mountain passes there are long stretches with no signal on any network.
How much data do you need?
Americans stream, video call and navigate everywhere, and you probably will too.
| Trip | Plan we'd pick |
|---|---|
| A week in New York | 3 GB for 15 days |
| Two weeks visiting family | 5 GB for 30 days |
| A month, with video calls home | 10 GB or 15 GB for 30 days |
| A road trip with maps all day | 20 GB for 30 days |
| A long family visit | 20 GB for 90 days |
Tips for the USA
Download offline maps for road trips. Between towns in the West, and in parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, signal disappears for hours.
Uber and Lyft work with your own number. Sign up at home, and the apps work over the eSIM's data in the US.
Share with the car. Hotspot is allowed on every plan, with no daily cap, so one phone can keep the passengers and a tablet online.
Crossing into Canada or Mexico? The USA plan works in the USA only. Our North America plan covers the USA, Canada and Mexico with one eSIM.
Time difference. Calls home from the US East Coast are 6 hours behind Central Europe. WhatsApp voice notes help when your family is asleep.
Is your phone ready?
You need a phone that supports eSIM and isn't locked to your carrier. Here's how to check in two minutes.
How to set it up
- Buy the plan on our website or in the Blue eSIM app.
- Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. On recent iPhones the app installs it with one tap; on any phone you can scan the QR code.
- When you land, choose the eSIM for mobile data and switch on data roaming for it. Turn data roaming off on your home SIM.
- If you run low, top up the same eSIM in the app.
The plan only starts when it first connects in the USA, so installing early costs you nothing.
What you get with Blue eSIM
- AT&T and Verizon, the two biggest US networks, with 5G where available
- Plans up to 50 GB, and a 90-day plan for long visits
- Hotspot on every plan, with no daily cap
- Top-ups on the same eSIM
- Plans changed? Cancel any eSIM you haven't installed, for full credit, up to 5 months after buying
- An app and support in eight languages, including Albanian, Macedonian and Turkish
Frequently asked questions
What is the best eSIM for the USA?
One on the big networks, with enough data for a long trip. Ours connects to AT&T and Verizon, with plans up to 50 GB and a 90-day option.
Will I get a US phone number?
No. The eSIM is for data. Your home SIM keeps your number, and WhatsApp and iMessage keep working on it.
Can I use one eSIM for the USA and Canada?
Yes, with our North America plan.