THE SONET JOURNAL

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Notes on travel, data, and saying it well. Thirty short lessons on eSIMs, thirty destination guides, and the tools in between.

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GUIDE

Vietnam by scooter and street stall

FEATURED · eSIM EDUCATION

What is an eSIM? A plain-language guide

No jargon. What an eSIM actually is, how it differs from a plastic SIM, and why travellers adopted it first. A plain guide before your next trip.

{n} MIN READ · UPDATED {date}

Tool · {n} MINUTES

eSIM compatibility checker

Check my phone →

ARTICLE · INSTALLATION

How to install an eSIM in two minutes

A step-by-step guide to installing an eSIM: what you need first, the actual install steps, and how to confirm it worked before you travel.

{n} MIN READ · FEB. 2026

GUIDE · ASIA

Japan for the first time: a week that says it well

A first-timer's Japan itinerary built on restraint: three unhurried days in Tokyo, three in Kyoto, and a final day left open for Nara, Osaka or Kamakura.

{n} MIN READSee {country} plans →

OFFER · SUMMER IN EUROPE

One plan, thirty countries, zero roaming sonnets of regret.

Regional Europe eSIM. Install once, hop borders freely.

Browse Europe plans10 GB · FROM £4.99

Latest lessons

eSIM education · {n} topics →

Nº 30 · CHECKLISTS

The travel-day checklist

{n} MIN →

Nº 29 · INSTALLATION

After the trip: should you delete your eSIM?

{n} MIN →

Nº 28 · DEVICES

eSIM for tablets and smartwatches

{n} MIN →

Nº 27 · DEVICES

Unlocked vs carrier-locked phones

{n} MIN →

Nº 26 · DEVICES

Battery myths, tested

{n} MIN → All {n} lessons →

Tool

Will thy phone take an eSIM?

Two questions, a plain answer.

Check my phone

The postcard · monthly

One letter a month. No spam, only stanzas.

Guides by destination

{n} destinations · All guides →

California, honestly, and only California

Bergen to Oslo, the honest cost of the view

All guides

{n} destinations →

The complete index

{lessons} lessons · {destinations} destinations · {tools} tools

I. The education syllabus

Nº 01What is an eSIM? A plain-language guide Nº 02eSIM vs physical SIM: what actually changes Nº 03Is your phone eSIM compatible? The full list Nº 04How to install an eSIM in two minutes Nº 05Activate before you fly: the pre-flight ritual Nº 06Data roaming explained (and why it costs so much)Nº 07How much data do you need for a week abroad?Nº 08Keep your number, carry our data Nº 09Dual SIM done right: home line plus travel data Nº 10What happens when your plan runs out Nº 11Topping up abroad without tears Nº 12eSIM on iPhone: step by step Nº 13eSIM on Android: step by step Nº 14QR code vs one-tap install Nº 15APN settings, demystified

Nº 16Why your eSIM shows "No service" (and how to fix it)Nº 17Hotspots and tethering on a travel eSIM Nº 18eSIM security: is it safer than plastic?Nº 19WhatsApp, iMessage and your eSIM Nº 20Country vs regional vs global plans Nº 21Two countries, one trip, one eSIM Nº 22eSIM on cruises and ferries Nº 23In-flight data: myths at 30,000 feet Nº 24Business travel: receipts, VAT and expenses Nº 25How eSIMs actually work: the tech behind the tap Nº 26Battery myths, tested Nº 27Unlocked vs carrier-locked phones Nº 28eSIM for tablets and smartwatches Nº 29After the trip: should you delete your eSIM?Nº 30The travel-day checklist

II. Thirty destinations

Amsterdam by bike, and the day you leave it behind Bali beyond the beach clubs, then the Gilis Bangkok, then north to the mountains Barcelona beyond the Ramblas Bergen to Oslo, the honest cost of the view Berlin, then the trains take over Cairo and the Nile, and how to haggle without the flinch California, honestly, and only California China, sorted before you land Croatia's coast, one ferry at a time Dubai beyond the malls Greece, island by island

All {n}, A to Z →

III. Tools

eSIM compatibility checker→

Data calculator

Coverage map