Affordable eSIM data for international travel

Heading off on Erasmus this August? Discover how 3 students managed their internet connection abroad without stress or surprise bills.

Departure is getting close, and with it come the suitcases, the paperwork, the search for housing... and a question that's often forgotten until the last minute: how do I stay connected once I'm there?

Between local plans you have to sign up for on site, expensive roaming outside Europe, and the worry of losing touch with family right after arrival, it's a question worth settling before you leave, not after.

At WonderSIM, we asked three students to tell us how they handled this: a year in the United States, a semester in Canada, another in France. Three destinations, three lengths of stay, one same conclusion: peace of mind is something you prepare before boarding the plane.

1. United States, 12 months — Lise: local SIM + European eSIM duo

Lise studies criminology on an American campus and keeps up with swimming in inter-university championships. For her year in the US, keeping a local number and plan is still useful — but American plans are expensive: she pays more than $50 a month for her local subscription, well above what an equivalent plan would cost in Europe.

Rather than pushing her data usage on that costly plan, she added a European WonderSIM eSIM on top: her American plan for everyday use, and WonderSIM as extra, cheaper data — which also makes it easier to access European sites and services from the United States. A dual-SIM setup that shows you don't have to choose between a local plan and a complementary eSIM — the two can work side by side.

2. Canada, 4 months — Julien: simplicity without commitment

For a 4-month stay, committing to a 12-month Canadian plan rarely makes sense — yet that's sometimes the only option local carriers offer, or else a pricier month-to-month plan with fewer benefits.

Julien, in his final year of a master's in communication, is spending 4 months at Université Laval in Quebec. He chose simplicity: staying reachable — WhatsApp, social media, calls with family — without a local contract. With WonderSIM, he activates his eSIM before departure, for exactly the length of his stay, with no paperwork once he's there. A common situation for students on shorter exchanges: not wanting (or being able) to commit to a plan designed for residents, when all they really need is to stay connected for a few months.

3. France, 4 months — Emma: a safety net alongside RLAH

You might think this question doesn't apply within the EU: RLAH (Roam Like At Home) lets you use your Belgian plan as if you were at home. In practice, though, data caps and carrier-specific restrictions still exist, along with the worry of running out of data far from home.

That's exactly what happened to Emma, a law student spending 4 months in Montpellier. Her Belgian plan worked fine under RLAH, but she added WonderSIM plans as a backup, giving herself a safety margin in case she went over her limit or hit a restriction. Her experience shows a less obvious use for eSIMs: not always a replacement, but peace-of-mind insurance — extra data available within minutes, without having to renegotiate her Belgian plan from abroad.

What these three stories have in common

Whether for 4 months or a full year, 6,000 km or 500 km from Belgium, one principle holds true: your connection should never add stress to an Erasmus experience that's already full of new things. No local contract to puzzle through in an unfamiliar language, no commitment out of proportion to the actual length of your stay, no unpleasant surprise on the bill.

That's the philosophy behind WonderSIM: a clear plan, a price with no fine print, instant activation — and the freedom to choose the option that fits your situation, whether you're going for a semester or a full year.

How to choose your plan before you leave

• Long stay outside the EU (6–12 months): keep your local plan for everyday use, and add a WonderSIM eSIM for extra data or easier access to European services.

• Short stay outside the EU: skip long-term commitments from local carriers — an eSIM matching the exact length of your stay is enough to stay reachable.

• Stay in the EU with RLAH: check your Belgian plan's roaming data caps; a complementary eSIM plan often costs less than going over your limit.

• In every case: activate your eSIM before you leave, not after you arrive.

Conclusion

Your Erasmus experience deserves your full attention — not time lost negotiating a plan in a foreign language or committing to a contract that doesn't match the length of your stay. With WonderSIM, your connection is sorted before you even pack your bags.

👉 Discover the WonderSIM plans suited to your destination and get ready to leave with peace of mind.