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I used Roambit’s eSIM for a week in Budapest. Here’s how it performed, what it costs, and whether it’s worth it for travellers.
If you’d told me five years ago that I’d never need to queue at an airport kiosk for a SIM card again, I’d have laughed. Those sweaty, jet-lagged pilgrimages to the nearest phone shop used to be as much a part of arriving somewhere new as passport control. Whenever I arrived in a new country, I’d immediately get money out from an airport ATM, grab a sim card, then find my way into the city. Those were the 3 things I did every single time. Now, thanks to eSIMs, all of that faff is firmly in the past.
If you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what an eSim is, it’s a digital SIM card built directly into your smartphone. There’s no plastic card to fiddle with, no SIM tray to lose in the back of a taxi, and no overpriced tourist plan being pushed at you by an airport vendor. Instead, you purchase a data plan online, scan a QR code, and you’re connected. The whole process takes two minutes. And it has really revolutionised the way I travel.
On my most recent trip to Budapest, I used Roambit’s eSIM for the first time, and I was seriously impressed by their coverage and cost. From the moment I landed at Budapest airport, I had a full signal and fast data before I’d even found the baggage carousel. Throughout a week of wandering ruin bars, cruising the Danube, and navigating the backstreets of the Jewish Quarter, my connection never let me down.
If you’re looking for an eSim and you’re wondering what’s the best one for travelling at the moment, then here’s my full honest Roambit eSIM review. In it you’ll find everything you need to know including cost, coverage and what I liked about it. I’m also offering a 10% discount code with ANADVENTUROUSWORLD for my followers, so keep on reading!
Who are Roambit and why are they good?
Roambit is a newer player in the eSIM space. Launched in early 2026 with a very clear mission: to offer travellers genuinely unlimited data plans without the throttling, hidden caps, and misleading small print that plague so many of their competitors.
I’ve used a fair few eSIM providers over the years (it comes with the job), and all of them come with a catch of some kind. Either the “unlimited” data turns out to be unlimited only until you’ve used a certain amount, after which speeds drop to something barely functional, or tethering is blocked entirely, which is completely useless if you want to connect a laptop on the go.
Roambit’s pitch is simple. No throttling, no hidden caps, tethering allowed, transparent pricing, and coverage across more than 200 countries worldwide. They connect to local tier-1 network operators in each destination rather than routing everything through a distant home network, which is a big part of why speeds stay consistent whether you’re in the middle of Budapest or somewhere decidedly more off the beaten track.
For a brand that’s only been around since 2026, they’ve clearly paid close attention to every frustration that travellers have had with existing providers and built their service around fixing them. For someone like me who travels a lot, it really builds that brand condifence.
How does Roambit eSIM work?
The setup process is one of the easiest I’ve encountered with any eSIM provider. Here’s exactly what it looks like in practice:
- Head to the Roambit website (or their app) and select your destination – whether that’s a single country, a regional bundle, or a global plan.
- Choose your data package, complete payment, and receive a QR code by email within minutes.
- Go to your phone’s Settings → Mobile Data (or Cellular) → Add eSIM → Scan QR Code.
- Toggle data roaming on for the Roambit line.
- You’re done. Easy.
Before my Budapest trip, the whole thing was sorted in under two minutes while I was still on my sofa at home. By the time I landed, everything activated automatically. No hunting for Wi-Fi, no scrambling to find a phone shop. It just worked.
Roambit also has a mobile app available on iOS and Android, which makes managing your plans even more straightforward. You can purchase new plans, track your data usage, and top up directly from the app without ever needing to scan a QR code again after the first time. For anyone who finds the QR process fiddly, it’s a handy alternative.
Coverage: Where does Roambit work?
This is one of Roambit’s strongest selling points. They currently offer coverage in more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, which puts them right up there with the biggest players in the market.
For European travellers in particular, their regional Europe plan is excellent. It covers all 27 EU member states, as well as the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and a number of Balkan destinations including Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bosnia. That means one plan, one price, and no SIM-swapping drama regardless of how many borders you cross.
Beyond Europe, Roambit has strong coverage across:
- Southeast Asia – Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and more
- North America – USA, Canada, and Mexico
- South America – Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and others
- Middle East and Africa – a growing selection of destinations
- Asia-Pacific – Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand
I used Roambit in Budapest, which connects to Hungary’s local networks, and speeds were consistently excellent throughout the city. They were typically 40–60 Mbps on 4G with occasional 5G bursts in the centre. Even in some of the more residential neighbourhoods away from the tourist trail, the signal held up well.
If you want to verify coverage before committing, Roambit’s website has a coverage checker where you can search by destination.
Roambit pricing and data plans (+ a discount code!)
Let’s talk money. Their pricing starts at around $4.99 for a 3GB plan. That’s perfectly suited to shorter trips where you mainly need Google Maps, WhatsApp, and occasional browsing. For longer trips or heavier users, the plans scale up accordingly. And the unlimited data option is where things get really interesting.
A lot of eSIM providers use the word “unlimited” very loosely. What they often mean is: unlimited until you’ve used a certain amount of high-speed data. After that, speeds are throttled so severely that you can barely load a webpage. Roambit’s unlimited plans are genuinely unlimited. Trust me, I tested it. I streamed music, made video calls, used Google Maps constantly, uploaded photos, and hotspotted my laptop in my hotel. All without hitting any noticeable slowdown. Pretty impressive, right?
Here’s a rough breakdown of the plan types on offer:
- Single-country plans – ideal for focused trips to one destination; typically the most affordable option
- Regional plans – one plan covering multiple countries; the Europe plan is the flagship here
- Global plans – for nomads or multi-continent travellers; covers 130+ countries on a single eSIM profile
Compared to the competition, Roambit’s pricing is genuinely competitive. Their Europe regional plan comes in significantly cheaper than both Airalo and Holafly for comparable coverage. And unlike Holafly, Roambit actually allows tethering. That combination of unlimited data and hotspot functionality is rare in this space. It makes a real difference for anyone working on the road. I’m thinking of all you digital nomads here.
If you run low mid-trip, you can also top up data directly through the Roambit dashboard. No need to purchase an entirely new plan. Simple, sensible, and much appreciated.
Even better, if you’re an An Adventurous World reader, you can get 10% off your Roambit plan by using the code ANADVENTUROUSWORLD at checkout. It’s a small saving that adds up nicely, especially if you’re picking up a longer-term or unlimited plan for a bigger trip. Just apply the code when you purchase through the Roambit website and the discount will be applied automatically.
My experience: One week in Budapest with Roambit
Budapest is one of those cities that demands constant connectivity. You’re hopping between neighbourhoods, navigating on foot, hunting down the best lángos stand in the Great Market Hall, trying to work out which thermal bath requires booking in advance. A reliable mobile connection isn’t a luxury here; it’s essential.
From the moment I landed, Roambit delivered. I had a strong 4G signal almost everywhere: on the metro, in Szimpla Kert when it was packed full of people, in the middle of Margaret Island, and even in the basement of a ruin bar that I suspect hasn’t seen natural light since 1987. There were a couple of brief signal dips deep in the underground, but that’s a Budapest infrastructure issue rather than a Roambit one.
Throughout the week, Google Maps was flawless, listening to music along the Danube as I went for my morning run, and even streaming TV shows for the little ones when we were out for dinner, were all easy.
By the end of the week, I’d used around 10GB of data. On a capped plan, I’d have been in trouble by Wednesday. With Roambit’s unlimited option, I never once needed to check the meter.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I’m more than happy answering anything about Roambit and why I thought it was ideal for travellers.
