Prepaid T-Mobile or AT&T SIMs run USD 30-50 with taxes, bought at carrier stores or retailers (Target, Walmart) and requiring a passport in-store. The "tourist" prepaid SIMs at airport kiosks tend to cost more.
You buy online before the trip, receive the QR by e-mail in minutes and install it on Wi-Fi the night before. On landing, it connects to the local networks on its own. No store, no queue, no passport registration at a counter. At VoaSim, truly unlimited from USD 1.79/day, with an invoice on every purchase and a full refund if it never connects.
| Travel eSIM | Local SIM | |
|---|---|---|
| When you connect | On landing | After finding a store and doing the paperwork |
| Paperwork | None | Passport registration in most cases |
| Your usual number | Stays active (dual SIM) | The chip comes out: you lose your bank SMS |
| Data | Unlimited (VoaSim) | Fixed GB package |
| Multiple countries | The same profile keeps working | A new SIM in every country |
| Price | Fixed, from USD 1.79/day | Variable; cheap per unit, plus paperwork and time |
Verizon barely sells prepaid to tourists; T-Mobile's 5G is among the most widespread in the world. In national parks (Yellowstone, Yosemite) there are long stretches with no signal from any carrier: download offline maps.
eSIM for tourist trips of up to 30-60 days, multi-country itineraries and anyone who wants to land connected with zero paperwork. Local SIM if you are staying months in the United States or your phone has no eSIM. More destination details at eSIM for The United States.
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