Are you planning a journey to Canada and wish to stay connected during your tour? We introduce you to the best eSIM and SIM cards for Canada and help you decide which offer suits your travel plans best.
A journey through the pristine wilderness, the unique national parks, and the fascinating metropolises of Canada is an extraordinary adventure! If you want to stay connected and informed during your vacation, make sure you get an eSIM or SIM card for Canada before you set off.
Check the weather forecast, find a restaurant nearby, share vacation photos, and videos, or call your loved ones at home: there are many good reasons to buy a SIM card for Canada before you travel.
With a Canada SIM card, you will not only make substantial savings on roaming costs, it also guarantees excellent network coverage, sufficient data volume, and the certainty of being able to access GPS at any time without problems.
A conventional, physical SIM card is inserted into the smartphone. It is the link between the phone and the mobile phone provider and thus enables access to all network services.
The eSIM (short for "embedded SIM"), on the other hand, is built into a device and therefore cannot be replaced. Strictly speaking, it is not a card in the true sense of the word, but a circuit integrated into the smartphone that performs the functions of a SIM card.
The chip of your eSIM can be rewritten so that you no longer have to wait for a new SIM card when you change providers.
Most current smartphones (e.g., iPhones from the XS onwards, Samsung from the Galaxy S20 onwards, Google from the Pixel 3 onwards) are eSIM-capable. There are also various smartwatches that have an eSIM function.
If you are traveling to Canada, it is recommended that you buy a SIM card online before your departure. You can activate it directly at the airport to get online immediately and, for example, navigate your way to your accommodation or through the local public transport system.
If you prefer a physical SIM card for Canada or your smartphone is not capable of eSIM, you can choose the offer from TravSIM.
Whatever your surfing habits and travel plans, you're sure to find the right package for your vacation among the various eSIM tariffs for Canada from eSIMony! And if you are planning a stopover in the United States, you can order your eSIM for the USA at the same time.
Beforehand, consider for what purposes and to what extent you want to make calls and use the Internet, and choose your eSIM card accordingly.
These examples will help you to better estimate your required data consumption:
| Activity | Data usage |
|---|---|
| Google search (per search query) | 0.20 MB |
| Send/receive an e-mail | 0.20 MB |
| Send/receive a WhatsApp message | 0.01 MB |
| Facebook & Instagram (scroll, per page with pictures and videos) | 2.00 MB |
| Music streaming, e.g., Spotify (per minute) | 1.50 MB |
| Watch YouTube video (per minute, high resolution) | 8.00 MB |
| Video streaming, e.g., Netflix (per minute, high resolution) | 35.00 MB |
If you want to remain as flexible as possible during your journey to Canada or if you make a lot of phone calls and surf the Internet, you can also choose an unlimited data tariff. It offers you the following advantages:
Do you have any more questions about Canada SIM cards? You can find useful information and tips in our FAQ.
Not all smartphones from abroad work with Canadian frequencies. Especially if you have an older device, you should check whether it is compatible with the local frequency bands before deciding on a SIM card or eSIM card for Canada. Web portals such as frequencycheck.com or Kimovil can help you with this.
Roaming in Canada works just like anywhere else in the world. The mobile phone providers of travelers from Europe often have international roaming plans that allow them to use their smartphone in Canada. However, these international roaming plans can be very expensive.
To avoid surprises on your cell phone bill, you should find out before your journey to Canada whether data, calls, and text messages are included in your tariff and what costs are involved. In most cases, it is worth buying a SIM card for Canada.
There are a variety of different cell phone providers in the provinces of Canada. The most important ones are:
You can also buy your Canada SIM card in the country. However, if you order the SIM or eSIM online while planning your journey, you have the advantage that you can use it as soon as you arrive at the Canadian airport and don't have to search for a store that offers a suitable SIM card.
You can use WhatsApp free of charge in Canada to exchange photos, messages, or voice messages. However, this requires that you have access to an internet connection. If you are not connected to free Wi-Fi or use a Canada SIM card, you may quickly incur high extra costs due to international roaming.