Best eSIM for Group Travel (Why We Stopped Buying Separate Plans)
Tom and I have a rule: whoever's phone has data is the navigator. For the first week of our Morocco trip, that was a disaster. He had an Airalo plan. I had a local Maroc Telecom SIM. His worked in the medina but died in the mountains. Mine worked in the mountains but was painfully slow in Marrakech. We were taking turns being lost.
By week two, we were both on GOAN and the navigation arguments dropped by about 80%. The other 20% is just us being a couple.
Here's why group eSIM plans make so much more sense than everyone fending for themselves.
The Problem With Separate Plans
When you're travelling as a couple or a group, buying individual SIM cards or eSIM plans creates problems that solo travellers don't face:
Different coverage. If you're on different providers, one person might have signal while the other doesn't. In a Moroccan mountain town, Tom had zero bars while I had full 4G. We were standing next to each other.
Different data limits. If one person runs out of data before the other, they become dependent on hotspotting. This creates a weird power dynamic where one person has to ask for internet. It's small. It's annoying. It adds up over weeks.
Double the admin. Two people buying SIMs at every border means twice the queuing, twice the passport handovers, twice the activation waiting. In Cambodia, Tom's SIM took 45 minutes to activate while mine was ready in 5. We just stood there.
No shared billing. Individual plans means tracking who spent what on data. On a long trip where you're already splitting everything, adding "phone data" to the ledger is unnecessary friction.
The Group Pricing Math
GOAN's group pricing kicks in at 2+ eSIMs. Here's how it compares:
Couple (2 people), 2-week Europe trip
| Approach | Per Person | Total | Data Each |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOAN group plan | $29 | $58 | 20GB |
| Airalo (Europe regional) | $37 | $74 | 10GB |
| Airport SIM shops | $25-35 | $50-70 | 10GB, one country only |
| Carrier roaming | $70-140 | $140-280 | 2-7GB |
GOAN saves $16-222 compared to the alternatives and gives you double the data of Airalo.
Group of 4, 3-week SEA trip
| Approach | Per Person | Total | Data Each |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOAN group plan | $29 | $116 | 20GB |
| Airalo (country plans) | $45-60 | $180-240 | 10GB (multiple plans) |
| Local SIMs at each border | $15-20 | $60-80 | 10GB per country |
| Carrier roaming | $150+ | $600+ | Minimal |
The local SIM option looks cheapest but requires everyone to buy new SIMs at every border. For a 4-person group crossing 3 borders, that's 16 SIM purchases total. Nobody wants to spend their holiday standing in phone shops.
What We Actually Do
Tom and I both have GOAN eSIMs on the group plan. Same provider, same coverage, same data limits. Here's how it plays out:
Navigation: Both phones work as GPS. If one dies (battery), the other takes over seamlessly. No "wait, my phone doesn't have data" moments.
Splitting up: We don't do everything together every day. Sometimes Tom goes to a museum while I find a cafe. Both phones have data. Both phones have real phone numbers. We can call each other if plans change. "Hey, I found an amazing restaurant, meet me here" works when both phones work.
Content creation: We're building a travel content presence, which means posting stories, uploading photos, and responding to DMs throughout the day. Both phones need data for this. One hotspot doesn't cut it when we're in different locations.
Emergencies: Both of us can call emergency services, call our hotel, or contact our travel insurance. With a data-only eSIM, only WhatsApp calls work. A real phone number (which GOAN includes) lets you dial any number directly.
Travelling With Friends
We spent 3 weeks in Thailand with another couple, Jack and Emma. Four people, four phones, four different connectivity setups:
- Tom: GOAN eSIM
- Me: GOAN eSIM
- Jack: Airalo Thailand plan
- Emma: Local DTAC SIM
When we crossed from Thailand to Cambodia for a 3-day Angkor Wat side trip:
- Tom and I: data worked instantly at the border
- Jack: had to buy a Cambodia Airalo plan ($13, installed it on the bus)
- Emma: DTAC SIM stopped working, bought a Cellcard SIM in Siem Reap ($5, but it took 30 minutes to find a shop)
Tom and I were navigating to the hotel while Jack and Emma were still sorting their phones. That's not a flex. It's just the reality of different approaches.
By day 2 in Cambodia, Jack had downloaded GOAN. Emma stuck with her physical SIM out of stubbornness and regretted it when we crossed back into Thailand and she needed yet another SIM.
The Phone Number Advantage for Couples
Most eSIM providers give you data only. No phone number, no calls, no SMS. For solo travellers, that might be fine. For couples and groups, it creates gaps.
Real scenarios from our trip:
Restaurant bookings: I called a riad in Marrakech to confirm our reservation. They didn't have WhatsApp. They didn't respond to emails. They answered the phone on the first ring. GOAN's real phone number made this a 30-second task.
Hotel reception: "Call us when you arrive and we'll send someone to meet you at the parking area." This happens constantly in Morocco, Turkey, and Southeast Asia. Data-only eSIM? Can't call.
Coordinating with the group: When four people split up for the afternoon, phone calls are sometimes easier than typing. "We're at this restaurant, just walk towards the blue mosque and you'll see it" is faster spoken than typed.
For a deeper look at why phone numbers matter, Jake wrote a really good breakdown of eSIMs with real phone numbers.
How to Set Up Group Plans
Setting up GOAN for a group is simple:
- One person goes to goanesim.com and selects the quantity (2+)
- Each person gets their own QR code via email
- Each person scans their QR code (install guide here)
- Everyone's on the same plan, same coverage, same data
No need to be on the same phone type (iPhone and Android both work). No need to be in the same location when setting up. We set ours up on the couch the night before our flight.
Bottom Line
If you're travelling with anyone else (partner, friends, family), get on the same eSIM provider. Different plans, different coverage, different data limits just creates unnecessary friction.
GOAN's group pricing at $29/person for 20GB across 105+ countries is the best value I've found for couples and groups. Real phone numbers for everyone. Zero border admin. And no more arguments about whose phone is the navigator.
Check the coverage map for your destinations.
