Welcome to the Internet Access for Motorcycle Travellers and Overlanders Guide. Whether you’re crossing continents or chasing dirt trails on the weekend, reliable internet access is a must. This guide breaks down the best options for staying connected so you can navigate, share, stay informed and be safe on your travels.
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Internet Access and SIMs for Travellers
By Andy Davidson
Mad or Nomad: Round the World Motorcycle Traveller
We’re often asked about staying connected to the internet as we travel – that invaluable lifeline to the world. And that’s because using the net isn’t just a convenience anymore, it’s a critical tool for a lot of people – especially overland-travellers.
Sure, there’s the beauty of ‘switching off’ and getting away from it all. But you can do that and still have connectivity for when you need it. And we need it now more than ever because it makes our lives so much easier and safer.
So, we’ve put this guide together to explain the different options you have for staying connected on the road. Whether you’re on a short trip or riding round the world, you’ll find an option here that works for you.
Why mobile internet matters on the road
Planning and preparation is easier with internet. You can plot your routes on the go, check road conditions, weather reports, logistics, get support etc. You can adapt to quickly changing conditions and re-route if needed. Here’s some of the main reasons staying online matters.
Navigation and maps
Real-time rerouting around traffic, weather events, or police checkpoints; satellite terrain for off-road navigation; rapid lookups for fuel stations, hotels, and mechanics. We always advocate using an app that supports offline maps (you’ll find a great selection in our Travel Apps guide). However, plans change and you might need to research a new route or destination on the go.
READ MORE: The Best Travel Apps
Emergency communication
Share live location with family, riding buddies, or rescue teams; access satellite-enabled apps; translate symptoms or SOS calls in places without a common language.
READ MORE: Emergency Satellite Devices Explained
Accommodation and admin
Accommodation is a big one. Being able to scour booking.com or look up a safe place to camp is important. You don’t have to rely on trying to find WiFi to search out a safe or nice place to sleep. If you’re on a long trip, chances are you’ll be booking places day by day and so internet access is important here. The same goes for admin purposes – needing access to files, insurance, bookings etc.
Staying in places with no WiFi
Dependent on where in the world you travel, you’ll find not all accommodation has WiFi. We’ve travelled with other riders for short periods of time where we’ve all arrived at a place to stay and they’ve had to leave because there’s no internet – spending the next few hours trudging from lodge to homestay to hotel to try and find somewhere with WiFi. It’s easier to just have it on your phone ready for such a situation.
Your options for internet access while riding
You’ve got a few options for staying connected and getting data on your phone as you travel. We’ll go through the options below with their pros, cons and who they’re for.
eSIMs
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital version of a physical SIM card. Instead of removing your current SIM card and inserting another into your phone, you simply download a digital SIM card from a provider – that way you’ll keep your current SIM and also have another digital SIM on your phone as well.
How eSIMs work
Activation – You buy a data plan from an eSIM provider, then activate it by scanning a QR code or using their app.
No swapping required – You don’t need to remove your current SIM — eSIMs are stored digitally and can be toggled on/off in your phone’s settings.
Multiple profiles – Modern phones let you store several eSIMs and switch between them. You’ll also always have your physical SIM in the phone which you can toggle between too.
Instant setup – You can install and activate a plan in minutes, even mid-transit. There’s no need to visit a shop or wait for a physical SIM. Setting up eSIMs is now easier than ever too.
Why eSIMs are great for travel
Skip SIM shops – You don’t have to go searching for a SIM card at borders, in the nearest town or airport. Often with local SIM cards you’ll have to spend time registering it with your passport and setting up your new SIM. Whilst with an eSIM, you can activate them before you arrive and get online instantly.
Regional and global plans – This is a big reason we love eSIMs. You can use one eSIM across multiple countries or regions. For example, we are currently using one eSIM which covers Africa. While if we were to use local SIM cards, we would be having to find and setup a new card in each country we travel through.
Data – The eSIM will connect you to local networks at local rates. You can opt for a provider that offers unlimited internet. This is very important for us as we work as we travel and always need access to the internet. We use Holafly because of their unlimited data package. More on them next.
Keep your main SIM and number – Your home SIM stays in your phone. You can use that physical SIM card for calls/texts and toggle your settings so the eSIM is used for data. It’s easy to do and ideal for WhatsApp, 2FA, or banking.
Things to watch out for with eSIMs
Device compatibility – Not all phones support eSIMs. Most iPhones from XR onward, newer Pixels, and Samsung flagships do. Just check yours does before you buy.
Data-only plans – Most travel eSIMs don’t include voice or SMS unless specified. This isn’t an issue for us as we use WhatsApp to make calls. Or if we need to call a landline or business number, we use the Rebtel or Viber apps.
Holafly – our recommended eSIM provider
We’ve been using Holafly for a while now and it’s proven to be the best eSIM service we’ve tried (and we’ve tested quite a few!).
The data packages are unlimited and we’ve found it to be the easiest and quickest service to download an eSIM and get online. It’s rapid. You just scan a QR code, follow the setup and you’re done.
READ MORE: Our Holafly eSIM Review
Our tests and reasons
We’ve run tests on Holafly. We enabled their eSIM on one phone and bought a local SIM card for another and found in remote regions, we had internet on the eSIM but not on the local SIM.
We’re riding our motorcycles around the world and are often crossing borders and switching between countries. At the time of writing, we are riding through Africa and have one eSIM that covers the whole of Africa – instead of having to buying a new local SIM card at every border. Our one eSIM covers the whole continent instead. Easy.
Holafly has kindly offered to give Mad or Nomad readers a 5% discount code here: Holafly.com
Roaming with your home SIM
Roaming can be convenient, but costs spiral fast outside your zone. EU residents get lucky with free roaming across member states—but cross into Morocco or Albania, and charges spike. Head further afield and it’ll get eye-watering by the second.
Using your home SIM while abroad is not a smart or cost effective method – unless you have some super-duper contract.
Tips for using a home SIM
It’s important to keep your home SIM with you – especially if you’re gone for an extended period of time because your service provider will cut your line and you’ll lose your phone number if it hasn’t been used in a set period of time. For example, if you’re from the UK and with Giff Gaff, if you don’t use your SIM (by making a call, topping up or sending a text) within 6 months, your account and number will be deactivated. So, keep your number and put a note in your calendar to use it once every six months.
If you’re heading to a region that allows you to use your home SIM (for example, British SIMs being used in Europe), your provider may offer free or included data. But make sure you check exactly which countries are covered first. This is because you will need to switch ‘roaming data’ on to use that service, and if you unknowingly go outside the service area you’ll start getting charged.
Local SIM cards
Local SIM cards are another great option. We often buy a local SIM as they’re cheap and great if you’re staying put in one country for a long time.
If you’re on a fly and ride trip and flying in, the easiest option to get a local SIM is at an airport. But watch out because they will always charge more of a premium than if you buy it in a town.
Pros and cons of using a local SIM card
Cost efficiency – Local SIMs typically offer cheaper data, call, and text rates than international roaming or global eSIMs — ideal for longer stays or data-heavy usage.
Local phone number – This is a big bonus. Useful for making reservations, receiving OTPs, or accessing services that require a local number
Setup hassle – Requires finding a vendor, possibly navigating language barriers, showing ID, and swapping SIMs — not ideal after a long ride or border crossing. In some countries it can be a huge pain as well – Peru for example where you’ve got to register and even provide finger prints.
Temporary number – You’ll lose access to your regular number unless your device supports dual SIM or eSIM. This can affect two-factor authentication or missed calls from home.
Limited to one country – If you’re crossing borders frequently, you’ll need a new SIM for each country — which adds cost and complexity.
Risk of loss or damage – Physical SIMs can be lost, stolen, or damaged. You’ll also need to keep track of your original SIM if you plan to swap it back later.
How we stay connected on the road
We run our website and work as we travel. We need access to the internet – not just for work, but also for route planning, logistics and staying connected – especially as our travels are so long-term.
Because of that, we use a combination of services. Our primary setup is the eSIM. As mentioned above, we use Holafly. That way we always have internet and after crossing a busy, hot and hectic border we don’t have to go searching for a SIM card vendor and getting ripped off or waiting an hour in a queue. We’ll always have immediate WiFi, it’s unlimited and works throughout entire regions with one eSIM. That’s perfect for us.
We also on occasion use local SIM cards. If we’re going to be in on country for a long time and want a local number or if they offer a cheap package with a lot of data, then we’ll grab a local one and put it into one of our phones (which has a dual SIM port). So for example, if we’re going to spend three months riding in South Africa where their local SIM deals are decent and there’s no registration, then we’ll use that alongside the eSIM.
And then we connect to our accommodation’s WiFi and use a VPN service for heavy data usage like downloading and uploading.
This setup has worked well for us since we started riding round the world in 2018.
Top tips for internet access
Public Wi-Fi – Using public WiFi is another option, but it can be reliable and you have to go looking for it. When you’re in your hotel, accommodation or a restaurant or café, then this is a great time to access public WiFi and do your data heavy tasks like downloads or uploads. If you do use public WiFi, make sure you’re protected.
Staying protected – We recommend using a VPN. We personally use NordVPN, it keeps your browsing and internet access secure and encrypted. As well as security, it also bypasses Geo blocks. For example, there are some websites that only work in specific countries – you can quickly and easily switch your VPN to that country.
Sync important docs offline – Even if you have data on your phone, it’s still worth making important files and images like your passport, visas, prescriptions, bike paperwork, motorcycle registration, personal insurance etc all available offline so it can be accessed even without a connection.
WhatsApp – We speak to a lot of travellers who don’t want to use a local SIM or an eSIM because they believe it’ll stop their WhatsApp from working. That’s not the case – WhatsApp is not connected to your SIM. If you take your SIM card out of your phone right now, it’ll still work, so don’t let that put you off.
Mobile phone apps and resources
We have two dedicated guides that discuss our absolute favourite travel apps and our recommended online resources, websites and services. You may find all of these helpful as you’re setting up your tech ready for your trip. Here’s the links.
Read more on motorcycle travel
Thanks for checking out the Internet Access for Overlanders and Adventure Riders guide. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle travel prep and planning that we recommend you read next.
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Are you planning a motorcycle trip and trying to figure out the best way to stay connected? Do you have any questions, tips or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.