This page compares five travel eSIM providers for a family of four visiting the United States: Sirocco, Airalo, Saily, Yesim and Holafly. It is written mainly for families travelling from the UK and the rest of Europe. Every price and feature was read on the providers' official websites on 4 October 2026, using one scenario for all, so you can see what a whole-family order looks like.
This page is published by Sirocco, one of the providers compared. We have stuck to facts shown on each site, stated other providers' strengths plainly, and carried out no tests on the ground. Sirocco's own plans are on the United States eSIM page.
How we compared US eSIMs for families
Sources. Each provider's official website, consulted on 4 October 2026. Prices are those displayed when the sites were viewed from France, in euros. If you browse from the UK, a site may show pounds or a different price, so check the provider's page before buying. Sirocco charges in euros; its site may show an indicative amount in another currency.
Scenario. A family of four, seven days, about 5 GB per person: everyday use (messages, maps, social media, photos) at around 0.7 GB a day. For each provider we chose the offer closest to the scenario and calculated the total as four times the unit price.
Criteria. Price for four; a different plan per traveller in one order; hotspot; how each traveller receives and installs their eSIM; a kids' mode or purchase control; support channels and hours; when the validity starts; networks named.
What we did not measure. Real speeds, coverage in national parks or on road trips, and network quality. No field test was carried out. "Not found" means the information was not shown on the site, not that the feature does not exist.
Comparison table: 5 GB per person for a week in the USA
Checked on 4 October 2026, official websites, prices displayed from France in euros.
| Provider | Closest offer to the scenario | Unit price | Total for 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirocco (Sirocco price of the day) | At least 5 GB, at least 7 days | €9.40 | €33.84 (group discount included) |
| Airalo | 5 GB, 7 days | 11.50 € | 4 x 11.50 € = 46.00 € |
| Saily | 5 GB, 30 days (no shorter 5 GB plan) | 12.49 € | 4 x 12.49 € = 49.96 € |
| Yesim | 5 GB, 30 days | 9.00 € | 4 x 9.00 € = 36.00 € (before the announced multi-eSIM discount) |
| Holafly | Unlimited, 7 days (no fixed-volume plans) | 25.50 € | 4 x 25.50 € = 102.00 € |
The offers are not identical: Saily and Yesim plans of this size last 30 days, Holafly sells unlimited plans only, and the Sirocco plan returned for this scenario may be valid for longer than seven days when that costs less. Yesim's page announces "10% off for 2 eSIMs or more"; we have not calculated a discounted total. At Sirocco, 10% comes off the total from three eSIMs in one order, with the amount shown before payment.
If you would rather have unlimited data for a week
| Provider | Unlimited, 7 days (unit price) | Fair use as stated |
|---|---|---|
| Sirocco | Unlimited option: see the United States page | 2 GB a day at high speed, then reduced speed |
| Airalo | 23.00 € | Not found |
| Saily | 21.99 € | 5 GB a day at high speed |
| Yesim | 20.30 € (price shown by the duration selector) | Not found |
| Holafly | 25.50 € | Speed may be reduced for no more than one day, depending on the operator |
Features compared, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Sirocco | Airalo | Saily | Yesim | Holafly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Different plan per traveller in one order | Yes, up to 10 travellers | Not found | Not found (traveller count selector; Family Plan shares one plan) | Not found (MultiSIM: 1 to 10 eSIMs of one plan) | Not found (one eSIM per device selector) |
| Hotspot | Depends on the plan, shown before payment | Allowed if device and network support it | Presented as unlimited | "Depends on operator" | 1 GB a day |
| Sending and installing per traveller | Personal install link by SMS (UK, EU, France, Switzerland, Morocco numbers), otherwise by email; QR code as backup | Not found | Family Plan: invitation by email | Each eSIM sent by link or QR code | Not found |
| Kids' mode | Yes (Child profile in the app) | Not found | Not found | Not found | Not found |
| Local phone number | No (data only) | Not on destination-page plans (data only) | US (+1) number as a paid option | No (data only) | No (data only) |
| Support | Form and email, Mon to Fri, 9 am to 6 pm Paris time, usually within 2 business hours | 24/7 chat | 24/7 chat in the app, and email | 24/7 chat, average response "just 5 minutes" | 24/7 chat, WhatsApp and email |
| Validity starts | First connection at destination | When the eSIM activates (usually at destination, sometimes at installation) | Automatically on arrival | On connection to a compatible network | On connecting to any supported network |
| Networks named | Not published | T-Mobile, Verizon | Not found | AT&T, Verizon | AT&T / T-Mobile |
Price for four. Compare line by line: validity periods differ, and unlimited-only is a different product from a fixed volume, with no allowance to track.
One plan per person. A US trip often mixes long drives, theme parks and evenings in a motel, and each family member uses data differently. At Sirocco you set each traveller's plan in one order, for example two parents at €9.40 each, a teenager on 10 GB at €14.50 and a younger child on 3 GB at €5.30. From three eSIMs, 10% is deducted from the total, and the exact amount is shown in the configurator before you pay. Saily's Family Plan works differently: one plan shared with up to four other people (five in total), set up in the app by email invitation before activation; unlimited plans cannot be shared. Yesim's MultiSIM keeps 1 to 10 eSIMs in a single account.
Hotspot. Saily presents hotspot as unlimited, a real plus if the children's tablets will run off a parent's phone in the car. Holafly allows 1 GB a day on these plans and Yesim says it depends on the operator. At Sirocco it depends on the plan and is shown before payment; when available, shared data comes out of the sharer's plan. Hotspot also drains the phone's battery, so pack a car charger.
Installation for UK and European numbers. With Sirocco, the organiser enters each traveller's number and everyone receives a personal installation link by SMS, with a step-by-step guide and a QR code as backup. SMS sending works for UK, EU, French, Swiss and Moroccan numbers, so a British family can send the links to everyone's usual phone before leaving. US numbers are not on that list: those links go by email or can be shared directly. The SMS is sent only when the organiser asks. Yesim sends each eSIM by link or QR code. See how to install an eSIM.
A US number. If you need a local number, for example to receive texts from a US service, Saily offers a +1 number as a paid option. The other plans compared here are data only; your usual line stays active for calls and texts at your operator's rates, and internet calling and messaging apps work over the eSIM's data.
Kids' mode. Sirocco's Child profile shows the child remaining data and the end date in the free app, with a "Request data" button that shows no price. A parent accepts, chooses another amount or declines; unanswered requests expire after 24 hours and nothing is charged. It is not parental control: no filtering, no browsing history, no location. See the kids eSIM page. We found no equivalent on the other sites.
Support. The other four providers advertise 24/7 chat, and Holafly adds WhatsApp. That matters in the USA, where your daytime falls in the European evening and night. Sirocco answers by form and email, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm Paris time, usually within two business hours.
Which eSIM suits your family?
Young children without a phone. eSIMs for the adults may be enough. If tablets will rely on a parent's hotspot, check hotspot rules before buying.
Teenagers with their own phone. Separate plans stop one heavy user draining everyone's data. At Sirocco data is never pooled: when one traveller runs out, only their connection stops, nothing extra is charged, and the organiser can top up just that eSIM without reinstalling (top up a traveller).
Two weeks or more. Saily and Yesim 5 GB plans last 30 days. Sirocco also sells 15-day and 30-day plans, for example 10 GB for 15 days at €15.80.
Several countries. This page covers the United States only. If you are adding Canada or Mexico, check each provider's offers for those countries separately.
To estimate how much you need, try the data calculator; group orders are explained on the family eSIM page.
Practical points for the USA
Networks. The United States has three national operators with their own networks: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. According to the FCC, each covered at least 95% of the population with 4G LTE and at least 75% with 5G at the end of 2023. Population coverage is not the same as coverage everywhere, which matters on long drives through remote areas.
Roaming from home. EU roam-like-at-home rules do not cover the United States, and they no longer apply to the UK since Brexit. Check what your own operator charges before relying on it.
Is your phone ready? Dial *#06#: if an EID number appears, the phone accepts eSIMs. A phone bought on a contract may be locked, so have it unlocked before you leave. See the compatibility page.
Install at home. Install each eSIM on home Wi-Fi a few days before departure and keep the line switched off. On landing, switch it on, select it for mobile data and enable data roaming on that line only. Do not delete an installed eSIM; it cannot always be reinstalled. See when your plan starts.
Wi-Fi. Hotel and motel Wi-Fi is handy for downloading offline maps for road trips and films for the children before a long drive.
Emergencies. Dial 911. The Sirocco eSIM is data only, so call from your usual line.