Roaming — What Does It Mean?
When you use your Swiss SIM card abroad for calls or internet, roaming fees apply. Your Swiss provider bills through the local network — and this can get very expensive.
What Does Roaming Cost with Swiss Providers?
Within the EU, roaming has been free since 2017 — but Switzerland is not an EU member. This means different rules apply for Swiss customers:
- 📡 Swisscom: Roaming in the USA from CHF 15/day or CHF 10/100MB
- 📡 Sunrise: USA roaming from CHF 12/day
- 📡 Salt: USA roaming packages from CHF 9.90/day
On a 2-week trip to the USA, you can easily pay CHF 100–200 just for roaming — and that is without heavy usage.
Outside the EU: The Most Expensive Roaming Destinations
- 🇺🇸 USA: up to CHF 15/day
- 🇦🇱 Albania: up to CHF 3/MB without a package
- 🇽🇰 Kosovo: up to CHF 3/MB without a package
- 🇹🇷 Turkey: up to CHF 5/MB without a package
- 🇹🇭 Thailand: up to CHF 10/MB without a package
- 🇦🇪 Dubai/UAE: up to CHF 8/MB without a package
The Alternative: Buy eSIM and Save up to 90%
With a local eSIM from esimalb.com you pay a fraction of the price:
- 🇺🇸 USA 10GB eSIM: from CHF 12 for 30 days
- 🇦🇱 Albania 5GB eSIM: from CHF 4
- 🇽🇰 Kosovo 5GB eSIM: from CHF 5
- 🇹🇷 Turkey 10GB eSIM: from CHF 6
No daily package, no nasty bill surprise. You buy once and know exactly what you get.
Conclusion: eSIM vs. Roaming
For occasional short messages, roaming might still be fine. But as soon as you navigate, use social media or Google Maps, roaming gets expensive fast. An eSIM is in almost every case the cheaper and easier choice.
