Activating eSIM before arriving in Switzerland
A traveler named Very Confused is preparing for a trip to Switzerland and is unsure about activating their eSIM. They are facing difficulties adding a second line while still in the US and are seeking advice on whether to wait until they arrive in Switzerland to activate it.
- Activate the eSIM once you are in Switzerland for it to work properly.
- Ensure your phone is unlocked to all carriers before adding the eSIM.
- You can use your regular US SIM for calls and texts while the eSIM will provide mobile internet only.
AI-generated summary-
I purchased an eSIM but instructions say do not activate until I arrive in Switzerland (which will be Wednesday morning).
I want to be sure my phone is ready. Various tutorials say that I need to add a second line to my phone.
When I try to add the second line while still here in the US, my US carrier Verizon does not accept the mobile number that was provided by eSIM.net.
Should I wait until I am in Switzerland? My handle should be Very Confused, not Happy!
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Hi Happy,
Is it the exact eSIM explained here under “Option 1”: https://www.myswissalps.com/planning/practical/mobile-internet/ ? If so, it activates immediately upon purchase (see point 3 under “How to use”). But it won’t work until you are in one of the countries it supports.
On my phone, I indeed added a second SIM (the eSIM) but it didn’t ask for a phone number, nor did it show a warning. But I was in Europe when I did this. My guess is that it will start working once you’re in Europe, but you can e-mail esim.net to be sure.
I’m US based but will be in EU next week and plan to give the eSIM a try. I’m pretty sure you have to be in EU before being able to use/activate it. From reading, it’s my understanding that this will basically provide me with mobile internet options, so receiving texts (cellular) or making calls from EU to US will not be possible. But anything that is internet accessible (Messenger, FB, Whats App, etc) and EU calls will be possible with the activated eSIM. I’ve used the Traveler’s WiFi many times in the past and I believe the eSIM should operate roughly the same way.
Indeed, calls to the US won’t work through the eSIM. But you can still call to the US as your regular US SIM card (or eSIM) is still in place. Assuming it allows international calls.
My eSIM activated easily once I was in Switzerland and scanned the QR code.
what had me confused was a tutorial which seemed to say that I needed to add a second line to my phone. The eSIM is the second line!!!
I simply needed to be sure that my phone was unlocked to all carriers.
My SIM card is primary for phone and text and eSIM is for wifi.
Thank you for all the replies.
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