Short answer: almost never. The travel eSIMs sold by Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad and aloSIM are data-only. There’s no local number, so you can’t send or receive regular SMS or take standard phone calls on them.
So how do I call and text?
Over the internet, using the eSIM’s data:
- WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal, Telegram, Messenger — voice and video calls work normally.
- iMessage — works; set it to your home number (Settings → Messages → Send & Receive).
- Google Voice / Skype / a VoIP app — if you need to dial a real landline or receive a call on a “number”, this is the way.
Because your home SIM stays active alongside the eSIM (see the fix below), people calling or texting your normal number still reach you exactly as before — the eSIM only replaces how you get data, not how you’re reachable.
The 2FA / bank-code problem
Many banks still text a one-time code to your home number. If your home SIM is switched off or removed while you travel, you won’t get those texts.
Fixes, best first:
- Keep your home SIM active alongside the eSIM. On a dual-SIM phone, leave the home SIM on for calls/SMS and use the eSIM only for data. Incoming SMS is usually free while roaming. This is the simplest answer.
- Switch the bank to an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy, or the bank’s own app) before you leave.
- Use email-based codes where the service offers them.
- If you must remove your home SIM, see whether your carrier offers SMS-over-Wi‑Fi or a companion app that receives texts online.
Which providers offer an actual phone number add-on
Almost all travel eSIM plans are pure data, but there are a couple of exceptions worth knowing about if you specifically need a number:
- Saily sells an optional add-on for a US phone number alongside its data plans, aimed at travellers who want a working US number without keeping a US SIM active. It’s still a separate feature from the core data plan, not something every plan includes automatically.
- A small number of specialist providers outside the ones this site covers sell “eSIM + local number” bundles, usually at a premium and usually for a single country rather than the flexible multi-country plans most travellers want. If a local number matters more than flexibility, a local physical SIM bought on arrival is normally the simpler and cheaper route — see the comparison below.
When you actually want a local number
If you’re staying long-term, renting a flat, or need to receive calls from local businesses (deliveries, tradespeople, a landlord), buy a local physical SIM at your destination instead of — or alongside — the eSIM. That gets you a real local number with calling credit.
A useful middle ground: keep the eSIM for data, keep your home SIM for your real number, and only add a local physical SIM if a specific situation actually needs a local number to give out — you don’t have to choose one system for the whole trip.
FAQ
Will people notice I’m not using my usual number while abroad? No — if your home SIM stays active, your number doesn’t change and callers/texters see nothing different. The eSIM is invisible to anyone contacting you; it only affects how your phone gets data.
Can I get a temporary local number just for a delivery or a car rental? Some countries’ delivery and rental services accept a WhatsApp number or email instead of a true local number — worth checking first. If a local number is genuinely required, a prepaid local physical SIM is usually the fastest way to get one just for the duration you need it.
If I use Saily’s phone number add-on, does it replace my home number for calls too? No — it’s an additional number reachable over data (similar to a Google Voice number), not a replacement for your home carrier line. Your home SIM continues to handle your normal number exactly as before.
Can two people share one eSIM’s data and phone setup? The data can often be shared via hotspot (check the specific plan’s tethering terms), but the phone-number situation described above applies per device — each traveller’s calls/texts still route through their own home SIM, regardless of whose eSIM is providing the data.
See also: what an eSIM actually is and how it compares to a local SIM or your home carrier’s roaming pass if a local number turns out to matter more than flexibility for your trip.