The Isle of Man: Best Tourist eSIMs Reviewed (2024)

While the Isle of Man is not the most popular destination in Europe, it still has a lot to offer.

But before you share your colorful Isle of Man experiences online, be aware that international roaming can be expensive.

Travel eSIMs can be a much more affordable way to stay connected, even in the Isle of Man.

How much will a travel eSIM for the Isle of Man cost?

You can get a travel eSIM for the Isle of Man for as little as 5 USD, with 1 GB for 7 days, up to 54 USD, for unlimited data, from Airalo & Holafly.

While this may sound a bit pricey but international roaming will be even more expensive.

So yeah, these travel eSIMs can be worth it.

In this guide, I will go over the travel eSIM options offered by Airalo & Holafly. Let's go.

Original publication: 26^th of November 2022. Last updated: 5^th of April 2024.

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Table of Contents

eSIMs offered by the Manx Mobile Operators

Suppose you want to get the best service and reception available in the Isle of Man.

In that case, it is better to get a SIM card or travel eSIM from the local mobile operators, which in this case would be the Manx ones.

Not only will you not have to deal with latency, but you also get a higher priority on the network because you are a direct customer of the mobile operator instead of a roamer.

And with most travel eSIMs, you are roaming on the network(s) of the local mobile operator(s).

But that is not always the case – the slow speeds part, that is.

Some mobile operators throttle the speeds of prepaid customers because they want more people to get a postpaid plan.

Unfortunately, travelers cannot get postpaid plans – so one way to avoid throttling is by using a travel eSIM.

Yes – travel eSIMs sometimes have faster speeds than native prepaid customers because of throttling.

You have two options for getting an eSIM for your trip to the Isle of Man: Airalo (with Islenet) & Holafly.

One of the main advantages of getting a travel eSIM for the Isle of Man is that you can set up the eSIM before arriving in the Isle of Man and activate it upon landing.

I have to mention that travel eSIMs will be more expensive than local eSIMs and SIM cards, but they are more convenient.

Moreover, I have plenty of experience with the eSIMs from Airalo & Holafly, so I can vouch for them – so can many Phone Travel Wiz readers!

So let's go over what the travel eSIMs offer for the Isle of Man!

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Airalo eSIMs for the Isle of Man (Islenet)

If you have read any of my eSIM or SIM card buying guides before, then you know I am a big fan of Airalo.

Not only does Airalo have eSIMs for most countries (around 190 countries) of any eSIM platform, but they are also often one of the cheapest while offering fantastic service in terms of speeds and reception.

That is because Airalo usually partners up with the mobile operator with the best coverage, the fastest speeds, both, or even multiple operators.

That way, you get the best bang for your buck, I have to say.

In the case of the Isle of Man, the Islenet uses the Manx Telecom network.

So, which Isle of Man Islenet eSIMs are available? You have these five options:

1. Isle of Man/Islenet 1 GB eSIM for 7 days, costing 5 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Isle of Man/Islenet 2 GB eSIM for 15 days, costing 9 USD
3. Isle of Man/Islenet 3 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 12 USD
4. Isle of Man/Islenet 5 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 17 USD – very popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
5. Isle of Man/Islenet 10 GB eSIM for 30 days, costing 29 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only). The (promotional) prices were updated on the 31st of January.

The Airalo links will automatically get you the available Phone Travel Wiz exclusive offers – a code is unnecessary.

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Airalo Islenet eSIM Pros

Are there any (more) reasons why you should get the Islenet eSIM? Yes, there are:

• You can activate your Islenet eSIM as soon as you land in the Isle of Man
• You get full (up to 4G/LTE) access to Manx Telecom
• Islenet eSIMs are affordable (especially compared to roaming) and have generous data allowances
• You do not have to worry about SIM card registration with the Islenet eSIM, saving you time
• Out of data? You can simply top up online on the Airalo website and not worry about language barriers when dealing with local agents

I could list many more pros, but these are the major ones.

Unfortunately, there are some cons to be aware of.

Airalo Islenet eSIM Cons

Why should you not get the Islenet eSIM?

• The Manx mobile operators, including Manx Telecom itself, have much more generous data allowances
• While you get access to Manx Telecom's network, your speeds will not be as fast as going with Manx Telecom itself because you will be roaming on their networks (and not be a native customer)
• There is no 5G NR access with the Islenet eSIM (yet)
• You cannot call or text with the Islenet eSIM (nor can you receive them – you get no (local) phone number)

Airalo Islenet eSIM Overall Thoughts

Honestly, the Islenet eSIM is fantastic.

The plans offered with Islenet eSIMs are generous and affordable.

You get fast speeds and access to Manx Telecom, without standing in queues or dealing with SIM card registration bureaucracy.

And everything, purchasing and topping up, can be done online on the Airalo website or Airalo app (downloading the app is recommended).

Unfortunately, you cannot call or text with the Islenet eSIM, as it is a data-only eSIM.

But if you do wish to make actual calls, so not through apps like Whatsapp, consider a Manx SIM card (but you will have to deal with the SIM card registration laws).

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Holafly eSIMs for the Isle of Man

My relationship with Holafly is quite funny.

I knew they existed when they offered travel SIM cards for the Spanish market only.

Then they pivoted to the global market, still offering travel SIM cards.

Eventually, they started offering travel eSIMs for the Spanish market only again before going global.

There are many travel eSIM providers nowadays – new ones pop up every week like mushrooms, so I did not bat an eye.

Until they did something revolutionary.

In 2022, Holafly started offering unlimited data plans for its eSIMs.

And these unlimited data eSIMs can be used in various Asian countries, almost all European Union member states (except for Liechtenstein) & a few other countries, like Canada and the United States.

Fortunately, unlimited data eSIMs are available in the Isle of Man.

And I can tell you that I get positive emails multiple times a week from Phone Travel Wiz readers that have used the unlimited data plans in East- and Southeast Asia, Europe & North America; they love these eSIMs.

You have the following five options with Holafly:

1. Isle of Man unlimited data eSIM for 5 days, costing 19 USD – most popular with Phone Travel Wiz readers
2. Isle of Man unlimited data eSIM for 7 days, costing 27 USD
3. Isle of Man unlimited data eSIM for 10 days, costing 34 USD
4. Isle of Man unlimited data eSIM for 15 days, costing 47 USD
5. Isle of Man unlimited data eSIM for 20 days, costing 54 USD

Note: Phone Travel Wiz reader popularity ranking was updated in December based on data up to the 30^th of December (2023 data only).

Even better, you can get 5% off each and any Holafly purchase (so it does not have to be the Isle of Man eSIM) when you use code PHONETRAVELWIZ – fantastic, right?

Holafly Isle of Man eSIM Pros

So, why should you get the Holafly Isle of Man eSIM? Well, because of the following:

• Holafly Isle of Man eSIMs are affordable compared to roaming
• You get full (up to 4G/LTE) access to Manx Telecom's network
• You can activate your Holafly Isle of Man eSIM as soon as you land in Isle of Man
• The Holafly Isle of Man eSIM offers the most data

Holafly Isle of Man eSIM Cons

Why should you not get the Holafly Isle of Man eSIM?

• You cannot call or text with the Holafly Isle of Man eSIM (nor can you receive them – you get no (local) phone number)
• Manx mobile operators, including Manx Telecom, have much more generous data allowances
• While you get full (4G/LTE) access to Manx Telecom's network, your speeds may not be as fast as going with Manx Telecom directly because you will be roaming on their networks (and not be a native customer)
• You cannot top up your Holafly Isle of Man eSIM – you would have to buy another eSIM if you need more data
• There is no 5G NR access with the Holafly Isle of Man eSIM (yet)

Holafly Isle of Man eSIM Overall Thoughts

I love that Holafly decided to innovate and offer unlimited data plans (although unlimited should be written as “unlimited” instead).

I was not a fan of Holafly when it had travel SIM cards (discontinued) because they were crazy expensive (I am talking about 20 USD for 1 GB of data in some Caribbean nation expensive).

Luckily that is not the case with its eSIMs, so I have used Holafly eSIMs in many countries and counting.

Be sure to use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for 5% off each Holafly purchase (yes, you can use it multiple times)!

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Overview of the Best eSIMs for the Isle of Man (Airalo vs. Holafly)

In this guide, I went over various eSIMs for the Isle of Man.

Below is an overview of my recommendation order:

• Airalo's Isle of Man Islenet eSIM (cheapest)
• Holafly Isle of Man eSIM (unlimited eSIM options)

Remember to use code PHONETRAVELWIZ for Holafly eSIMs – a code is not necessary for Airalo eSIM purchases.

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Buying a SIM Card in the Isle of Man

Do these eSIMs not sound appealing to you, or does your phone not support eSIMs (but still thought this guide was insightful enough that you read it until the end)?

Consider getting a Manx SIM card instead – that linked guide is the most extensive SIM card buying guide for the Isle of Man on the web, packed with insightful information and tips.