Crossing Borders Overland from China: Internet & eSIM
eSIM from 1,00 USD · 100 MB. Networks: China Mobile (5G), China Telecom (4G), China Unicom (5G).
Internet when travelling overland and crossing borders from/to China
What happens to your eSIM at the border
- Single-country plan: you lose coverage when you cross the border. You'll need a new plan for the next country.
- Regional plan (Europe / Americas / Asia etc.): it keeps working — your eSIM automatically connects to the local network in the new country. But confirm the destination country is included in the plan's coverage.
- Advantage of eSIM over physical SIM: you can have multiple eSIM profiles installed (one per country) and switch between them without opening the phone.
At the border itself
- Near the border your phone may jump between networks from both countries. This can trigger unexpected charges if roaming is active on your main SIM.
- Turn off data on your main SIM and use the travel eSIM only to avoid surprises.
- GPS works without data (for offline maps), so you won't get lost even if you lose signal briefly.
Tips for long overland routes
On some highways between cities (Tibet Plateau and high-altitude Sichuan roads), you may lose signal for stretches. Download offline maps for the entire route and save offline the addresses of stops, accommodation and emergency contacts before you set off.