eSIM vs Wi-Fi: When to Use Each While Traveling
The short answer
Use your eSIM for everything you do on the move. Use Wi-Fi at your accommodation for heavy downloads, streaming, and large uploads. This division saves data and makes the most of both connections.
When to always use your eSIM
Banking and financial transactions. Email with sensitive content. Any login where you type a password. Public Wi-Fi networks at cafes, airports, and hotels can be intercepted. Your cellular eSIM connection is encrypted at the network level and significantly harder to compromise.
When Wi-Fi is fine
Streaming Netflix at your hotel. Uploading vacation photos to the cloud. Downloading offline maps. Video-calling family from your Airbnb. Large data transfers where you would burn through your eSIM plan unnecessarily. If the Wi-Fi requires a password and belongs to your accommodation, it is generally safe for non-sensitive tasks.
Public Wi-Fi you should avoid
Open networks with no password at airports, train stations, and shopping malls. Networks named "Free WiFi" with no clear owner. Any network where you need to enter personal details to connect. These are where data interception actually happens in practice.
The practical approach
Treat your eSIM as your always-on, always-safe connection for navigating, messaging, and quick searches. Switch to Wi-Fi when you are settled somewhere trusted and need bandwidth. This approach makes a 5 to 10 GB plan last a full two-week trip easily.