Travel WiFi Routers vs eSIM vs Mobile Hotspots: What’s Actually Worth Carrying?

We ran our actual workloads — video calls, large uploads, VPN tunnels — on all three setups across Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America.

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The connectivity question is the one every remote worker figures out eventually, usually the hard way.

You land in a new country, check into accommodation, and discover that the hotel WiFi has a 2Mbps cap shared across two hundred rooms. Or the coworking space you booked has excellent WiFi on paper and a router that hasn’t been rebooted since 2019 in practice. Or you’re between cities on a train and the next three hours of travel time could be productive if you had a reliable internet connection, and you don’t.

Every remote worker develops a connectivity strategy eventually. Most of us go through the same evolution: rely on venue WiFi first, discover its limitations, buy a travel SIM at the airport, discover its limitations, research alternatives, and eventually arrive at a setup that works for the specific way we travel and work.

We compressed that evolution into a structured test. Over six months, across three regions with very different connectivity landscapes — Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America — we ran identical workloads on three connectivity approaches: travel WiFi routers, eSIM data plans, and carrier mobile hotspots. We measured actual performance on the tasks that matter for remote work, not theoretical speeds.

The results were different from what we expected going in. The approach we thought would win didn’t. The approach we were most skeptical of turned out to have the most compelling case. And the “just use hotel WiFi” strategy — which we’d mostly abandoned before we started — deserves a more nuanced assessment than either “it’s fine” or “never rely on it.”

Here’s the full breakdown.

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The Three Approaches, Defined

Before the test results, a clear definition of what each approach actually involves — because the terms are used loosely and the distinctions matter.

Travel WiFi Routers

A travel WiFi router is a dedicated hardware device that accepts a SIM card (or connects to an existing WiFi network), creates a local WiFi network, and connects your devices to it. Examples include the GL.iNet Mango, the RAVPower FileHub, and dedicated devices from carriers like Simo or Skyroam.

The premise: a travel router gives you control over the network your devices connect to, lets you share a single cellular connection across multiple devices, can add a VPN layer at the router level (so all traffic is automatically protected), and can bridge hotel WiFi through the router to provide a more stable connection to your devices.

eSIM Data Plans

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital SIM profile stored in your phone’s hardware rather than on a physical plastic card. You download and activate an eSIM profile from a provider like Airalo, Holafly, or Nomad before or after arrival, and it adds a cellular data connection alongside (or instead of) your primary carrier.

The premise: no physical SIM swapping, no visiting a carrier store, coverage activated before landing, often significantly cheaper than carrier roaming rates, and manageable entirely through an app.

Carrier Mobile Hotspots

A mobile hotspot uses your phone’s cellular connection and shares it as a WiFi network for other devices. This is different from a dedicated travel router in that it uses your existing carrier plan (typically with roaming enabled) rather than a local SIM or eSIM. Some dedicated hotspot devices — separate from phones — also fall into this category, using a local SIM but dedicated hardware.

The premise: the simplest setup (it’s a feature on every modern smartphone), no additional hardware, uses the same number and plan you already have.

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How We Tested

Workload battery:

We defined five workloads representing real remote work tasks, run identically across all three connectivity approaches in each location:

1. Video call quality test: 30-minute Zoom call at 1080p, measuring frame drops, pixelation events, and call drops.
2. Large file upload: Upload of a 500MB file to Google Drive, measuring actual upload speed and time to completion.
3. VPN performance: Download and upload speed through a WireGuard VPN tunnel to a server in Frankfurt, measuring speed reduction percentage versus non-VPN baseline.
4. Multi-device simultaneous use: Two laptops and a phone all active simultaneously, measuring whether performance degraded significantly under concurrent load.
5. Sustained connection stability: Four-hour continuous connection with periodic speed measurements, measuring consistency rather than peak performance.

Locations:

Southeast Asia: Chiang Mai (Thailand), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Bali (Indonesia). Testing conducted in cafés, coworking spaces, hotel rooms, and during intercity travel.

Eastern Europe: Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary), Bucharest (Romania). Testing in similar venue mix.

South America: Medellín (Colombia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), São Paulo (Brazil). Same venue mix.

Measurement tools:

Speedtest CLI for speed measurements, Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 app for latency measurements, a dedicated packet loss monitor for connection stability testing, and subjective quality ratings for video call performance.

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The Results: Region by Region

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has genuinely excellent cellular infrastructure in its major cities — better than many people expect and better than most of Europe in some specific dimensions. Thailand’s AIS and DTAC networks, Vietnam’s Viettel, and Indonesia’s Telkomsel all deliver fast, consistent 4G/LTE with 5G available in major urban centers.

eSIM performance: Strong across all three countries. Airalo’s Thailand regional plan delivered average download speeds of 42Mbps in Chiang Mai — fast enough for everything on our workload battery without exception. Upload speeds averaged 18Mbps, which handled 500MB uploads in under four minutes. Video calls were stable with zero drops across six thirty-minute sessions. VPN performance retained 78% of non-VPN speed — good for WireGuard on a fast underlying connection.

The limitation appeared during intercity travel: on overnight buses and in rural areas between cities, coverage dropped significantly and data speeds became intermittent. For travelers who work during transit in less-connected routes, eSIM coverage is only as good as the local carrier’s rural network.

Travel WiFi router performance: We tested the GL.iNet Mango with a local Thai SIM. The underlying connection speed was similar to the eSIM approach — the router adds a network management layer rather than improving the cellular connection itself. Where it added value: connecting four devices simultaneously without performance degradation (the eSIM hotspot on a phone showed measurable speed reduction with three devices active), and the router-level VPN which eliminated the per-device VPN setup requirement.

The friction is real: buying a local SIM at the airport (or from a convenience store), inserting it correctly, configuring the router, and debugging the inevitable first-time setup issue adds approximately thirty to ninety minutes of overhead on arrival. For a two-night stay, this overhead is rarely worth it.

Mobile hotspot performance: Using a carrier-roaming hotspot (T-Mobile international plan) delivered disappointing results in Southeast Asia specifically. T-Mobile’s international data in Thailand is capped at a speed that made video calls marginal and large uploads impractical. Carrier roaming plans designed for the US market are not optimized for Southeast Asian cellular networks, and the speed penalty is significant.

Southeast Asia verdict: eSIM wins convincingly. Fast local networks, competitive eSIM pricing (Thailand regional at under $20 for 30 days of data), and minimal setup friction make it the clear recommendation for this region.

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Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe’s connectivity landscape is more variable than Southeast Asia’s. Poland has excellent infrastructure in Warsaw and Kraków, but rural coverage drops sharply. Romania has surprisingly fast urban connections — Bucharest’s average speeds are among the fastest we measured anywhere in our testing. Hungary is solid but unremarkable.

eSIM performance: Good in cities, variable in rural areas. Warsaw and Bucharest delivered average downloads of 38Mbps and 51Mbps respectively — fast and reliable for all workload tests. Budapest averaged 28Mbps, still adequate. Rural Poland between cities showed the most significant gaps: coverage dropped to 3G in several stretches, making sustained work during transit impractical regardless of connectivity approach.

A significant advantage appeared in Eastern Europe that wasn’t relevant in Southeast Asia: EU roaming regulations. If you have a European carrier SIM (from any EU country), you can use it across the EU at domestic rates. An eSIM from a Polish carrier works in Hungary and Romania at no additional cost. This fundamentally changes the economics for travelers spending time across multiple EU countries — one eSIM covers the region.

Travel WiFi router performance: In Eastern Europe, the router setup overhead was justified for one specific use case that came up repeatedly: hotel WiFi bridging. Several hotels in Budapest and Bucharest had WiFi systems that required per-device login through a captive portal — the kind of system where each device has to open a browser, accept terms, and sometimes register separately. A travel router authenticates once and shares the connection to all devices transparently. In hotel-heavy itineraries, this feature alone justified the router’s presence in the bag.

The GL.iNet Mango’s router-level VPN also showed its value in Eastern Europe specifically. Several coworking spaces and hotel networks in Romania restricted certain ports — common in business-focused networks that block peer-to-peer traffic and occasionally VPN protocols. A router-level WireGuard implementation using port 443 (HTTPS, almost never blocked) handled these restrictions where device-level VPN apps struggled.

Mobile hotspot performance: T-Mobile’s roaming worked better in EU countries than in Southeast Asia — European roaming is treated differently by US carriers than Asian roaming, and speeds were more competitive. Still not as fast as local eSIM options, but adequate for video calls and moderate upload tasks.

Eastern Europe verdict: eSIM for most travelers, with a travel router as a justified addition for hotel-heavy itineraries where captive portal management and port restriction bypass are relevant.

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South America

South America presented the most complex connectivity picture of the three regions. Colombia’s urban infrastructure is impressive — Medellín has better average speeds than most of Western Europe in our testing. Argentina is more complicated: political and economic factors have shaped a cellular market where pricing is unusual and eSIM availability is more limited than in other regions. Brazil is vast and variable, with excellent urban coverage and significant rural gaps.

eSIM performance: Colombia was the standout. Airalo’s Colombia plan delivered 47Mbps average downloads in Medellín — the fastest eSIM performance we measured in South America. Video calls were stable, uploads were fast, VPN performance retained 81% of non-VPN speed.

Argentina was more complicated. eSIM availability from major providers was limited at the time of our testing, and local carrier options for foreigners required more effort than in Colombia or Brazil. We used Holafly’s Argentina plan, which worked adequately (22Mbps average download) but with more intermittent coverage than Colombia.

Brazil’s eSIM coverage through Airalo’s regional plan was good in São Paulo (39Mbps average) but dropped significantly outside the metro area during two day trips. For São Paulo-based work, it was excellent. For travelers moving between Brazilian cities, coverage verification for the specific route matters.

Travel WiFi router performance: South America is where the travel router made its strongest case. In Medellín specifically, we found several excellent cafés with fast WiFi that required MAC address registration — a one-time setup per device that becomes impractical when you’re connecting four devices on multiple visits. The router authenticates once, and all devices connect through it transparently on subsequent visits.

More significantly: in Buenos Aires, where eSIM options were more limited, a local SIM in a travel router provided the most reliable connectivity we found. The Argentine cellular market’s pricing structure made a local prepaid SIM in a router more economical than eSIM options for that country specifically.

Mobile hotspot performance: US carrier roaming was impractical in South America for work purposes. The speeds delivered by T-Mobile and AT&T international plans in Colombia and Argentina were consistently below what work-grade video calling requires. For emergency connectivity and light data use, fine. For actual work, not viable.

South America verdict: eSIM for Colombia and Brazil, travel router with local SIM as a serious consideration for Argentina and other markets with limited eSIM availability.

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The Product Recommendations

Based on six months of regional testing, here are the specific products we’d recommend in each category.

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Best Travel WiFi Router

The GL.iNet Beryl AX is the travel router we’ve settled on after testing four alternatives. The Mango (GL.iNet’s entry-level option) is what we started with, and the Beryl AX is what we switched to when we needed WiFi 6 support and higher throughput for multi-device work setups.

The headline specification for travel use is WiFi 6 support — the Beryl AX creates a WiFi 6 local network, which matters if your devices support it (most laptops and phones released since 2020 do) because it reduces congestion when multiple devices are active simultaneously. In our four-device simultaneous use test, the Beryl AX maintained speeds within 15% of single-device performance — the best multi-device result of any router we tested.

The VPN implementation is where GL.iNet routers specifically earn their reputation among remote workers. The Beryl AX supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and several other VPN protocols at the router level — meaning all traffic from all connected devices is automatically tunneled through the VPN without per-device configuration. WireGuard performance in our testing retained 72% of non-VPN speed, which is good for router-level VPN implementation.

The captive portal handling that proved valuable in Eastern European hotels worked as expected — connect the router to the hotel WiFi, authenticate once in the router’s browser interface, and all devices connect through the authenticated session.

Physical specs: 97g, roughly the size of a deck of cards, USB-C power (charges from the same charger as your laptop), and a battery-free design that draws power from any USB-C source. The lack of an internal battery is the trade-off — it can’t operate untethered — but for stationary use at a desk or plugged into a hotel room, it’s not a limitation.

Specifications:

• WiFi standard: WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
• Max throughput: 2402Mbps (5GHz)
• VPN support: WireGuard, OpenVPN, Tor, others
• Power: USB-C (no internal battery)
• Weight: 97g
• SIM slot: Yes (nano SIM)
• Ports: 2x Ethernet, 1x USB-A, 1x USB-C power

Who it’s for: Remote workers who travel with multiple devices, stay in hotels frequently, need router-level VPN, or travel in markets where local SIM cards provide better value than eSIM.

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Best eSIM Provider for Most Travelers

Airalo <!– NOT AN AMAZON PRODUCT — AIRALO.COM –>

Airalo isn’t sold on Amazon and there’s no physical product to link — it’s an app-based eSIM marketplace. We’re including it because it’s the connectivity product we use and recommend most consistently, and excluding it would make this article less useful.

Airalo operates as a marketplace for eSIM data plans from local carriers in 200+ countries. You browse plans by country or region, purchase through the app, and receive an eSIM profile that activates immediately or on a scheduled date. The plans use actual local carrier networks — in Thailand, Airalo’s plans run on AIS or DTAC; in Colombia, on Claro or Movistar — which means you get local carrier speeds rather than international roaming speeds.

Pricing is substantially lower than carrier roaming for most destinations. Thailand: 30 days, 10GB data, approximately $17. Colombia: 30 days, 10GB, approximately $19. Poland (EU roaming included): 30 days, 5GB, approximately $12. These prices have fallen over the past two years as competition in the eSIM market has increased.

The limitation is device compatibility — eSIM requires a phone with eSIM hardware support (most phones released since 2018 for flagship models, since 2020 more broadly) and an unlocked carrier setting. Phones locked to a specific carrier may not support eSIM activation from other providers.

For unlimited data needs, Holafly is an alternative worth knowing — their plans offer unlimited data at a higher price point than Airalo’s GB-limited plans. For heavy data users (large uploads, video heavy workflows), the unlimited plans from Holafly may be more economical despite the higher sticker price.

Coverage: 200+ countries Data pricing: Approximately $0.50–$2.00/GB depending on region Setup time: 5–15 minutes (one-time setup) App: iOS and Android

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Best Dedicated Mobile Hotspot Device

The Netgear Nighthawk M6 Pro occupies a category between the GL.iNet travel router and a phone hotspot — a dedicated hardware hotspot that accepts a SIM card, has an internal battery, and creates a WiFi 6 network for up to 32 devices simultaneously.

The internal battery is the key differentiator from the GL.iNet router. The M6 Pro runs for up to 13 hours on a single charge without being tethered to a power source — relevant for intercity train travel, café sessions without available outlets, or any situation where wall power isn’t accessible. The GL.iNet Beryl AX requires a USB-C connection to operate; the M6 Pro operates independently.

5G support (Sub-6GHz) means the M6 Pro takes advantage of 5G networks in markets where they’re available — in our testing in Medellín and Warsaw, 5G connections delivered download speeds exceeding 200Mbps, transforming what’s possible for large uploads and video production workflows.

The multi-device capability is the other headline. In our four-device simultaneous test, the M6 Pro handled the load better than phone hotspots across all three regions — phone hotspots showed more significant speed degradation under multi-device load, particularly on iOS, where background apps competing for the hotspot connection created noticeable interference.

The trade-offs: at 220g and with a form factor larger than the GL.iNet router, it’s heavier than alternatives. It requires its own SIM card, which creates the same local SIM acquisition overhead as the travel router. And at a higher price than the GL.iNet option, it’s a more significant investment.

For traveling teams, remote workers who share a connection with colleagues, or anyone who needs battery-independent connectivity for extended periods, the M6 Pro addresses needs that eSIM phone hotspots and travel routers don’t fully cover.

Specifications:

• Network: 5G (Sub-6GHz) + 4G LTE
• WiFi standard: WiFi 6E
• Battery life: Up to 13 hours
• Max devices: 32
• Weight: 220g
• SIM: Nano SIM (not included)

Who it’s for: Traveling teams, heavy data users who need 5G speeds, and anyone who needs battery-independent hotspot capability for extended periods away from power sources.

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Best Budget Travel Router

The GL.iNet Mango is what we started with and what we’d still recommend to anyone who wants travel router capability without the Beryl AX’s price. At roughly a third of the cost, it delivers the core functionality — hotel WiFi bridging, router-level VPN, local SIM sharing — in a package smaller than a deck of cards.

The performance ceiling is lower: WiFi 5 rather than WiFi 6, lower maximum throughput, and slightly slower VPN processing. In our testing, single-device use showed no practical difference from the Beryl AX. With three or four devices active simultaneously, the Mango’s throughput showed more degradation — still usable, but noticeably slower than the Beryl AX in multi-device scenarios.

For solo travelers who primarily want hotel WiFi bridging and VPN functionality rather than multi-device performance, the Mango delivers the essential capability at a price that’s easy to justify. For traveling pairs or anyone with four or more devices to connect, the Beryl AX’s investment is worthwhile.

Specifications:

• WiFi standard: WiFi 5 (802.11n)
• VPN support: WireGuard, OpenVPN
• Power: USB-A (no internal battery)
• Weight: 42g
• SIM slot: No (WiFi bridging only — no cellular)

Note: The Mango does not have a SIM slot — it bridges existing WiFi networks rather than creating a cellular connection. For cellular sharing, look at GL.iNet models with SIM slots (the Mudi or Puli series).

Who it’s for: Solo travelers who primarily need hotel WiFi bridging and router-level VPN. The starting point for anyone new to travel routers who wants to test the category before investing in a more capable device.

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The Head-to-Head Verdict

After six months and three regions of structured testing, here’s the honest summary:

eSIM wins for most travelers in most situations. The combination of local carrier speeds, no hardware to carry, no setup overhead on arrival, and pricing that’s competitive with any alternative makes eSIM the default recommendation for travelers visiting countries with good eSIM availability and modern cellular infrastructure. Southeast Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, Colombia, and Brazil all fall into this category.

Travel routers earn their place in specific situations. Hotel WiFi bridging, router-level VPN, port restriction bypass, and local SIM sharing are genuinely useful capabilities that eSIM alone can’t provide. For travelers who frequently stay in hotels with problematic WiFi, work in countries where eSIM options are limited, or travel with multiple devices that need simultaneous connectivity, a travel router is worth carrying.

Carrier mobile hotspots are the emergency backup, not the primary solution. US carrier international roaming speeds in most markets outside Europe are simply not competitive with local eSIM speeds for work-grade tasks. They’re reliable in the sense that they work almost everywhere, and they’re appropriate for light use and genuine emergencies. For sustained productive work, they’re not the tool.

The setup we actually carry: An Airalo eSIM for the primary connection, a GL.iNet Beryl AX in the bag for situations that need it, and carrier roaming enabled on the phone as an emergency backup. Total additional weight beyond the phone: 97g. Total additional cost beyond eSIM: the one-time router purchase. The coverage this combination provides has handled every connectivity situation we’ve encountered across forty-plus countries.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to unlock my phone to use an eSIM?

Your phone needs to be carrier-unlocked to activate eSIM profiles from providers other than your primary carrier. Most phones purchased at full price directly from the manufacturer are unlocked. Phones purchased through a carrier on a payment plan may be locked until the plan is paid off. Check your phone’s settings under Carrier or SIM to see if it’s unlocked.

Can I use an eSIM and my regular SIM at the same time?

Yes — most phones released since 2018 support dual SIM functionality with an eSIM and a physical SIM active simultaneously. You can receive calls and texts on your regular number while using the eSIM for data. This is the setup we use: physical SIM for calls and messages, eSIM for data.

Is hotel WiFi ever actually good enough to work from?

Sometimes, and increasingly so. Business-class hotels in major cities have improved their WiFi infrastructure significantly in the past three years, and some deliver genuinely fast, stable connections. Our rule: always test the hotel WiFi before relying on it, have a backup plan ready, and don’t assume the speed advertised on the booking website reflects what you’ll actually get in the room.

What’s the best connectivity setup for a coworking space?

If you’re using a reputable coworking space, their WiFi is usually your best option — coworking operators know their clientele needs reliable internet and tend to invest accordingly. Use eSIM as backup if the coworking WiFi underperforms. The travel router’s captive portal management is less relevant in coworking spaces, which typically handle authentication differently from hotels.

How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?

iPhone: Settings → General → About → scroll down to see Available SIM or eSIM. If you see a section for eSIM, your phone supports it. Android: Settings → Network → SIM → look for an option to add an eSIM or digital SIM. Most Android phones released since 2020 with flagship or upper-mid-range specs support eSIM.

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Testing conducted September 2024 – February 2025 across nine cities in three regions. Speed measurements taken using Speedtest CLI version 1.2.0 and Cloudflare Speed Test. All workload tests conducted during normal business hours local time to reflect realistic network load conditions.

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Affiliate Disclosure

NomadTechKit participates in the Amazon Associates Program. Hardware links in this article (GL.iNet routers, Netgear hotspot) are affiliate links — purchases made through them earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Airalo and Holafly links are not affiliate links — they’re included because they’re the products we actually use and recommend, and excluding them would make this article less useful. We receive no compensation from either company.

All hardware reviewed was purchased at full retail price. No manufacturer provided samples or had any involvement in the testing methodology or conclusions. The GL.iNet Beryl AX is our personal primary travel router — we paid for it, we carry it, and we recommend it because it’s earned the recommendation through eighteen months of use.