eSIM for Global

A Global plan is for trips that cross continents: a round-the-world ticket, a business trip through Dubai, Singapore and New York, or a gap year where the route keeps changing. It covers well over a hundred countries, including the main transit hubs, but several popular islands and parts of Africa are missing, so check every stop.

A westbound round-the-world route through five covered countries on four continents, for travellers on a multi-stop ticket: London, New York, Tokyo with a day trip to Kamakura, a Singapore stopover and a finish in Sydney.

Length

14 days

Bases

6

When to go October and November work well across the whole loop: autumn in London, New York and Tokyo, the start of the wetter but still pleasant inter-monsoon in Singapore, and spring in Sydney; avoid late December to early January, when long-haul fares and crowds peak.

1. 01

   Day 1 London

   London: Westminster and the South Bank

   Start at Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, cross Westminster Bridge and walk the South Bank past the London Eye to Tate Modern. Cross the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral and finish in Covent Garden. Contactless cards and phone wallets work on every bus and Tube line.

   Signal Strong 4G and 5G on the plan's UK partners across central London; some deep Tube tunnels still drop between stations.

2. 02

   Day 2 London

   London: the British Museum and the Tower

   Spend the morning at the British Museum, then take the Tube to the Tower of London for the Crown Jewels and walk across Tower Bridge. In the late afternoon, explore Borough Market and walk back along the river, or visit the Natural History Museum and Hyde Park if it is raining.

   Signal Full coverage in the city; thick stone walls at the Tower can weaken signal indoors.

3. 03

   Day 3 New York City

   Fly to New York: the Brooklyn Bridge

   → Flight London to New York, about 8 hours.

   Fly to New York, having applied for an ESTA in advance; heading west, you land by mid-afternoon. Take the subway or a car to Brooklyn, walk the DUMBO waterfront for the view under the Manhattan Bridge, then cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot into Lower Manhattan at sunset and visit the 9/11 Memorial pools after dark.

   Signal In the US this plan uses T-Mobile. Strong 5G across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

4. 04

   Day 4 New York City

   New York: the Statue of Liberty and Central Park

   Take an early ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, booking timed tickets ahead. In the afternoon, visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and walk through Central Park past Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge. End at Times Square in the evening.

   Signal Good on the harbour ferries and in Midtown; some subway tunnels between stations have no signal.

5. 05

   Day 5 New York City

   New York: the High Line and Greenwich Village

   Walk the High Line from Hudson Yards to the Whitney Museum, stopping at Chelsea Market. Continue through the West Village and Washington Square Park to SoHo and Chinatown. In the evening, go up an observation deck such as the Top of the Rock for the Midtown skyline.

   Signal Excellent across Manhattan, including the High Line and the observation decks.

6. 06

   Day 6 In flight

   The long flight to Tokyo

   → Flight New York to Tokyo, about 14 hours.

   Spend the morning at Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library, then head to JFK or Newark for the nonstop flight to Tokyo. You cross the International Date Line and land the following afternoon, so sleep on board and set your watch to Japan time.

   Signal No land signal over the Pacific; switch roaming off for the flight and use the airline's wifi separately if offered.

7. 07

   Day 7 Tokyo

   Tokyo: arrival and Shinjuku

   Land at Haneda or Narita in the afternoon and set up a transit IC card in your phone wallet. Take the train into the city and keep the evening gentle: the free observation decks at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, then dinner in the alleys of Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku.

   Signal Your phone switches to au, NTT docomo or Rakuten Mobile on landing. Excellent coverage across Tokyo and the metro.

8. 08

   Day 8 Tokyo

   Tokyo: Asakusa, Meiji Jingu and Shibuya

   Visit Senso-ji in Asakusa early, then cross the city to Meiji Jingu's forest shrine. Walk down Takeshita Street and Omotesando to Shibuya, and see the scramble crossing from above at Shibuya Sky, booking a timed ticket. In the evening, explore the Ebisu or Nakameguro neighbourhoods.

   Signal Excellent throughout, though crowds at Shibuya can slow data at peak times.

9. 09

   Day 9 Tokyo

   Kamakura day trip

   → JR Yokosuka line from Tokyo to Kamakura, about 1 hour.

   Take the train to Kamakura, the old samurai capital. Visit Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, walk the Daibutsu hiking trail through the hills (check it is open; parts have closed after storms) to the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in, and see Hase-dera's gardens above the sea. Ride the Enoden line to Enoshima island before returning to Tokyo.

   Signal Good in Kamakura and on Enoshima; weaker on the wooded Daibutsu trail.

10. 10

    Day 10 Singapore

    Fly to Singapore: Marina Bay

    → Flight Tokyo to Singapore, about 7 hours.

    Fly to Singapore, filling in the SG Arrival Card online beforehand, and take the MRT from Changi into the city. In the evening, walk the Marina Bay waterfront from the Merlion past the Esplanade's spiky domes to the Helix Bridge, then see the Supertree light show at Gardens by the Bay and the Cloud Forest dome if it is still open.

    Signal Your phone switches to Singtel or StarHub on landing. Excellent 5G across the city and the MRT.

11. 11

    Day 11 Singapore

    Singapore: Chinatown, Little India and the Botanic Gardens

    Visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens and its National Orchid Garden in the cool of the morning. Take the MRT to Chinatown for the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and lunch at Maxwell Food Centre, then to Little India and Kampong Glam for the Sultan Mosque. Take the overnight flight to Sydney.

    Signal Full coverage, including inside the hawker centres. Download anything you need for Sydney before boarding.

12. 12

    Day 12 Sydney

    Sydney: the Opera House and the Rocks

    → Overnight flight Singapore to Sydney, about 8 hours.

    Land in the morning and take the train to Circular Quay. Walk round to the Sydney Opera House and through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, then explore the Rocks and walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the late afternoon.

    Signal Your phone switches to Optus or TPG Telecom on landing. Strong 4G and 5G around the harbour.

13. 13

    Day 13 Sydney

    Sydney: Bondi to Coogee and Manly

    Take the bus to Bondi and walk the coastal path south to Coogee, about two hours with swim stops. In the afternoon, take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, walk the beachfront to Shelly Beach and return at dusk for the view of the city lights.

    Signal Good along the coastal walk and on the Manly ferry, with a few weak spots below the cliffs.

14. 14

    Day 14 Sydney

    The Blue Mountains

    → Train from Sydney Central to Katoomba, about 2 hours.

    Take the train to Katoomba. Walk to Echo Point for the Three Sisters, then follow the Prince Henry Cliff Walk or ride the Scenic World railway into the Jamison Valley. Return to Sydney in the evening, ready for your flight home.

    Signal Good in Katoomba and at the main lookouts; weak or none on the valley floor.