Can I use the same eSIM outside Chicago?

Yes. It's the national USA plan, so it covers Springfield, the Route 66 towns, Lake Michigan's shore and anywhere else in Illinois, then keeps working across into Indiana, Wisconsin or Missouri.

Will the eSIM work for the CTA and Metra?

Yes. You'll use the Ventra app or contactless for fares, and your eSIM keeps live times, trip planning and rideshare running. Just download an offline city map as a backup for the occasional dead spot underground.

Illinois eSIM.

Name: Illinois travel eSIM
Brand: My Holiday SIM

Chicago's skyline, Route 66's start and the Great Lakes shore - across the Prairie State.

from $3.12/day · unlimited dataAll of USA →

Unlimited data5G where availableInstant QR by emailKeep your number

1 · How many days?

10 daysOther:days

2 · How much data?

3GBBest pricevalid 15 days$8.24$0.82/day

Cheapest plan covering your trip: 3GB, valid 15 days.

Travellers (one eSIM each)

1 × 3GB (valid 15 days) · 10-day trip$8.24

Good to know in Illinois

Chicago's 'L' trains and buses run on the Ventra system - add your card to the Ventra app or use contactless, and keep your eSIM active to check live arrivals, as underground stations and some platforms can drop signal briefly.

Best time to visit Illinois

Late spring through early autumn is warmest and liveliest, with festivals and lakefront days; winters are bitterly cold and windy but atmospheric downtown.

Two simple ways to buy

Illinois eSIM plans: unlimited, or by the GB.

Every Illinois eSIM from My Holiday SIM is one of two straightforward types. Pick whichever fits how you travel in Illinois — you can always top up or switch on your next trip.

Traveller streaming and browsing freely on an unlimited-data travel eSIM

Unlimited plans

High-speed data, nothing to count

Priced per day — the longer you stay, the better the daily rate. Ideal for streaming, hotspot and longer trips where you'd rather not watch a data meter. A fair-use policy keeps speeds fast for everyone; see each plan for the detail.

Best for streaming, video calls & hotspot
Great for longer or open-ended trips
One price per day — no GB anxiety

By-the-GB plans

3GB10GB20GB

A set bundle, brilliant value

A fixed data allowance (say 3 GB or 10 GB) valid for your travel days. The best-value pick for lighter trips built around maps, messaging and a bit of browsing. Running low? Top up in a couple of taps — nothing to reinstall.

Best value for lighter, shorter trips
Clear allowance — pay only for what you need
Top up any time from your phone

Compare plans →Not every destination has both types — the picker shows what's available where you're headed.

Plan your data

How much data do you need in Illinois?

A rough, honest guide to sizing your Illinois eSIM so you're not guessing. Most travellers in Illinois are comfortable on 3–5 GB a week — heavy streamers just go Unlimited.

Traveller checking maps and messages on her phone using a My Holiday SIM eSIM

Not sure? Start with a 5 GB plan — you can top up in seconds if you run low.

Light

~1 GB / week

Maps, messaging & email

Google Maps, WhatsApp, email and the odd search. Plenty for a city break where you mostly need directions.

Suits 1–3 GB plans

Balanced

3–5 GB / week

Everyday holiday use

Everything above plus social scrolling, music, cloud photo backups and a little video. Where most travellers land.

Suits 5–10 GB plans

Illinois eSIM: your local data guide.

Illinois centres on Chicago - the Art Institute, deep-dish pizza, Millennium Park and architecture cruises - but also covers the start of Route 66, Springfield's Lincoln sites and Lake Michigan beaches. An Illinois eSIM keeps the CTA app, rideshare and museum bookings running as you move between the big-shoulders city and the quieter prairie towns beyond.

One eSIM for Illinois and all of USA. It's the national USA eSIM — from $3.12/day with unlimited data, working the same in Illinois as it does the moment you leave it.

Landing at Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)?

Install the QR at home, then switch the eSIM on as you taxi in — you're online before you reach the arrivals hall.

Illinois eSIM pricingbest-value plan · per day

Days

Per day

Total

Saving

3 days1GB

$1.05

$3.14

—

5 days1GB

$0.63

$3.14

−40%

7 days1GB

$0.45

$3.14

−57%

10 days3GBPopular

$0.82

$8.24

−22%

15 days3GB

$0.55

$8.24

−48%

30 days5GB

$0.37

$10.98

−65%

Each trip length shows the best-value plan that covers it. Total always shown before you pay.

eSIM vs the old ways in Illinois

eSIM

ROAMING

AIRPORT SIM

Data allowance

Unlimited

Usually capped

Rarely unlimited

Price known upfront

Prepaid

Billed after

Varies at the desk

Ready when you land

Instantly

After the queue

Keep WhatsApp number

SIM swapped

Illinois eSIM from $3.12/day — the whole bill, agreed before you fly.

Across the region

Where you'll lean on data in Illinois.

The Loop (Chicago)

Dense 5G across downtown for the CTA app, rideshare and river-cruise bookings.

Navy Pier

Strong signal along the lakefront for tickets, dining and Ferris wheel photos.

Springfield

Reliable data around the state capital and Lincoln historic sites for maps and tours.

Starved Rock State Park

Coverage thins among the canyons and trails, so download hiking maps before you go.

The practical bit

Getting around Illinois on your eSIM.

Apps you'll want online in Illinois

Uber— The main ride-hailing app in Chicago and statewide.
Lyft— Popular rideshare alternative for city trips and airport runs.
Ventra— Official app for Chicago CTA, Metra and Pace fares and passes.
Transit— Live 'L', bus and Metra arrival times across the Chicago area.

How long to stay in Illinois

Most trips last 3-5 days, focused on Chicago, with optional day trips to Springfield, Route 66 stops or the Lake Michigan shore.

How much data for Illinois

Light to balanced 2-4 GB covers a city break with maps, transit apps and social sharing; add more only if you'll stream heavily or tether a laptop.

Coverage in Illinois

5G is strong across Chicago and its suburbs; expect brief dips in deep 'L' subway sections and thinner coverage in rural prairie areas and state parks like Starved Rock.

Where you're headed

Discover Illinois.

A stunning view of Chicago's skyline and river with prominent skyscrapers and bridges on a cloudy day.

Stunning view of Chicago's skyline reflecting on the river during sunset.

Stunning view of downtown Chicago's iconic skyline featuring historic and modern architecture.

Stunning view of Chicago's skyline with Lake Michigan on a clear day featuring iconic skyscrapers.

Cities in Illinois

Zoom in on Illinois.

Chicago eSIM

How to activate your Illinois eSIM.

Full installation guide →

A traveller happily planning her next trip with a map and phone

Buy your plan

Choose your days — the QR code arrives by email in seconds.

A traveller installing her eSIM from the sofa in two minutes

Install at home

Scan the QR on Wi-Fi before you fly. About two minutes, no app needed.

Friends laughing together while packing for a holiday

Fly relaxed

Nothing counts down yet — your days start only at first connection.

A joyful family reunion at the airport arrivals hall

Switch on in Illinois

Turn the line on when you land. Connected before baggage claim.

New to eSIM in Illinois?

What is a Illinois eSIM?

A Illinois eSIM is a digital SIM that's already built into your phone. Scan one QR code and a local Illinois data plan installs alongside your home SIM — no plastic, no tray tool, no swap. Your number and WhatsApp stay exactly where they are.

✓ 2-minute install✓ Keep your number✓ Works on phones from 2018+

How eSIM works →Check my phone

A traveller with a backpack smiling at her phone — online abroad with My Holiday SIM

Connected · 5G

Home SIM · calls & WhatsAppHoliday eSIM · unlimited data

30-day refund promiseUnused, uninstalled eSIM? Full refund, no questions.

The price is the billPrepaid and final — roaming charges can't happen.

Days start when you landInstall early with zero pressure; counting begins at first connection.

Humans, 24/7Real people answer, before, during and after the trip.

Why travellers choose My Holiday SIM for Illinois.

Instant eSIM deliveryQR code in your inbox seconds after checkout — even at the departure gate.

No physical SIMNothing to collect, lose or poke out with a paperclip. Your home SIM stays put.

Keep your WhatsApp numberData flows through us; WhatsApp stays on your home number. Family always reaches you.

A traveller at the departure gate, eSIM ready on her phone

eSIM ready in ~2 minutes

No bill shock, everOne clear price before you fly. Roaming charges simply can't happen.

Secure paymentsCards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Klarna — encrypted end to end.

Real human supportReal people — before, during and after your trip. Live chat and email, no bots. Easy top-ups too.

Coverage in USA.

5G where available, fast 4G everywhere else

Connected · 5G

Your eSIM joins USA's partner networks automatically — no settings to choose, no manual network hunting. If signal drops in a remote spot, toggling Airplane Mode for a few seconds forces a fresh connection.

AT&T
T-Mobile
Verizon

Popular places covered

New YorkLos AngelesMiamiLas VegasSan FranciscoOrlandoChicagoWashington DC

Keep data roaming ON for the eSIM line only — that's the switch travel eSIMs use, and it never adds charges on our plans.

Trusted networks, honest numbers.

No invented star ratings behind your Illinois eSIM — just the numbers we actually stand behind.

Friendly globe with location pins — coverage on every continent

My Holiday SIMSTAY CONNECTED. ANYWHERE.

200+

destinations — every continent covered

regions covered by a single regional eSIM

~2 min

typical install — QR to connected

Live

chat & email support

Before you fly

Illinois eSIM questions, answered.

Very. Downtown, the neighbourhoods and the lakefront all have strong 5G, so the CTA app, rideshare, mobile tickets and maps work smoothly. Signal can dip briefly in deeper subway sections of the 'L', returning as trains surface.

Your Illinois eSIM glossary.

eSIMA SIM built into your phone's hardware. Plans install onto it digitally — no plastic card involved.

QR profileThe code we email you. Scanning it downloads your holiday plan onto the eSIM. One scan per device.

Data roaming (the switch)The toggle travel eSIMs use to join partner networks abroad. On our plans it never adds charges — keep it ON for the eSIM, OFF for your home SIM.

Hotspot / tetheringSharing your phone's data with laptops and tablets. Included on our plans wherever networks allow.

Top-upExtra days added to a live plan from your account. They append to the end — nothing overlaps.

First connectionThe moment your eSIM first joins a network at the destination — that's when your days start counting, not before.

Travelling wider in USA?