Start with the free one. LocalPay hands you 5GB in Vietnam plus a payments wallet that works across Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines — then top up with a paid regional plan only if your route needs it.

Maps barely touch your allowance. It's the things nobody budgets for — Reels on a night bus, a video call home, tethering a laptop — that empty a plan early.

Both will get you online. The real differences are cost, whether you need a Vietnamese phone number, and which network you end up on once you leave the city.

From airport SIM kiosks to eSIM apps you can activate before you land, here's how to get connected in Vietnam without overpaying or queueing on arrival.