🔴 Roaming from Russian carrier
The most obvious path — just do nothing. Your SIM card, your number, everything familiar. Sounds great until the bill arrives.
Roaming costs in 2026
| Carrier | Price/day | Data | Price per GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| МТС | 590 ₽ | up to 1GB | ~590 ₽ |
| Beeline | 500 ₽ | 1 ГБ | 500 ₽ |
| Megafon | ~164 ₽ | ~214 МБ | ~766 ₽ |
| Tele2 | 350 ₽ | up to 1GB | 350 ₽ |
A week in Turkey with roaming: 2,450 — 4,130 ₽ for internet only
⚠️ Hidden trap: Russian internet blocks
When using roaming, all traffic is tunneled back to Russia. All blocks remain active. You're on a beach in Antalya, but your internet thinks you're at home.
In comparison: with eSIM, traffic goes through the host country's network. No filters — full access to all services without VPN.
⚠️ SIM card "cooling"
Since November 2025, upon returning from abroad, mobile internet and SMS are automatically blocked for 24 hours. An annoyance, especially when you need a taxi from the airport.
🟡 Local SIM card
The classic: arrive, buy a SIM at the airport. Works, but with caveats.
Local SIM downsides
- ⏱15-30 min for registration with passport
- 📱Without Dual SIM you lose access to your Russian number — no bank SMS
- 🗣Language barrier when buying
- 💰Airport "tourist" markup (30-50% more expensive)
🟢 Travel eSIM — the optimal choice
eSIM is a digital SIM card installed via QR code in minutes. No plastic, no queues.
eSIM advantages
- ⚡Instant activation — buy before flight, enable on landing
- 📞Your number stays — eSIM is an additional line
- 🌐Clean internet — no blocks, full access without VPN
- 💳Fixed price — no billing surprises
- 🛂No passport needed — fully online purchase
📊 Final comparison: a week in Turkey
| Parameter | Roaming | Local SIM | eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | 2 450 — 4 130 ₽ | 2 200 — 4 200 ₽ | 250 — 2 100 ₽ |
| Data | 0.7 — 7 ГБ | 20 ГБ+ | 1 — 20 ГБ |
| Activation | Instant | 15-30 мин | 2-5 мин |
| Keep number | Yes | No | Yes ✓ |
| RKN blocks | Yes | No | No ✓ |
| Passport | No | Yes | No ✓ |
💡 Optimal strategy
The best approach is a combination:
- Russian SIM stays for SMS and calls. Disable mobile data on it.
- eSIM for internet — fast, cheap, no blocks.
This gives you cheap internet, number preservation, and no blocks — a triple win.