Rogers Asia Travel Pass vs. eSIM: Is It Worth It for Japan, Thailand & Hong Kong?
Planning a multi-country adventure through Asia is exhilarating. From the neon-lit streets of Tokyo and the vibrant dim sum houses of Hong Kong to the pristine beaches of Thailand, the last thing you want to worry about is how you are going to navigate or translate menus without Wi-Fi.
If you are a Rogers customer in Canada, you have likely discovered the Rogers Asia Travel Pass and Roam Like Home. But how do these carrier add-ons stack up against a dedicated travel eSIM? Let's break it down.
Decoding Rogers' Roaming Options for Asia
When you take your Canadian Rogers phone to Asia, you generally have two main options provided by the carrier:
Rogers Roam Like Home
By default, if you leave your Rogers SIM active and use data abroad, you will trigger Roam Like Home. For destinations like Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, this currently costs $18 CAD per day (up to a maximum of 20 days per billing cycle).
💸 The Cost: A 15-day trip = $270 CAD in roaming fees alone.
The Catch: This fee doesn't give you extra data — it simply allows you to access your existing Canadian data bucket.
Rogers Asia Travel Pass
To combat bill shock, Rogers offers Travel Passes for longer trips. The Asia Travel Pass typically costs around $80 CAD for 30 days (prices may vary based on your specific plan).
Enter the Lotsotravel Asia-Pacific eSIM
Instead of paying a premium to your home carrier, modern travelers are switching to digital eSIMs. A Lotsotravel eSIM is a prepaid, digital SIM card that downloads directly to your phone. Because Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong are all covered under our Asia+ Regional Plan, you can seamlessly cross borders without ever needing to swap a physical SIM card or activate a new plan.
Dedicated Travel Data
You are not sharing data with your Canadian plan. You get a fresh bucket of high-speed data specifically for your trip — no overages, no surprises.
Multi-Country Seamlessness
The Lotsotravel Asia+ plan works across 13 countries, including Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and more. One plan, zero border hassles.
Keep Your Number
Using Dual SIM settings, turn off Rogers data roaming (to avoid the $18/day fee) but keep the line active to receive free incoming SMS texts like bank verification codes.
Free Hotspot Included
Want to tether your laptop on a bullet train? Tethering is fully supported on every Lotsotravel plan at no extra charge.
Face-to-Face Comparison: A 15-Day Asia Itinerary
Let's look at a real-world scenario. You are spending 15 days bouncing between Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand, and you need reliable data throughout.
Option A The Rogers Route
Roam Like Home
$270 CAD
$18/day × 15 days
Asia Travel Pass
~$80 CAD
≈ $58 USD — uses your Canadian data
⚠️ Data Warning: You use your Canadian data bucket. If you have a 20GB monthly plan and burn through it all in Asia, your speeds are throttled or you pay overages.
Option B The Lotsotravel Asia+ eSIM
Light User
$15 USD
10GB / 15 Days
Moderate User
$25 USD
20GB / 15 Days
Heavy User (Unlimited)
$35 USD
3GB/day max speed
+ unlimited at 1000 kbps
🏆 The Verdict: Even the robust 20GB Asia+ plan ($25 USD) costs less than half the Rogers Asia Travel Pass — and you get a dedicated data bucket that won't drain your Canadian allowance.
Is the Rogers Asia Travel Pass Ever Worth It?
The Rogers Asia Travel Pass makes sense in one very specific scenario: you are a business traveler whose company is paying the phone bill, and you absolutely must make and receive traditional cellular voice calls using your Canadian phone number while abroad.
However, for 95% of vacationers, digital nomads, and casual travelers, Lotsotravel is the clear winner. With Wi-Fi calling, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Telegram, making voice calls over a data connection is easier than ever. By choosing a Lotsotravel Asia+ eSIM, you get premium local network speeds in Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, zero hidden fees, and plenty of extra cash to spend on authentic street food and souvenirs.
Ready to Explore Asia Without the Bill Shock?
Check out all of our affordable, high-speed Asia+ eSIM plans and get connected before you even board your flight.
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