When you think of OneTwoTrip, chances are you picture a Russian travel booking site where you can snag cheap flights, book hotels, and maybe even sort out your next train ride. It’s been around for over a decade, carving out its niche as a one-stop shop for travel planning in Russia and beyond. But now, OneTwoTrip is taking a step that feels much more “tech company” than “travel agency”: they’ve launched their very own eSIM.

Yes, you read that right. A booking platform is now doubling as a mobile connectivity provider. And if you’ve been following the globaI eSIM wave, this move makes perfect sense.

Wait, remind me—what’s an eSIM again?

Let’s pause for a second. An eSIM (short for “embedded SIM”) is a digital version of the little plastic SIM card you usually stick into your phone. Instead of buying a physical chip at an airport kiosk or convenience store, you just scan a QR code or tap a link, and boom—you’ve got mobile data on your phone. No fumbling with tiny trays or losing your SIM when you swap back to your local number.

For frequent travelers, eSIMs are game-changing. They save time, they’re usually cheaper than roaming with your domestic carrier, and you can set them up before you even leave home.

So when a travel booking company like OneTwoTrip decides to launch its own eSIM service, you can see the logic: they’re already handling your tickets and hotels—why not cover your mobile data too?

Why would OneTwoTrip launch an eSIM?

There are a few smart reasons behind this move.

1. Travelers hate roaming bills. Russians traveling abroad have long faced eye-watering roaming fees. Local SIM cards have always been an alternative, but that means searching for shops, showing ID, and swapping cards. OneTwoTrip stepping in with a quick eSIM option solves a pain point right at the core of the travel experience.
2. It’s about loyalty. If you book your flight on OneTwoTrip and then see an option to “add mobile internet for your destination,” that’s sticky. It keeps the customer inside their ecosystem instead of wandering off to Google “best eSIM for Italy” and discovering Airalo, Holafly, or another competitor.
3. Diversifying revenue. Travel platforms are always looking for add-on products—insurance, tours, transfers, lounge access. Connectivity is the next obvious upsell. And because it’s digital, margins can be much higher than physical services.
4. Global trend. OneTwoTrip isn’t the first booking platform to jump on eSIMs. We’ve seen airlines experiment with them (like Lufthansa), OTAs explore bundles, and even hotel chains eye connectivity perks. If you’re in travel, offering an eSIM is becoming a way to say: “we get what modern travelers want.”

How does OneTwoTrip’s eSIM actually work?

Right now, the company says its eSIMs cover more than 100 countries. Customers can purchase data packages directly through the OneTwoTrip website or app.

The setup looks pretty standard:

• You choose your destination and how much data you want.
• After payment, you receive a QR code or installation link.
• Scan it with your phone, and you’re connected as soon as you land.

Prices haven’t been widely advertised yet, but OneTwoTrip is promising competitive rates compared to roaming. That’s the bar they’ll have to clear, because international players like Airalo and Nomad already serve Russian travelers (and anyone else) with packages starting at just a few dollars.

One interesting angle: OneTwoTrip might lean into bundling. Imagine booking a trip to Turkey through their app and being offered a “complete travel pack” that includes your flight, hotel, and a 5GB eSIM for Istanbul. That’s a level of convenience many travelers would happily pay for.

What does this mean for Russian travelers?

For Russians heading abroad, the eSIM option adds a layer of freedom. Post-pandemic, international travel from Russia is more complicated—routes are changing, card payments don’t always work, and travelers are constantly looking for ways to keep things simple. Mobile data is one of those non-negotiables: you need it for maps, taxis, and translation apps the minute you land.

An eSIM that’s tied to a familiar platform could reduce the friction. No need to download a foreign app or pay with international cards that might be tricky from Russia. If it’s all processed inside OneTwoTrip’s ecosystem, travelers get a smoother path to staying online.

And what about the bigger picture?

This move says a lot about where travel platforms are headed. Once upon a time, being a booking site was enough. But today, it’s not just about selling tickets. It’s about selling the entire journey. That means transport, accommodation, insurance, activities—and now, connectivity.

For OneTwoTrip, eSIMs aren’t just a product. They’re a statement: “We’re not just a place where you buy flights. We’re your travel partner.”

And if they play their cards right, this could pay off big. Here’s why:

• Travel + Tech are merging. Travelers expect everything in one app. If OneTwoTrip nails this, it sets them apart from smaller agencies still stuck on flights + hotels.
• Upselling becomes easier. People hate pop-ups for car rentals or tours. But offering mobile data feels natural. It solves a problem travelers are already thinking about.
• Brand positioning. Launching an eSIM puts OneTwoTrip in the same conversation as modern, tech-savvy brands, not just traditional agencies.

Challenges ahead

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Jumping into the eSIM world comes with challenges:

• Competition is fierce. Global players like Airalo, aloSIM, and Holafly already have strong brand recognition, sleek apps, and huge customer bases. Beating them on price or convenience won’t be easy.
• Customer support matters. Travelers will expect help if their eSIM doesn’t activate at 2 a.m. in Bangkok. That’s a heavy lift for a company used to selling flights, not troubleshooting mobile connectivity.
• Tech reliability. An eSIM platform needs a rock-solid backend. If installations fail or data speeds are poor, trust is gone.

But the flip side is that OneTwoTrip already has a massive existing customer base. If they can integrate eSIMs smoothly into the booking flow, they don’t need to “steal” customers from global providers. They can just serve the ones they already have.

So, is this the future of travel booking?

It’s definitely part of it. Travel companies around the world are waking up to the fact that connectivity is just as essential as a plane ticket. And because eSIMs are digital, they’re the perfect add-on: instant delivery, no logistics, no shipping.

For OneTwoTrip, the bet is simple: if you already trust us to get you there, why not trust us to keep you online when you arrive?

Final thoughts

OneTwoTrip launching its own eSIM isn’t some random side project. It’s a smart extension of what travel platforms are becoming: ecosystems that cover every part of your journey. For Russian travelers, it’s another option in a market that has sometimes felt cut off from global digital services.

Whether OneTwoTrip can compete with global eSIM giants remains to be seen. But as a statement of intent, it’s powerful. It says: the days of travel booking sites just selling you a ticket are over. The future is bundled, digital, and connected—literally.

And if it means fewer horror stories about crazy roaming bills, I’d say that’s a win for everyone.