You don’t need to remove the SIM card. When you go to settings/cellular you will see that you have the Verizon SIM in primary and the eSIM in secondary. Before you land overseas, turn primary off and secondary on. In secondary turn data roaming on and Wi-Fi calling on. Your eSIM should activate itself within a few minutes of landing. I use Google Voice to make phone calls. Before you leave the US set your Verizon phone number to forward to your Google Voice number. You have to do it before you leave, you can’t do it from overseas. Also if you have previously used TravelPass on Verizon you need to disconnect this. You can’t do it turn it off from the Verizon web site. I don’t think you can do it from the app. So that takes care of your data and your phone. You will not receive messages, other than iMessages. To see your messages, every day when you on Wi-Fi, turn secondary off and primary on,with data roaming off on primary. Your texts will download. Then reverse, turn Primary off, secondary on again. This mat sound complicated but it is very easy if you just follow the logical steps. I generally use Airalo but I have used other providers also.