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Three separate moments, and getting them in the right order means you get every day you paid for.

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Buying and installing don’t start the plan

For most plans, installing the eSIM is like putting an unused SIM in the tray: nothing happens until it connects to a network in a country the plan covers. So install early, leave the Roamly line switched off, and turn it on when you arrive.
Check the plan page. Most plans say Starts on first connection. A few say Starts on installation, which means the days begin the moment the eSIM is installed. For those, install the day you leave.

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Every plan has an activate-by date

A plan can’t sit in your account forever. Your plan page shows Activate by: the date you need to have switched it on and connected by. It’s typically months away, so it only matters if you’re buying a long way ahead or your trip gets postponed.

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Leaving the line off until you land

After installing, switch the Roamly line off (the install guides show where). Two reasons: it can’t connect at home anyway, and a switched-off line can’t confuse your phone into using it for data. Turn it on, select it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming when you arrive: see Just landed? How to activate your eSIM.

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What about my normal SIM?

Leave it in, with its Data Roaming off so your home carrier can’t charge you. If you don’t need calls or texts on your number while you’re away, switching it off for the trip is the simplest way to avoid any charges at all. See I’m being charged roaming by my home carrier.

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Flying home

Switch the Roamly line off and your normal SIM back to being the data line. You can leave the eSIM installed for next time if the plan still has days left, or delete it once it’s expired. See What happens when my plan expires?