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12 Best Prepaid and E-Sim Cards for Europe in 2024

Planning your trip to Europe and wondering what is the best way to stay connected? Don't get stuck with high roaming costs or slow overseas data roaming packages! Get yourself a sim card for traveling in Europe. This is a guide for finding the best European sim card for your trip.

Whether you need a physical prepaid sim card or an e-sim cards for Europe in this guide you will find them both. Find out where to order one, up to date prices as per April 2024 and everything else you need to know before ordering a sim card for traveling to Europe in 2024

For my research finding the best sim card for Europe I traveled to every European country and documented all my travel tips. That is why on Traveltomtom you can find complete guides for finding the best prepaid and e-sim card for Spain , Italy , Switzerland , Greece , Ireland , Portugal , Germany , Poland , France , Sweden , UK , Hungary , Croatia , Austria , Finland , Norway , Netherlands , Belgium , Bulgaria and all others.

In the above guides you can find a comparison between local prepaid sim cards you buy on arrival and sim cards for Europe you buy on the internet.

My recommendation for 2024

Buying a local prepaid sim card is the cheapest way to stay connected when traveling to Europe in 2024. In the links above you will find specific guides for buying a local prepaid sim card per country or airport, which means on arrival in Europe.

But wouldn't it be easy to be online and have data on your phone as soon as the plane lands?

Arrive prepared for your trip to Europe and by ordering a sim card online before your trip. Ordering a sim card for Europe on the internet is super easy and there are amazing tourist sim card deals available.

Here are Traveltomtom's top picks for 2024:

1. Holiday Europe - 50 GB - $59.90 USD

valid for 28 days
unlimited calling & texting
valid in 39 countries - all of Europe
only $1.2 USD per Gigabyte

Click here for more info or to order a Orange e-sim card for traveling to Europe via SimOptions .

Traveltomtom rates the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM as the best Europe sim card in 2024. For $59.90 USD you get 50 GB data which is just $1.2 USD per Gigabyte and best thing is that this e-sim card is 5G ready, where most of the physical prepaid and e-sim cards for Europe only support 4G/LTE.

2. Bouygues Telecom - 30 GB - $44.90 USD

valid for 30 days
$1.5 USD per Gigabyte

Click here for more info or to order a Bouygues Telecom e-sim card for traveling to Europe via SimOptions .

Traveltomtom ranks the Bouygues Telecom e-sim cards as the second best sim card for traveling to Europe in 2024. You get 30 GB data for 30 days for $44.90 USD including unlimited calling and texting. This comes down to $1.5 USD per Gigabyte.

Physical prepaid sim card

If your phone is not e-sim compatible then Traveltomtom recommends an Orange Holiday Europe . This is the best physical prepaid sim card for visiting Europe in 2024.

You get 30 GB data for 15 days including unlimited calling and texting plus 120 minutes to anywhere in the world for $49.90 USD. That is $1.67 USD per Gigabyte. SimOptions is the only sim card provider where you can order a physical prepaid sim card for Europe.

Don't waste your precious holiday time in Europe standing in line at the airport or waste an hour waiting for your turn in a local sim card store. No more language barriers. Order a sim card for Europe online before your trip! How?

This is your ultimate guide, read everything you need to know below and get connected instantly.

Traveltomtom's favorite e-sim providers are Airalo and SimOptions . Why? Traveltomtom has personally used Airalo and SimOptions sim cards for more than 5 years and never faced an issue.

All the sim cards listed in this article are European sim cards with data that you can order online before your trip. The international physical prepaid sim cards will be delivered to your home address before your trip and are activated automatically from its first use. E-sim cards for Europe obviously are delivered via email.

Traveltomtom also recommends world sim cards with global coverage. Check out my article with a comparison of the best international sim cards for travelling in 2024 if you for example continue your trip to Europe to Turkey, Asia or the Middle East.

Sim cards for Europe with unlimited data

Traveltomtom does not recommend sim cards for Europe with unlimited data. With most of these sim cards you will end up frustrated! Always double check at what speed you get unlimited data, because in reality 'unlimited' is mostly not 'unlimited'.

There is pretty much always a FUP (Fair Use Policy) on these Europe sim cards with unlimited data.

For example Holafly sells e-sim cards with unlimited data for Europe, but in the small letters you will find this: the eSIM includes unlimited data for the contracted time. However, please note that the carrier may reserve the right to apply a Fair Usage Policy.

This literally means that if the operator thinks you are using too much data on a day, they reduce your data speed. Holafly does not specify what the FUP is. From my own experience I can tell you that this already applies sometimes after using 2 GB data per day.

When this happens your data speed is reduced to something like 512 Kbps which means you can barely send a photo through WhatsApp and your social media apps won't work for a full 24 hours.

To avoid all this hassle, Traveltomtom does not recommend sim cards for Europe with unlimited data, unless the Fair Use Policy is clearly mentioned and it is above 100 GB data per month or something similar.

To make it all easy for travelers coming to Europe, just buy your sim card online before your trip! Here are the 12 best European prepaid sim cards and e-sim cards for Europe. The best ones are ranked first...

1. Orange Holiday Europe eSIM - 50 GB

This is the latest addition to the family of the Orange sim cards for traveling in Europe. It is the bigger brother of the Orange Holiday Europe sim card. At the moment this sim card is only available as an e-sim card and not as physical prepaid sim card.

This Orange Holiday Europe 50 GB eSIM is the only proper 5G ready sim card for Europe. The rate of only $1.2 USD per Gigabyte makes this the best-buy e-sim card for Europe in 2024.

Price: $59.90 USD

50 GB data in all of the EU including Switzerland, UK, Iceland and Norway
Unlimited calling & texting in Europe
120 minutes to any country in the world
1000 sms to any country in the world
Valid 28 days
Automatically activated from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe
Top up available
ID verification/registration is NOT required
Sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33

Click here to order the Orange Holiday Europe e-sim card for 28 days .

2. Bouygues Telecom My European eSIM - 30 GB

The Bouygues Telecom prepaid sim card for tourists is rated as one the best sim card for traveling to Europe in 2024 by Traveltomtom. Unfortunately the Bouygues Telecom tourist sim card is ONLY available as an e-sim card and not as a physical prepaid sim card, so make sure your phone is e-sim compatible.

Price: $44.90 USD

30 GB data in all of the EU countries including UK, Norway, Iceland
Switzerland is NOT included
Valid for 30 days
Top up is possible
E-sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33
Can receive sms and calls
You have to activate the e-sim card within 1 year after purchase
Automatically activates from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe

Click here to directly order a Bouygues Telecom e-sim card for Europe .

This Bouygues Telecom e-sim card package is called My European eSIM and with $1.5 USD per 1 Gigabyte data is among the best value sim cards for Europe. On top of that this e-sim card is valid for 30 days and therefore it is mentioned second in my list of the best sim cards for Europe in 2024.

3. Orange Holiday Europe - 30 GB (physical and e-sim)

One of the best physical prepaid sim cards for traveling in Europe is the Orange Holiday Europe sim card for tourists, especially if you are looking for a Europe sim card including international minutes. It is available as physical prepaid sim card as well as e-sim card and you can order it directly online.

Price: $49.90 USD

30 GB data in all of the EU including Switzerland, UK, Iceland and Norway
Valid 14 days
$1.67 USD per Gigabyte

Click here to order this Orange Holiday Europe sim card for Europe as a physical prepaid sim card

You can also order this sim for Europe as an e-sim via SimOptions for the same price.

Great advantage of this Orange tourist sim card for Europe is that it has international calling minutes included. The downside about the Orange Holiday Europe prepaid sim card is that it is valid for only 14 days.

If your trip to Europe is longer than 14 days I recommend you getting a different prepaid or e-sim card for Europe so you don't have to worry about topping up during your holiday.

4. Jetpac (e-sim)

Jetpac is a fairly new e-sim provider and is trying to conquer the market with some incredible e-sim card plans for traveling to Europe.

The Jetpac e-sims work in 28 countries in Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City.

Pretty much in all popular tourist destinations in Europe, however not in: Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, Albania, Cyprus, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If you are visiting the Balkan on your trip to Europe then Jetpac is not the perfect e-sim for your trip.

Prices and rates Jetpac Europe

Jetpac Global is at the moment the cheapest e-sim card for Europe as they have an offer for just $1 USD. Here are all the e-sim card plans from Jetpac for 2024:

1 GB data for 30 days = $1 USD
3 GB data for 30 days = $8.5 USD
5 GB data for 30 days = $14 USD
10 GB data for 30 days = $18 USD
15 GB data for 30 days = $28 USD
20 GB data for 30 days = $34 USD
25 GB data for 30 days = $38 USD
30 GB data for 30 days = $40 USD
40 GB data for 30 days = $60 USD

Click here to order a Jetpac e-sim card for Europe .

The rate of the best Jetpac e-sim is 40 GB data for 60 USD which comes down to $1.33 USD per Gigabyte.

The Jetpac Global e-sim card plans are valid for 30 days and the validity starts automatically when it connects for the first time to a network in a country where you can use Jetpac and the data pack is valid 1 year from date of purchase.

Jetpac Global is only available as an e-sim card and not as a physical prepaid sim card. The Jetpac Global e-sim cards are data-only and incoming and outgoing calls are not supported.

An extra advantage of Jetpac Global e-sim cards is that they provide free lounge access if your flight is delayed. However, you will have to register your flight before you travel and in case of a delayed or canceled flight a LoungeKey voucher will automatically be provided. This is a complimentary service that no other e-sim cards offer.

For more info check out the Jetpack website .

5. Eurolink eSIM from Airalo

Airalo is a trusted e-sim card provider and offers e-sim cards for pretty much every country in the world. Their Europe e-sim card plans are more expensive than other e-sim cards for Europe.

The Airalo e-sim cards for Europe are partially 5G ready, meaning in some countries you are able to use 5G in some countries you will have to it with 4G/LTE. It is a 50/50 I would say.

5G is available in: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK. All other countries there is only 4G/LTE network available.

Eurolink e-sim cards also have plans for 3 months and even for 6 months, which could be a very interesting e-sim for travelers visiting Europe for more than 1 month.

1 GB data for 7 days = $5 USD
3 GB data for 30 days = $13 USD
5 GB data for 30 days = $20 USD
10 GB data for 30 days = $37 USD
50 GB data for 90 days = $100 USD
100 GB data for 180 days = $185 USD

Click here for more info or to order a Eurolink e-sim card for Europe via Airalo .

Eurolink e-sim cards are valid in all of Europe including Iceland, Norway, UK, Switzerland, Ukraine and even in Turkey!

Traveltomtom uses Airalo e-sim cards a lot, but their rates per Gigabyte for Europe are more expensive than the other sim cards mentioned above.

Traveltomtom sometimes uses an Airalo e-sim card for Europe when I continue my Europe trip to Istanbul. Airalo is the best e-sim card for traveling to Europe and Turkey on one trip.

Especially for people looking for e-sim cards for Europe that are valid for 3 or 6 months Airalo is one of the best e-sim cards for Europe.

6. Bouygues Telecom Travel Basic - 15 GB (e-sim)

bouygues telecom basic esim card for europe 2024

This is another e-sim card only plan from Bouygues Telecom, basically a cheaper plan. This European sim card is for those travelers who stay less than 15 days and only need about 1 GB per day.

Price: $21.90 USD

15 GB data in all of the EU countries including UK, Norway, Iceland
Valid for 15 days

This Bouygues Telecom sim card is not available as a physical prepaid sim card, only as an e-sim card.

7. Three (3) Data Pack - 10 GB (physical sim)

This Three UK sim card is only available as a physical prepaid sim card and NOT as an e-sim. It will be delivered to your home address and it is plug and play on arrival in Europe.

Price: $24.90 USD

10 GB data in all of Europe including Switzerland, UK, Norway, Iceland and up to 30 countries outside of Europe
Unlimited calls/sms in all of Europe
Valid 30 days from inserting in phone
No top up possible
Sim card comes with a phone number from UK starting with +44

Click here to directly order a Three Data Pack physical sim card for traveling to Europe .

Big plus is that this Europe sim card is 5G ready and includes unlimited calls/sms in Europe and up to 30 other countries around the world like USA, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Israel, Singapore, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Colombia and many more.

8. Nomad eSIM for Europe

Nomad has some of the cheapest e-sim cards for traveling in Europe with some amazing value plans. They go as low as $1.3 USD per GB data. The Nomad e-sim cards are from eSIM Go and they support 5G in some countries, not yet everywhere.

1 GB data for 7 days = $7 USD
3 GB data for 15 days = $13 USD
5 GB data for 30 days = $12 USD
20 GB data for 30 days = $26 USD

Click here to order a Nomad e-sim card for traveling in Europe .

The Nomad e-sim cards are data-only sim cards for Europe and do not come with a phone number. Incoming and outgoing calls are not supported.

9. O2 Go Card Prepaid sim card - 10 GB (physical and e-sim)

o2 go card prepaid sim card for europe 2024

This O2 sim card plan from Czech Republic is available as a physical prepaid sim card as well as an e-sim card. When you order this physical sim card it will be delivered to your home address before your trip to Europe.

10 GB data in all of Europe (Switzerland NOT included)
$2 credit for calls in Europe (top up online available only for EU citizens. For non-EU citizens only within Czech Republic)
$2 credit for sms in Europe
Receiving unlimited calls in all of the covered countries in Europe
Valid for 30 days from its installation, even if not in Europe yet
It comes with a Czech number starting with +420

Click here to order an O2 Go Card as a physical prepaid sim card and here as an e-sim card .

10. Orange Holiday Zen sim card for Europe - 12 GB

orange holiday zen esim card for europe 2024

Price: $29.90 USD

12 GB data in all of Europe including Switzerland, UK, Iceland and Norway
Valid for 14 days from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe

The smaller brother of the Orange Holiday Europe sim card is called the Orange Holiday Zen. Unlimited calls/texting in Europe and 12 GB, so much smaller data plan, but also cheaper.

Click here to order this Orange Holiday Zen sim card for Europe as a physical prepaid sim card and click here to order the Orange Holiday Zen as an e-sim card .

11. Holafly

Holafly sells e-sim cards for Europe with unlimited data. Traveltomtom is not a fan of e-sim cards with 'unlimited' data and I explained to you why in the beginning of this article.

1 day 'unlimited' data = $6 USD
2 days 'unlimited' data = $10 USD
3 days 'unlimited' data = $13 USD
4 days 'unlimited' data = $16 USD
5 days 'unlimited' data = $21 USD
6 days 'unlimited' data = $25 USD
7 days 'unlimited' data = $29 USD
8 days 'unlimited' data = $31 USD
9 days 'unlimited' data = $35 USD
10 days 'unlimited' data = $37 USD
11 days 'unlimited' data = $40 USD
14 days 'unlimited' data = $48 USD
20 days 'unlimited' data = $64 USD
30 days 'unlimited' data = $75 USD

The Holafly e-sim cards for Europe are data-only and incoming and outgoing calls/sms are NOT supported. These e-sims do also not come with a phone number. The Holafly e-sims operate on the 4G/LTE network and are not 5G ready.

You can use a hotspot on Holafly Europe e-sim cards of up to 500 MB per day.

The Holafly Europe e-sims are valid in the following 32 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

Why 'unlimited'? Because there is a Fair Use Policy and Traveltomtom has had bad experiences with this in the past. Suddenly your data speed is slowed down for 24 hours because you apparently used too much data.

If I hate something then it is slow data speed. Therefore Traveltomtom's is not a fan of e-sim cards with 'unlimited' data and I do not want reduced data speed because I apparently hit the FUP (which is not defined).

Therefore the Holafly e-sim cards for Europe are not ranked that high in this list of the best sim cards for traveling to Europe in 2024.

Of course you can also order sim cards for traveling to Europe on Amazon. When searching for 'Sim Card for Europe' on Amazon you will get a long list of available physical prepaid sim cards. There are no e-sim cards available on Amazon.

Here are some examples:

Orange: 16 GB data (not in UK, Switzerland) + 800 minutes for 28 day = $28 USD + tax
Three: 10 GB data + unlimited calls/sms for 30 days = $19 USD + tax
Sim2Roam: 3 GB data for 30 days = $16 USD + tax
Vodafone: 12 GB data for 14 days = $17 USD + tax

Listed as a last option because it is a jungle finding the best sim card for Europe on Amazon. Plus delivery fees and taxes making it sometimes really expensive.

Free EU data roaming on European sim cards

The European Union came in 2017 finally with the genius idea to let go of roaming charges within the EU countries. Therefore in 2017 people can use their sim card from Spain in Italy and their Germany sim card in Sweden without any extra charges. For people looking for a sim card for Europe travel this was the best news ever of course.

Therefore upon arrival in Europe you can potentially buy a local prepaid sim card for tourists and be connected to the internet in all other countries you visit in Europe. However, there are a lot of exceptions, so keep reading…

The biggest exceptions are: UK, Switzerland and Norway. As you might know these are countries in Europe, but they are NOT part of the European Union, which means roaming costs can apply for these countries.

Brexit threw the UK out of the European Union and one of the major problems is the free EU roaming on UK prepaid sim cards. Most of the prepaid and e-sim cards you buy in the UK do not include free EU roaming anymore. For more info see my guide for buying a sim card in the UK in 2024 .

Why buying a sim card for Europe

A very simple question? Do you want to rely on others when traveling to Europe? Yes, your hotel, bar, restaurant, train and even park have free public WiFi these days. So getting WiFi when traveling is fairly easy. Yet, Traveltomtom still recommend you getting a sim card for Europe.

Local prepaid sim cards vs. European sim cards

All sim cards mentioned in this article are sim cards with FREE EU roaming intended for those that visit a couple countries on a short trip. However, if you only travel to 1 or 2 countries in Europe you might be better off buying a local sim card on arrival. Local sim cards are mostly valid in 1 country only. Especially for a trip to Eastern Europe I would recommend buying a local sim card, rather than a European sim card.

For a complete overview of all sim card prices per country have a look at my guide for buying a local sim card in Europe in 2024 .

I love traveling in Europe off the beaten path , have a look at my 12 secret places to visit. I bet some of them you have never even heard of.

Getting connected is the first thing I do when I get to a new country. Depending on the length of my trip that means either buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival or ordering an e-sim card online. Must say that the last years on all my trips to Europe I bought an e-sim card since it is just much easier and less hassle.

Buying a local sim card on arrival in Europe

Sometimes the best European sim card deals you get on arrival in Europe. In France for example you get 150 GB data for €20 EUR ($22 USD) and data bundles in Italy are also very affordable. Most countries in Eastern Europe offer amazing local prepaid sim card deals with up to 75 GB data for just $6 USD but these local prepaid sim cards often do NOT offer free EU data roaming.

Therefore I recommend you to check my complete guide for buying a local sim card in Europe in 2024 , with a specific list of every country in Europe and what prices to expect on arrival before buying a sim card for Europe.

Traveltomtom also wrote sim card guides for all major airports in Europe: Zurich , London Heathrow , London Gatwick , Copenhagen , Amsterdam , Paris , Frankfurt , Dublin , Madrid , Manchester , Lisbon , Rome , Milan , Venice , Vienna , Oslo , Athens , Barcelona , Berlin , Budapest , Geneva , Bucharest , Tirana , Budapest , Prague , Brussels and many more.

I hope all the above tips for finding the best sim card for your trip to Europe in 2024 were helpful. If you still have questions please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below.

Looking for off the beaten path destinations in Europe then click on the link and I bet most of those places you have never even heard of. Let me fuel you with some more wanderlust.

Because Traveltomtom would also like to visit every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all around the world: USA , Canada , Mexico , Colombia , South Africa , Asia , Turkey , Saudi Arabia , Hong Kong , Thailand , Singapore , Brazil , Philippines , Egypt , China , Australia , New Zealand and many more!

So next time you plan your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card and e-sim card advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me!

If interested check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom to see more of my journey to visit every country in the world . As of April 2024 I have traveled to more than 155 countries, but no rush to reach 197.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adventure Travel & Blogger (@traveltomtom)

Enjoy your trip to Europe!

Some links in this article about the best travel sim cards for Europe are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate links I earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you!

roadtrip europe
eastern europe
europe sim card

Best SIM Card For Europe: Everything You Need To Know

by Melissa Giroux | Last updated Dec 3, 2023 | Europe , SIM Cards , Travel Tips

Visiting Europe soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Europe SIM card .

In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Europe in person and online.

We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.

Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card for Europe.

If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.

That said, if you need data to get around, call a cab, or translate into a foreign language – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Europe .

Note that if you’re European, your mobile phone provider may already offer European coverage.

If that’s the case, you won’t need a European SIM card for your adventures.

📱 Best SIM Card For Europe

Europe is enormous, and you’ll find various mobile providers depending on the countries you’re visiting.

Most providers have partnerships and offer coverage in multiple countries in Europe.

We recommend using a European SIM card from Orange, Vodafone, or Airalo .

I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!

That said, depending on your first destination, you might find other providers.

For example, in Bulgaria, many small providers offer coverage in other European countries too. You might not find big brands like Orange or Vodafone, but you’ll find others like A1, Vivacom, or Yettel.

So, you don’t have to use a big provider – any provider that offers coverage in Europe should do.

❓ How To Buy A Travel SIM Card For Europe

You can either buy a Europe prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, in mobile provider stores, in a convenience store, or online.

Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.

That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind.

For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store.

Note that you may need your passport to buy one. Each country has its own rules; you might even need to provide an address.

Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival.

So, if you’d rather be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a European prepaid SIM card online.

❓ How To Buy A Europe Prepaid SIM Card Online

If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.

You’ll find different Europe SIM card plans on Amazon. For example, the Orange Holiday Europe Prepaid SIM Card works in over 30 countries and gives you 20GB of data for 14 days.

But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you’re planning on visiting are listed.

Browse your options on Amazon

Another option is to purchase a prepaid EU SIM card on SimOptions .

They offer a wide range of options in Europe, so look to find something that suits your needs.

Browse your options on SimOptions

Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM plan for Europe.

❓ How To Buy A European eSIM Plan

eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone.

If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s one of the best options to get data in Europe.

Curious? Learn more about the best eSIM providers .

Airalo Eurolink

Airalo offers many eSIM cards worldwide, and they have regional plans for Europe. I’ve been using Airalo in Europe for several months and love its convenience.

Read our complete Airalo eSIM review to learn more.

Here’s an overview of the options available in Europe :

1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185

The options mentioned above are part of Eurolink and include 39 countries.

Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 85 countries.

Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global :

1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89

Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.

Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip.

In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks, and you need to select a network manually instead.

When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.

Browse your options on Airalo

Holafly Europe

Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly . You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.

I’ve also tried Holafly during my travels in Europe, and it worked fine.

Overall, it’s important to note that Holafly is more expensive, but they offer unlimited plans in more than 50 countries and regions.

Holafly offers 24/7 support in multiple languages, which can be helpful if you need help setting up your eSIM plan.

The Holafly Europe eSIM works in 32 countries, and they offer the following plans:

Unlimited data for 5 days for $19
Unlimited data for 7 days for $27
Unlimited data for 10 days for $34
Unlimited data for 15 days for $47
Unlimited data for 20 days for $54
Unlimited data for 30 days for $64

Finally, Holafly allows you to make calls for up to 60 minutes and receive calls for up to 60 minutes.

Browse your options on Holafly

Nomad Europe

Another option worth considering is Nomad . They have a regional eSIM plan for Europe that includes coverage in 30 and 35 countries.

Make sure the plan chosen covers the countries you plan to visit in Europe.

Here’s an overview of the plans offered by Nomad:

3 GB, valid for 30 days for $17
5 GB, valid for 30 days for $18
10 GB, valid for 30 days for $26

Browse your options on Nomad

BNESIM Europe

Finally, you could sign up for BNESIM Europe. They have a regional eSIM plan for Europe that includes coverage in 30 countries.

BNESIM offers monthly plan subscriptions and one-time plans:

1 GB, no expiration for $3.77
3 GB, no expiration for $10.98
5 GB, no expiration for $17.73
10 GB, no expiration for $33.95

Browse your options on BNESIM

You can also get €4 off with my promo code: MELISSA4OFF.

Yoho Mobile Europe

Yoho Mobile is a newer eSIM provider that offers a European plan that works in 29 countries.

Yoho Mobile offers the following plans:

1GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
3 GB, valid for 10 days for $10.99
5 GB, valid for 15 days for $17.50
10 GB, valid for 30 days for $33

Get a 5% discount on your first purchase with my Yoho Mobile promo code: abrokenbackpack5.

To add a coupon code, click on View Cart and paste the coupon code there.

To learn more, you can read our complete Yoho Mobile review .

Go to Yoho Mobile

Travelers looking at a phone in a train station in Europe

💭 Final Thoughts On Europe SIM Card

As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Europe or even an eSIM for Europe is pretty easy.

You can stay connected anywhere in Europe without changing your SIM card.

The eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Europe if you wish to have data on your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a European SIM card.

You need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.

Traveling to Europe soon? Read one of the following blog posts:

Cheapest European country to live in
Best places to live in Europe
Best beach towns in Spain

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Buying an interna...

Buying an international eSIM data plan for your phone instead of SIM card

I've been doing a lot of research on SIM cards recently, trying to figure out whether I should buy an extra phone and an international SIM card, or bite the bullet and pay for Verizon's outrageous international fees. But then I came across a post here talking about dual SIM phone. It turns out they are fairly common in newer phones and allow you to add an extra SIM card into your phone that can be used interchangeably with your regular provider's SIM card.

Those sounded pretty cool so I checked, and my iPhone 11 mini does not have the dual-SIM capacity. However, the technology has advanced and it turns out that most newer phones (post late 2017) have eSIM capability, which is basically a digital SIM that is soldered directly to a device's board, and is remotely reprogrammable through software. Basically, I have the ability to use two different cell phone providers. In my phone, Verizon uses the physical SIM card and the eSIM slot is available for another cell phone provider (either the same one, another US one or an international provider). It is mostly used by people who have 2 phones - one for work and one for home. Having the option of a second SIM (hard or eSIM) allows someone to use the same phone but switch back and forth from one carrier to the other.

I found that people on the forum who have used the eSIM switched their main provider to the eSIM, and then bought an international physical SIM card. So for example, since I have Verizon, I would need to switch Verizon to the eSIM, which from everything I have heard, may be easy or could take hours, depending on the person you talk to at Verizon. But instead, I can keep Verizon on my physical SIM card, and use the digital eSIM data plan for the other line.

It's a pretty easy process and there is no need to swap out your SIM card on your regular phone or buy a burner phone or use an old phone. You just carry one phone and switch the SIM back and forth. I am planning to use this process for the one month trip to Germany in late April but in the meantime, I have found a lot of resources, so I thought I would share all this information I have in case anyone else is interested.

I don’t know about other phones but if you have an iPhone, you can find out if you have this capability by going to Settings>General>About, then scroll down to the bottom. Under “Physical SIM” you should see your network/carrier listed, along with a string of codes and numbers (IMEI, ICCID, and MEID). Below that, it will say “Available SIM” and have a separate IMEI2 number. I believe that all iPhones from XS and forward have this. But again, the phone must be UNLOCKED.

This website gave me information about the process and how to find an international eSIM data plan. He describes how it works in detail and tells you how to set it up once you've bought the data plan (along with links to sites with detailed steps for iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel, and Huawei phones). https://travelwithbender.com/travel-thoughts/travel-tips/international-esim-travel

Information for iPhone users: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209044 Information for Verizon users: https://www.verizon.com/support/esim-activation-instructions One international eSIM plan that was recommended by the Travel with Bender article. https://esim.holafly.com/esim-europe/

Also, here is a link to an Orange plan that a Redditor used and liked. At the bottom, you check a button to indicate if you want a physical SIM or eSIM. https://travel.orange.com/en/detail-all-inclusive/?geozone=EUR&ref=orhldeur20gb

UPDATED to include this Reddit post with a list of eSIM data providers as of Dec. 2021. https://www.reddit.com/r/eSIMs/comments/rrh488/state_of_the_market_list_of_esim_providers_as_of/

UPDATE: This post by Holafly gives a list of ALL phones with eSIM capability (as of July 2022). https://esim.holafly.com/how-to/esim-phones

Mardee, I have been half-heartedly looking into this when I think about it but it definitely seems like something I want to do, as opposed to continually switching out my home sim (and making sure I don’t lose it). Thanks for the resources!

Mardee thank you so much for this info. I looked into eSim for our 2020 UK trip that didn’t happen. It is an option on my unlocked iPhone 11. The info and links you’ve posted are very helpful and I’ll pursue for this year’s trip!

Good summary, Mardee -- it was me that brought up the eSIM topic, and although there are many other workable methods of keeping your own mobile phone working for you while in Europe (most notably google fi) the dual-SIM functionality built into recent phones is there for this kind of scenario, so why not take advantage of it? Thanks for sharing these links.

@Aimee - I wish $100 here and $100 there was not a big deal for me, but that's not the way it is.

Aimee, I don't know why your assumption is that someone is spending $1500 to fly to Europe. While that might be how much it costs you to go to Europe, that has often been more than my entire budget including airfare for me to go to Europe for a week. Adding $150 to my budget is the equivalent of what I spend 3 days on the ground. Last time I was in London and bought a sim I just had to pay 20.99 gbp for unlimited talk, text, and 10gb data for a month and that came with the phone (that's what the 99p was). I much rather that than $150. Some people value convenience I value saving money, so while you don't understand the fuss, I don't understand why you'd want to spend unnecessary money. To each their own.

I appreciate this information and it might be something to look into. I had Sprint (now T-mobile) which includes free international data and texts and it has been so useful over the years in not needing a SIM. Although the internet is only 2G which these days is barely enough for anything, but I can usually pull up maps, get iMessages/Whatsapp etc, and do simple searches which is most of the data I need to use when I'm not around WiFi. I also have a friend who gifted me an extra phone, which for the first time I bought a SIM for this year in Croatia. Its an android and I use iPhone, I got so annoyed trying to learn a different UI that I often just hot spotted my phone with the local sim to my iPhone and used my iPhone like normal. I guess this is another workaround if you happen have an extra phone that has hotspot capabilities.

Aimee: For me, the cheapest viable option with Verizon would cost around $300 for the 30 days I am gone ($10/day @30 days). The last time I went to Europe in 2018, I had Sprint, which had a wonderful int. plan and was very easy (and cheap). But not now. This makes more sense for me. It may not for everyone.

Averosemail: Thanks! There were several posts and I couldn't remember who posted by the time I got around to writing this. It really does seem to make sense. In fact, I was surprised that the RS website doesn't mention it on their technology tips page - they talk about regular SIM cards but not this.

Aimee, no, unfortunately there is no cap. It's $10 per day per days used, but I'd be using it every day, I'm sure. It's just irritating and having an eSIM data plan is such an easy fix. Most cost between €20 to €50. And once you use your data cap (or your trip is over), you can hang onto them and top off your data for your next trip.

Last year while in Italy, I relied on my Verizon cell at the cost of $10/day. It was $300 by the time I was done for about 3 weeks of use. It worked well and I was pleased but knew it was pricy.

My geeky son thought it was outrageously expensive. He recommends an eSIM also. Our Apple phones have this option. For my upcoming trip to Spain, I will consider a Spanish SIM or this eSIM option. I'll likely try the eSIM and if there are issues, switch to a Spanish SIM.

Either way, I'll save.

Thanks for the great research! Lee

I love the elegance of the eSIM. I wish I'd had it when I was working and carrying 2 cellphones to maintain some boundary between personal and professional life.

For my travels, I do carry 2 phones, one of which is an older phone with my "travel SIM" which I load for each trip with an inexpensive 30 day plan. I use my travel phone extensively: travel documents, apps, audio guides, self guided walking tours, transit options, prepaid tickets, reservations and my entire itinerary. Each phone has access and everything is in the cloud.

As I consider the eSIM for future travels, I worry about 2 benefits that I perceive with my 2 phone setup:

1) the 2nd phone serves as a backup; if I lost either phone, the impact to my trip would be negligible.

2) the travel phone does most of the work, my more valuable home phone (used in the hotel on wifi) is less likely to be lost or stolen

I worry that with an eSIM phone, if I lose it while sightseeing, I've increased both the impact to my trip and the value of the loss.

I suppose I could still bring a backup phone, but if anyone thought a 2nd phone was already a waste, I'd be even more likely to agree with you.

CW - My thinking is the same as yours. I have my previous phone and I'm going to get a physical sim on my next trip. I'll be happy to leave my much more expensive "regular" phone in a safe place and use my slightly outdated older phone for walking around.

I've always used Verizon's international plan but it does get expensive especially when both my husband and I need to have service. I know Verizon is pricey but their coverage area is worth it to us.

I finally relented and accepted that I travel frequently, so I need a provider that offers coverage in Europe and Mexico at the minimum. T-Mobile has some plans that do, but I wound up going with Google Fi. For my wife and I, the cost is less than $100 a month, and coverage in Europe costs me no more than here in the US, there are charges for International calls made. All of my apps and history are available, contacts, no need to provide someone with a different number. It has really been great when traveling.

Paul , I've been looking at Google Fi, but my problem is that we live in a rural area in northern Minnesota and coverage is sparse with certain carriers. So for now, I'm stuck with Verizon. I'm hoping that changes (along with the crappy internet we have).

CW and Celeste , I've had cell phones for 22 years and have never lost any of them (or had them stolen) during multiple trips overseas or here at home. If it was lost, I can track it easily - plus I have travel insurance that covers loss of all electronics (it was a $5 rider). It is also backed up regularly to the cloud, so if I had to buy a new phone, it's easy to get data back in it.

I think the odds of it being lost are slim to none. But that's me. :) I realize it might be a problem for other people and I certainly understand why some people would bring two phones along. I just like not having the inconvenience (and extra weight) of two phones.

Mardee, thank you for this. We're planning to be in Europe for about 6 weeks later this year. We have a locked iphone, with AT&T. We could probably go the $10/day route, since we don't expect to use the phone very often, but I'm intrigued with the eSIM option.

So if the phone is locked, BOTH sims are locked? Is that what you're saying? I will be checking with AT&T, but I'd like to have as much info as possible before I call them.

Thanks again for this very interesting, informative, and helpful post.

Edit to add: I just followed the link Mardee gave for iphone users, and indeed, if the phone is locked, the second sim must be used by the same carrier. I guess I'll see if I can get the phone unlocked, but I think we have a few months left on our contract.

Jane , I checked with AT&T (I'm always curious about other carriers) and they do have a cap as follows:

If you talk, send a text or use data in any of the included countries, you’ll be charged $10 per 24 hours and $5 for each Add’l line on the same account used the same day unless you remove Int’l Day Pass. Charge cap: A max. of 10 daily fees per line, per monthly bill cycle.

So your phone at $10 per day for 6 weeks would cost around $150 with the cap.

One thing you might do is ask AT&T to unlock the phone. If there are only a few months left on the contract, they might be willing to do this in order to keep you as a customer. It wouldn't hurt to try.

I, too, am sold on using two SIMs in one phone, but I have T-Mobile so I don't need to worry about getting a second SIM to avoid the high costs.

Here is a caution about using your "home" account as well as a second one while traveling outside the U. S.: You may want to set your home number so all calls are forwarded to voicemail. Otherwise, a call to your home number may ring on your phone while you are in Europe or elsewhere. Even if you do not pick up, your account may be charged for an international call at the high rates for such calls. Think of such a call as being sent from your carrier to your phone in Europe and then back again when it goes to voicemail. If all calls are unconditionally forwarded to voicemail, an incoming call never "left" the U.S.

You unconditionally forward your incoming calls with a setting on your phone or by calling your phone company. It should not affect calling out from your phone and you should get a notice on your phone if someone leaves a voicemail. When I had to use this technique years ago, I would check voicemails later with a wifi call, or even further back in time, with a calling card over a payphone.

Note that forwarding your phone does not stop text messages, so those would still come through at whatever rate your carrier charges.

Mardee and Aimee, thank you. There is indeed a cap of 10 days per billing cycle, but that's for postpaid plans. I dug around a bit, and we have a prepaid plan - we got that when we weren't sure whether or not we were going to use the phone at all. Actually, a friend gave us her old phone and set up the plan.

Our phone aged out, and we got a new one in December. We can't unlock the phone until we've had it 6 months, according to the website. I do, however, plan to call them and see what we can do. It looks like we're going to keep the phone - we've had one now for about a year and a half - so maybe we can switch to another plan and get it unlocked.

Thanks. We are savvy on a lot of things, but absolute neophytes about cell phones.

There shouldn’t be a need to pay Verizon $300 a month. They have a plan for $100 a month - 250 minutes of calls, 1000 sent text messages, unlimited received text messages and 5gb of data, of course, additional charges accrue if you go over, seems like this plan was about $30 a few years ago

There is also a pay as you go rate, use services and pay for each.

And the travel pass plan- unlimited calls and texts, a data allotment at a cost of $10 a day. Ideal for the infrequent and disciplined user

I will preface by saying I’m a bit technologically inept, but that’s what brought me here searching for exactly this info about eSIMs. My question is how would you know for sure that the data you are using is coming from your eSIM once on travel vs making sure you aren’t roaming from your home provider? Will it automatically just click over to that local coverage once you are there within range? Would I toggle something on once landing in Europe? Seems like a great option that I’m trying to sort out, just really fearful of a massive unexpected bill upon returning home if I mess something up. On my last 2 trips I arranged a set amount of international data with my home provider, ATT, for a month. I think it was an extra $50 and gave me enough data, maybe 5Gb, that was fine for my wandering around usage requirements. I believe I would leave my phone on airplane mode with WiFi on, then manually turn on the cellular as needed. Incoming and outgoing texts from my regular US contacts were treated the same as if I was still physically in the US. I never needed to make any calls. It was easy and convenient but I know definitely not the best value as switching out for a local SIM in Europe or exploring this option, so it got me thinking about other options.

To piggyback, the 20 pounds for 10gb data SIM, is that typical price for a SIM card?

I too have ATT so it would be max $100 per billing month. I'm staying for 5.5 weeks so potentially could be $200 for my entire trip. I'm a planner so really plan on getting most things done before I even leave the States. Would only use data as emergency, will probably stick to wifi and ironing fine details night before each day begins.

Great Information. I'm on AT&T Business plan, and unfortunately their international plan, doesn't have the $100 Max charge. I do plan on getting an eSim card for my iPhone 13 thanks to your info.

My question is how would you know for sure that the data you are using is coming from your eSIM once on travel vs making sure you aren’t roaming from your home provider? Will it automatically just click over to that local coverage once you are there within range?

@kjones , it does NOT automatically switch nor would you want it to. However, it's very easy to manually switch back and forth - if you have an iPhone, you just go to Settings, tap either Cellular or Mobile Data, and then tap the plan you want to use. Then tap Turn On This Line. Simple and easy. It will then stay on that plan until you switch it back.

On an Android phone, go to > Settings > Connections > SIM card manager. Switch on or switch off the eSIM profile on this page, then under the section Preferred SIM Card, select which SIM card you want to use.

So if you're going on trip to Europe, you would switch it once you land, and then just keep it there until you are ready to go back to your regular plan. In my original post is an article that explains the entire process very well - https://travelwithbender.com/travel-thoughts/travel-tips/international-esim-travel

There shouldn’t be a need to pay Verizon $300 a month. They have a plan for $100 a month - 250 minutes of calls, 1000 sent text messages, unlimited received text messages and 5gb of data, of course, additional charges accrue if you go over, seems like this plan was about $30 a few years ago. There is also a pay as you go rate, use services and pay for each. And the travel pass plan- unlimited calls and texts, a data allotment at a cost of $10 a day. Ideal for the infrequent and disciplined user.

@goanywhere , I am not an infrequent user nor do I want to be disciplined when traveling. I use a lot of data and don't want to have to worry about going over. I'm used to an unlimited data plan. To me it's a no-brainer - buy an eSIM data plan for around €40-50 and not worry about going over, or stick with Verizon and have to constantly monitor my data (plus pay at least $100 or more).

I am curious. I understand the dual sim cards & having 2 numbers - a US Number & European #.

When I switch to the European service provider & begin using that number, how would I know if I have a voice mail or text with my US based plan with AT&T? Must I switch back & forth to check each carrier? Will texts & voice mails just accumulate until I switch phone back to that service provider to see if I have messages?

Well, you could do that - just switch back and forth to see if you have voicemails or texts. It only takes about 30 seconds to switch. Keep in mind that if you listen to voicemails or respond to texts on your US based plan, you might have to pay extra to your carrier for that. It's much easier to just have your friends and family call and text you at the new number. Of course, if you have an iPhone, you can read (and send) your Messages through iCloud, which is an option. And there may be an option for that with Androids. But you will still have to switch over to the US line (unless you are bringing another device, like a laptop or iPad). As long as you are just using wifi, however, you should be okay.

You also might be able to listen to voicemails via the other line, as long as you punch in the correct code. But the easiest thing to do is just have them call and text you on Whatsapp, which is used a lot by travelers and by most Europeans on a regular basis. It's an app that allows calls and texts through wifi. My brother is a pilot for a major airline and regularly flies to China and Korea and other overseas countries. He always uses it for calls and texts. If he gets a call on his phone, he ignores it and then calls the person back on the app.

My experience is with an Android phone, not an iPhone. I do not have to switch between numbers to check for text messages or voicemails. Both appear in the notifications as they occur. In other words, both numbers are continuously active. I have the option of setting the phone so it asks me which number I want to use to make a call or send a text.

I don't have any experience yet with a domestic SIM and a foreign SIM so I'm not sure what I would do if I wanted to turn off a number to avoid incurring the steep roaming charges, and especially so with an eSIM that I can't physically remove from the phone. I think I would just suspend one of the numbers in settings.

This issue is just academic for me, however, because I have T-Mobile, which is more international travel friendly than Verizon or AT&T.

Paul, that’s very interesting. And good to know. I also agree with you about T-Mobile. I almost switched just because of this upcoming trip, but my daughter is on the same plan and it’s difficult for her with her work to switch the plan. So for now I’m stuck with Verizon.

Re: switching back and forth from esim "mode" to non-esim "mode". I can't find the source but it seems that I read that you can only switch back and forth for 10 times. I'm thinking I read this on the Travelsim site.

That makes no sense at all and I have not heard that. These plans were designed for people who work and use a separate cell for that purpose. This way they do not need to carry two phones around. it would certainly not be feasible if they limited the number of transfers.

I have two accounts on my phone. One is an eSIM and the other a physical SIM. One only has a limited amount of data (it is a low cost number), so I set the phone to use its data first, and then switch to the other SIM when the first one's data runs out. Details are unimportant, but this step saves me a little money on my monthly bill.

The main point, however, is that I switch between the two accounts frequently. There is no limit on how many times I can switch. I am unaware of any limitations on switching between the two lines for any reason.

I still have my Dutch Vodafone SIM I bought in 2017 - haven't used it since 2019 but it is still active. It worked great for me on a few trips to Europe for cheap mobile phone use. My Android phone doesn't have an eSIM anyway, but it doesn't seem like a big hassle for me to use the Vodafone SIM. You can't buy a Dutch Vodafone SIM on eBay anymore (as far as I know) - maybe the UK version would work. But, I should be able to cover my phone needs for a 2-3 week trip for about 20 Euros, based on past trips.

I would love to hear more about:

1) typical data usage of people who use the internet a lot to look up places to eat, research things to do while out and about and have no wifi, maps/directions, etc.

2) what reputable companies to buy a SIM card from before starting travel. I really don't want to wait until I'm there but I guess that's what most people do?

I will be starting my trip in Germany and going through several countries (Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Portugal) so buying on in each country would be annoying to me. Maybe I can get something for all places at the Frankfurt airport?

I bought and set up my Vodafone UK SIM in advance of a trip and have used it for trips that included most of your countries: Germany, Poland, Austria and Hungary.

On my 3 week trips, I use about 300MB as I am diligent about using free wifi at restaurants, my hotel, etc.

I am following this post with all it's information because I have a trip scheduled to GB in Sept. I have ATT and am very unhappy they did away with their Passport plan for intl as it was one charge per billing cycle ($70 in 2019.) Now, similar to Verizon, they only have a 'day pass' at $10/day and when you reach more than 10 days in a billing cycle, no more charges. But, here is the problem for me. I didn't figure my billing cycle into my planning for the trip. In fact, my billing cycle date is right in the middle of the RS tour portion of my month long trip. In other words, I will end of paying at least $200 for using my phone! That's really an increase since 2019. I am considering switching to T Mobile (Verizon sounds similar and as bad as ATT.) However, I am also considering a Great Britain sim. I am not going to Europe on this trip except for a transit stop in Republic of Ireland. So, thank you everyone for providing all this discussion and information. I do have one question. If I use my VPN will it use data if no wifi or weak wifi is present? Would leaving my phone on airplane mode prevent the VPN from running on data? I have an android phone and Express VPN. Do I just need to contact the VPN?

If I use my VPN will it use data if no wifi or weak wifi is present? Would leaving my phone on airplane mode prevent the VPN from running on data? I have an android phone and Express VPN. Do I just need to contact the VPN?

You use data or WiFi the same whether you use a VPN or not. All the VPN does is direct traffic through the VPN's servers to protect your privacy e.g. on a local WiFi network where you don't trust the security.

Not that it matters, but if memory serves me correctly TMobile International is $10 a month (in my plan its free) then another $50 for high-speed internet for the month. With Whatsapp or WiFi calling phone calls cost nothing. Its what I am using right this second in a wine bar in Budapest. Cheers!

I'm about ready to order my eSIM data plan for my upcoming trip, so I did some additional research, which I've included here.

For those who are wondering how much data they will need, here is a page from Holafly (one of the eSIM providers) that breaks down the cost of data for travelers and gives an estimate of how much you might need. Holafly is one of the companies that provides eSIM data plans. For those who are going to more than one country, you may want to look at one of their European plans .

That being said, I'm leaning towards Airalo - they have European eSIM plans as well but theirs are cheaper. I'm planning to buy the 30 day 10Gb plan, which costs $37. I can get it down to $20 if I only use 5Gb, but I'm not willing to limit data on a trip. I'd rather use Google maps live (especially for public transport) and want to have enough for photos and so on. And for a month, it's a darned good price. It's a simple process to install - you download the Airalo app, pick your plan and then buy it. You must have stable Wifi to activate it, but the clock doesn't start ticking until you turn the data plan on (with a few exceptions). So you could conceivably activate it at home, the turn it on once you land at your destination.

Mardee, in Spain I ended up with the Orange Spain plan and it was great - and easy! I looked at a lot of plans and opted for one with minutes and SMS, as well as data.

Although right now I have ended up with a physical Sim for the UAE, I got data only - kind of by plan but also not. And realized I won’t do that again. I don’t need the minutes here, but I think there are going to be a few times that having the ability to get a text to verify something (like changing my WhatsApp # so I can use it with data and not just WiFi) might be useful. Worth a bit more money to me - and it’s not a lot anyway. And worth thinking about.

@Travelmom, was your Orange SIM an eSIM plan or a physical SIM card? I really do not need phone or text capability while I'm out. For one thing, I will have my laptop so I can get any texts over wifi. And of course, I can get them on my phone just by switching to my regular phone number while I have wifi. I will have call roaming turned off already, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Mardee, it was an eSim. And the Orange plan just included data, SMS, and some minutes.

You may not need SMS, but it’s something I am going to watch trip to trip. In Spain I used WhatsApp a lot (my apartments and even restaurant reservations occasionally):- and being able to use it with data instead of WiFi was useful. But to switch to the Spain #, I think I needed to get a text at the new number. So right now, I don’t have SMS and can’t do that. I can WhatsApp but only on WiFi. And I am using a taxi app a lot this trip. Data is fine there - unless I need to communicate regarding exact pick up location or some kind of problem. Then I might need to actually have a conversation. But I won’t be doing that every trip. I love the ease of the eSim and am a convert, but still doing lots of learning regarding actual plans.

James E., unfortunately changing providers would be an ordeal for me right now but T Mobile would probably be a good choice for many reasons otherwise. Changing travel sims, e or physical, is more work but less than changing providers at home right now. Technically a new sim/plan each trip is also a little cheaper, but if I already had T Mobile it wouldn’t be enough to make me change sims each trip. And given the length and extent of my trips this year, I am unwilling to use the AT&T international plan. 🤣

That's all good info to know, thanks! It will be a learning experience for me, too,

I’ve been looking into e sims and airalo too.

I found this review. The interesting part was the issue encountered with multiple networks being available and how to fix it.

https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airalo-esim-review/

Rocket, thanks! That's good info to know. I'm getting the Europe data plan on my iPhone 12 mini. It's good to know that you can start it manually - I'll have my laptop with me but it will be a pain to drag it out just to pull up the email. Also nice to know that their customer service is good.

Hi Mardee TravelMom et al:

Wow lots of information. Just to confirm:

I have an iPhone 11 (not Pro): does it support double e-sims?
Need an eSim for 30 days in France, checked the "MobiMatter" but plans for France don't include much data
How much data do you recommend for 30 days, on a E>W cross country trip? I'm thinking 20 GB (I won't use Google Maps, using HereWeGo for driving instructions etc).
Online choices/purchases can be so dodgy, so my plan was to buy a nano-sim at CDG, Relay Store. But the idea of the eSim seems so much easier. Or can you provide a solid eSim source link?
What brand of eSim would your recommend? Heard Orange was good. thank you!

@ JosiePosie

See if you can glean anything useful for your needs here - https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/France

An iPhone 11 does support both a physical SIM and an eSIM. My experience is that the physical SIM cards are way more affordable with more data and minutes than any eSIM plan you can purchase.

TO MARDEE: Wow--I've just finished reading just a bit of all the amazing info you have sent: thank you, very important and generous contribution!

About to push the button on an esim: but one more question: Do e-sims enable calls & texts? The Hoafly site focuses completely on data/web, nothing about cellular. How do make sure I'll be able to make calls & text? JP

Josie , yes, it should support an iPhone 11 - see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209044

I researched it and most places said that 10 Gbs should be fine for 30 days - that's how much I'm using and I'm gone for a month.

I'm use Airola, which has been good so far but they only provide data plans. There are some that provide phone and data but you will need to check on that. I think Orange does - read Travelmom's report (and maybe send her a private msg as she may not have seen this post). With texts, if you have an iPhone, you can send messages (iPhone's version of texts) via wifi. That's what I'm doing - I just check my emails and messages when I get to the hotel in the evening (or if I've got wifi during the day).

FWIW, I'm loving the eSIM - it's so much easier than a physical chip.

Yes, I have been traveling yesterday and today also! Ha! Nearly as exciting a trip as yours, Mardee - but no broken airplanes…. thank goodness.

Yes - the eSim process is the same no matter who you buy from and is far easier to do than to explain. Choosing your plan is where you make decisions between 1) data only - or 2) data, telephone minutes, and texts. And choosing a plan determines which company to use, as many offer their plan via eSim but each company seems to offer only a particular kind of plan.

I used this as a start to research plans. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096

I just finished a trip to both Dubai and Jordan and wanted a local sim. ESim ahead of time was not an available option. So I ended up with a physical sim in each country. Having to stay up with my physical U.S. SIM card for 3 weeks and then switch them out on the plane on the way home made me appreciate my Spanish eSim card so much more! And remember, the first time is the hardest - and it really wasn’t hard at all.

Has anyone used the Holafly eSIM for the USA? How was the experience?

I have not, but have heard good things about it. However, it is pricier than some of the other plans, which is why I decided to go with Airalo (which works great).

teresa, I think your comment is spam and I reported it.

Our family of 4 is going on the My Way Alpine Europe tour this year and I am pretty confused about what to do. I know we will all want to use our phones daily while we are there - to look up things, use travel apps, and communicate with one another. It will be me, hubby, and 2 teens. We have Verizon, and I had already researched their international plan options before finding this thread. I had kind of resigned myself to paying $400 for all of us. It's so much $, but I just didn't know what else to do. We've added on a few days and will be in Europe for 15 days total. Figuring out how to do the other sim card thing for all of us just overwhelms me. We all have new-ish phones. I know at least 2 of ours are unlocked but I'd need to check on the others. So I'm guesing it would work but again it just feels overwhelming to figure it all out. Based on what I've said do you guys think it is worth it for me to delve into this for our situation/phones? Or should I just bite the bullet and pay Verizon?

I have also read about people doing the $10/day through Verizon and just being very careful about when the use their phones - not every day - so then they don't get charged every day. But I can't imagine trying to regulate that with my teens.

@Mardee awesome post. helpful.

@Katie2303: get the Orange e-sim card that Mardee has linked at the bottom for atleast the 3 of you and save 300-60$.

A1) You guys are set on buying SIM cards for various reasons and that’s great, but since a lot of people read through the posts I thought I would show another option. A2) My TMobile Magenta 55 Plan (one line) with International Plus A3) Phone Calls in Europe $0.25 minute, Texts are free, International Data 50GB, and when that runs out it is still there but it gets choked down to pretty slow speeds A4) Cost: Magenta 55 = $50.00 / month, International Plus = $25.00 / month (but you can turn that on and off as needed), additional band width when you get choked down = $5.00 per day or 5GB over 10 days for $35 or 15GB over 30 days for $50.00. A5) I receive a message on my phone when the data limits are close and I can, on my phone at that time while in Europe, decide what to do (a day or 10 days or a month). A6) So, I leave home knowing that what cost $50 a month at home will cost at least $75 in Europe + any data boosts I need or choose (rarely need it, but it has happened; worst case scenario another $35)

@Shaun Kel, thank you thank you! A clear succinct "do this" is exactly what I needed! I checked out the Orange link and confirmed that all 4 of us have unlocked phones. 2 of our 4 accept eSim. I think this might be a much better option. I still have a little fear of - will this really work? But feel better about a direction to research now. Thanks again.

katie2303, it really does work! I'm using it now and it's so incredibly easy. I ordered 5 GB of data for one month and after 19 days, I'm at 2.5 GB, so I should be good.

James, I pay only about $15/month for my mobile phone service at home (with Tello currently). Paying $50/month for T-Mobile at home every month doesn't make sense for me just to have free international data (but not free calls) when I travel out of the country. If I traveled often, then I might look into something like Google Fi. Otherwise, for my occasional trip to Europe, my Dutch Vodafone SIM works just fine.

Thank you Mardee! I wish our phones had dual Sim. Since they don't - basically I won't have access to any texts, calls or voice mails from my other number. Though I'm wondering about forwarding to Google voice while I am gone.

I wish our phones had dual Sim. Since they don't - basically I won't have access to any texts, calls or voice mails from my other number.

@katie, just about every phone now that is 2018 or older has dual SIM capacity. What kind do you have?

B1) Andrew H, just floating it, not promoting it. B2) I spend 2 to 3 months a year in Eastern Europe and its been fine for me.

Mardee, there are still plenty of cheap Android phones that are not dual SIM.

This is so helpful! Many thanks to all who have shared info. Two questions: 1) Has anyone used an eSIM in Greece, and in particular the Cyclades? Was the coverage good? My research has led me to think that Vodaphone is the most reliable there (if buying a physical SIM), but I love the idea of an eSIM that lets me keep my US one intact, and keep my WhatsApp number the same. Still, the whole thing is based on it having good coverage, so I want to start there! 2) Of the eSIMs, does anyone have a recommendation of one that does include voice and text? Or can I use data to make phone calls on WhatsApp even if we're not connected to wifi? My tech knowledge starts to fizzle out at this point...

Nbpt_traveler, to whom do you want to talk to from Greece? If you want to call home to the US, you can use WhatsApp if the people you are calling have it too. That works when you are on WiFi and/or when you have mobile data through a SIM.

You can also use Google Voice to call the US for free from Greece - to any US phone number including landlines, so the other person does not need any special app on their end. Google Voice supports free texts too. You can use Google Voice on WiFi and/or with Mobile Data.

So your SIM/eSIM need not have any calling option on it, unless you want to call European numbers locally and give out a European number to locals. For most, the big need is mobile data for your phone works when not on WiFi.

Nbpt_traveler, Andrew has given you more options. But to answer your question (kind of), last July I used Vodaphone on Santorini and my daughter used it on Naxos - all just fine. We chose it simply because it was the only option when arriving at the Athens airport. I used a physical sim but have since become an eSim enthusiast. So it appears eSim is available for Vodaphone in Greece but it is not as easy as Orange has made it. I would be reluctant to try to give instructions until I have tried it but you can probably have them set it up for you at the airport kiosk, as well. It’s possible you pre-purchase a certain amount of data, minutes, etc., and then top up if needed - as opposed to buying a set tourist plan for a set amount of days (like Orange).,

I hope you will come back and add to the pool of knowledge here! The face of smartphone use is changing….

@AndrewH, thank you! I don't anticipate wanting to make many calls to either European or US numbers, but there may be times -- calling a hotel to tell them we're delayed, etc., etc., when it's needed. As long as I can use WhatsApp and similar on data (i.e., without wifi) that would solve the problem most of the time, as the majority of places have a WhatApp number.

TexasTravelMom, thanks for weighing in. In a perfect world I'd get an eSIM set up here and not need to deal with it in the Athens airport, but will need to do more research to see if I can set up a Vodaphone eSIM from beforehand. All the resources listed above were for other companies, and I haven't found anything about how well they work in Greece. Certainly they offer a Greece option, again, no idea about coverage on the islands.

I will certainly report out if I go this route! If I can't figure it out I'll just get a physical SIM at the airport, but I really like the idea of keeping my US number. Not only does it mean I can be reached if there's any emergency, but I can also keep the same WhatsApp threads going.

Someone on Reddit said they used Holafly in Greece and that it worked really well. I'm loving Airalo and it's been great, but that's in Germany. I know they cover Greece but don't know how their coverage is.

Nbpt_traveler, if you want to keep your U.S. number and use an international plan from Verizon or AT&T, etc., then a plan like Mardee mentions is probably your best bet: just data, no local number. And that is a lot cheaper. And, like her, you could do that ahead of time via eSim.

Something I learned on my last trip is that, even using local data (or even with a local phone number and sim) you don’t lose any WhatsApp chat ability. I mistakenly thought I had to change my WhatsApp connected number because I had a local Sim and local phone number - either eSim or physical sim. Not the case. Using local data, my WhatsApp continued to work fine although still connected to my home number. I communicated with my driver in Jordan all the time, using WhatsApp and my U.S. number, even though I had a Jordanian sim and phone number and my U.S. sim was tucked inside my passport. No loss of or change in threads. That DOES mean you give your home number to anyone there that you are communicating with, so you have to decide if you want to do that - but it does work. But if you are mainly communicating with people at home, none of that will matter.

Love this forum and especially this topic! We recently returned from France and thanks to this post and the one by TexasTravelmom, we were successful first time eSim users. It was so great to use data to find our way around Paris, my husband said he doesn't think he can ever use a paper map again! We signed up with Orange. The only caution......I was wandering around Paris and trying to get back to my hotel, when my map app got very, very slow. It was just not loading. After a two hour search, I found my hotel. Apparently, when you are getting low on data, the data loads very slowly. So I had my husband pay an additional $10 to get more data and then everything worked fine.

Also, thanks for finding me, Tammy! 😂

@Mardee I saw your post about having used ~2.5GB so far - can you give us a picture of what you are using your data for? We will be 3 days in Provence with a rental car so will be using our Maps to get us around. Then while in Paris I'm sure will be using it for directions to and from places on a daily basis. I was originally planning for the Orange Travel card with 20 GB of data, but now thinking 8GB will be plenty for our 14 day trip - plus there will be 3 of us with cards so 32GB combined if we are all together.

Thank you for all of your research....this was the best post so far that I have found on the subject! I ended up making an appt at the Genius Bar with Apple to learn how to turn off the Verizon number and not incur charges while we are traveling.

@flsanford, I'm now at 4.2GB and that is on Day 27. Most of the data went for Google maps and Google searches (although I tried to use wifi for that but lots of times, things would come up while I was out). I didn't have a car but use Google maps to find public transport and walking directions. I had it on constantly. I actually brought a power bank with me because I use so much battery charge taking photos and using Google maps. And I took a ton of photos - around 50-70 each day.

I think you will be fine with 8GB for 14 days, and that's probably overkill. I was originally planning on getting 10GB but then read this post from Holafly that listed what most people use when traveling, and I was way over, so I cut it down.

You can track your data, too (which is what I did) - once you start your plan, go to the Cellular Data section in settings (this is for iPhone and just reset the statistics so you know what you are using. That's how I know I've used 4.2GB.

It's very easy to use - I even wound up adding a second eSIM data plan because I decided to go to Copenhagen at the last minute, and my plan was only for Germany. I got 1Gb of data for 7 days for $5 (I was only there for 3 days and had plenty). I just swapped out the Germany plan for the Denmark one, then when I got back to Germany (today, actually), I removed the Denmark one and switched back to the German one.

@Mardee - this is great info! Thank you so much and glad you are having a lovely trip! Can't wait to get ours started!! Frances

New Q: I have a German Telekom SIM Card. I am in Germany. I am trying to call my wife who is also here but has kept her US SIM. All of my efforts have failed. Telekom is like the rest of these rascals and its "helpline" reply is that no one speaks English right now---even on the English language line. I have tried dialling 0, 00 and so on. Any ideas?

Have you tried this, of course using the actual area code and number in place of the Xs (and your German SIM has both international and local minutes plus data)

+1 xxx xxx xxxx

What periscope said. But if not, can you reach her via Whatsapp? Or Facetime? Or messaging? Because I have an eSIM data plan, there is no phone involved but I've been able to call people using the above apps.

The key thing is to put the "+" sign in before her number, as the poster two posts up said. Forget the zeros, modern cell phones don't need them.

Press on the "0" key for a little longer to get the "+" symbol to come up.

Input the number like this:

+12125551234

(With her area code and number of course,not the dummy fake NY number I used as an example!!)

"Press on the "0" key for a little longer to get the "+" symbol to come up."

THANKS - I always forget to tell people the part about holding down the 0 to get the +

Did anyone else besides me have trouble installing this? I may have accidentally activated the eSIM as well. :( Trying to get help from Airalo is not easy. I'm very frustrated with this experience.

Sorry you're having problems. I sent a message to Airalo one time when I had a question through the app. Just go to your Profile in the lower right hand corner of the app, then click on Contact Us and you can send them a message through the app. I heard back from them very quickly.

Trying that. It says two hour wait.

Just adding in, we got Airalo esims for the kids on our recent trip. They both have iphones so the esim capability was built in. It cost me about US$20 for 3 gb for each of them and it couldn't have been easier. (We use what'sapp so they only need data to stay in touch.) Basically I paid for it with my credit card and it self-installed immediately. I made them take out their "home" sims, because i didn't care to sort out if they could accidentally use their usual plans (Canada roaming plans are horribly expensive). Some how dd managed to eat up her 3 gb quickly, and it was also super easy to add more data. 3 gb may not seem like a lot for a young adult, but they used wifi otherwise and just used data when they didn't have wifi. Hubby and I had physical sims left over from the travel we planned to do in summer 2020! But next time I'll look at esims for us as well.

I just bought 5GB for $13 for Greece with Airalo - seems to be installed but not activated, though there was quite a lot of back and forth with the chat function in the app (partly because my phone was locked even though Verizon said it was unlocked...definitely glad I did all this at home and not on no sleep in the Athens airport!!). I think I am all set to turn it on and turn off my primary line when I arrive in Athens. Airalo was really responsive and easy to deal with, and I get a $3 credit if I refer anyone, so I may refer my family and they'll get the same for $10 instead of $13. Or not. I wanted to make sure at least one of us had a working phone before leaving, and the others could get eSIMs or physical SIMs when we arrive as needed. Our trip is 2.5 weeks and we should have wifi some of the time, so I'm thinking that 5 GB is probably overkill, but we shall see. And of course with the young adults all bets are off...

So much great info here and I have decided to go with Orange Holiday eSIM for my upcoming trip to Scotland. I do have a question for someone who has used Orange eSIM though, and that is when to purchase and put it on my phone. I emailed Orange and their email reply suggested waiting until I was physically in the UK but that doesn't make sense to me. The Android installation instructions advice downloading and turning on once you land but also not to mess with airplane mode while inflight.

So when should I purchase and install? Can't it simply be on the phone but not activated?

Kathy, when I bought my Orange eSim for Spain in March, I ordered ahead, gave them the date I wanted to activate (the day before my trip), and then waited. On the day I chose, an email arrived with a QR code (which I opened on my iPad and scanned with my phone). Then I followed directions. I kept that cellular plan turned off and my home plan turned on. Then on the airplane, while my phone was in Airplane Mode, I turned my home plan Off and the Orange plan On. After deplaning, I simply turned Airplane Mode off and was ready to go as soon as I arrived. When returning, just do the opposite.

Thank you! Finally an explanation which makes sense. I wasn't aware you could choose a date to have them send the QR code as like you, I want it set up and ready to go when I land.

Thanks so much for the clarification! I will definitely be doing the Orange Holiday eSIM.

@Mardee and TexasTravelMom, thank you for this very helpful read. New Question: I have an Ipad that has cellular data capability. I'd prefer using it in Portugal and Spain (sept/oct 2022) because of the size of the screen. Will an esim work in an ipad. All the discussion has been with iphones or androids.

I'll be dowloading bus and train schedules, maps, using data to confirm opening and close times etc.

Thanks for any hints. I'm feeling more confident on how to gain access to data while traveling this trip.

If your iPad has a place for a SIM card or a way to use cellular data, then I assume it will work just like a phone with eSim. (Mine doesn’t, so I use it with wifi at my lodgings.) I guess you would scan the code with your iPad as opposed to scanning with your phone.

So far my plans have also allowed me to hotspot my iPad from my phone - which I also haven’t utilized, just because I haven’t needed to.

Julie, according to Airalo (which is the eSIM plan I used) eSIMs work on most iPads. Here is a comprehensive list. https://www.airalo.com/help/about-airalo/what-devices-support-esim

@TexasTravelMom, thanks for you answer. I decided to try and buy a USA airlo plan for 7 days at $5. I learned my ipad is to old to support esim capability. My iphone will support esim but the screen is small. I'm now on the look out for a sim plan for my ipad. Which is my preferred form of communication while traveling.

Just curious because I use a MS Surface and never had an IPAD. For internet I link it to my phone which with TMobile comes with International data in the regular plan.

James, 1) you have traveled longer far more often than me so you would know more since you have actually done it. 2) and having a T-Mobile plan seems useful in the long run.

However, stuck as I currently am with AT&T (thanks, kids), my 3 G of Airalo data for 30 days at $13 is pretty good. I am using less than 1G/week - using whatever I want whenever I want.

And Julie, I just doubled checked and I CAN use the data on my phone to hotspot my iPad. So if you have a phone capable of using an eSim, that is also a possibility for you. And if you download your offline Google Maps, you have a backup plan.

Yeah, I prefer separate Data SIM cards for my iPhone and iPad - it saves battery draw on both my iPhone and iPad when tetthering.

That wasn't criticism, that was curiosity. I wanted to know if you could do what I do with an IPad? I get why many dont want to go the TMobile route as discount carriers are so cheap right now and my TMobile with International runs $70 a month (two lines) with the Old Fart Discount. I just dont want to mess with more technology if I dont have to. But a discount carrier for day to day life and one of the esim thingies for travel sounds like the most cost effective.

@TexasTravelMom, great tip! "And Julie, I just doubled checked and I CAN use the data on my phone to hotspot my iPad. So if you have a phone capable of using an eSim, that is also a possibility for you. And if you download your offline Google Maps, you have a backup plan" Thanks! I'll play with this using airlo at home as a trial ... I can skip a latte and buy airlo for a week.

Julie, I am doing this very thing right now because, for the first time in a month, WiFi is floating in and out and I can only access the internet by hotspotting my iPad (which I am writing on) to my phone (sitting beside me). My iPad isn’t that new, either.

Lol, James, I know you weren’t criticizing - you wouldn’t dare! 🤣 My take on all this is “it depends”. There are so many variables - not just with technology but life. I think I am going to write a whole post on this soon…. There are 2 reasons I haven’t switched to T-Mobile: 1) all my kids have been on my AT&T plan, sharing the cost of the data plan. This saves them a lot of money. 2) I have family who work for T-Mobile and they advised me that in their area (not far from me), the reception isn’t nearly as good.

@TexasTravelMom, okay I got my really old ipad and almost as old iphone to hot spot .... now I need to go back and find the directions on how to switch between home and travel lines. EEK! I keep telling myself its okay, this is a learning opportunity.

To everyone who has offered hints, written articles etc. This way over the hill and technology challenged traveler thanks you!

I have family who work for T-Mobile and they advised me that in their area (not far from me), the reception isn’t nearly as good.

TexasTravelmom, I'm in the same boat as you - I share a plan with my daughter and her husband and she needs to have good coverage for her job. Since we live in a rural area, it's harder to find so we're stuck with Verizon, which I hate. However, T-Mobile offers an eSIM that is for travelers outside the US who are coming here OR people who want to "test-drive" T-Mobile's cellular service. The fee varies depending on the data plan but includes phone service. I'm thinking about trying this for one month to see how it works in my area. https://www.t-mobile.com/support/plans-features/t-mobile-esim-app

Just giving that T-Mobile link a look to try out their eSIM , it looks like I have to "operate" the line through the T-Mobile App that was downloaded to purchase and set up the eSIM - is that correct? I don't think I want to be doing that - I'll have to bear down on the instructions. Since I live outside the US I might have an interest IF it operates just like a normal phone and not just through the App.

periscope, I am fairly certain that it is similar to other eSIM plans in that you activate it through the app, but the service actually runs through your phone. If you read through the instructions, that's what it sounds like.

Thanks Mardee, I see that now. For my visit in the fall, your Airalo recommendation looks to be a better fit for me.

An interesting little side note on the subject.

With my TMobile account the world sees me in the US. That means I can use my TMobile data to long into sites restricted if you are outside the US. I can use the WiFi to watch local Netflix or I can use my phone hotspot to watch US Nextflix. And there are a few US websites that arent accessible from Europe; mostly news and the like. I know, you dont go to Europe to watch Nextflix or the News but there may be other sites, like possibly your bank that could maybe be easier from the US account vs Europe. Dont know. Just an observation.

Here is the link that brought it to light. If you are currently in Europe and using a European internet connection you probably cant open it, if you are in Europe and using a US service provider, you probably can. https://www.capjournal.com/opinions/columnist/never-hug-a-south-dakotan/article_0924c093-4720-58a1-9496-42a87519aa45.html

No idea if this sort of thing would ever be a problem to anyone. Just a curiosity.

You can also subscribe to a VPN in the US to give yourself a US IP address. I have a VPN set up at home so I can connect to it remotely (and not pay a monthly fee for VPN); when I'm in Europe connected to my VPN, websites I visit think I'm browsing from home.

That sounds easy, thank you. For some reason I thought using a VPN like that was some sort of violation of the terms of use on some subscription sites. Good to know, a ESIM and a VPN and an unlocked phone is all you need to be totally digitally functional when traveling. Some day i will make it into the 21st century.

James, I have heard that some sites detect that you are using one of the subscription VPN sites and may complain - not sure, I've never used one. If you have any tech-savvy friends, you could ask them to set up a VPN at home for you like I have. Then the subscription sites would have no idea you were using a VPN - they would just think you were at home.

I’ll be in London and MAYBE Liverpool for like 10 days starting at the end of September.

I have an Unlocked iPHONE 11.

I am on a tight budget.

Do I go with an E-Sim or Sim?

There’s airalo E sim at $10 for 3GB good for 30 days. Or there’s Vodafone UK physical SIm for £10 or about $12 USD. I’d go with the Vodafone. Tons of data so I don’t have to watch my usage and no farting around trying to login to WiFi. The large data allowance is nice to have in case the hotel WiFi doesn’t work or work well. The last I checked it includes hotspot so you can tether another device.

I am just learning about this, so I may be wrong. From what I have seen e.g Orange in Spain provided the same plan at the same price for in either SIM or eSIM. So it shouldn't make a difference unless you compare different carriers.

Your new phone can use both at same time. If you already have a home SIM, you can just leave it in and get an eSIM overseas. If you prefer an overseas SIM, you can sub out the original SIM, but you risk losing it.

Has anyone had experience using Airalo with Xfinity service? I have a IPhone 13 & xfinity told me I cannot use another esim. Yet, following instructions above, I checked and there is an esim “available”. Not real tech savvy but I don’t want to pay $$$ to use phone (internet & data mostly) while in Italy! Thoughts? Thanks!

Xfinity cannot stop you from using an eSIM plan if your phone is unlocked. Do you owe any money on the phone? If so, it may be locked until it's paid off, but otherwise, your phone should be unlocked. To find out, go to Settings-->General-->About-->Carrier Lock. If it's unlocked, it will say "No SIM restrictions".

If it is unlocked, then whoever you talked to at xfinity either does not know what they are talking about, or they lied to you. Regardless, xfinity does support eSIMS - I found this article that references that. https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/support/article/what-are-sims-how-do-they-work

Many thanks. Yes, it is paid for and unlocked. I kinda figured retail clerk didn’t know & just gave easiest “no” answer! Now to figure out for hubs SE phone!

FYI, there is a new Orange Travel app, available in both Android or Apple versions. It should make buying and topping up the Orange eSIM easier. I plan to use it, but won't be able to test it until my trip in November.

I have a question - I am nervous about Verizon charging me overseas. Previously, I just removed the verizon sim and bought a new one in the foreign country. But I love the idea of not having to remove the physical card. But how do I actually ensure that verizon can't charge me if the physical card is still there? I have a Pixel 6a. Thank you!

Eddie, if you don't trust yourself not to accidentally turn on Verizon, you can always temporarily suspend the service and save some money:

https://www.verizon.com/support/suspend-service-faqs/

That's helpful! Thank you. I didn't realize that was possible. I guess this raises another question - is not using Verizon overseas mean simply turning it off inside the phone's setting? Or is it still "on" and susceptible to charges? Thanks!

Eddie, are you talking about what happens after you activate the eSIM? If so, you should get instructions on how to change your settings so that everything goes through the eSIM and not Verizon. I have only used Airalo and they sent specific instructions on how to change the settings. But there were a few text messages that managed to get through (user error on my part). I only had to pay a few dollars for that, but the easiest way to make sure that doesn't happen is to call Verizon (or use the above link) to suspend your service temporarily.

If you are NOT using an eSIM and just want to rely on wireless and no cellular data, you can just turn your phone to Airplane mode.

Eddie, it is a simple on and off button under Cellular. You turn your Verizon number off and keep the eSim turned On. This happens automatically when you are setting up the new eSim at home. So you will need to do the opposite until you are on the plane: turn Verizon back On and turn the eSim Off.

Then on the plane, after you put your phone in Airplane Mode, go into Cellular and turn Verizon off and eSim On. When you land, turn Airplane mode off and you are ready to go.

It’s kind of hard to make a mistake and turn Verizon back on unless you deliberately go into the Settings (not impossible but hard).

Of course, you can’t see this process till you get the eSim set up - because it’s not there yet to have a choice. But it’s easy and apparent once you have it set up.

Extremely helpful! Thank you for your assistance with this! I feel much more confident in it now.

Yesterday, I loaded the Orange Travel app on my Android phone. I set up an account using my email address and password. I then chose the €19.99 eSIM plan (14 days, 8GB 4G data, unlimited talk and text in Europe, 30 minutes talk and 200 texts overseas) which is good for most European countries (list is provided). Paid with credit card. With the Orange app, you just follow the steps and your new (French) phone number is set up; no need to print out or scan the QR code. There is now two signal bars on the phone, the original local SIM and the new eSIM. In the settings, you can toggle one or both sims on or off. While still in Canada, th eSIM signal has an "!" mark showing that there is no service. In previous email to Orange, they replied that I can set everything up at home this way and the 14 day plan will automatically activate and start to run only upon arrival in Europe. If I run out of data, I can top up directly on the app; I have read that I should not top up before the existing plan is used up because any new top up will override any remaining available data. I will fly to FRA and BCN on Tuesday to see how it works out.

EDIT: On Tuesday, we landed in FRA in a stopover to BCN. My Orange eSIM activated and I tested out data, talk and text. I tried to register the eSIM but it would not load my photo of my passport. Too jet lagged to care because it will work for 30 days and I am only here for 14 days. I can always buy a new one in the future. Besides, Orange is asking for all my private info to register. Once we knew it worked for me, we used the Orange app on my wife's phone and she was up and running right away.

One funny thing is that her phone only shows the active Orange signal in the status bar. My phone shows both the Orange active signal and my home service signal (with an "!" mark showing no signal). I cannot seem to deactivate the home sim. My wife and I have the same phone and home provider. I am not worried about roaming because i know how to diable roaming. Also we use a pre-paid home plan which does not allow roaming. If anybody knows how to deactivate my home sim let me know.

Thanks, funpig - good info to know.

I’m late to this thread but I wanted to let you know about the ATT cap on their data plan at $100 for one line and $50 more. For our May trip we called ATT and got them to change our billing cycle so our 30 day trip, May 1-30 fell entirely into our billing cycle. Worked fine. Then we were gone from July 15-August 12 which spanned 2 billing cycles so we would have had a $300 bill for this trip of a similar length over 2 billing cycles. We do have duel SIM card capabilities but in the end we switched to T-Mobile’s Magenta Max 55 Plus plan that saved us money monthly and gave us 5gb of data and calling for 25¢ per minute. My husband may have more to say about the choice to not to go with a second SIM card but we are very happy with switching altogether, the savings for us and the seamless coverage.

I used the Airalo E-SIM on a IPhone 11 Pro for a recent trip to Italy. Very easy to set up and use. It was data only so I had to use WhatsApp for calls but that was not a problem. I mostly switched off my Verizon SIM, but I think one can leave it on if you're careful about switching off data use for that SIM. I may Airalo again for a trip to Costa Rica this winter, but the cost saving is not as good as it was in Italy.

Mona, I would love to switch to T-Mobile but where we live, there is just not enough decent coverage. So I will continue to use Airalo eSIMs until rural internet gets fixed. :)

bdmrad, thanks for the update! I didn't turn everything on Verizon off, thinking like you, but I forgot about incoming scheduled texts from banks. I responded to a few of them without thinking, and got charged. Not a bit problem - I think it was about $2-3 overall, but I will be more careful next time.

For AT&T users, I would advise you read this post " Using Airalo abroad with main AT&T plan? ". Lot's of finagling to get things to work. Take away: call AT&T and request to disable and I quote "Before your next trip you have to call At&t and have them disable all international roaming on your account, both voice and data . You can only disable data roaming, not voice, through the settings on your phone so that’s why you have to call AT&t. By the way If you get an AT&T agent that says they can’t do it call back to try another agent or ask to speak with level 2 support." Read on for more https://www.reddit.com/r/Airalo/comments/vhgipf/using_airalo_abroad_with_main_att_plan/

Backstory, ATT is such a PITA, they charged me (again) for Int'l even though I was using eSIM, months later got my $400 back as credit. I use the chat support so I can screen shot and/or save the text transcript. Paper trail, paper trail. Sometimes I think just buying SIM upon arrival is easier. I'll try that with my wife's phone over Christmas when in IT, and I'll use the eSIM and see what works best. My .2 cents worth. Buon Natale.

As noted in my last post above, my wife and I both have the same phone (Pixel 3a) and the same pre-paid home cellular provider (Public Mobile). During our 2 week trip to Spain, we both purchased an Orange Travel eSIM.

For some reason, my phone operated in dual sim mode which meant it showed 2 sim signals while my wife could select just one sim or the other.

Because there was no Public Mobile signal in Europe (and the prepaid service does not allow roaming), my phone was constantly searching for PM service which caused my battery life to decrease substantially. I can see where having two sims at the same time can be helpful (e.g. one telephone number for business and one telephone number for a personal use). In my case it was not helpful and I was constantly having to recharge my phone with my power pack.

I couldn't figure out how to disable the dual sim mode during the trip. However, after I returned I finally managed to find out how to do it:

Dial * # * # 4636 # * # * and scroll down the menu to enable or disable DSDS (dual SIM mode). Disabling the second sim also has the advantage of avoiding any possible roaming charges. This works for Android phones. I'm not sure about Apple iPhones.

It seems there is most likely a difference in setting up Airalo on iPhones and Androids. However unlike SuperTuscan, I did none of that for my ATT plan. I simply turned off my ATT plan under Cellular on my phone and turned Airalo on (once installed).

The issue (on the link) seemed to be that the person wanted to use her U.S. number to make WiFi calls and texts to other U.S. numbers, but force it over to the data provided by the Airalo eSim. That is the difference.And that you cannot use it to call European numbers (so no one should think those are the same).

So if you don’t need to call U.S. numbers, you don’t need the elaborate process or to call ATT.

However way down in the comments, someone mentions that if you want to use WiFi calling and don’t want to get hit with the ATT $10/day charge, make sure WiFi calling is enabled and turn on airplane mode. Then it should work via WiFi. But don’t forget to turn airplane mode off when finished so you can again use your Airalo data. If this indeed works, sounds far easier than trying to get ATT to turn things on and off. I may try it on my next trip but that will unfortunately be a few months…. Lol.

I am trying to figure out if a new Verizon iPhone will be able to connect to other providers in the first 60 days. Apple says the phone is unlocked. Verizon says phones are locked for 60 days. I’m not interested in switching providers or using an alternative esim card (I tried that on two trips previously and it didn’t work well for me). I just need to make sure the phone will work on Verizon’s international plan with a different provider albeit one they have a relationship with.

aimee, who did you buy your phone from? If it was Apple, it's unlocked. If it was Verizon, it might be locked as they say.

Regardless, I'm not sure I understand your question. Is Verizon your provider? If so, then you should be able to use their international plan regardless of whether the phone is unlocked. Of course, you will have to pay their fees but for many people, the convenience is worth it. Why would you be using an different provider if you are using Verizon's plan?

Mardee, locking a phone does not restrict it to which providers it can connect to e.g. roaming. Locking a phone prevents another SIM from being used besides your phone's Verizon SIM. If you plan to use the Verizon international roaming plan, keeping your Verizon SIM in place, the phone will work fine even if locked.

Andrew, I know that - sorry for the confusion. I was responding to aimee's post and had copied her post below mine so i could see it when responding. But then I forgot to delete it. Duh. It's gone now, though.

Has anyone had good experience with a eSim provider for Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary with unlimited data and that has a working number?

How can you check to see how much data you have used on Airlo and Orange eSim card?

LF, most eSIM providers do not include phone service with their data plan. It's usually not an issue if you have access to video calling or WhatsApp that you can use to call people over wifi. But if a phone is a necessity, I do know that Orange provides phone service with their eSIM plan, but you will get a French phone number.

And with regards to keeping track of data, they will let you know if you are close to running out but you can keep track on the Airalo app (that's what I did). Not sure about Orange - I haven't used them but TexasTravelmom did and has posted about it, so you might want to search the tech tips forum for those.

The countries that you have listed are covered by the Orange Travel eSIM. You will get a French number and it will be valid throughout Europe. There will be unlimited calls and texts in Europe, and a limited number of calls and text back to the US or Canada. The eSIM that I purchase provided 8 GB of data for 14 days. I can verify that it worked well in both Germany and Spain. I was constantly using data on the go for maps, searches, translations, ticket purchases etc. and I only used up just over 1 GB during the two weeks.

You can check the amount of Orange data usage by dialing #123#. You can also check the data usage by tapping your mobile data settings.

I will need the Orange eSim card more than 14 days? How do you extend the 14 days given?

You just top it off with the additional time you need. All the information is on their website or on the app.

LF, I have not had success using the Orange eSim for longer than 14 days. Supposedly it is possible to keep the same phone number by registering (involves uploading a copy of your passport). I am sure it is doable but I just haven’t managed it. But if you do, you can top off your plan as Mardee says. However data etc. WILL disappear at the end of 14 days. If you do need a telephone number but don’t require that it be the same #, you can always just get a new plan.

I certainly appreciate everyone's posts here. Alas, it has overwhelmed me. For my upcoming trip I will probably go the “old-fashioned” way of a physical SIM card instead of an eSIM since I’m familiar with the use of a physical SIM card. I wish I could "top off" (as mentioned here) the Vodafone SIM card that I bought last May in Portugal but it was only good for 30 days. It was good for Portugal, the EU and even had 30 minutes international calling or texts available.

Supposedly it is possible to keep the same phone number by registering (involves uploading a copy of your passport).

I have only used Airalo; not the Orange plan since I usually don't need a phone number, but was curious so I checked into this. Orange is a French company and France requires registration of any phone number within 30 days. It looks like it's pretty easy to register - you just go to the link at the end of this sentence and fill out the information, then upload a copy of your passport ID page (jpeg, png and pdf allowed). https://travel.orange.com/en/welcome-travelers The page says SIM cards but the eSIM plan page led me to there also, so I'm assuming it's for both. Orange said it takes 10 days to finalize the registration after they receive it so it would make sense to register it as soon as you activate it in case you need to top it off after the 14 days period is up.

Also, while I was looking through their site, I found this page that looks to be a guide to using the Orange eSIM plan (for iPhone). https://s4i6r5r7.stackpathcdn.com/guides/orange.iphone.esim.guide.pdf

I haven't done it yet but have been heavily researching options. My takeaway is that the best plan if you want calls and texts is the orange holiday zen: https://www.simoptions.com/esim-ireland/

For data only, airalo has country specific options which are slightly cheaper, however the Eurolink not only covers multiple countries but at 5G speeds https://www.airalo.com/europe-esim

Here's an article comparing multiple esims (says Ireland but seems to apply to most of Europe) https://www.phonetravelwiz.com/best-esims-for-ireland-guide/

If you have an iphone, here's a step by step guide, as well as the official apple one that has been previously posted; i found this helpful along the lines of how to make sure Verizon doesn't charge me, vs Apple's is just set up : https://thepointsguy.com/guide/avoid-international-roaming-charges/

What a fantastic source for info on eSims vs Sims; US phone plans etc. I am going to try to print out or screen shot as much as I can to share with hubs. Thank you all for contributing.

To us, that’s the cost of one more night or so. In the greater scheme of things, I don’t understand the fuss. If we’re going on an international trip, what’s another $150 (or less if it’s fewer days) It’s so much easier to just use our phone and not worry about it. Our airfare is usually cheap enough, maybe that helps. But if one can pay $1500 for airfare—, surely another $100-150 isn’t a dealbreaker. Of course, I don’t know what the other companies offer or what these are in terms of cost. Or I guess if you’re there for months, I could see that. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Amann-- I'm with you on this one. I use ATT, too. No hassle, it's easy and wonderful to use the iphones just like if we are in the States. I don't mind paying an extra $10-15 a day without having to figure anything out. We've done 2 International trips in the last 8 months and it's great not worrying about telecomm stuff.

Mo, what I like to point out is that I don't use a Europe SIM to save $10/day. I use one so I don't have to pay hundreds of dollars a year more for AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. Instead, I pay only $10 to $15/month for prepaid phone service at home in the US, and when I travel occasionally to Europe, I spend about 14 Euros to use my Dutch Vodafone SIM for the whole trip. It's not much of a hassle for me - to save a few hundred bucks a year on phone service.

If I were already paying extra to have AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile, I agree that it doesn't make sense to fool with a SIM card just to save a few bucks.

Mo, for me, it's the principle of the thing. I hate Verizon (even though it was my carrier) and it really annoyed me to no end that the company wanted to charge me for something that should be free (imo). Hence the Airalo eSIM plan. I saved money, did not contribute to Verizon's corporate greed and getting and using the eSiM was incredibly easy. I never make phone calls in Europe, unless it's on FaceTime or What'sApp, so it was an easy decision.

Now that said, my family just switched to T-Mobile and with my military discount, we get a very good plan for less than we were paying Verizon. And I get an international plan for free (I think it costs a few cents for phone calls, but I don't plan on making any).So no need to get an eSIM plan on this trip.

Just noting that Holafly seems a bit expensive. I haven't used an esim yet but my phone is newer so it has a physical sim card slot and an esim slot. I've been looking at Airalo but just so you know many of these esims are data only. So you'd have to use Whatsapp or similar app to message or call people. If you're traveling to europe also look into Orange as they seem to have coverage over most of Europe. Not sure how good or fast it is, but it's another option. Also, look into your phone settings. I have a pixel 7 and it seems easy to select what functions you want between the two sims. But I will likely have to disable or do direct to voicemail for phone calls on my sim card from home.

First off, I apologize for not posting this sooner. Last August we traveled to the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland for about 3 weeks. I purchased the Airalo eSim based on Mardee’s post. I followed the excellent instructions she provided and had zero issues. Great low cost solution!

We have since moved from Spectrum to T-Mobile so we won’t have the same need with our next international trip.

Thanks Mardee for your excellent advice (I follow your shoe posts also 🙂).

Ha ha ha ha ha, SueS!!!! First, I'm so glad Airalo worked for you! And interestingly, I have also moved to T-Mobile from Verizon, so I won't be needing it either. I'll let you know how T-Mobile works - I'm leaving next month for Scotland.

Glad you like my shoe posts, too! I was very excited because yesterday I went for a quick overnight trip up to Grand Marais, MN. I was buying a cup of coffee at Java Moose and someone complimented me on my shoes. They happened to be the Oboz shoes I was raving about on the Shoe forum, lol!

What shoes did you take on your trip? Inquiring shoppers want to know... 🤣

I checked into the Oboz but couldn’t find 11 wide. I ended up going with Dansko Paisley. Took some breaking in but they were perfect for our trip. I have since worn them out so will be shopping again soon. Will check on Oboz again.

Sue, you might want to try the regular 11s. I usually wear a wide but I wear a 10 regular in Oboz.

This is a good topic, especially for newbies who are new to eSIM like me. I learned about eSIM from the article when I was preparing for my first long trip abroad. The next material I read was your topic. Thank you for sharing🤝

First experience with eSims just now. I'm on T-mobile, which seemed to have an ok international bare bones plan. I tried it on a trip a year ago, and found it almost unusable. Internet speeds were uniformly poor, and the one time we made the mistake of answering a call, T-mobile wanted to charge an outrageous amount for it. In the past I've used physical SIMs, but one of our phones only uses e-SIMs, and even for the other, we would have had to get multiple SIMs, given the different locations we would be visiting. So e-SIMs seemed the better option (also, we decided we could get by without voice, and use services like WhatsApp instead, when needed)

I tried Airalo, which really didn't work for me. More on that below.

Good experience so far with KnowRoaming and BNESIM (my wife and I thought it best to spread the risk across two providers, and both worked seamlessly).

We're in Istanbul, and we have consistently had good connections and speed. We will be in a couple other locations on this trip, and I will report if there is a different result with either of those two providers.

Airalo has lots of positive reviews, and a bunch of ppl shilling for them b/c they get a bennie if you sign up with their link. My experience was not so positive. After signing up, I tried to log in to my account, which didn't work. Possibly a problem on their part, possibly user error. They have a password reset, so I tried that....multiple times, and it never worked. So, I contacted support, which, if you believe some of the reviews, will get a response in at most a few hours. After no response in almost 48 hours, I sent a follow up message saying that i would cancel and initiate a charge back if I had not heard from them by the end of the day. Not hearing back, I did the charge back.

After a week and a half, I finally got a response. Note that the subject line of my message was "password reset not working." The response suggested that I try the password reset link. Clearly they had not read my message.

I'm not sure if their growth has exceeded their ability to do competent support, but this kind of response is appalling, both in the length of time it took, and the uselessness of the reply. Based on this, I would strongly caution against the use of this provider.

Airalo has lots of positive reviews, and a bunch of ppl shilling for them b/c they get a bennie if you sign up with their link.

Seriously? You really think the positive reviews for Airalo are because of the credits? Most of the people here have been traveling for years; even decades; and when we review something, it's because we want those who read the reviews to know about our positive and negative experiences. Second, we are somewhat anonymous in that if I post a review of Airalo, and someone decides to buy an Airalo eSIM because of it, that person doesn't know who I am or my account info to even give me the credit.

But I guess what you're saying is that all of our positive reviews should be discounted based on your sole negative review from a first-time poster? I'm glad you had a positive review with your two eSIMs, but just because you were not able to make Airalo work (and as you admitted, it could be user error), does not mean that Airalo is a bad product.

We’ve been using Airalo now since we arrived. We’ve had mixed results. My husband’s iPhone12 took it and worked just fine. Mine took SEVERAL days and emails to Airalo support. It was then it wasn’t. But the important thing is: it is now working just fine. Yesterday as were driving, my iPhone had more bars than hubs. We will be topping them off today and in the next few days for me as he still has a day and I have a few more. Curiously, Airalo designated our iPhones12 as Apple 8’s.

One observation: a friend who lives in Zagreb said eSims do NOT are not for working expats, for obvious reasons. She has lived here for 3-4 years now, so upping an account every 30 days makes no sense. However she noted that as new people arrived, and were using eSims, they were unable to access or get service in areas she with her regular sim card was able to easily. That mirrored our experience with Airalo when we were visiting her, at first. My Airalo didn’t really kick in until we we’d been here for nearly 2 weeks. For newly arrived expats expecting to stay long-term, an eSim WOULD make sense initially for the length of time it can take for a foreigner to GET cell service. In some countries, we’re talking months!

But we seem to be humming along, and hopefully topping up won’t change that.

As the beginning of the post states, check to be sure you can unlock your phone before reading further. My new "free" phone from Xfinity is locked and can't be unlocked unless I it off for $394.

Mardee- We love Grand Marais - know where the Java Moose is! hope you get there again soon.

mosermorse, I love the Java Moose! And the Hungry Hippie Taco place! I just love everything about Grand Marais! Nice to meet you!

Looking into eSim for our family trip to France next month, and I'm trying to figure out the best options for the three of us (who will be leaving Paris a little earlier), and my teen daughter who will have an extra five days in Paris with her boyfriend after we leave. We all have iPhones, so with a data-only eSim plan we should be able to communicate with each other as needed via iMessage or WhatsApp. But thinking about my daughter staying behind after we leave...I do want to make sure that she is able to communicate easily with use if needed, so my question is for anyone who has travelled with an eSim data plan on an iPhone, are you able to call from Europe to the states using FaceTime? Thanks for any insight you might offer!

my question is for anyone who has travelled with an eSim data plan on an iPhone, are you able to call from Europe to the states using FaceTime?

Yes, I've done that frequently. I usually call my sister and my daughter using FaceTimeAudio, especially if the connection isn't great, but I've also called on regular FaceTime (using video) as well. I would tell her to call when she is connected to wifi if possible, as that will save on data, though.

Thank you! Sounds like paying extra for the text/call ability isn't worth our while then. Now to decide which eSIM provider to go with...Thanks for all the resources in this forum, very helpful!

You're welcome! And have a lovely trip!

anyone else go to buy Airalo esim and have it say out of stock? if so how long did you have to wait and looking for another option for italy

I just went there and did not see any Italy eSIMs listed as out of stock. How many days and how much data did you want?

Just another data point - we are currently in France, we purchased unlimited data esims through Holafly,

We made the purchase online in the states, and each took a screenshot of our activation QR code and sent it to each other. When you make the purchase it prompts you to activate now, which we did not do. When we landed in Marseille, we simply went to cellular settings on our iPhones and selected add esim, then scanned our QR code from each others phones and followed the set up prompts which were easy enough.

Initially it did not work, but using the Holafly app we figured out that we neglected to switch on roaming. Once we did that we were connected immediately, and it’s been smooth sailing since. We are on a 4G network most of the time (it seems to use the Orange network), and it’s been just fine for map navigation, web, and communication tools like WhatsApp.

Just wanted to share our experience!

Thanks for the update, charissacr - good to know! I've heard good things about Holafly. I know it can be a bit pricier, which is why I went with Airalo, but it sounds like a good product!

Just wanted to give an FYI on Airalo in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. I have a iPhone 14 Pro unlocked. This time I installed the eSIM at home just to see what would happen (instructions talk about that you can). For first few hours it kept looking for the Swiss network to activate. Of course it didn’t find it and eventually gave me an error message. I turned off the cellular plan and then waited until I got in Switzerland to turn it back on.

Once I did get into to Switzerland it took a few minutes to activate. The network it used was Sunrise. I don’t know if it was because we stayed in the valley or the network but at times, it was very slow. I do know that when I used my phone in Interlaken and Brienz and the at the top of the Brienzer Rothorn Bahn I had no issues. So I think it might have been the geography of the valley for Sunrise network that might have been the issue. I do have T-Mobile and a plan that gives me 5GB but I was the tail end of my trip and wanted the extra high speed data. T-Mobile USA uses the Swisscom network in Lauterbrunnen. When I switched to my T-Mobile data it did seem faster than the Airalo Sunrise network.

But overall I had no real big issues installing and activating the plan.

I think next time travel to Europe I will try Holafly just to compare.

Wanted to add my experience - I just spent three weeks in Europe and my (teenage) daughter decided she could not live without her cell phone. She signed up with Orange using the eSim option and it worked like a charm, throughout all six countries we visited. It was easy and relatively affordable. She used an iPhone 14 (I think...whatever is the latest version of iPhone at the moment).

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Travel Europe on a Budget

The Savvy Backpacker

City Guides .\33 a132798-3f3b-4585-954d-7e70cf863447{fill:#231f20}

Best esim for europe travel | everything you need to know about european prepaid esim data plans.

A guide to everything you need to know about using eSIM data plans while traveling through Europe.

phones and technology

When most people want high-speed mobile data for their phone while traveling to Europe they’ve traditionally bought a physical SIM card. However, many newer phones have an embedded electronic SIM (i.e. eSIM) that allows you to connect to European mobile carriers without needing to install a physical SIM card. These new eSIM data plans offer travelers a ton of convenience but there are a few quirks as well. That’s why in this article I’m going to cover everything you need to know about eSIM data plans in Europe—including tips for finding the best eSIM for Europe travel.

What You’ll See In This eSIM Guide

Do I Even Need Mobile Data In Europe?
Can I Just Use My Mobile Plan’s Internation Data Plan?
What Is an eSIM?

The Benefits of eSIM Mobile Data Plans

What iphones use esim cards, what android phones use esim cards, the best esim data plans for europe, how to activate an esim data plan, how much mobile data do you need when traveling europe, buying an esim in europe, more tips for using an esim data plan in europe, do you need mobile data in europe.

Backpacking Europe packing list - Rain Jackets

Honestly, yes, you need mobile data on your phone when traveling to Europe. Sure, you can sometimes find free wifi hotspots but that’s way more difficult than you’d think (I know from experience).

And so much of modern European life requires high-speed mobile data—train tickets are digital, Google Maps needs reliable data, sporting event tickets are digital, restaurant menus are accessed via QR codes, Uber/rideshare apps require data, some restaurants now want you to pay via your phone, accessing real-time public transportation info relies on mobile data, and the list goes on.

Can You Use Your Mobile Provider’s International Data Plan?

US/Canadian/Australian domestic mobile providers often offer an international data plan (either free or for an extra charge) but they all come with a few major drawbacks:

They’re expensive: Expect to pay $10-$20/day
Slow speeds : You’re often downgraded to 2G/3G speeds so even opening basic webpages could take forever to load (if it even loads). Many apps won’t function. Google Maps won’t work. Forget about social media.
Data caps: These plans might start you off with standard 4G/LTE speeds but once you hit 1-2GB of data you’ll be downgraded to nearly-unusable 3G/2G speeds.
Auto Enrollment: Some plans automatically enroll you in their international data plan the moment your phone tries to access data—which is just about every phone since smartphone apps are constantly running in the background.

For example, the AT&T International Day Pass costs $10/day. They also have their AT&T Passport plan, a monthly plan that’s either $70/month for 2 GB of data or $140/month for 6 GB. Then they charge an insane overage of $30 per GB. Verizon also has a $10/day pass but they knock you down to 3G speeds after 2GB each day.

And many T-Mobile customers get free “unlimited” international data but you’re only guaranteed 2g data speeds after you hit a total usage of 5GB of data… which will struggle to load Google Maps or even email. T-Mobile gives you the option to pay more to get 5GB at better speeds but then you’ll be charged a premium.

These “international data plans” are 5X as expensive as buying a prepaid eSIM data plan from a third-party provider—for example, eSIM data plans from Orange or Holafly will cost you around $2-$4/day.

So do yourself a favor and buy a European mobile data plan.

What Is An eSIM?

In short, an eSIM is an embedded/digital version of the traditional physical SIM card. So instead of installing a physical SIM card to change your mobile provider, you simply connect to a new mobile data service provider using an app.

This is great for international travel because you no longer have to hunt down a new SIM card when you change countries. You simply activate the eSIM service and you’re online in seconds.

Many new phones are dual SIM so you can still use your physical domestic SIM card while also using the eSIM so you can switch back and forth between your mobile data providers.

Some phones are also moving to eSIM only—the USA versions of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 (and future generations) no longer feature a SIM card slot but do support dual eSIM.

Below are some of the many benefits of using an eSIM data plan while traveling.

No Searching For SIM Cards

The biggest benefit of an eSIM is not having to track down a physical SIM card. All you have to do is install the mobile provider’s app to activate the eSIM data service. This means you can order your eSIM, and download the app before you leave. and then activate the service when you arrive at your destination.

Instant Delivery (No Shipping Fees)

Since eSIM cards are all digital you don’t have to pay shipping fees if you want to pre-purchase a European data plan before arriving in Europe.

For example, you can buy a plan from SimOptions or Holafly and they’ll email you a QR code or link to activate the service.

Dual eSIMs Allow You To Use Two Data Plans At Once

Another big benefit to using an eSIM is that you can seamlessly switch between your domestic plan (via the physical SIM) and the travel plan (via your eSIM). In fact, some phones let you have up to 5 eSIM data plans on a single phone—which is overkill for most people but it’s still an option.

Another huge benefit to having dual SIM cards is that many services will send you texts for things like two-factor identification or your bank might text you with fraud alerts and these won’t come through if you don’t have your home plan’s physical SIM card installed.

No Need to Remove Your Current SIM Card

Removing the physical SIM card is a hassle. First, you need the little tool to pop the SIM out of the phone (which is easy to lose). Then you also have to remove your phone case. You also have to keep track of your original SIM card so you don’t lose or damage it (you’ll need to reinstall it to get your service back).

Easier To Add Credit To Your Account

All eSIM data plans require you to download the service provider’s app to activate the service and most allow you to easily add credit to your account via the app.

Not all iPhones have built-in eSIM compatibility but essentially all iPhones made since 2019 should be eSIM compatible—i.e. they’re Dual SIM so they have both a physical SIM and an eSIM.

UPDATE: All iPhone 14 (and newer) sold in the UNITED STATES are eSIM-only so there isn’t a physical SIM Card slot anymore. However, all iPhones sold outside the US have dual SIM with physical SIM and eSIM.

eSIM Compatible Phones:

(The base iPhone X and anything older is not eSIM compatible)
iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12 Mini & iPhone SE 2020
iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Mini
iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone SE, etc.
iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15, and iPhone 15 Plus

Again, just about every Android sold since 2020 is eSIM compatible.

Samsung Galaxy Fold & Galaxy Fold 2 / Galaxy Z Flip & Z Flip 5G
Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra / Galaxy Note 20
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G
Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4XL, Pixel 4a (4G), Pixel 5 (5G), Pixel 6, Pixel 7
Huawei P40 and P40 Pro & Mate 40 Pro

How to buy a SIM card and data plan in Italy

A great thing about traveling to Europe is that the EU outlawed mobile data roaming fees so any EU data plan will work anywhere within the UE—i.e. you can buy a French eSIM and use it in Italy, Germany, Poland, etc.

That said, I recommend sticking with the major European carriers since they’ll have the most comprehensive networks and the fastest mobile data speeds.

NOTE: The UK and Switzerland aren’t in the EU so not all plans will work there (but many still do)—check each plan to see if they cover these countries.

Orange Holiday Europe eSIM 50GB: $59.90

Price: $59.90 (Check SimOptions for details)
Data: 50GB
Service Speed: 4G/LTE
Calls: Unlimited within Europe and 120 min outside of Europe.
Texts/SMS: Unlimited within Europe and 1000 outside of Europe.
Credit validity: 28 day
Data Tethering: Allowed
Usable on any device (phones, tablets, hotspots…)
This eSIM plan comes with a French phone number that can still be used anywhere in Europe
Service works everywhere in the EU

Need tons of data? Consider the newly released Orange Holiday Europe 50GB eSIM data plan which is a beefed-up version of the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM. It has 50GB of data and it’s valid for 28 days (compared to 14 days with the Orange Holiday Europe plan). This eSIM also comes with many features you don’t find with other plans—including international voice calling and texts (it gives you an actual French phone number that works anywhere in Europe).

The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan also allows you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot so you can put that extra data allowance to good use. Orange is also one of the largest mobile companies in Europe so you’ll always get great coverage and high data speeds.

Holafly Europe eSIM with Unlimited Data: Starting at $19.00

Holafly is a new Europe-based eSIM provider that I used in Italy—the service was great and I got very fast data speeds (read my Holafly eSIM Review to learn more). They sell both country-specific and Europe-wide data plans.

Unlike other mobile data companies, Holafly gives you unlimited data and a local phone number with 60 minutes of credit for making/receiving calls from European numbers (with a few exceptions). I also like how Holafly’s plans come in durations from 5 to 90 days—so you don’t have to over/underbuy for your particular trip.

5 Days: $19
10 Days: $34
15 Days: $47
20 Days: $54
30 Days: $64
60 Days: $84
90 Days: $99
Service Speed: 5G/4G/LTE
Call Coverage: 60 minutes of credit to make calls from all of Europe—except Iceland, Norway, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Turkey. Comes with an Austrian phone number.
Texts/SMS: None
Tethering: No

Bouygues My European eSIM: $44.90

Bouygues is a major French telecommunications company and they’ve recently released their own prepaid eSIM data plan to compete with the popular Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan. I used a prepaid Bouygues SIM card on a previous trip to Europe so I’m glad they’re finally offering an eSIM.

There’s a lot to like about the Bouygues My European eSIM plan —especially since it comes standard with 30GB of data and unlimited calls within Europe. I also like how this Bouygues eSIM plan is valid for 30 days so it’s a great option for longer trips.

Price: $44.90 (Check SimOptions for details)
Data Tethering: Allowed
Service Speed: 4G/LTE
Calls: Unlimited within Europe
Credit validity: 30 day
Phone Number: This eSIM card comes with a French phone number
Coverage : Anywhere within the European Union (except Switzerland)

Check out my Bouygues European eSIM review for more information about this plan.

Orange Holiday Europe eSIM 30GB: $49.90

Price: $49.90 (Check SimOptions for details)
Calls: Unlimited within Europe and 120 min outside of Europe.
Texts/SMS: Unlimited within Europe and 1000 outside of Europe.
Credit validity: 14 day
Data tethering allowed
This eSIM card comes with a French phone number

The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM data plan is another excellent eSIM plan because it comes with 30GB of data and many features you don’t find with other plans—including international voice calling and texts (it gives you an actual French phone number that will work anywhere in Europe). The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan also allows you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot.

Orange is also one of the largest mobile companies in Europe so you’ll always get great coverage and high data speeds.

The potential downside to the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM is that it’s only valid for 14 days once activated so it’s not great for longer visits (but you can always buy a second plan).

Orange Holiday Zen eSIM: $29.90

Orange Holiday Zen eSIM | Best eSIM For Visiting Europe

Price: $29.90 (Check SimOptions for details)
Data: 15GB (recently upgraded from 8GB)
Calls: Unlimited within Europe and 30 min outside of Europe.
Texts/SMS: Unlimited within Europe and 200 outside of Europe.

The Orange Holiday Zen plan is a top pick for travelers for a few different reasons.

First, Orange is one of the largest mobile networks in Europe so they have great coverage basically everywhere in Europe and you won’t have to worry about slow speeds.

Second, Orange Holiday eSIM data plan gives you unlimited calls and texts within Europe and limited (yet still ample) credit for calls/texts outside the EU. A majority of eSIM plans from other providers don’t give you any (or very limited) credit for calls or texts.

This plan comes with 15GB of mobile data which should suffice for most travelers who aren’t heavy data users.

Smart Comfort X eSIM: $17.90

Price: $17.90 (Check SimOptions for details)
Calls: None

The Smart Comfort X eSIM is a budget data-only eSIM plan option that gives you 5GB of data but no calls or texts (you can still send iMessage if you’re sending messages between iPhones and make calls/texts via WhatsApp, etc.).

Smart Comfort X eSIM is also what’s considered an “international eSIM” so it’s not backed by a specific data provider (i.e. Orange, O2, etc.). That means it will connect to a specific partner provider in each country—for example, France (Bouygues), Germany (O2), Italy (WIND), Spain (Telefonica), etc.

Because of its limited data limits, the Smart Comfort X eSIM plan is best for light data users.

Do European eSIM Plans Come With A European Phone Number?

Some European prepaid eSIM plans come with a European phone number but many prepaid eSIM plans are data only. You probably don’t need a European phone number but it can come in handy for calling restaurants, hotels, or Airbnb hosts (many use WhatsApp—which only requires a data connection).

Recommended Prepaid eSim Plans with A European Phone Number:

Bouygues My European eSIM : This eSIM plan comes with unlimited calling in Europe.
Holafly Europe eSIM : Holafly eSIM plans include 60 minutes of calling in Europe.
Orange Holiday Europe eSIM and Orange Holiday Zen eSIM : Orange comes with international and Europe calling.

Studies show that the average American uses about 5-7GB of mobile data every week but your rate will vary.

You can easily hit 15GB/week if you’re a heavy user but it’s fairly easy to keep your mobile data usage under 2-3GB/week if you stick to basic web browsing, limit your social media use, and keep app usage to a minimum (or save your heavy usage for when you’re on wifi).

Activating an eSIM is relatively simple.

UPDATE: Apple’s iOS 17.4 update (released late March 2024) now includes an automatic eSIM installation and activation feature—making setting up and managing your eSIM much easier. This is great news!

Step One: Purchase Your Data Plan

I highly recommend purchasing your eSIM before you leave because you’ll need data/wifi to complete the setup.

Step Two: Check Your Email For The QR Code

You’ll get an email from the seller as soon as you make your purchase.

This email will include a QR code that you can scan so you’ll want to be in front of your computer so you can scan the QR code from your screen.

Step Three: Install The Carrier’s eSIM App

The QR code will lead you to download the carrier’s eSIM app. Just follow the directions they send you.

IMPORTANT: Don’t fully activate your eSIM data plan until you’re in Europe. Most data plans only have a validity period of 14-30 days and that countdown begins the second you activate the service. So, for example, if you activate the service a week before your trip then you’ll have lost a full week from your service length (even if you haven’t used any data).

Step Four: Fully Activate Service Once in Europe

Finish the activation process. Your phone should automatically connect to the local data network (it might take a few minutes to get fully activated).

The beauty of eSIM plans is that they’re completely digital so you can buy them online anytime, anywhere (see all the above eSIM options).

Every European country has its own domestic mobile carriers and each is starting to offer its own prepaid eSIM data plans. However, carrier-specific eSIM mobile packages aren’t quite widespread in Europe yet so not every mobile carrier will have options—therefore, not every retailer will have them (or they’ll have a very limited selection).

Furthermore, many European carriers only offer “postpaid” eSIM plans so they’re generally not conducive to short-term visitors and tourists. That’s why I recommend buying one of the eSIM plans I mentioned earlier in this article.

What Countries in Europe Support eSIM?

While not every mobile carrier in Europe has an eSIM mobile plan, there are carriers in every European country that accept eSIM technology—therefore, your phone will automatically connect to a provider (no matter what eSIM plan you’re using).

Simply put: Your eSIM data plan will work anywhere in Europe.

Coverage Note About Switzerland (and Possibly the UK): Switzerland is an outlier because they’re not technically part of the EU so some providers don’t work there. For example, the Orange Holiday plans work in Switzerland but the Smart Comfort X plan won’t work there. There are also rumors that the UK also has (or will have soon) the same issues because of Brexit. Learn more on our Guide on How To Use Data Plans and Smartphone Phones Abroad

Here are a few more tips for getting the most out of using your high-speed eSIM mobile data plan while traveling around Europe. If you want to learn more, check out The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide to How To Use Data Plans and Smartphone Phones Abroad

You Need An Unlocked Phone

You need to make sure your phone is unlocked before you can install both a SIM card or eSIM—many American mobile carriers use software to “lock” their smartphones to their network so the phone won’t work if you install a SIM card from another company.

However, you can unlock your phone by calling your mobile carrier and asking them to unlock it because you’re going to travel abroad (you might need to visit a store to get it unlocked).

BUY A PORTABLE BATTERY CHARGER

Using apps like Google Maps and taking photos kills your phone battery so a portable battery is a must-have. I use Anker PowerCore 10000 because it’s tiny and affordable but there are multiple options.

Save Heavy Data Usage For When You’re On Wifi

It’s extremely easy to unknowingly burn through a lot of data—especially when you’re using data-hungry apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Therefore it’s highly recommended to save your heavy data usage for when you’re connected to wifi.

USE AIRPLANE MODE AND BLOCK DATA TO SPECIFIC APPS

I’ll put my phone in Airplane Mode because that disables all data (but GPS still works in Airplane Mode). You can also go into the settings and disable data access to each individual app.

DOWNLOAD OFFLINE MAPS

Google Maps lets you download entire city maps so they can be used offline. As an added bonus, GPS doesn’t use data so offline Google Maps works fairly well (but not all functionality works). Here is a good YouTube video that explains everything.

Download WhatsApp

WhatsApp is an excellent app for free calling and text messages—I’ve found that many Europeans exclusively use WhatsApp to communicate (including many Airbnb hosts).

Get More Europe Travel Tips From The Savvy Backpacker

Are you heading to Europe soon? Here are some more helpful articles I’ve written to help you plan your European travels.

Backpacking Europe Packing List
Europe Packing List for Women
The Best Travel Shoes
The Best Travel Backpacks and The Best Travel Backpacks for Women
Guide To Buying SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plans in France
Guide to Buying SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plans in Germany
Guide To Buying SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plans in Italy
Guide To Buying SIM Cards and Mobile Data Plans in Spain
Recent Posts

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How to Avoid Pickpockets in Europe — Tips for Outsmarting the Thieves - April 19, 2024
Best Prepaid eSIM For Italy | Data Plan Buyer’s Guide - April 18, 2024

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The best SIM cards for travelling across Europe

Travelling across Europe and don’t want to have to stay out of touch or keep swapping SIMS? We’ve got you covered with our guide to the best international SIM cards and options for travelling in Europe.

Roaming in Europe

Best europe travel sim.

Best Europe Travel eSIM
Best Europe Roaming SIM

Photograph of woman travelling in Paris - Best Europe SIM card

Europe is a super popular destination for Australian travellers, whether it’s for business purposes or simply to take in the hundreds of years of culture across the continent – not to mention all the very fine regional food options open to you. Which is great, right up until you want to call back to the office, check your messages or simply send a photo of that amazing meal you just had to social media.

That’s where having a smart approach to your travel SIM can save you serious money. While the really bad old days where watching one YouTube video could send you into bankruptcy on your return to Australian shores are (mostly) behind us, it’s still worth weighing up your options to get the best deal, whether you plan to use a full “Travel” SIM, a local SIM option or roaming from your existing telco.

It is worth noting that if your European travel is purely within the European Union (as distinct from the wider European continent) then the EU’s roaming rules around calls, texts and data apply – but it’s worth checking if a given provider has fair use provisions for roaming use in play for data, as those can sometimes obscure hidden fees.

Bali Travel SIMs
New Zealand Travel SIMs
Japan Travel SIMs

Australia Post International Roaming

There’s a number of choices in the Japan Travel SIM market that you can order before you leave Australia from brands such as Sakura Mobile and B-Mobile, but if you are going the Travel SIM route it’s hard to overlook Mobal’s short-term tourist SIMs. Starting at ¥4,730 (~$50 AUD, depending on exchange rates) for an unlimited data-only 8 day SIM up to ¥7,920 (~$83) for a full 30 days with unlimited data.

It's worth noting that Japan allows a, shall we say, more “loose” definition of “ unlimited ” than you might think would apply, before you plan to start downloading the entire Netflix back catalogue to your tablet. Most plans are limited to 3GB of data per day, after which data speeds “may” be reduced. For most tourists being prudent 3GB a day is plenty enough, even if you are uploading most of your food and location snaps to Instagram at a frenzied pace.

Mobal’s SIMs work on the Softbank and Docomo networks in Japan with a claimed 99% population coverage, which should cover most places you’re likely to go on business or holiday within Japan.

Best eSIM for Europe

Airalo eurolink.

Airalo’s business model is entirely eSIM focused based around its own app. For European travellers across a number of countries your best best is one of its Eurolink packages, covering 39 countries with coverage periods ranging from 7 days to 180 days and data inclusions from 1GB up to 100GB. If your travel needs are more constrained, Airalo also offers single country packages that may offer you more data for less money, so it’s smart to check beforehand.

The big advantage here is that you can set up the Airalo app and an account all before you ever step foot on a plane, giving you peace of mind that when you land you’ll be able to message home with confidence. The downside, however, is that you must have an eSIM-enabled handset to use Airalo’s services, which cuts out many budget phones and some older premium models entirely.

Best Australian deal for Europe roaming

Vodafone $5 roaming.

Vodafone was the first Australian telco to really get on board with roaming charges that didn’t make you feel like you’d just been run over by a 747 when you returned home. Its $5/day surcharge to access your plan’s existing inclusions remains the gold standard for ease of use and ease of understanding, though it’s worth noting that its data capped speed plans do not include the endless speed capped data once you’ve gone through your primary provision. In those cases, you’ll get hit for $5 for each additional 1GB of data you need.

Here's a selection of Vodafone plans that support $5/day international roaming

The big catch with Vodafone $5 a day roaming is that it adds up over a lengthy European sojourn, so it’s best matched for when you might be quickly travelling through Europe for just a couple of days. Anything longer than that, and travel SIMs, local SIMs and travel eSIMs quickly become a more financially prudent option.

Vodafone aren’t your only option for roaming-friendly telcos within Australia, however. Here’s a range of alternative telco options that support roaming within Europe:

It can be highly beneficial to grab a local SIM in Europe for your travels, because typically local rates are cheaper and offer larger data inclusions than just about any travel SIM or roaming deal. There’s the added benefit for the EU specifically here too that member states (plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) all support cross-border roaming at no additional cost. Look for deals from some of the bigger cross-European Telcos such as Orange or Vodafone to get the best deal for the right price.

You’ll find no shortage of local SIM providers in every single major European airport if you favour convenience, though often they sell “tourist” specific SIMs with a slight surcharge in return for that easy pickup.

If you’re staying longer in a specific country, it’s worth researching local options and storefronts to see if you can get a prepaid SIM through them. Be careful, however, as you don’t want to get stung by a monthly plan that’s no use to you once you’ve left Europe, and some providers in some countries won’t accept credit card payments for some mobile services if the credit card itself isn’t local.

If your current handset doesn’t support eSIM, then sadly, the answer is no. You absolutely need the internal circuitry for eSIM support to be present on your phone in the first place.

If your phone does support eSIMs, then it’s quite easy to set up your eSIM before you travel. We’ve got a handy guide to setting up eSIMs for Apple iPhone and Android here .

The absolute cheapest way to “roam” when overseas is to throw your phone into a canal the moment you land. But that’s environmentally unsound, so don’t do it.

The second cheapest way is to use public Wi-Fi where available. In Europe, that’s a lot of places, including most accommodation venues. Instead of throwing your phone into a canal, switch off its roaming data (or data altogether) and switch to using Wi-Fi plus services such as Facetime, FaceBook Messenger and WhatsApp as your temporary “phone” number while you’re travelling. Use the offline maps capability of services such as Google Maps for navigation, load up on offline streaming services and music, and you can survive without having to pay anything extra at all for data.

Bear in mind, however, that public networks sit outside your control, and you never know who might be doing a little not-so-idle-not-so-friendly packet sniffing to get hold of your data. If you’re planning on relying on public Wi-Fi while travelling, investing in proper secure VPN access is a must.

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Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. This is not a guarantee. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase. Each individual's unique needs should be considered when deciding on chosen products.

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COMMENTS

Best Sim Card for travel across europe : r/Europetravel
Use Airalo eSIM. We are currently traveling in Italy for two months and are using the Maya.net eSim 'virtual card' and is working great for us. Since its an esim, you don't have to remove your sim, or install a new sim. Simply purchase it over the internet, they send you you activation code, and you're off and running.
Best SIM Card option for 3 weeks in Europe? : r/Europetravel
I'm a Canadian Traveller who just finished 5 weeks in Europe Nov. 2021. Below is my experience with ThreeUK. ThreeUK is absolutely terrible. Their customer service cancelled my European SIM card (I'm a Canadian citizen who was traveling around Europe this past year) midway through my trip and left me stranded with no service in Berlin.
Best SIM card for 2 week trip to Europe? : r/Europetravel
Last time I travelled Europe for 2 weeks, I got a SIM card from ee (name of SIM company) for 2GB and I spent just the perfect amount/had no problem. I just used it for pics and maps, so if you're using more you could get more data. It was only 10£ for 2GB from the first shop I saw at the train station.
Phone plan or buy a SIM? : r/Europetravel
The most cost efficient and reliable way of getting internet access in Europe is to buy a local SIM card. The entire EU + Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein form a roaming union. A SIM card from any of those countries will work in all of them. That means you often don't need to buy a new card in every country you are visiting.
Which e-SIM for Europe? : r/eSIMs
Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. Or check it out in the app stores ... Heading to Europe and will travel in Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Portugal, France, Spain and Greece. I'm considering a regional eSIM from Airalo or Nomad. ... I've been using Nomad europe regional sim. I think Airalo is slightly better ...
Esim vs regular sim in Europe/the UK : r/travel
Hello friends. I'm having a hard time figuring out if I should get an esim or a regular sim for my three months in Europe. I'm spending 3 weeks in the UK then going elsewhere from then. No sims seem to support both the UK and the rest of Europe. If they do, it's only 12GB of roaming data, which isn't as much as I want.
European Sim Card : r/Europetravel
Lebara is probably the cheapest option. But the data speeds and connection strengths are subpar. But some major carriers are like 4x the price. The only issue with cheap data is that the EU only mandates 1GB roaming per 3€ spent. So if you get 25GB of data for 15€, you still may only get 5GB when in another country.
E-sim or physical sim for europe : r/TravelHacks
Physical SIM is usually way cheaper. If you are going to Spain a Vodafone Prepago M is €15 every 4 weeks. Unlimited calling inside Spain and 800 minutes to 57 countries including the US, Canada, Mexico and virtually all of Europe. You also get 100G of 5G data.
Europe travel SIM : r/travel
I'm looking for a good travel SIM, I'm from Canada. ... View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. Europe travel SIM . Hello, I'll be traveling to Europe for 15 days, The Netherlands, UK, and Iceland to be exact. I'm looking for a good travel SIM, I'm from Canada. My provider is Rogers and charging me too much per ...
12 Best Prepaid and E-Sim Cards for Europe in 2024
For $59.90 USD you get 50 GB data which is just $1.2 USD per Gigabyte and best thing is that this e-sim card is 5G ready, where most of the physical prepaid and e-sim cards for Europe only support 4G/LTE. 2. Bouygues Telecom - 30 GB - $44.90 USD. 30 GB data.
SimCorner Review: The Best Travel SIM Cards for Europe (Tested in 11
The SimCorner O2 Europe travel SIM card did pass the video streaming test (29.2 Mbps average download speed - 25 Mbps minimum for 4k streaming) and the live streaming test (16.02 Mbps average upload speed - 10 Mbps minimum for HD live streaming) in Malta. Those are some good results by both SIM cards.
Best SIM Card For Europe: Everything You Need To Know
Read our complete Airalo eSIM review to learn more. Here's an overview of the options available in Europe: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5. 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13. 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20. 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37. 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100. 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185.
Buying an international eSIM data plan for your phone instead of SIM
UPDATED to include this Reddit post with a list of eSIM data providers as of Dec. 2021. ... I do carry 2 phones, one of which is an older phone with my "travel SIM" which I load for each trip with an inexpensive 30 day plan. I use my travel phone extensively: travel documents, apps, audio guides, self guided walking tours, transit options ...
What physical sim card would you recommend? : r/Europetravel
Welcome to Europe Travel! Feel free to ask questions, share experiences, stories or pictures of your travels in the world's most visited continent. ... The most cost efficient and reliable way of getting internet access in Europe is to buy a local SIM card. The entire EU + Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein form a roaming union. A SIM card from ...
The Best International SIM Cards For Travel
If you need less data and want to save a little money, check out the Orange Holiday Zen SIM and the Orange Holiday Zen eSIM —both are great all-around options for European data because you still get a solid amount of data for a reasonable price. Both plans also include worldwide calls and texts. Price: $29.90.
10 Best EU eSIM for Travelers: Cheap Data Plans for Your Europe Trip!
Experience exploring Europe via train with a Eurail Global Pass. Find more information here! 🚆. Contents. BEST: 4G EU eSIM by BNESIM. BEST VALUE: 4G EU eSIM by Jetpac. 5G SPEEDS: 5G EU eSIM by Ubigi. WITH PHONE NUMBER: 4G EU eSIM by Airhub. FREE DATA PLAN: 4G EU eSIM by GigSky. UNLIMITED DATA: 4G EU eSIM by Frewie.
Best eSIM For Europe Travel
Holafly Europe eSIM with Unlimited Data: Starting at $19.00. Holafly is a new Europe-based eSIM provider that I used in Italy—the service was great and I got very fast data speeds (read my Holafly eSIM Review to learn more). They sell both country-specific and Europe-wide data plans.
Best eSIM for Europe: Price, Coverage, Tethering and Hotspot
In our fast-paced digital era, staying connected while traveling through Europe has become essential. There are many options for you to stay connected while traveling through Europe — whether you are turning on international roaming, getting local SIM cards, or looking for travel eSIMs.And in determining your options, perhaps some of the most important factors that you will consider include ...
Travelling to Europe for two weeks. Itinerary help!?
881K subscribers in the Europetravel community. Welcome to Europe Travel! Feel free to ask questions, share experiences, stories or pictures of your…
Best SIM cards for travelling Europe in 2023
1 - 100GB. Expiry. 7 - 180 days. Starts at (USD) $5. Go to site. Airalo's business model is entirely eSIM focused based around its own app. For European travellers across a number of countries your best best is one of its Eurolink packages, covering 39 countries with coverage periods ranging from 7 days to 180 days and data inclusions from ...
Nomad Europe eSIM Review (Tested in 8 Countries)
Fortunately, the Nomad Europe 35 countries variant is only up to 10 USD more expensive than the 30 countries version. Below is an overview of how much each Nomad Europe eSIM costs: Europe 1 GB eSIM for 7 days (30 countries by Tele2 Sweden), costing 5 USD. Europe 1 GB eSIM for 7 days (35 countries by Truphone), costing 5 USD.
Using a European SIM Card
To get a European SIM, you'll need to do the following: 1. Make sure you're equipped with a proper phone. You'll need either a European phone or an unlocked phone in order for a European SIM card to work (some phones are electronically "locked" so you can't switch SIM cards). Check with your carrier — it's possible the phone you have is ...
Best SIM cards for travelling in Europe
Orange even has European SIM cards specifically designed for tourists. You can pick from these four options: €4.99 Holiday Europe SIM: 1GB, no talk or text, with a seven-day expiry and 4G access. €19.99 Holiday Europe SIM: 12GB, 30 minutes of international talk and 200 text messages, with a 14-day expiry and 4G access.