Travel and stay connected in Europe with the new eSIM Europe virtual cards. With a European eSIM card, you can access the internet abroad without paying expensive roaming charges.
Why do we recommend them? Because they are easy to acquire, you can buy them anywhere in Europe online, and they are easy to configure.
If you don’t know anything about eSIMs, don’t worry: we’ll explain everything you need to know including their features, requirements, and price.
Contents
- 1 What you should know about the eSIM Europe card:
- 2 Mobile eSIM card providers to traveling to Europe
- 3 European countries included
- 4 Rates and data plans from eSIM providers for travel to Europe
- 5 Comparison of eSIM providers for Europe
- 6 Features of eSIMs for travel to Europe
- 7 eSIM coverage for travel to Europe
- 8 Local mobile providers offering eSIM in Europe
- 9 Frequently asked questions about eSIM in Europe
What you should know about the eSIM Europe card:
Before you buy an eSIM, you should check you have everything needed for it to work on your phone. So here’s everything you need to know before you buy. If you can’t buy an eSIM, you can purchase a physical SIM card instead.
- Your cell phone must be compatible with eSIM. Also check that your cell phone is supported by the carrier or eSIM card provider. The iPhone XR and later models are compatible with most providers.
- It is essential to have an email address so you can receive your eSIM.
- It’s important you have an internet connection to activate your eSIM. Your eSIM profile will be downloaded from the provider after scanning the QR code or installation code.
- Some providers will ask you to install their app to download the eSIM.
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Mobile eSIM card providers to traveling to Europe
If you have a compatible phone, you will be able to purchase and activate a Europe eSIM card. If you don’t, you can also buy a Europe SIM card with either 10GB and 12GB of data. Take a look at the list below with companies that sell international eSIM cards.
- Holafly
- Au by KDDI
- Travelsim
European countries included
European countries: United Kingdom, Aland Islands, Austria, Azores, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland. Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Vatican City, Turkey and Switzerland.
Note: please check the included countries with customer service.
Rates and data plans from eSIM providers for travel to Europe
Pay close attention to the prices of each provider so you can choose the one that suits you best. The plans we have listed are for eSIM Europe cards.
Holafly plans and prices in Europe:
- 3GB for 8 days at $43.81 (USD)
- 5GB for 15 days at $57.19
- 5GB for 30 days at $59.63
Au by KDDI rates and prices for Europe:
- 5GB for 30 days at $53.01
- 8GB for 30 days at $81.31
Flexiroam plans and rates in Europe:
- 500MB for 30 days at $25
- 1GB for 90 days at $34.99
- 2GB for 100 days at $64.99
- 3GB for 360 days at $114.99
Comparison of eSIM providers for Europe
| Provider | Data | Days | Price (USD) | Support | Sales channels |
| Holafly | 3GB | 8 | $43.81 | Spanish, English, German, French | Web |
| Holafly | 5GB | 15 | $57.19 | Spanish, English, German, French | Web |
| Holafly | 5GB | 30 | $59.63 | Spanish, English, German, French | Web |
| Au by KDDI | 5GB | 30 | $53.01 | English, Portuguese | App Store, Google Play |
| Au by KDDI | 8GB | 30 | $81.31 | English, Portuguese | App Store, Google Play |
| Flexiroam | 500MB | 30 | $25 | English | Web |
| Flexiroam | 1GB | 90 | $34.99 | English | Web |
| Flexiroam | 2GB | 100 | $64.99 | English | Web |
| Flexiroam | 3MB | 360 | $114.99 | English | Web |
Features of eSIMs for travel to Europe
eSIMs are different from physical eSIMs. Here’s what you need to know about eSIM cards for Europe:
- Most eSIM cards do not offer mobile calls, only data. For voice communication you can use Apps such as Skype or WhatsApp.
- eSIMs can be installed only once, so if you are experiencing problems with your eSIM card do not remove it from your mobile and instead contact your eSIM provider.
- Some eSIMs set up automatic APNs.
- You can add several data plans on your iPhone, this depends on the available memory, although it is only possible to use one at a time.
- Some eSIMs allow you to share data.
- With your dual sim iPhone, you can keep your local SIM when you travel to Europe. Remember to configure your iPhone to avoid surprise bills.
eSIM coverage for travel to Europe
It is very important to consider the coverage of your eSIM. Bear in mind that sometimes cheap eSIM cards have poor coverage. The eSIM cards that will offer you the best network coverage on your trip to Europe are those that have the most roaming agreements with the main operators such as Movistar, Vodafone, Orange or Yoigo. Here are coverage maps for the main operators.
Movistar 3G coverage map in Europe
Vodaphone 3G coverage map in Europe
Orange 3G coverage map in Europe
Local mobile providers offering eSIM in Europe
Did you know? The continent with the highest concentration of countries with the fastest internet connections in the world is Europe!
The eSIM provides most of the features as traditional SIM cards, like the mini-SIM, nano-SIM or micro-SIM.
Now we’re going to list the European mobile operators that have enabled eSIM technology for their users. You should remember that these are not intended for travellers, although there are exceptions.
- Movistar
- Vodafone
- Orange
- Truphone
- Yoigo
- Ubigi
Frequently asked questions about eSIM in Europe
We answer the questions you might have before purchasing your eSIM to travel to Europe.
It is not necessary to present a passport, but some suppliers do require your address.
Yes, eSIM for Europe will allow you to share your data with other devices. However, we recommend that you check with the provider’s customer service.
Install the eSIM with a QR code from your email, chose it as the default mobile data medium, turn on mobile data and data roaming, and your virtual SIM will work. Contact the company for more advice.
Yes, just like physical cards, virtual SIM cards also have an expiration date.
