As a long-time eSIM user, I have narrowed it down to these top 6 eSIMs for Europe. All these eSIMs have regional plans which cover between 35-42 European destinations.
If you travel frequently across Europe, getting a physical SIM card in every new country you visit becomes stressful, but eSIMs have solved this issue. An eSIM for international travel is embedded in your phone, and you can seamlessly connect to new networks while you travel.
European travelers have endless eSIM options, and it can be challenging to pick a suitable one. When choosing the right eSIM option, evaluating your needs is important. This guide will explore the best eSIMs for Europe and the factors to consider when choosing one.
The best eSIM for Europe of 2025 in full:
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Best eSIM for Europe overall
Airalo is a cost-effective eSIM that works in 42 European countries. It supports 5G connectivity, and you can choose a specific data plan and validity period.
You can choose a plan covering the whole of Europe or a sub-regional plan like Eastern or Northern Europe.
Note that Airalo offers data-only plans, meaning you won't get a phone number for calls and SMS. However, you can use VoIP providers like Skype and WhatsApp to call and text with your data.
We like that Airalo offers a variety of data plans for European users. The 1 GB plan costs $4 and lasts up to 7 days. The 5 GB plan costs $15.50 and lasts up to 30 days. The priciest plan is 100 GB, which costs $142.50 and is valid for 180 days.
Airalo is noticeably easy to activate and use. You'll download the app from the Play Store or App Store, scan a QR code, and activate the eSIM. Airalo supports many payment options, making it easy to pay from anywhere.
With an Airalo eSIM, you don’t need to bother switching between SIM cards when traveling across Europe. You'll enjoy 4G connectivity and 5G in some cities in the 42 supported European countries.
The main drawback is that an Airalo eSIM offers only data– you don’t get an assigned phone number to make calls as you travel across Europe.
Airalo is offering a 15% discount to all TechRadar readers on all eSIM plans with the code FUTURE15.
Read our full Airalo review.
Best eSIM for Europe for sub-regional plans
aloSIM is one of the best eSIM providers, and it has widespread coverage in Europe. It's available in 35 countries, offering excellent network speeds, including 2G, 3G, LTE, and 5G.
You can choose the plan covering 35 European countries or a sub-regional plan covering either 11 Eastern European countries or 4 Western European countries.
aloSIM is easy to activate and use– you can buy and set up the SIM in a few minutes. Afterward, you can install the Android or iOS app to activate your plan. The app is intuitive and easy to navigate.
This eSIM provider offers data plans of 1 to 100 GB. You can pay $5 for 1 GB for 7 days which is cheaper than Airalo, $8 for 2 GB for 15 days, $13 for 3GB for 30 days, $20 for 5GB for 30 days, $37 for 10GB for 30 days, $100 for 50GB for 90 days, or $185 for 100 GB for 180 days. There is also an unlimited data plan for 15 days and costs $35.
Every data plan comes with a free international phone number. You can claim your free phone number after purchasing a data plan. So even if the plans are pricier than Airalo, the free phone number makes up for it.
Your data is unthrottled, and you can top it up if you run out of your initial allocation. Buying an aloSIM requires little identification and documentation.
Read our full aloSIM review.
Best eSIM for Europe for data tethering
Ubigi is a part of the NTT group and is a popular service that offers a wide variety of plans, and the app itself is available in 10 languages, including English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Turkish, Dutch, and Portuguese.
European plans include one-off, monthly, and annual options, and they’re fairly affordable. The cheapest one-off is priced at $2 for 500MB and 2 days, while the cheapest monthly subscription is priced at $8 a month for 5GB/month. The first annual plan is priced at $24 and will get you 24GB or 2GB/month.
Ubigi also has several very interesting features, the main one being smooth data tethering. This means that you’ll be able to share your data without any restrictions, which is perfect if you’re traveling with someone because the other person won’t need to get a Ubigi eSIM.
Speaking of eSIMs, the actual activation is very simple and straightforward, with the service offering a bunch of guides and videos on the official website in case you have any trouble figuring it out.
You can either do it by downloading the Ubigi app, creating the account, and choosing the plan, or you can go to the website, where you’ll receive a QR code to activate your profile after the plan purchase.
The company also offers 5G coverage in 40 countries, with a lot of them being in Europe. Additionally, Ubigi is a full MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), meaning that it has a full-scale proprietary core network.
It’s worth noting that Ubigi doesn’t support phone calls or SMS on its eSIM plans, so if you want that, you’ll have to use apps such as WhatsApp and similar.
Read our full Ubigi review.
Best eSIM for Europe for security
Saily is an affordable eSIM provider with widespread coverage across Europe. It is offered by the same company behind NordVPN, one of the best VPN (virtual private network) apps.
Saily works in 200+ countries. The European plan covers 35 destinations, including Turkey and Gibraltar.
Like Airalo, Saily only supports data plans without phone calls or SMS. We picked it because of its affordability, widespread coverage, and enhanced security features.
Plans start from just $4.99 for 1GB for 7 days. Other options are 3GB of data for 30 days for $12.49, 5GB of data for 30 days for $19.49, 10GB of data for 30 days for $35.99, 50GB of data for 90 days for $95.99, and 100GB of data for 180 days for $179.99.
The flexible plans are definitely why we recommend Saily to our readers. Whether you're planning a short trip, a euro summer, or planning to move to Europe for a few months, Saily plans have got you covered.
With Saily, you can enable enhanced security features like web protection and ad blockers, making this eSIM one of a kind in the market. Installing your Saily eSIM is a breeze. All you need to do is purchase a plan, download the app, and follow the on-screen instructions for a quick setup.
If by any chance you run into any activation issue, you are eligible for a refund. We also found the customer service of Saily to be quite good. You can benefit from 24/7 customer support via live chat. Alternatively, users can email support@saily.com for general inquiries.
In short, Saily is an ideal choice if you are a new eSIM user and looking for something affordable.
Read our full Saily review.
Best eSIM for Europe for customizable plans
Holafly is an eSIM provider that gives unlimited data, unlike other providers with capped data plans. It offers plans ranging from 1 to 90 days, and you’ll enjoy unlimited data as long as your plan hasn’t expired.
An unlimited data plan is preferable if you plan to travel for a long time. It ensures you have data as you visit multiple countries, with no need to monitor your data usage constantly. Holafly works in 40 countries, from the U.K. to Romania, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and more.
What's great about Holafly is that users can customize their plans. You can choose the exact number of days, and Holafly bills you according to what you choose. For instance, 1 day costs $3.49, 6 days cost $24.90, 21 days cost $63.90, and so on, making it more expensive than other counterparts like Airalo and Saily.
With Holafly at your fingertips, you don’t need to worry about data access when traveling across Europe (in supported countries). Holafly doesn’t offer a phone number with its eSIM, but you can call via WhatsApp and other VoIP apps.
Use code TECHRADAR to get 5% off.
Read our full Holafly review.
Best eSIM for cruise and inflight plans
GigSky is another strong eSIM option for your European travels, offering a range of both fixed and unlimited plans. You can even test it out first - their free trial gives you 500MB of data for 7 days, with no card details required.
The European fixed plan starts from $6.99 for 1GB of data for 7 days. The most you can get is 100GB for 180 days for $129.59. The unlimited plans are also quite good- you can choose from 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 30 days, and cost $7.99, $16.79, $23.99, $31.19, $48.79, 60.79, and $73.59 respectively.
What makes GigSky stand out is its selection of cruise and in-flight plans. That said, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the in-flight offering- $13.99 for just 100MB of data for one day feels steep. I’d only suggest it if you urgently need internet access and your flight’s Wi-Fi isn’t working.
The cruise plans, however, are much more appealing. You’ll find regional options for Europe, America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, as well as packages tailored to specific cruise lines like Disney, Norwegian, and MSC.
As we discussed in our review, we were impressed by how quick and easy the setup and activation is. All you need to do is download the app, purchase your desired plan, install the eSIM, and activate the plan.
Read our full GigSky review.
Best eSIM for Europe FAQs
What factors should I consider when choosing an eSIM?
1. Coverage
Coverage is the first thing to consider when choosing an eSIM that works in Europe. What countries does the eSIM provide network connection in? Europe has 44 sovereign countries, and the ones you travel to frequently determine the eSIM package to choose.
It’s a good thing that some eSIM providers offer sub-regional packages for Eastern or Northern Europe. This way, you can pay for a cheaper package only covering the few countries you’ll be visiting instead of a more expensive package covering the whole of Europe.
The rule of thumb is that eSIMs from established telecom firms offer more widespread coverage than those from eSIM-only providers like Airalo and Saily. The higher the coverage, the more you should expect to pay.
2. Phone number
Most eSIM packages don’t come with phone numbers. The exception is eSIM packages from aloSIM, which almost always include a phone number.
Most eSIM packages don’t include phone numbers because of the complex infrastructure and strict regulations required to offer them. Any company issuing a phone number must have a service provider license, which is very expensive to get. In contrast, data-only providers can easily tap into the infrastructure of existing telecom firms to provide network connectivity.
If you need a phone number for calls and SMS, look for an eSIM package from a well-known European telecom firm. But if you require only data, you can choose from Saily, Holafly, and Airalo.
3. Data allowance
Look at the data plans and see the highest amount of data you can get under a single plan. If you’re a heavy internet user, you’ll likely need an eSIM with a robust data offering, i.e., 20 GB and above. The good news is that many eSIM providers offer up to 50 GB on a single subscription, and you can top up your data if the initial allocation runs out.
Some providers offer unlimited data, eliminating any worry about accessing the internet when you travel across Europe (these are usually from established telecom firms with robust infrastructure).
Always check if the eSIM allows you to use your mobile phone as a hotspot, which is important if you’ll be commuting a lot during your visits.
4. Length of stay
The duration of your trip is an essential consideration when choosing an eSIM package. Most eSIM providers limit the validity of your data and calling allowance. The smaller the data allowance, the shorter it lasts. For instance, you can find a 1 GB plan that lasts for barely 7 days or an unlimited data plan for 30 days. The longer the duration, the more expensive the eSIM package, but the price is worth it because it lets you avoid steeper roaming charges.
5. Pricing
Of course, pricing must be considered when choosing an eSIM bundle. It’s necessary to choose a bundle you can afford without stress. Some eSIM providers offer fixed plans, while some allow you to pay as you go.
The latter is preferable if you’re not sure about the duration of your trip, while the former is preferable if you know the exact length of your trip and how much data, calling, and SMS allowance you need.
The good news is that there’s no shortage of affordable eSIM packages. You can find an unlimited data package for as low as 15 euros, depending on the validity period. The longer the period, the higher you should expect to pay.
Even if an eSIM package seems expensive at face value, consider that it saves you from potentially steep roaming costs when you travel. It’s not uncommon for people to rack up hundreds of euros in international roaming charges because they used a lot of data, SMS, and calling allowance.
With an eSIM package, you’re assured of paying a fixed price beforehand and only topping up if necessary. In contrast, international roaming prices vary depending on the countries you visit, and you can end up paying much more than you expect.
How we tested the best eSIMs for Europe
We tested the best eSIMs for Europe by evaluating numerous factors. To start with, we looked at how easy the setup is, the simplicity of use on the go, and the connectivity and reliability of the service. We carried out the tests using both iPhone and Android phone models in order to gauge whether the experience was the same for each, or whether one type had a greater advantage over the other. We then compared the overall results to draw up our list.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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