Visiting Europe soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Europe SIM card.
In this guide, weâll explain where to buy a SIM card in Europe in person and online.
Weâll 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 donât mind not having Internet, youâll 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 â you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Europe.
Note that if youâre European, your mobile phone provider may already offer European coverage.
If thatâs the case, you wonât need a European SIM card for your adventures.
đ± Best SIM Card For Europe
Europe is enormous, and youâll find various mobile providers depending on the countries youâre 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.
Iâll 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 youâll find others like A1, Vivacom, or Yettel.
So, you donât have to use a big provider â any provider that offers coverage in Europe should do.
â 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 donât recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you wonât necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so itâs essential to keep this in mind.
For this reason, Iâd 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 wonât get data right upon your arrival.
So, if youâd rather be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a European prepaid SIM card online.
â 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.
Youâll 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 youâre planning on visiting are listed.
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.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM plan for Europe.
â 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 â itâs 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. Iâve been using Airalo in Europe for several months and love its convenience.
Read our complete Airalo eSIM review to learn more.
Hereâs 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 youâre traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 85 countries.
Hereâs 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 youâll 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 youâre connecting automatically to networks, and you need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, youâll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly Europe
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Iâve also tried Holafly during my travels in Europe, and it worked fine.
Overall, itâs 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.
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.
Hereâs an overview of the plans offered by Nomad:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $17
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $18
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $26
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
You can also get âŹ4 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.
đ 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 wonât 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:
