You’ve booked the Euro trip of a lifetime, you’ve perused the guidebooks, you’ve written your bucket list of must-sees, and you’ve packed everything you need to take you from the beaches of Spain to the streets of London and all in between. Now — what about the eSIM?
For travel around Europe, you need a reliable eSIM with generous data for easy communication across multiple different countries.
What to look for when choosing an eSIM for Europe travel
1. Cross-border connectivity
Important: The right eSIM will remain active across different countries, without the need to change plans every time you cross a border.
A diverse itinerary means you’ll enjoy a diverse range of experiences. You could be marvelling at Paris from the Eiffel Tower, losing yourself in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, enjoying traditional Greek hospitality in a sunny taverna, or transporting yourself to the Roman empire at ancient sites, all within the space of a few days or weeks.
You’ll need a communications solution that allows you to share these experiences with friends and family, as well as making it easy to book jump-the-queue tickets and do your travel admin and work.
Seamless, hassle-free, instant connectivity between countries with a SimLocal product means you have one less thing to worry about when you’re on the move. This gives you more time to actually enjoy your trip without constant SIM admin.
2. Flat rates
Budgeting while travelling can be a challenge too, so an eSIM that offers a flat fee no matter where you roam is a game-changer. It’s a rare trip that doesn’t feature surprise expenses — after all, sometimes you’ve just got to splash out on a special meal or the perfect souvenir — but nobody needs to be surprised by an unexpectedly large holiday phone bill. Roaming fees can really add up, but that stops being an issue with the right eSIM.
3. Reliable networks
When you’re travelling to different countries, you might be unsure about what phone operators offer the best service. This is where an eSIM that only connects to the best and most reliable local operators offers additional peace of mind. After all, you’d much rather use your data to search for “Best traditional restaurants in Lisbon” than “What is Portugal’s best-rated phone company?”.
4. Generous data (and call minutes, too)
As well as looking at your telecommunications budget and the length of time you’ll be travelling, it’s important to be realistic about your usage requirements. Packages with unlimited local minutes and unlimited texts are useful, especially if you like being spontaneous.
Data use can be a tricky one to calculate. If you’re unsure of how much data you’ll go through during your trip, seeking out an affordable package that includes a high data allowance, like one from SimLocal, might be the most stress-free option. For most travellers, navigation, social media, browsing and making bookings are the main uses for mobile data.
If you want to use streaming services while you’re on the move — or not on the move if you’re waiting for ages for a bus, train or plane — be aware that doing this can chew through a lot of data.
Is there one eSIM for all of Europe?
Yes, there are Europe-wide eSIMs, which are great for multi-country continental travel. However, you might need to look at a different plan if your trip includes Turkey, which is outside the EU.
Brexit may have added some extra bureaucracy for travellers with non-EU passports, but the good news is that EE’s Europe-wide eSIMs cover the UK, as well as at least 40 other countries with a range of prices to cater to different budgets and data usage needs.
For those who are including Turkey in their itinerary, Turkey-specific eSIMS start at a very reasonable £3.00 for 7 days, while global Smartroam packages, which cover 98-100 countries, including Turkey, are priced between £3.00–£5.00 for 1-3 days.
Bon voyage!
Choosing an eSIM for a multi-country European trip — before you depart on your travels — makes so much sense. It eliminates unnecessary SIM-card admin every time you cross a border. Now, pack your bags, make sure your passport is up to date, check your visa requirements and we’ll see you when you share those magical moments online.
While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change.
