It wasn’t a million years ago that whenever you’d travel to a new country, and want to use your phone, you’d have to take out your old SIM and switch it out for a new one for every country you visited. How times have changed thanks to the introduction of eSIMs.
You can install a new eSIM, which works in perfect harmony with your current SIM, and go about your phone usage as you normally would. You get to keep the same phone number for calls and texts – especially important for keeping in touch with your loved ones when you’re navigating a new place.
However, not all eSIMs are created equally, and some have greater benefits depending on the type of trip you are on. Here’s our rundown of the 8 best SIM cards to consider when you next travel to Europe.
| Best eSIMs For Travelling To Europe | |
|---|---|
| Maaltalk | Best Overall |
| Lyca Mobile | Best 5G Connectivity |
| Ubigi | Most Suitable For Hotspot Usage |
| Holafly | Most Customizable Plan |
| Saily | Best For Security |
| Airalo | Easiest Set Up |
| Three | Best For UK Travel |
| Simify | Best For International Travel |
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 1. Maaltalk
When traveling to Europe or even further abroad then you’ll really want to consider Maaltalk. It heads up our list being the best overall eSIM due to the vast amount of different plans you can choose from including fixed, daily and unlimited data plans to cover your every need.
You’ll always be able to find a good deal, with Maaltalk frequently having discounts and promotional offers, like welcome deals for new customers or an ongoing 10% off. You get this deal when downloading the free MaaltalkNow AI Travel App – which is really what sets this eSIM apart from the rest. Aside from getting an excellent discount the app offers clever tools to improve your trip, like an AI-powered travel agent.
Overall Rating: 5/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 2. Lyca Mobile
Lyca Mobile helps you stay connected with excellent 5G coverage across all of Europe. It’s a big feature of this brand’s eSIM deals, as well as the options to choose either pay monthly or pay-as-you-go plans.
This flexibility means you can reap the benefits of superfast 5G in a way that suits your travel budget. Prices can be a bit steep, though Lyca Mobile has a great referral program that’s ideal if you’re traveling with friends. Refer one of your travel buddies to pocket up to $85.
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 3. Ubigi
Digital nomads and avid Netflix users will love the Ubigi eSIM plans. It has regional European SIMs for every country on the continent, and the big draw here is its mobile tethering compatibility.
Some European travel eSIMs won’t let you connect to your mobile hotspot, which means you’re stuck using dodgy local wifi connections to get online on your laptop or tablet. With Ubigi you simply connect as you would with any mobile hotspot and can use the data that way. Perfect if you’re doing a bit of work or want to connect a different device.
Overall Rating: 4.8/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 4. Holafly
Holafly claims to be the best eSIM for international travel, and this extends to any vacations you have in Europe. It’s got unlimited data plans, no roaming charges, and easy installation. On top of all of this, it’s easily the best for customizable data plans.
You can tweak so many things when taking out a plan with Holafly, which enables you to create something that suits both your needs and budget. Choose how much data you require, pick how long you’ll need the eSIM for, and so much more.
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 5. Saily
Ever heard of NordVPN? It’s one of the biggest VPN providers in the world, and they’ve branched out into the eSIM industry with Saily. At first glance this eSIM has all the same attributes as the others on this list: great compatibility with European networks, different plans and prices, etc.
However, the biggest difference with Saily is its amazing security features. As you’d expect from a brand owned by NordVPN, Saily eSIMs come with added data encryption to keep your mobile browsing habits as private and secure as can be.
Overall Rating: 4.6/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 6. Airalo
Airalo is a top European eSIM for those who want the utmost convenience. There’s no faffing around with this eSIM; it has the easiest setup of all travel SIMs out there. You get everything up and running in a few seconds, thanks to very fast email confirmation and a simple setup link.
A really good option when you’re in a hurry and need to buy an eSIM ASAP. One word of warning: you don’t get voice minutes with most of Airalo’s European eSIM packages, so keep that in mind if you plan on making calls while abroad.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 7. Three
Are you traveling to the UK? If so, you might want to consider a Three eSIM. Three is one of many UK network providers, which means your eSIM will work perfectly in the country. Pick any plan you like and choose between PAYG or pay monthly.
What’s great about Three is that most of its plans come with free data roaming for Europe. This means you can bag an eSIM for your British excursion and rely on it for any additional European travels you’ve got planned.
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
8 Best SIM Cards For Traveling To Europe – 8. Simify
Simify stands out with its tremendous offering of unlimited data eSIMs. If you want an eSIM to handle European travel exclusively, then it does provide a lot of options that give you the data you need for up to 90 days.
Or, you can take out an international eSIM, which is where this brand really excels. Pick a plan that gives you network coverage for all of Europe and many other countries/regions in the world. A really good option for the serious travelers out there who’ll start in Europe and venture elsewhere.
Overall Rating: 4.4/5
Don’t blow half of your travel budget paying data roaming charges in Europe; get an eSIM with all the data you need, and at a more affordable cost. You’ve got many options to choose from on this list, so it’s impossible to go wrong.