Best eSIM for Europe: regional plans compared, and which countries they really cover

Which Europe eSIM fits your trip?

Start from your route rather than the cheapest price:

• One country only: a country plan is often cheaper than a regional one and may come with more data. Compare both on the country page, for example France or Italy.
• A city trip across two or three EU countries: a Europe plan with 5 to 10 GB covers most needs, and you install it only once.
• Interrail, a road trip or a longer tour: choose a plan with enough validity for the whole trip and check that every country on the route is on its list, including the ones you only pass through.
• A trip that includes the UK, Switzerland, Turkey or the Balkans: check the country list first; these are the countries most often left out.

Most Europe plans we track include 5G, and practically every plan that states a hotspot rule allows tethering. Plans with a phone number are rare; most give you data only.

The figures in the boxes and tables come from our database every time the page loads, so they show today's market rather than the day this guide was written.

Europe plan or country plan?

A regional plan works in every country on its list with one eSIM and one data balance. When you cross a border, the phone connects to a partner network in the next country, usually within a few minutes and without any action on your part.

A country plan only works in one country. It is the better buy when you stay in one place: country plans are often cheaper per GB, and some name the exact local network you will use. As soon as your trip includes a second country, a regional plan is usually simpler and often cheaper than two separate eSIMs.

Which countries does a Europe plan really cover?

Providers use “Europe” very differently. In our database, plan names alone range from about 8 countries to more than 40, and two plans called “Europe” rarely have the same list. Based on how many of the regional plans we track include each country:

On our Europe page, every plan shows how many countries it covers; click the number to see the exact list, or use the filter to show only plans that cover a country you need. If a country is missing from the list, your phone will have no data there, even if the plan is called “Europe”.

Europe eSIM prices: the cheapest plan for every data amount

Each row is the cheapest Europe plan we track for that amount of data with at least a week of validity. Two things to keep in mind:

• Cheap plans can have shorter country lists. Before you buy the cheapest row, expand its country list and check your route.
• Compare the price per GB. A 10 or 20 GB plan often costs only a little more than a 3 GB one, which makes the bigger plan a cheap insurance against running out mid-trip.

Many providers price their plans in US dollars; we convert them at the daily ECB rate and mark them, and your bank may add a fee for card payments in a foreign currency. Discount codes for many providers are on our promo codes page.

Unlimited data in Europe

Unlimited Europe plans almost always come with a daily allowance at full speed, after which the speed drops until the next day. In our data, the most common allowances for Europe are 1 to 3 GB per day, with reduced speeds between 128 kbps and 384 kbps; some plans offer one larger block of fast data instead. The table shows the cheapest plan of any kind and the cheapest with at least 2 GB per day for each validity.

Unlimited pays off if you stream, share the connection with a laptop, or simply do not want to count. For maps, messaging and photos on a typical trip, a fixed plan is often cheaper. Our guide Unlimited eSIM plans: how unlimited are they really? explains the limits and how to compare them.

Do you need an eSIM if you live in the EU?

If your phone plan is from an EU country, roaming in the other EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway is included under the EU's “roam like at home” rules, which run until 2032. For a trip that stays inside that zone, your own SIM may be all you need, as long as your data allowance is big enough; some tariffs apply a fair-use limit abroad.

A travel eSIM makes sense for EU residents in three cases:

• Countries outside the zone: Switzerland, the UK, Turkey and the non-EU Balkans are not covered by the EU rules, and many tariffs charge extra there.
• More data than your plan: if you use a lot of data abroad, a travel eSIM can be cheaper than buying extra data from your carrier.
• Cheap home tariffs with low roaming limits: check how much data your tariff allows in other EU countries.

Travellers from outside the EU, for example from the USA, the UK or Asia, usually save the most with a Europe eSIM. Our guide eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM compares the options in detail.

Networks, borders and ferries

A Europe plan connects to partner networks in each country, often to more than one, so the phone can switch to a stronger signal. Coverage is good in cities and along main roads and rail lines across Europe; it thins out in mountains, on remote islands and in some rural areas, as everywhere.

• Crossing a border: the switch to a network in the next country happens automatically. If the phone shows no service after a border, toggle airplane mode or choose a network manually.
• Ferries and cruise ships: at sea, phones can connect to the ship's own maritime network, which is not part of travel eSIM plans and can be very expensive on a home SIM. Keep data roaming off on your home SIM on board, and use Wi-Fi until you are back in range of a land network.
• Microstates and small territories: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Gibraltar and similar places are on some lists but not all. Check them if they are on your route.

How to set up your Europe eSIM

1. Check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked; our guide How to check if your phone supports eSIM shows how.
2. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you leave. On iPhone, our step-by-step guide How to install an eSIM on iPhone walks you through it.
3. Switch it on when you arrive: select the eSIM for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line. With many providers, the validity only starts at the first connection.
4. Turn off data roaming on your home SIM, unless you deliberately use your own tariff in the EU.

If something does not work after landing, our checklist eSIM not working abroad? 10 fixes goes through the usual causes.