Planning your trip to Europe and wondering how to stay connected? Don't get stuck with high roaming costs or slow overseas data roaming packages! Get yourself a sim card for traveling in Europe. This is a guide for finding the best European sim card for you, whether you need a physical prepaid sim card or an e-sim cards for Europe. Find out where to order one, up to date prices as per November 2023 and everything else you need to know before ordering a sim card for traveling in Europe.
For my research finding the best sim card for Europe I traveled to every European country. I put together complete guides for finding the best prepaid and e-sim card for Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Poland, France, Sweden, UK, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and all others.
On top of that I also wrote guides for all major airports in Europe: Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Geneva, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Dublin, Madrid, Manchester, Lisbon, Rome, Milan, Venice, Vienna, Oslo and many more.
Getting connected is the first thing I do when I get to a new country. Depending on the length of my trip that means either buying a local prepaid sim card or ordering an e-sim card. Because I am also aiming to visit every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all around the world: USA, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, Asia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and many more!
So next time you plan your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card and e-sim card advice for your next destination. Bookmark me!
My Europe sim card recommendation for 2023
Buying a local prepaid sim card is the cheapest way to stay connected when traveling to Europe in 2023. In the links above you will find specific guides for buying a local prepaid sim card per country or airport, which means on arrival in Europe.
But I can totally understand that you want to travel to Europe and be complete prepared and want to be connected as soon as the plane lands. Ordering a sim card for Europe on the internet is super easy and there are amazing tourist sim card deals available.
1. Bouygues Telecom - 30 GB - $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data
- valid for 30 days
- unlimited calling & texting
- valid in all of Europe
2. Bouygues Telecom - 15 GB - $21.90 USD
- 15 GB data
- valid for 15 days
- unlimited calling & texting
- valid in all of Europe
Click here to directly order a Bouygues Telecom e-sim card for traveling to Europe.
Traveltomtom ranks the Bouygues Telecom e-sim cards as the best sim cards for traveling to Europe in 2023. The bigger data plan gives you 30 GB data for 30 days for $44.90 USD including unlimited calling and texting and the smaller data plan gives you 15 GB data for 15 days for $21.90 USD including unlimited calling and texting. More info below.
If you are looking for a physical prepaid sim card then Orange Holiday Europe is the best sim card and you get 30 GB data for 15 days including unlimited calling and texting plus 120 minutes to anywhere in the world for $49.90 USD.
Don't waste your precious holiday time in Europe getting in line at the airport or waste an hour waiting for your turn in a local sim card store. No more language barriers. Order a sim card for Europe online before your trip! How? This is your ultimate guide, read everything you need to know below and get connected instantly.
Traveltomtom's personal tip for traveling to Europe in 2023? Buy an e-sim card for Europe. Easy, fast and no need to swap physical sim cards anymore. You can already get 15 GB data for $21.90 USD. However, only for those who have e-sim compatible phones. If not, then opt for one of the amazing physical prepaid sim card deals that will be delivered to your home address.
The best e-sim cards for Europe are offered by Airalo, SimOptions and Nomad. Click on the link to directly buy them online or see the below comparison of the best sim cards for Europe first.
All the sim cards listed in this article are European sim cards with data that you can order online before your trip. All these international prepaid sim cards will be shipped to your home address before your trip and are activated automatically from its first use. In most case there is free shipping to the US included. E-sim cards for Europe obviously go through email.
Be aware that some e-sim cards are valid from the moment they are activated.
Traveltomtom also recommends world sim cards with global coverage. Check out my article with a comparison of the best international sim cards for travelling in 2023.
Sim card for Europe with unlimited data
Traveltomtom does not recommend sim cards for Europe with unlimited data. With most of these sim cards you will end up frustrated! Always double check at what speed you get unlimited data, because in reality 'unlimited' is mostly not 'unlimited'.
There is pretty much always a FUP (Fair Use Policy) on these Europe sim cards with unlimited data.
For example Holafly sells e-sim cards with unlimited data for Europe, but in the small letters you will find this: the eSIM includes unlimited data for the contracted time. However, please note that the carrier may reserve the right to apply a Fair Usage Policy.
This literally means that if the operator thinks you are using too much data on a day, they reduce your data speed. Holafly does not specify what the FUP is. From my own experience I can tell you that this already applies sometimes after using 2 GB data per day. When this happens your data speed is reduced to something like 512 Kbps which means you can barely send a photo through WhatsApp and your social media apps won't work for a full 24 hours.
To avoid all this hassle, Traveltomtom does not recommend sim cards for Europe with unlimited data, unless the Fair Use Policy is clearly mentioned and it is above 100 GB data per month or something similar.
Why buying a sim card for Europe
A very simple question? Do you want to rely on others when traveling to Europe? Yes, your hotel, bar, restaurant, train and even park have free public WiFi these days. So getting WiFi when traveling is fairly easy. Yet, Traveltomtom still recommend you getting a sim card for Europe.
First of all public WiFi can not be trusted in speed, signal and security. What if the signal in your hotel room is weak and you can't change rooms? Or it is too slow to even upload an Instagram story. Getting connected with your phone makes traveling so much easier, just like real life!
Also another reminder that surfing the internet on public WiFi is through an UNSECURED network. The use of a VPN is recommended in these cases to protect your privacy.
Think about ordering a cab on the streets through a taxi app, or getting directions from Google Maps and finding a nearby restaurants with good reviews or finding out the train schedule to get back to your hotel. So many reasons Traveltomtom recommends getting a sim card for your trip to Europe.
Local sim card vs. European sim card
All sim cards mentioned in this article are sim cards with FREE EU roaming intended for those that visit a couple countries on a short trip. However, if you only travel to 1 or 2 countries in Europe you might be better off buying a local sim card on arrival. Local sim cards are mostly valid in 1 country only. Especially for a trip to Eastern Europe I would recommend buying a local sim card, rather than a European sim card.
For a complete overview of all sim card prices per country have a look at my guide for buying a local sim card in Europe in 2023.
I love traveling in Europe off the beaten path, have a look at my 12 secret places to visit. I bet some of them you have never even heard of.
To make it all easy for travelers coming to Europe, just buy your sim card online before your trip! Here are the 12 best European prepaid sim cards and e-sim cards for Europe. The best ones are ranked first...
1. Bouygues Telecom My European eSIM - 30 GB
The Bouygues Telecom prepaid sim card for tourists is rated as the best sim card for traveling to Europe in 2023 by Traveltomtom. Unfortunately the Bouygues Telecom tourist sim card is ONLY available as an e-sim card and not as a physical prepaid sim card, so make sure your phone is e-sim compatible.
Price: $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data in all of the EU countries including UK, Norway, Iceland
- Switzerland is NOT included
- Unlimited calling & texting in Europe
- Valid for 30 days
- Top up is possible
- E-sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33
- Can receive sms and calls
- You have to activate the e-sim card within 1 year after purchase
- Automatically activates from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe
Click here to directly order a Bouygues Telecom e-sim card for Europe.
This Bouygues Telecom e-sim card package is called My European eSIM and it has the best value for money with $1.5 USD per 1 GB data. On top of that this e-sim card is valid for 30 days and therefore it is mentioned first in my list of the best sim cards for Europe in 2023.
2. Orange Holiday Europe - 30 GB
One of the best sim cards for traveling in Europe is the Orange Holiday Europe sim card for tourists, especially if you are looking for a Europe sim card including international minutes. It is available as physical prepaid sim card as well as e-sim card and you can order it directly online.
Price: $49.90 USD
- 30 GB data in all of the EU including Switzerland, UK, Iceland and Norway
- Unlimited calling & texting in Europe
- 120 minutes to any country in the world
- 1000 sms to any country in the world
- Valid 14 days
- Automatically activated from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe
- Top up available
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
- Sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33
This Europe sim card has been upgraded from 20 GB to 30 GB data.
Click here to order this Orange Holiday Europe sim card for Europe as a physical prepaid sim card and click here to order the Orange Holiday Europe as an e-sim card.
Great advantage of this Orange tourist sim card for Europe is that it has international calling minutes included. The downside about the Orange Holiday Europe prepaid sim card is that it is valid for only 14 days. If your trip to Europe is longer than 14 days I recommend you getting a different prepaid or e-sim card for Europe so you don't have to worry about topping up during your holiday.
3. Eurolink eSIM from Airalo
Airalo is a trusted e-sim card provider and offers e-sim cards for pretty much every country in the world. Their Europe e-sim card plans are more expensive than other e-sim cards for Europe, but the reason why they are ranked this high in this European sim card comparison is because it is the only sim card for Europe you can buy on the internet that is 5G READY!
Eurolink e-sim cards also have plans for 3 months and even for 6 months, which could be very interesting for some travelers.
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $13 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $20 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $37 USD
- 50 GB data for 90 days = $100 USD
- 100 GB data for 180 days = $185 USD
Click here to order an Eurolink e-sim card for Europe directly on Airalo.
Eurolink e-sim cards are valid in all of Europe including Iceland, Norway, UK, Switzerland, Ukraine and even in Turkey!
5G is available in: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK. All other countries there is only 4G/LTE network available.
4. Bouygues Telecom Travel Basic+ - 15 GB
This is another e-sim card only plan from Bouygues Telecom, basically a cheaper plan. This European sim card is for those travelers who stay less than 15 days and only need about 1 GB per day.
Price: $21.90 USD
- 15 GB data in all of the EU countries including UK, Norway, Iceland
- Switzerland is NOT included
- Unlimited calling & texting in Europe
- Valid for 15 days
- Top up is possible
- E-sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33
- Can receive sms and calls
- You have to activate the e-sim card within 1 year after purchase
- Automatically activates from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe
Click here to directly order a Bouygues Telecom e-sim card for Europe.
This Bouygues Telecom sim card is not available as a physical prepaid sim card, only as an e-sim card.
5. Orange Holiday Europe e-sim for 28 days - 50 GB
This is the latest addition to the family of the Orange sim cards for traveling in Europe. It is the bigger brother of the Orange Holiday Europe sim card, but only available as an e-sim card at the moment.
Price: $59.90 USD
- 50 GB data in all of the EU including Switzerland, UK, Iceland and Norway
- Unlimited calling & texting in Europe
- 120 minutes to any country in the world
- 1000 sms to any country in the world
- Valid 28 days
- Automatically activated from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe
- Top up available
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
- Sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33
Click here to order the Orange Holiday Europe e-sim card for 28 days.
6. Three (3) Data Pack - 10 GB
This Three UK sim card is only available as a physical prepaid sim card and NOT as an e-sim. It will be delivered to your home address and it is plug and play on arrival in Europe.
Price: $24.90 USD
- 10 GB data in all of Europe including Switzerland, UK, Norway, Iceland and up to 30 countries outside of Europe
- Unlimited calls/sms in all of Europe
- 5G ready
- Valid 30 days from inserting in phone
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
- No top up possible
- Sim card comes with a phone number from UK starting with +44
Click here to directly order a Three Data Pack physical sim card for traveling to Europe.
Big plus is that this Europe sim card is 5G ready and includes unlimited calls/sms in Europe and up to 30 other countries around the world like USA, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Israel, Singapore, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Colombia and many more.
7. Nomad eSIM for Europe
Nomad has some of the cheapest e-sim cards for traveling in Europe with some amazing value plans. They go as low as $1.25 USD per GB data. However, all the e-sim cards plans from Nomad are 4G/LTE only, 5G is not supported yet.
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $7 USD
- 3 GB data for 15 days = $12 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $14 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $22 USD
- 15 GB data for 30 days = $29 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $25 USD
Click here to order a Nomad e-sim card for traveling in Europe.
The Nomad e-sim cards are data-only sim cards for Europe and do not come with a phone number. Incoming and outgoing calls are not supported.
8. O2 Go Card Prepaid sim card - 10 GB
This O2 sim card plan from Czech Republic is available as a physical prepaid sim card as well as an e-sim card. When you order this physical sim card it will be delivered to your home address before your trip to Europe.
Price: $24.90 USD
- 10 GB data in all of Europe (Switzerland NOT included)
- $2 credit for calls in Europe (top up online available only for EU citizens. For non-EU citizens only within Czech Republic)
- $2 credit for sms in Europe
- Receiving unlimited calls in all of the covered countries in Europe
- Valid for 30 days from its installation, even if not in Europe yet
- It comes with a Czech number starting with +420
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
Click here to order an O2 Go Card as a physical prepaid sim card and here as an e-sim card.
9. SimOptions Europe e-sim for 60 days - 50 GB
Price $99.90 USD
- 50 GB data in all of the EU (NOT in Iceland)
- Data-only sim card
- Valid for 60 days as soon as the e-sim has been downloaded and activated
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
Unfortunately this e-sim card for Europe does not support local calls. That said, in Europe everyone uses WhatsApp calls anyway. This e-sim card is a great way to stay connected when traveling to Europe for more than 1 month.
10. Orange Holiday Zen sim card for Europe - 12 GB
Price: $29.90 USD
- 12 GB data in all of Europe including Switzerland, UK, Iceland and Norway
- Unlimited calling & texting in Europe
- 120 minutes to any country in the world
- 1000 sms to any country in the world
- Valid for 14 days from the first time it connects to a supported network in Europe
- Top up available
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
- Sim card comes with a phone number from France starting with +33
The smaller brother of the Orange Holiday Europe sim card is called the Orange Holiday Zen. Unlimited calls/texting in Europe and 12 GB, so much smaller data plan, but also cheaper.
Click here to order this Orange Holiday Zen sim card for Europe as a physical prepaid sim card and click here to order the Orange Holiday Zen as an e-sim card.
11. Three (3) sim card for Europe - 12 GB - 1 year
If you travel to Europe often and don't want to order a sim card all the time then check out this physical prepaid sim card that is valid for 1 year
Price: $59.90 USD
- 12 GB data in all of Europe including Switzerland, UK, Norway, Iceland and even some overseas territories of EU countries
- Unlimited calls/sms in all of Europe
- Valid for 1 year from inserting in phone
- ID verification/registration is NOT required
- No top up possible
- Sim card comes with a phone number from UK starting with +44
- Unlimited receiving calls and text within Europe
Free data roaming on European sim cards
The European Union came in 2017 finally with the genius idea to let go of roaming charges within the EU countries. Therefore in 2017 people can use their sim card from Spain in Italy and their Germany sim card in Sweden without any extra charges. For people looking for a sim card for Europe travel this was the best news ever of course.
Therefore upon arrival in Europe you can potentially buy a local prepaid sim card for tourists and be connected to the internet in all other countries you visit in Europe. However, there are a lot of exceptions, so keep reading…
The biggest exceptions are: UK, Switzerland and Norway. As you might know these are countries in Europe, but they are NOT part of the European Union, which means roaming costs can apply for these countries.
Brexit threw the UK out of the European Union and one of the major problems is the free EU roaming on UK prepaid sim cards. Most of the prepaid and e-sim cards you buy in the UK do not include free EU roaming anymore. For more info see my guide for buying a sim card in the UK in 2023.
Buying a local sim card on arrival in Europe
Sometimes the best European sim card deals you get on arrival in Europe. In France for example you get 150 GB data for €20 EUR and data bundles in Italy are also very affordable. Most countries in Eastern Europe offer amazing local prepaid sim card deals but they do NOT offer free EU data roaming.
Therefore I recommend you to check my complete guide for buying a local sim card in Europe in 2023, with a specific list of every country in Europe and what prices to expect on arrival before buying a sim card for Europe.
I hope all the above tips for finding the best sim card for your trip to Europe in 2023 were helpful. If you still have questions please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment below.
Looking for off the beaten path destinations in Europe then click on the link and I bet most of those places you have never even heard of. Let me fuel you with some more wanderlust.
If interested check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom to see more of my journey to visit every country in the world. As of November 2023 I have traveled to more than 155 countries, but no rush to reach 197.
Enjoy your trip to Europe!
Some links in this article about the best travel sim cards for Europe are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate links I earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you!