Travelling in Europe with an eSIM is the easiest way to get mobile data as soon as you land, without looking for a shop or swapping your physical SIM card. A Europe eSIM works on compatible phones (recent iPhone, Google Pixel, Samsung, etc.) and is installed via a QR code or activation link. In just a few minutes you have a ready-to-use data plan for navigation, maps, ride-hailing, tickets and translation.

There are two main types of plans:

• Multi-country Europe: ideal for a road trip or an itinerary with several capitals (Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon, Berlin, Athens…). One single plan covers many countries, and you don’t have to change anything when you cross borders.

• Single-country: often slightly cheaper if you stay in one destination only (e.g. Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland).

To choose the right option, keep three things in mind:

1. Duration & validity – Plans are available for 7, 10, 15 or 30 days (or more). Depending on the provider, validity starts either when you activate the eSIM on your phone or at the first network connection in the target country. Check this on the product page if you plan to activate before departure.

2. Data allowance – 3 to 5 GB is enough for a long weekend if you mostly use Wi-Fi; 10 to 20 GB works well for 1 to 2 weeks; beyond that, look for rechargeable plans or “unlimited” data (often with a fair-use policy and speed throttling after a certain threshold).

3. Network & features – 5G is available in many European cities, but not everywhere, and not all eSIMs include it. Offers also indicate whether hotspot/tethering is allowed and whether top-ups are possible directly via the app/provider.

For configuration, you can keep your primary SIM for calls/WhatsApp if you like, and set the Europe eSIM as your data line (then enable data roaming for that line). Consider disabling system updates over 4G/5G if you want to control your usage. If you have issues, a simple APN tweak fixes most connection problems.

Our selection highlights reliable offers, fairly priced, easy to top up and with solid coverage in the main tourist destinations. Browse the countries above to see our 3 recommendations per destination, or open the full comparison to filter by price/GB, 5G, hotspot and duration.