Everything you need to know about how to have internet in Europe while traveling, whether for working as a digital nomad or just for leisure. What is the best option and how to get unlimited internet in Europe.
Whether you live in a European country and want to travel or work in another, or you are planning a trip to Europe from anywhere in the world, or you are simply a digital nomad working online from anywhere, you will be interested in knowing how to have internet in Europe.
Nowadays, there are several options to connect to the internet in Europe, whether by purchasing a SIM card from a European country, using a portable Wi-Fi router, or with an eSIM.
Below, we provide you with tips on how to have internet in Europe and the different options available.
🔝 Planning a trip to Europe? Check out this article on the best travel insurance for Europe with prices and comparisons.
Buying a European SIM card to have internet in Europe
There are many mobile phone companies that offer SIM cards with data for browsing the internet in Europe. In any European country, you can buy a SIM card, as there are many companies providing the service in each country. However, there are usually two with good coverage that are available in most European countries: Vodafone and Orange.
Buying a SIM card in a European country allows you to use the GB included in your data plan in that country (each company offers different GB plans at various prices), and also to use internet data in other European countries thanks to the free European roaming service.
But be careful! In some European countries, buying a SIM card is not easy, as you may be required to have a bank account in the country where you purchase the SIM for payment or to provide an identity document from that country.
In Spain, it is easy to purchase a SIM card. Mobile companies sell them in their stores, and you can buy one with just a passport.
In other countries, like France, it is more complicated as they require a French bank account for payment. The only option we found was to buy a SIM card from Free Mobile, which is available through vending machines and can be paid for with a foreign credit card.
Contract or prepaid: Which SIM card to buy in Europe for internet
Clearly, prepaid is the best option for topping up credit whenever you want and having flexible data if you do not live in a European country. Additionally, it prevents you from being “tied” to a contract, especially if you will only be using it for a short time.
However, many companies now include some flexibility in their contract data plans, allowing you to change your data package each month. We bought a contract SIM card in France with 210 GB for €20 per month, but it allows us to reduce the plan to just €2 per month, preventing the mobile number from being deactivated due to inactivity—ideal if you plan to return to France or Europe soon.
Currently, whether with a contract or prepaid plan, all packages include free European roaming. This means you can continue using mobile data when traveling from one country to another in Europe at no extra cost.
But beware, European roaming has a limitation, which we explain below.
What is European roaming?
Here’s the key point. Currently, all mobile companies within the European Union provide free roaming. This means that if you buy a SIM card in Spain or Italy, for example, you will have internet data in any European Union country (Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Cyprus, Slovenia, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, and Romania).
However, not all European countries are part of the European Union. For example, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Andorra are not included in this agreement. This means that in these countries, you will have to pay for mobile data.
Some European telecom companies also offer free roaming in certain non-EU countries, such as the United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway, and even the United States.
How Much Mobile Data Do I Have with European Roaming?
This is the fine print you need to check when buying a SIM card for internet in Europe. Even if you purchase an unlimited data plan, when using the internet outside the country where you bought the SIM, your data will be limited to a certain number of GB per month.
Depending on the GB plan you purchased with your SIM, the amount of data available in other European countries is drastically reduced.
Additionally, European roaming is usually available for only three months from the time you leave the country where you purchased the SIM.
For example, we have an unlimited GB plan with a SIM from Spain, but when we travel to another European country, that plan is reduced to 50 GB per month and is only available for three consecutive months. For us, who need constant internet access, that amount of data is very limited.
OUR EXPERIENCE Buying SIM Cards in Each Country We Visited (France, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, Austria, and Italy)
Due to the way we work and the phones we use, we are unable to use an eSIM (we wish we could!). So for now, since we live in a motorhome and are traveling while working across Europe, we are buying a new SIM card in each country we visit.
Our phone numbers are from Spain, and we have a contract there. So while traveling within the country, we also use an additional SIM card with unlimited data from Movistar.
But here, we’ll share what we’ve done in other countries, and we’ll keep updating this information as we explore more:
Some Important Notes:
- Unlocking a SIM: Physical SIM cards usually come with a PIN, so you need to unlock it before inserting it into a modem.
- Can It Be Used in a Modem? Not all physical SIM cards are compatible with modems. In this case, check if your phone can also function as a modem or hotspot to share data with other devices.
- Where to Find More Options? We use the website Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki to check available options before entering a new country. It is fairly up to date.
Prepaid Data in France
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free Mobile | 350 GB in France and 35 GB for roaming (valid in Germany and Switzerland) | €19.90/month (no contract) |
While Free has official stores, we purchased the physical SIM card at a newsstand-style shop or kiosk located in a supermarket/gas station outside a city.
We actually found physical SIM card vending machines in these stores, and the whole process is automated.
We would run out of the 350 GB plan pretty quickly and just buy another one right away. You can only pay by credit card.
⚠️ Warning: At Free Mobile vending machines, you’ll be asked whether you want a SIM valid for 1 month or an “unlimited” option. If you accidentally choose “unlimited,” you’ll be signing up for a yearly contract that is very difficult to cancel. Make sure you select the 1-month option.
Prepaid Data in Slovenia
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Telemach | Unlimited | €2 |
Telemach offers unlimited data for just €2, available in their stores.
Prepaid Data in Hungary
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Magyar Telekom | Unlimited + 20 GB roaming | 990 HUF (€2.50) for the SIM card 9,990 HUF (€25) for credit |
We bought the physical SIM card at a Magyar Telekom store. You then need to download their app to top up and activate the “Maraton” plan.
Prepaid Data in Romania
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Vodafone | Unlimited / 30 days | €10 |
Cannot be used in a modem, only in mobile phones.
Prepaid Data in Moldova
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | 20 GB | €15 |
Since we were staying for only a few days, we got a small data package. There weren’t many other options at the time.
Prepaid Data in Slovakia
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Telekom | 10 GB + unlimited | €5 SIM card + credit €10 / 10 GB + credit €2/day unlimited |
It was the most challenging place to find a good data package because there were no large GB plans available.
We bought a physical SIM card for €5 and then added €10 credit for 10 GB. This €15 total credit could be used to purchase additional packages.
Issue: The €2 unlimited data per day plan can only be activated through the Telekom Slovakia app, which can only be downloaded on a Slovakian phone.
Solution: We downloaded Google Play on a computer, created a Slovak email just in case, and were able to download the Telekom Slovakia app on our laptop to purchase the plan daily.
Prepaid Data in Austria
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Magenta Telekom | Unlimited | €35 |
In the store, we purchased a physical SIM card for €35 with unlimited data at a maximum download speed of 100 Mbps (there was another option with 200 Mbps for €45, but this one worked fine for us).
During summer, prices tend to be higher, whereas in winter, you can find good deals for around €25 with unlimited data at a maximum speed of 150 Mbps.
Most providers have similar pricing.
Prepaid Data in Italy
| Company | Data | Price |
|---|---|---|
| WindTre | Unlimited | €20 for the SIM (*) €20 for the first top-up €20 for subsequent recharges |
(*) I believe this charge was due to purchasing it late on a Saturday in a small mountain village in the Dolomites, where there were no other options.
Top-up: Can be done via the app or in specialized stores.
Using free Wi-Fi networks in Europe
The second option for having internet in Europe is the cheapest one. Beyond the Wi-Fi network available at your accommodation, many European cities have public Wi-Fi networks available, especially in central areas of large cities and some beach areas.
The downside of using public Wi-Fi is that the signal is not always reliable, and if you need to perform banking transactions, enter passwords, or access sensitive information, these networks do not provide the necessary cybersecurity.
Using a pocket Wi-Fi or portable Wi-Fi
This option does not eliminate the need to buy a European SIM card, but the advantage is that it allows you to have a small pocket-sized router to connect all your devices to Wi-Fi (typically more than 10 at a time).
It works similarly to a home router, but with the advantage that it charges via a USB or wall socket and can be carried in your backpack or even in your pocket.
The battery usually lasts around six hours. There are different brands, and we use the HUAWEI E5576-320 Blanc 4G, which works perfectly for us.
Alternatively, you can use your smartphone as a router without needing to buy a separate portable Wi-Fi device. Many travelers bring an extra phone solely to use as a hotspot.
The best eSIM for Europe (with a 5% discount)
One day, eSIMs arrived to make life easier for travelers. With an eSIM, you no longer need to buy a physical SIM card in Europe. Instead, it works by scanning a QR code sent via email.
Yes, you heard that right! No need to insert a physical SIM card into your phone. Just scan the QR code and configure the eSIM on your smartphone to start browsing the internet, while keeping your original SIM in your phone and maintaining your WhatsApp number.
Currently, Holafly offers the best eSIM for internet in Europe. The purchase process is very simple: choose the data package you need from their website (they have plans for individual countries or multi-country packages), and within minutes, you receive the QR code via email.
This QR code should be scanned a few hours before traveling, and you must enable data roaming for it to work.
Here comes the downside—well, it’s not really a downside. The eSIM works on most latest-generation phones (iPhone XS and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, Google Pixel 3 and later). Check your specific model’s compatibility on Holafly’s website before purchasing. Here is the list of mobile phones that support eSIM.
🔝 Get your Holafly eSIM here with a 5% discount.
How to Have Unlimited Internet in Europe
If you’re looking to stay connected to the internet in Europe permanently with unlimited data, then the Holafly eSIM is the best option. All their plans include unlimited data; you just need to choose the number of days you want to purchase and your destination.
If you’re traveling to multiple European countries, you should choose the Europe destination eSIM. This way, you get unlimited data, and when you move between countries within Europe, you don’t need to do anything. The eSIM connected to your phone will detect the change, and you will continue with unlimited data access.
This eliminates the major issue of data limitations with European SIM cards when changing countries!
Additionally, Holafly offers the advantage of 24/7 customer support in Spanish for any questions or issues that may arise.
🔝 Get your Holafly eSIM here to have unlimited internet in Europe with a 5% discount.
What you need for your trips to Europe
Plan your journey easily with these trusted resources:
