I remember my first trip to Bordeaux – the one where I fell in love with the French city and decided I would move here. But it wasn’t without its’ frustrations. I arrived on a Sunday for a river cruise and my first order of business was tracking down a SIM card so that I would have data to fulfill my obligations of posting my river cruise to social media, as is such the life of a travel blogger on a press trip. Living in Italy at the time, I had little hope after the shop at the airport I’d planned to buy a local SIM card at was closed because it was Sunday.
This was 2015 and a time, if we can even imagine it these days, before the eSIMs were widely available and even before the EU banned roaming charges for EU customer plans and when traveling within the EU. If eSIMS had only existed back then, I wouldn’t have wasted half my day trying to find a SIM card at an open tabac.
These days you have a variety of eSIM providers to choose from, you can get it set up before you even leave home, and then simply turn on your eSIM for an instant connection when you travel abroad. And I think that is more important then ever when things like plane, train and tram tickets have become digital and we depend on our phones for navigation and more.
I’ve since had ample opportunities to try out various eSIM providers while traveling from Africa to even the US and Canada, and Airalo is definitely my favorite. I’ve unfortunately had issues with other eSIM providers that required WiFi to be able to contact customer service in order to get the eSIM working.
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store and offers the most plan options to fit any budget and need. I also think Airalo is the best eSIM for Europe, with a variety of plans to choose from and a proven track record.
Airalo Plans and Pricing
Airalo’s Europe eSIM regional plans are perfect if you plan to visit multiple European countries on your trip and are available in a number of options, which you can choose by how long you plan to travel Europe and the amount of data you need.
EU + UK eSIM
The Airalo EU + UK eSIM covers all countries in the European Union and includes coverage in the United Kingdom, making a perfect choice for a trip that includes both the UK and EU countries like France, Italy or Spain.
Prices for the regional EU + UK eSIM start from just €4 for 1 GB of data and a duration of 3 days up to €44 for 50 GB and a duration of 30 days.
There are also unlimited data plans starting from €9 for 3 days up to €52 for 30 days.
Countries included in the EU + UK eSIM plan include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Europe eSIM
The Airalo Europe eSIM included 42 countries and is a great choice for trips that include both EU countries and European countries not part of the European Union, including the United Kingdom.
Prices for the regional Europe eSIM start from just €4.50 for 1 GB of data and a duration of 3 days up to €165.50 for 100 GB and a duration of 180 days.
There are also unlimited data plans starting from €10.50 for 3 days up to €65 for 30 days.
Countries included in the Europe eSIM include: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Europe eSIM by Country
There’s also the option of country specific Europe eSIMs, so if for example you only plan to visit Italy, you can select from plans starting from €4 for 1 GB of data and a duration of 3 days up to €32.50 for 50 GB and a duration of 30 days. Unlimited data plans are similarly available as with the regional Europe eSIM.
All Airalo plans are data only, meaning you don’t have a local phone number, and can be purchased and installed before you even leave for Europe. Your Airalo eSIM is managed entirely inside the Airalo app and is as convenient as simply turning it on once you land.
With data only, you’ll be able to do things like check and respond to email, use WhatsApp for texts and calls, Facetime, use navigation apps, upload videos and photos to social media, access banking apps, and even stream from subscription services like Netflix. What you aren’t able to do with a data only eSIM is make phone calls and receive text messages using your mobile phone number.
How to Set Up Your Airalo eSIM
Setting up an Airalo eSIM is super easy, just be sure you do it before you fly, because once you’ve arrived in Europe you’ll need to find WiFi first in order to download anything.
1. Verify your phone supports eSIM and install the Airalo app
Make sure your phone model supports eSIM and is unlocked. Most newer iPhones and many Androids do support eSIM, but you can double check with a quick Google of your phone model. Download the Airalo app while you’re still on reliable Wi-Fi.
2. Buy your Europe eSIM
For the price, I just recommend purchasing the regional Europe eSIM. That way if you have a layover in another country or decide to travel to multiple European destinations, you are covered by your eSIM. You also don’t need to overthink how much data you will need. Either opt for an unlimited eSIM or top up as needed, which is simple to do in the app.
3. Install your Airalo eSIM
In the Airalo app, go to “My eSIMs” and follow the prompts to install your eSIM. The app guides you step-by-step through the process and takes just a few minutes.
After installing, you’ll want to leave the eSIM inactive until you arrive in Europe. You’ll have the option to leave your main SIM as the default, and you can easily switch to the Airalo eSIM once you land at your first destination in Europe.
4. Turn your Airalo eSIM on when you arrive
After landing, switch your mobile data to the Airalo Europe eSIM and be sure that data roaming is turned on for that line. Within a minute or so, your phone should connect to the internet.
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