How to get data in Europe — without the hidden costs
Roaming, public WiFi, local SIMs, eSIMs — what actually works, what's risky, and what's cheapest in 2026.
Your four options for staying connected
Travelling to Europe means deciding how to handle mobile data before you land. The good news: you have four real options — international roaming, public WiFi, a local SIM card, and a travel eSIM. Each has different trade-offs on price, convenience, and risk.
Roaming from your home carrier is the default but rarely the best choice. Most US, Canadian, and Australian carriers charge $10–$15 per day for international data, which adds up fast on a two-week trip. Some EU carriers include intra-EU roaming for free, but that stops at the EU border — Switzerland, Norway, the UK, and Turkey are not covered.
Local SIM cards offer great value on long stays but require you to find a store after landing, swap your primary SIM, and lose your home number while abroad. For a short trip through three or four countries, it's rarely worth the hassle.
A travel eSIM lets you install data before you leave home, keep your main number active, and start using it the moment you land. Multi-country Europe plans cover 30–50 countries on a single plan, so one purchase handles France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and beyond.
Carrier roaming: expensive by design
International roaming from US and non-EU carriers typically costs $10–$15/day. A 10-day trip to Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin can cost $100–$150 in data charges alone. Even carriers that advertise "free" international data often throttle speeds to 256 kbps — which barely loads maps.
Public WiFi is not safe
Airport, hotel, and café WiFi networks are unencrypted. Anyone on the same network can intercept your traffic. Logging into banking apps, email, or anything with a password over public WiFi is a real risk — even in Western Europe. A cellular data plan eliminates this exposure entirely.
Avoid street-vendor and airport-kiosk eSIMs
Counterfeit or grey-market eSIM QR codes sold at airport kiosks, tourist shops, and online marketplaces can fail to activate, cut out mid-trip, or come with zero customer support. Always buy from a verified provider with a transparent refund policy and a support channel you can reach.
Single-country plans
Best value when you're spending most of your trip in one country.
Multi-country Europe plans
One plan covering 30+ countries — no swapping, no per-country fees.
Travelling long-term or around the world?
Global eSIMs cover 130+ countries on a single plan — ideal for open-ended trips, digital nomads, and round-the-world routes.
See global plansRelated reading
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