The best eSIMs for Europe travel

Gone are the days where the only way you’d be able to connect to the internet is once you got back to your hotel. Instead, eSIMs offer an easy and cheap way of connecting on the go, avoiding data charges.

But, finding the right one probably isn’t what you want to be spending your time on. And you definitely don’t want to be fiddling with settings once you land or halfway through your trip.

We’ve listed our recommendations for the best eSims for Europe travel below, based on our experience of using each of the options below. We’ve kept this guide short because, well, it’s a guide to eSIMs – it’s not the most interesting topic and if you’re like us, you probably just want to buy it and forget about it.

Our best eSIM pick for most people: Airalo

Airalo is the easiest all-round option if you want to install an eSIM, arrive in Europe, and forget about it. This is the best option for most people, so if you don’t read to the end – just buy this one.

It offers Europe-wide plans, predictable behaviour across borders, and very little setup friction. It’s not always the cheapest, but it’s consistent and easy to use – which is just what we wanted.

Pros
Airalo’s biggest strength is reliability across countries. Europe plans typically connect to major local networks automatically, so you don’t need to change settings when you cross borders. Installation is simple (QR code or app), activation is clear, and top-ups are easy if you misjudge your data needs. For navigation, messaging, bookings, and general browsing, it behaves exactly as you’d expect.

Cons
Airalo’s so-called unlimited plans aren’t truly unlimited. Most Europe “unlimited” plans apply a daily high-speed cap (often around 2–3GB per day), after which speeds are throttled heavily until the next day. It’s also data-only, with no calls or SMS, and hotspot use can be limited on some plans. However, for our needs (we’re checking Google Maps on the go, or reading something about where we’re going) this works fine – we’re not streaming Netflix while we’re away.

Trustpilot score: 3.9 / 5

Cheapest easy option for short trips: Saily

Saily is a good choice if you want something simple, reliable, and usually a bit cheaper than Airalo, particularly for short European trips like city breaks or week-long holidays.

It’s app-based, installs in a couple of minutes, and uses straightforward Europe plans with clear data allowances and validity periods, so there’s very little to configure or manage once you’re up and running.

Pros
Saily often undercuts Airalo on price for similar Europe plans, particularly for 5–10GB ranges that suit city breaks and short holidays. Setup is straightforward, activation is predictable, and performance is generally solid in mainstream European destinations. For a short trip where you just need maps, messaging, and light browsing, it does the job well.

Cons
Plan flexibility is more limited than Airalo, and there’s less choice if you want to fine-tune validity periods or data amounts. Coverage is good in popular countries but less transparent in smaller or non-EU destinations. We find that it’s best as a short-trip solution rather than something to rely on long-term.

Trustpilot score: 4.7 / 5

Best if you travel more than once a year: Drimsim

Drimsim is different: instead of buying a fixed plan, you load credit and pay for what you use.

It’s designed for people who want one eSIM that lasts across multiple trips, rather than reinstalling something new each time.

Pros
The main advantage is longevity. The eSIM stays active long-term, so you can land in Europe months later and still be connected. It works across many countries, handles border crossings automatically, and is ideal if you take several trips a year or mix Europe with other destinations. Most other eSIMs are valid for a specific period, so if you’re going away a few times, Drimsim is a good bet.

Cons
It’s not the cheapest option for a single holiday, and pricing per GB isn’t always obvious upfront. Heavy data users can burn through credit quickly, so it’s less suitable if you stream a lot or rely on hotspotting daily. It’s for frequent travellers more than occasional ones.

Trustpilot score: 3.4 / 5 (Drimsim don’t have much of a presence on Trustpilot, but we checked out reviews on other sites and they’re generally positive)

If you want unlimited data and simplicity: Yesim

Yesim appeals to people who don’t want to track data usage at all and prefer a single, simple plan.

It’s positioned as unlimited, but it’s important to understand what that actually means.

Pros
Yesim is easy to install, easy to manage, and removes the worry of watching data counters. For moderate daily use such as maps, messaging, browsing, and occasional streaming, it generally works fine. If your priority is simplicity rather than optimisation, this is its main strength.

Cons
Unlimited does not mean unrestricted. Most Yesim Europe plans apply a fair-use policy with speed throttling after a certain daily threshold (often around 1–2GB of high-speed data per day). Hotspot use is limited or discouraged, and speeds can vary noticeably by country. It’s convenient, but not suitable for heavy tethering or remote work. We’d never use this much data so it worked fine for us.

Trustpilot score: 4.4 / 5

A few practical tips when using eSIMs

These are a few small things that we’ve found can save you hassle.

• Install before you travel, activate on arrival. The above eSIMs can be installed at home on Wi-Fi, then only start counting data when they first connect abroad. It’s best to do this before you go, so that when you arrive you can turn off Flight Mode, and instantly connect.
• Keep your home SIM active for SMS. Bank codes and flight updates still go to your main number – you use the eSIM just for data. Call using data (for example Whatsapp) rather than dialling a number, as you might incur other charges.
• Turn off data roaming on your home SIM. You don’t want to be happily using your data, to find that it was actually going through your home SIM.
• Turn off background app refresh. It’s the easiest way to stop maps, photos and social apps using your data.
• Screenshot setup instructions. If something goes wrong on arrival, you won’t want to rely on data to fix your data.
• Make sure your phone can take eSIMs. Most do, but it’s worth checking.
• And finally: switch off. We use data abroad because it helps with recommendations, navigation and learning about where you are. But, we always try to use our phones as little as possible – forget about Wordle or reading the news.

Quick recommendations for the best eSIMs for Europe travel

• Just want it to work, no thinking: Airalo
• Short trip, lower cost: Saily
• Multiple trips per year: Drimsim
• Don’t want to track data at all: Yesim

Bottom line

If ease is your top priority, Airalo is the easiest all-round choice and the one most people should buy.

Only switch if you’re clearly optimising for something specific: a cheaper short trip (Saily), multiple trips across the year (Drimsim), or not having to think about data at all (Yesim, with limits).

In practice, any good eSIM should fade into the background – it just gives you data when you need it and stays out of the way. Hopefully this guide has made it a little bit easier.

This page contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links we make a small commission to help run this site, at no cost to you. Making a commission never affects the advice we give - see our content policy.