By skyforbes 
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One of the first things visitors to Europe wonder is how to make sure that they have a data SIM card to take with them.
Whether it’s finding directions to your hotel, hunting for a good place to eat or being able to easily stay connected with family or friends, having a European SIM card makes all this possible!
This article outlines all the best SIM cards to add to your packing list and what you need to check before you leave on your European adventure to ensure you can use your phone in Europe without any problems!
Want a quick answer? – My choice for the best SIM card in Europe is the Orange Holiday Europe SIM with 30GB Data (eSIM card available) or the Three Prepaid SIM with 12GB data.
Prepaid Europe SIM Card Comparison
Will my Phone Work in Europe?
Most carriers around the world allow for international roaming, meaning your phone will work as soon as you arrive in Europe.
The bad news? This service tends to be outrageously expensive and should be avoided at all costs – particularly if you’re planning on using data abroad.
Some carriers might offer an international data option, however, these plans also tend to be expensive, particularly when compared to other SIM cards that you can buy online.
This means that the best option is to buy a prepaid SIM for Europe. Unfortunately, many phone providers obviously don’t want to make it easy for you to use another carrier abroad.
Firstly, some mobile phones in the USA don’t allow you to swap SIM cards so you are locked into using the international roaming option. This is the case for CDMA phones (e.g. Verizon) that historically didn’t work at all in Europe. These days, they will work but you can’t swap the SIM on your phone.
A possible solution is to buy a cheaper unlocked phone to use for your trip to Europe. You should however do the math and compare the cost of a new phone compared to using an international data pack with your existing provider.
If you’re planning on going to Europe for more than a couple weeks you might be surprised that buying a new phone and a European SIM card actually turns out to be cheaper!
For example, Verizon, charges $12 per day to use your phone in Europe. If travelling for a month, that’s $450 in extra fees! A good option for an unlocked phone to take to Europe is the Samsung A15.
Another option if you don’t want to buy a new phone is to invest in a mobile WiFi hotspot which is particularly useful if travelling outside of the European Union.
You can also rely on public WiFi which is commonly available in Europe, however, make sure you subscribe to a quality VPN such as NordVPN.
Is My Phone Unlocked?
If you have a mobile phone where you can swap SIM cards, the next thing you need to consider is whether your mobile phone is unlocked or not.
Typically, when you go on a mobile phone plan, they lock your mobile phone so it can’t be used with SIM cards that aren’t provided by your carrier. This is often the case for plans where you get one of the latest iPhones or other top-range models.
If your phone is currently locked to your provider and you are not under contract with them, then call them up and ask them to unlock your phone.
If on the other hand, you are under contract with your mobile phone provider, then they will likely request a huge fee (or deny you all together) to unlock your phone.
In this situation, one option is to find a third party to unlock your phone for you. These are often significantly cheaper however it might void your warranty with the mobile phone provider.
You can also either opt for an expensive international data pack or buy an unlocked phone online and pick one of the European SIM cards outlined below.
Make sure to also check the speed that is offered on international data packs. A number of carriers only offer slow mobile data speeds which will make accessing the internet on the go a slow and painful process, particularly if relying on data when driving around Europe!
Best SIM Cards for Europe with Data
These are some of the best SIM cards if you want to ensure you have easy access to data and staying in contact with family and friends!
Orange Holiday Europe with 30GB Data
The Orange Holiday Europe SIM is one of the best SIMs for Europe as the plan allows you to use your minutes allowance to call anywhere worldwide. It is available as both a physical SIM card and eSIM if your phone is compatible.
It comes with 2 hours and 1000 texts that can be used to call any number in the world as well as 30GB of data that works across the UK and many European countries. This SIM also gives you unlimited calls and texts within Europe.
The prepaid credit is active for 14 days so is ideal for heavy data users who want to call back home and are going on a short European holiday. You can easily top up your credit online with an international credit card and there are several options to choose from.
It also allows you to use it as a mobile hotspot making it ideal for travellers who want to have internet access on their laptops or tablets which makes it undoubtedly one of the best SIM cards to use in Europe and the UK.
Three Prepaid SIM with 12GB Data
This Three SIM Card is undoubtedly one of the best SIM options for travelling in Europe.
It comes with 12GB of data, 3000 minutes of calls and 3000 texts that can be used over a 30 day period. This SIM card will work across 71 countries worldwide including all countries within the European Union.
If you’re from one of these 71 countries that include places like the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand & Singapore you can activate your SIM card at home to ensure that it works before travelling to Europe.
This fantastic international SIM card is run by Three UK meaning you can easily recharge online or via the phone while on the road without any language barriers if you speak English.
A couple of things to keep in mind with this SIM card are that you can’t use it as a personal hotspot when abroad and to make sure to switch off data if visiting a country that isn’t included in their 71 countries list as the data roaming costs can be very expensive.
You can also use the minutes included in the pack to only call other UK or European numbers so this SIM card isn’t ideal if you plan to call other international numbers. However, there is obviously plenty of data to use for WhatsApp or Skype instead!
Orange Holiday Zen with 12GB Data
If you’re not a heavy data user and don’t need 30GB of data then the Orange Holiday Zen provides similar benefits to the previous SIM card at a lower price point with just 12GB of data. It is also available as an eSIM or physical SIM.
The data works across the UK & Europe and you can also make unlimited calls and texts within Europe, however, you only receive 30 minutes of calls and 200 texts that can be used worldwide.
The credit is valid for 14 days after recharge and there are several recharge options should you need additional data or calls after your initial credit expires.
It can also be used as a hotspot making it ideal for the traveller who wants to have a SIM card for emergencies and light data usage.
SIM2ROAM Prepaid SIM with 10GB Data
If you don’t need the ability to make phone calls to other numbers and are simply looking for the best data SIM then this SIM2ROAM SIM is a fantastic option.
These SIM cards come with 10GB of data and 30 days expiry similar to the Three SIM. However, the Three SIM has a larger data limit which makes this SIM card a better option for lighter data users.
It does not come with any calls or texts so it’s better for people that are happy to use services like Whatsapp to call family or friends back home. It is also possible to recharge your credit after the initial 30 days.
There is no need to activate this SIM card before arriving in Europe, simply put it in your phone when you land and it should work within a few minutes.
Another advantage of this SIM is that you are able to use it as a mobile hotspot though this can obviously quickly use up your data!
Dataroam Prepaid SIM with 10GB Data
This Dataroam SIM Card comes with 10GB of data that is valid for 30 days and can be used across 50 countries in Europe. It doesn’t come with any phone call allowance and cannot be recharged after its initial use.
This SIM card is a good option for travellers who might not be regular visitors to Europe and just want to buy a single SIM card that they can use once.
You are also able to use it as a hotspot to connect other smartphones so can be a good option if travelling with a friend or as a couple and you want to share data access.
It also comes in various data limits so you can choose a card that is suited to your expected data usage!
What About Buying a Local SIM Card?
One of the main advantages of buying a global SIM card is that you can ship it your home address and be able to use it as soon as you arrive in Europe.
If you choose to buy a local SIM card, then you won’t have data access when you first arrive (which can be very handy when trying to get to your hotel or hostel jetlagged!) and you need to spend precious time going into a store in Europe to buy a SIM card.
There might also be language barriers in buying and activating a local SIM card.
In some countries, you are required to have a passport or local address to buy a local SIM and it can be harder to understand exactly what data or calls are included. This might result is unexpected charges which can easily be avoided when buying a global SIM card!
When travelling to Europe, having access to data on your phone can make your trip infinitely easier. Buying one of these SIM cards for Europe with data will make it straightforward to have internet access as soon as you land!
Are you trying to find a SIM card for your trip to Europe? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments below!
