Which eSIM is Best for Europe: Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily, and Lebara compared by David Nield

For the frequent traveller and digital nomad, eSIMs are perfect: they offer simplicity, flexibility, and affordability, so you can jump from network to network, and country to country, without having to deal with physical SIM card swaps or complicated registrations.

eSIM profiles can be set up in seconds and switched between as needed, as easily as switching between profiles in Instagram. They’ll usually save you money compared to using your home network plan abroad, and there’s plenty of choice around — as you’ll see from our rundown of the best eSIM providers below.

Here we’re looking specifically at eSIM packages for Europe, but do check the latest pricing directly yourself, as it can often fluctuate with special deals. It’s also worth checking the travel rules for your current SIM or eSIM, for comparison — you’ll need to keep it available, as these travel eSIMs cover data only, and not calls or texts (though apps such as WhatsApp can place their own calls).

What makes the best eSIM for Europe?

The best Europe eSIM isn’t simply the cheapest per gigabyte. It is the one that covers every country on your route under a single plan, connects to strong local networks the moment you land, and is honest about its limits: how much data you get before speeds drop, and whether you can share your connection with a laptop. A well-built app matters too, because you’ll be buying, topping up and checking usage from your phone, often at an airport gate.

Scale is a good signal of reliability. Travel eSIMs are now mainstream: around 134 million people use one in 2026, up 32% on last year, and the five most popular travel eSIM apps were downloaded more than 26 million times in the first eight months of the year, after 36.4 million downloads in 2025, according to Sensor Tower.

Airalo leads the market, passing 30 million customers in June 2026, up from 20 million a year earlier. Holafly built its name on unlimited data, while Saily, launched in 2024 by the team behind NordVPN, has grown fast on low prices and built-in security. STL Partners values the travel eSIM market at £649 million in 2025 and expects it to reach £3.2 billion by 2030.

Do you need a travel eSIM in the EU?

If your phone plan is from an EU country, you may not need one. Under the EU’s Roam Like at Home rules, you can use your home allowance across the EU and the wider European Economic Area at no extra charge, subject to fair-use limits set by your operator.

A travel eSIM makes sense if your home plan is from outside the EU, such as the UK or the US, if your roaming allowance is small, or if your trip includes countries outside the EU like Switzerland, the UK, Turkey or the Balkans. Always check which countries a Europe plan counts as “Europe”: they vary from one provider to the next.

The Best-rated eSIM providers for Europe

Airalo

Airalo will happily sell you an eSIM package for Europe in a host of different configurations, including the number of days you want to be covered for, and how much data you expect to get through. A 3-day eSIM with unlimited data starts at $11.50 / €10.50, while a 3-day eSIM with 1GB of data starts at $5 / €5.

That covers you for 41 different European countries, and there are options for topping up your data and auto-renewing if you run out. The real selling point here is the flexibility in terms of data and time — some plans go up to 180 days — and Airalo scores highly in terms of ease-of-use and simplicity too.

Hotspot and tethering is supported, so you can connect up other devices to your phone, but if you go over 3GB of data in a single day your speeds will be slowed down — something to bear in mind if you opt for the unlimited plan. It’s a well-established choice that gives you plenty of flexibility and reliability.

Airalo pros and cons

• Pros: the widest choice of data and day combinations, plans up to 180 days, top-ups and auto-renew, and the biggest user base in the market.
• Cons: unlimited plans slow down after 3GB a day, and the sheer number of plans can take a moment to compare.

Here is our Airalo review and discount details.

Holafly

Holafly lets you specify an exact number of days for your Europe eSIM, and all the plans come with unlimited data, so it’s really simple to figure out. A single day costs you $3.90 / €3.79, 3 days costs you $11.90 / €11.37, and 90 days (the maximum) is $138.90 / €128.90.

That gets you coverage across 33 countries, and there are a couple of extra bonuses worth mentioning: a 6-month refund window as long as your eSIM hasn’t been used (which is much longer than the average), and a rolling 1GB of data every month that’s always available even after your plan has ended, as long as you keep the eSIM installed. It means in an emergency, you can always get online while abroad, and get a new eSIM sorted.

You can use your Holafly eSIM as a hotspot and tether other devices to it, though there is a limit on this: 1GB of data per day. That’s a hard limit, so your hotspot will stop working after 1GB of data — though you’ll still be able to get internet on your phone. These are plans to consider if you don’t want to be suddenly getting cut off when you hit a data limit (you’ll just be slowed down instead).

Holafly pros and cons

• Pros: unlimited data on every plan, priced by the day, a six-month refund window on unused eSIMs and a rolling 1GB a month for emergencies.
• Cons: hotspot sharing stops after 1GB a day, and it is pricier than metered plans for light users.

Read our Holafly eSim review and understand offer details.

Nomad

Nomad has eSIM packages for Europe with a wide variety of data and time period options, with one of the cheapest on offer the $5.50 / €4.83 plan: that gets you 1GB of data for 7 days. Near the other end of the spectrum the $34 / €29.83 plan, which includes unlimited data for 10 days. If you really want to rack up the data in advance, you can go as high as 50GB (these top-end deals are often on sale too).

Those plans cover 35 different European countries, and there’s also a Nomad Pass option for $3 / €2.63 per month, which gives you 1GB of data for the month on an auto-renewing deal, as well as 15 percent off any of the other Europe plans. If you’re always on the go and want to make sure you’re always connected, it’s an appealing option.

Hotspot and tethering functionality is supported, without any limits inside of the plans you’ve signed up for. The unlimited plan will throttle speeds once you’ve hit 2GB of data in a single day, until the next day — that applies for phone usage as well as tethering.

Nomad pros and cons

• Pros: a wide range of plans up to 50GB, hotspot without a separate cap, frequent sales and the Nomad Pass for regular travellers.
• Cons: unlimited plans slow down after 2GB a day, the lowest threshold here.

Here is our review of Nomad eSim and promo code terms.

Saily

Saily offers a Europe eSIM in a number of configurations, starting at 1GB of data for 7 days which is $4.99 / €4.49. Push all the way up to unlimited data for 30 days, and you’ll have to pay $71.99 / €63.99. The plans cover you across 35 European countries.

The unlimited data plans give you a 3GB allowance each day before speed limits are applied, and hotspot tethering is unlimited within your plan (so you’ll get the same speed throttling when sharing with other devices as you do on your phone, on the unlimited plan, or a fixed cut-off on the other plans).

Where Saily really stands out is with the security extras (its owned by NordVPN, which explains it). There’s a built-in malicious URL blocker to keep you safer on the web, for example, plus the ability to spoof your location, VPN style. It’s going to be near the top of your shortlist if you’re prioritizing security and safety.

Saily pros and cons

• Pros: competitive prices, a built-in malicious URL blocker and virtual location, and unlimited hotspot within your plan.
• Cons: unlimited data is slowed after 3GB a day, and prices outside Europe vary a lot.

Explore Saily review and get all promo details you need.

Lebara

Lebara doesn’t offer unlimited data with its Europe pack, so you have to decide how much you want and then top up later if you need to. Prices start at 3GB for 3 days for $6 / €6, and go up to 75GB for 30 days for $48 (US travellers) or 50GB for 30 days for €36 (European travellers). The more data you buy, the cheaper it is.

Coverage is excellent, with 39 countries included in the Europe bundle, and even though all eSIM providers sell themselves on their simplicity, this is particularly true of Lebara: with no unlimited data plans, there’s no throttling after a certain limit. You’ve got the data you’ve got, until it’s used up.

The simplicity extends to using your phone as a hotspot and tethering other devices to it as well. This uses the same data as your main allowance, so it’s the same deal: the same speeds and the same amount, until it’s gone. If you want an eSIM deal that’s straightforward and works with the minimum of fuss, Lebara could be the right fit.

Lebara pros and cons

• Pros: wide 39-country coverage, no throttling, and the more data you buy, the cheaper each gigabyte.
• Cons: no unlimited option, so you need to estimate your usage and top up when you run out.

Europe eSIM Compared: Prices, Coverage & Promo Codes 2026/2027

eSIM	Europe plan covers	Cheapest Europe plan	Unlimited data	Hotspot	Best for
Airalo	41 countries	1GB / 3 days, $5	Yes, slowed after 3GB a day	Yes	Flexibility on data and days, up to 180 days
Holafly	33 countries	Unlimited / 1 day, $3.90	All plans	Capped at 1GB a day	Heavy users who never want to count gigabytes
Nomad	35 countries	1GB / 7 days, $5.50	Yes, slowed after 2GB a day	Yes, no separate cap	Frequent travellers, Nomad Pass
Saily	35 countries	1GB / 7 days, $4.99	Yes, slowed after 3GB a day	Yes	Security extras from the NordVPN team
Lebara	39 countries	3GB / 3 days, $6	No	Yes, from your allowance	Simple fixed data, no throttling

Coverage and prices change often, so check the provider’s own Europe plan page before you buy.

Europe eSIM promo codes and discount offers

• Airalo: enter NEWTOAIRALO15 offer code that takes 15% off your first eSIM.
• Holafly eSIM: use code LOCALS takes 5% off any plan.
• Nomad eSIM: with exclusive discount code LOCALS new customers get 15% off, once per user. It isn’t valid on plans under $5, plans already on sale, add-on data or unlimited plans.
• Saily: SAILY5 takes 5% off when you create your account.

Locals Insider has partnered with several of these providers to secure discounts for our readers here.

You may need a trusted VPN provider for internet access abroad.