Regional plan or country plans?
A Europe regional plan covers 30+ countries on one balance. Country plans are slightly cheaper per GB but you need a separate package (or a separate eSIM with most providers) per border.
Rule of thumb: two countries or more โ regional plan. One country โ country plan. With eSIM BFF you can mix and match on the same eSIM, so you can start with Italy and add the regional plan later without reinstalling.
Watch out for the non-EU countries
- Switzerland โ never included in EU roaming, expensive on every home carrier.
- United Kingdom โ left EU roaming rules in 2021; many EU plans now charge.
- Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia โ outside the EU; roaming here is often $5โ10/MB on home carriers.
- Turkey and Georgia โ technically partly in Europe, rarely included in "Europe" bundles. Ours includes Turkey; Georgia is a separate package.
How much data for Europe?
- Weekend city break: 1โ3 GB.
- One week, maps + social + messaging: 3โ5 GB.
- Two weeks or heavy Instagram/TikTok use: 10 GB.
- Working remotely / video calls: 20 GB.
Coverage highlights by country
- Spain, Italy, France, Germany: 5G in cities, LTE everywhere else. Trains are well covered.
- Greece and Croatia: islands are covered; ferries drop out briefly.
- Nordics: near-universal LTE, including Lapland and the Norwegian fjords.
- Balkans: LTE only in most places; still very usable.
What a good European eSIM should give you
- One install for the whole trip
- Tethering included
- Top-ups that work at 0 GB
- No app required
- A price under $2/GB for 5 GB and up
Frequently asked
Does a Europe eSIM work in the UK?
Ours does โ the eSIM BFF Europe plan includes the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and the Balkans, not just the EU.
Can I use a Europe eSIM on a cruise?
In port, yes. At sea, ships use satellite networks that are not included โ turn the eSIM line off while sailing to avoid searching.