Good roaming SIM in Europe
October 17, 2024 12:15 PM Subscribe
We’re in Europe, got Vodafone SIM cards in Spain, supposedly 100GB data for 30 days. However, the 100 GB is only in Spain, it’s 8 GB if you’re out of Spain (they don't tell you this up front), so we ran out of data already in a few days. Can anybody suggest a better company that will let us use a decent amount of data in Germany, Turkey, Balkans, Italy and France?
We don't have e-sim on our phones.
We don't have e-sim on our phones.
I have used Airalo several times now. It looks like their Europe bundles should work for you? They have a 180 day 100 GB package for $185.
posted by PussKillian at 1:12 PM on October 17 [2 favorites]
posted by PussKillian at 1:12 PM on October 17 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Airalo is only esim, apparently?
posted by signal at 1:13 PM on October 17 [1 favorite]
posted by signal at 1:13 PM on October 17 [1 favorite]
Whatever you go for, check it actually covers the places you plan to visit. Not all seem to be EU.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:40 PM on October 17
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:40 PM on October 17
I have purchased cheap data plans for the EU from Maya Mobile. It was always easy, cheap, and I had no trouble with service. They also have a large variety of plans to suit different needs. It was esim only though.
posted by frau_grubach at 2:50 PM on October 17
posted by frau_grubach at 2:50 PM on October 17
Is it possible to add money to or renew your Vodaphone plan early? That might be easier than trying to track down a new SIM. Plus a lot of locations in Europe have WiFi, so now that you know you're paying more for data you might choose to use it rather than relying on your phone. (Though the ability to purchase and even activate an eSIM before I leave home is one of the reasons why I love them.) A random Google search indicates that the discount retailers Lidl and Aldi each have a prepaid phone plan with EU roaming. I don't think anything will get you the Balkans as a whole. Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia, yes, that will be covered under EU roaming. Presumably there are SIM card providers in your destination states that do offer roaming. Assuming you are arriving by train or air there are almost always shops that sell SIM cards in the airport / station that will get you set up. Also, make sure you have data roaming turned on in your phone. I always left it off because of horror stories about people using $6000 worth of data in a week, but with prepaid that doesn't matter, the most you have to lose is the amount on the card. Sorry about the hassle, hope you get it sorted out soon.
One thing you cannot do is retroactively activate Google Fi, which would normally be what I'd recommend for someone who needs a physical SIM. Their SIMs must be activated from the US.
posted by wnissen at 3:43 PM on October 17
One thing you cannot do is retroactively activate Google Fi, which would normally be what I'd recommend for someone who needs a physical SIM. Their SIMs must be activated from the US.
posted by wnissen at 3:43 PM on October 17
Yep, even though there's roaming between EU countries, the data cap issue tends to complicate things a bit depending on provider.
There’s a Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki that you might find helpful. They have entries for both Europe, as well as individual countries and providers in those countries.
Interestingly, the info for Germany shows Vodafone as offering some pretty decent plans. You might want to go to a Vodafone store there to see if they can help you out.
Also, for the amount of data you’re consuming, you might want to consider looking for local wifi hotspots.
posted by SteveInMaine at 4:21 PM on October 17 [1 favorite]
There’s a Prepaid Data SIM Card Wiki that you might find helpful. They have entries for both Europe, as well as individual countries and providers in those countries.
Interestingly, the info for Germany shows Vodafone as offering some pretty decent plans. You might want to go to a Vodafone store there to see if they can help you out.
Also, for the amount of data you’re consuming, you might want to consider looking for local wifi hotspots.
posted by SteveInMaine at 4:21 PM on October 17 [1 favorite]
I used an eSIM from Orange.es while I was in Europe recently with a Spain phone number. They did not have this restriction, at least inside of the EU. Their roaming details are here.
Orange retail stores should be able to set you up with a physical SIM card.
posted by toxic at 4:23 PM on October 17
Orange retail stores should be able to set you up with a physical SIM card.
posted by toxic at 4:23 PM on October 17
I used an Travel Orange eSIM on our recent trip to Italy. They also do physical Sim cards. If you need a European phone # I can recommend that. We used it mostly for data but also texting with the apt agency and a few phone calls.
They have different plans but as far as I could tell they were all good for use in the EU. The tricky part is Turkey since it's not included in most company's roaming. Orange does have an international plan that's only 10GB. You might have to switch cards when you get to Turkey or somewhere else outside of the EU.
I also second using local wifi whenever possible.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:04 PM on October 17
They have different plans but as far as I could tell they were all good for use in the EU. The tricky part is Turkey since it's not included in most company's roaming. Orange does have an international plan that's only 10GB. You might have to switch cards when you get to Turkey or somewhere else outside of the EU.
I also second using local wifi whenever possible.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:04 PM on October 17
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posted by signal at 12:19 PM on October 17