Last Updated: August 22, 2023

Best eSIM for Italy (Top Options For Travelers)

Wondering what the perfect Italy eSIM is for your visit?

Gone are the days of worrying about roaming costs. eSIMs are a fantastic option for saving money on data while in Italy. 


At A Glance: Our Top Italy eSims


But, which is the best eSIM for Italy? That is what we are here to find out.

We’ll explore the top Italy eSIM providers, their coverage, connection speeds, and other factors to ensure that you find the best eSim data plan for your needs.

Best Italian eSIM Providers

ESIM Product Comparison


Best esim italy unlimited data

Holafly

Are you looking for an eSIM for Italy with unlimited data? Holafly is exactly what you have been waiting for!

They offer prepaid eSIM data plans with unlimited data, and you can choose a contract length that suits your needs

This means you won’t have to worry about data usage even if sit on Youtube or Instagram all day. Plus, their prices per day are very affordable compared to other providers.

Holafly’s connection speeds and coverage in Italy are top-notch, keeping you connected wherever you go. The only downside is that data tethering/making a hotspot is not allowed.

UPDATE

This is now an Italy eSIM with calls. You can make/receive up to 60 minutes of calls while using this eSIM plan.

While Holafly’s eSIMs don’t come with free SMS, you can easily use Whatsapp/Signal or Telegram to keep in touch with people around the world.

 

Pros

  • Solid coverage and connection speeds
  • Unlimited data
  • Phone Number for calls
  • Different plan lengths
  • eSim for Europe for the same price
  • Good customer service

Cons

  • No SMS
  • Data tethering is not allowed
See Prices on Holafly

Best Travel eSim For Italy

Airalo (Mamma Mia eSIM)

Airalo is the best eSIM in Italy for a range of simple reasons. Their prices are some of the cheapest, mobile coverage & speed is excellent, and their customer service has meant that Airlao is a very popular choice with travelers.

Airalo’s Italy eSIM plans are data-only plans that are reasonably priced and allow data tethering, which is an added benefit.

From my recent experiences with Airalo in 5 different European countries, I can tell you their eSIMs always work, load in minutes, have speedy mobile data and are super easy to top up via the app

Pros

  • Short and long plans
  • Good speeds
  • Great customer service
  • Usa data for hotspots
  • Great price per GB
  • Solid coverage

Cons

  • No unlimited plans
See Prices on Airalo (Mamma Mia eSIM)

Best Esim With Calls

Orange Holiday Zen eSim

If you’re looking for an affordable eSIM option for your trip to Italy, the Orange Holiday Zen eSIM might just be the perfect fit for you.

Although this Orange eSIM for Italy offers a smaller data plan and fewer free global minutes and SMS compared to the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM, it is still a good option.

With the Orange Holiday Zen eSIM, you’ll get

  • 8GB of data
  • unlimited free calls and SMS within Europe
  • 30 global minutes, 200 global SMS

I find this great because the majority of Italy eSIMs don’t have calls or SMS, so you might struggle to use your phone while traveling in Rome, Venice or anywhere, when you can’t call to book a restaurant or change a hotel booking!

While unlimited data is not an option with this plan, it’s still a great choice for shorter trips as the package lasts for 14 days.

Pros

  • Solid coverage & speeds
  • A good amount of data
  • Unlimited calls and SMS’ in Europe
  • Includes free global mins and SMS’
  • Works in all European countries

Cons

  • Unlimited data not available
  • Only 14-day plans
See Prices on Orange Holiday Zen eSim

Orange Holiday Europe eSim

The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM is an excellent option if you are looking for a lot of data and to stay connected with the world while traveling around Italy.

This Orange eSIM (a French network) comes with excellent coverage and connection speeds across Italy and Europe.

With this eSIM mobile data plan, you’ll have 20GB of mobile data, which is more than enough for most. You’ll get free cell phone calls and SMS within Europe, as well as 120 free global minutes and 1000 global SMS, so you can easily stay in touch with loved ones back home.

However, the price per GB may not be as competitive as other providers, and the plan only lasts for 14 days. So if you’re planning a longer trip, you may want to consider other eSIM options.

Pros

  • Dependable coverage
  • Fast connection
  • Free calls and SMS messages within Europe
  • Some free global minutes and SMS messages included
  • A good amount of data
  • Use hotspots as you wish
  • It works across all of Europe

Cons

  • Unlimited plans not available
  • Short plans only (14 days)
  • Price per GB is not competitive
See Prices on Orange Holiday Europe eSim

Cheapest Italy eSim

Nomad

Nomad offers a variety of Italian eSIM cards that cater to both your data needs and length of stay while traveling in Italy. It just gets a little confusing because they offer two plans per GB size. And the differences between them aside from slight price changes, are not clear.

In general, they have:

While their prices are affordable, Nomad is slightly more expensive compared to some of the other providers available. And their plans in this case are not clear in showing which carrier you get access to.

With Nomad eSIMs, you can use your data to create a hotspot, but unfortunately, they don’t offer unlimited data plans.

Pros

  • Good coverage and connection speeds
  • A few plans to suit your data needs and trip length
  • Data tethering is available

Cons

  • A bit more expensive than others
  • No unlimited data options
See Prices on Nomad

Ubigi

Ubigi provides excellent eSIM options for travelers who are planning to visit several countries in Europe, or just Italy. With their Italian and European eSIMs, you can stay connected throughout your journey around the continent.

Their best prepaid eSIM for Italy comes in different data sizes and lengths so that you can choose the one that suits you best.

Their prepaid eSIM plans include:

Unfortunately, Ubigi doesn’t offer any unlimited data plans. If you use a lot of data take a look at Holafly.

Pros

  • Plans for Italy and all of Europe
  • Good price per GB
  • Great coverage and connection speeds
  • Long/short plans
  • Hotspots allowed

Cons

  • No unlimited data plans
See Prices on Ubigi

Benefits of Getting an Italian eSIM in Italy

There are a lot of benefits to getting an Italian eSIM while you travel in Italy, and it makes a lot more sense than buying a prepaid physical sim card or using data roaming.

The number one benefit of eSIMs is convenience. You simply buy it online, apply it to your phone, and you will be connected as soon as you land.

There is no finding a shop, queueing to buy a physical sim, or swapping your sim cards around, and therefore you won’t lose your home sim card.

When using an eSIM you are able to keep your home number connected, meaning you can receive calls and SMS. This is very handy for two-factor authentication too, when you need to authorize bank payments or to tell your card provider that a payment is genuine.

One other great benefit of prepaid eSIMs is that they are a lot more environmentally friendly as you avoid using precious minerals used to make physical sim cards.

Local Mobile Operators Offering eSIMs in Italy

There are quite a few local mobile operators offering eSIMs in Italy, and it is these providers that the eSIMs featured in the article partner with for their data connection on the ground. Here is a list of the local Italian mobile providers that have eSIMs.

  • TIM eSIM Italy – Telecom Italia Mobile
  • Vodafone Italia eSim
  • Wind Tre eSim
  • Fastweb
  • Iliad Italia

Devices Compatible with eSim in Italy

Before you buy a prepaid eSim, make sure that your device is compatible with them. Most new tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches come with eSIMs including:

  • iPhone 12, 11, SE (2nd generation), and newer models
  • Samsung Galaxy S21, S20, Note 20, and newer models
  • Google Pixel 5, 4, 3a, and newer models
  • iPad Pro, iPad Air (3rd generation), and newer models
  • Apple Watch Series 6, SE, and newer models
  • Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, Watch Active 2, and newer models
  • Huawei Watch 3 and newer models

There is a quick way to check if your device is compatible with an eSim. Simply dial *#06# and hit the call button. If an eSim identification number (EID) comes up then your device is compatible with an eSim. will work with an eSim.

Data Needed When Traveling to Italy

How much data you will need while traveling in Italy totally depends on how much data you like to use on a daily basis.

Generally, most of us use about 5 GB per week, but heavier users can use up to 15 GB per week.

The last thing you want is to use all your data too quickly, as it will involve topping up your eSim and essentially paying double.

The best plan is to run a data usage report on your device and buy an eSim card plan to match. Or simply buy an unlimited data package so you have nothing to worry about.

Frequently Asked Questions