International travelers often have to choose between the attractive prices of local SIM cards and the convenience of international roaming. But there’s also a third option: international European SIM cards.
At A Glance: SIM Cards for Travel to Europe
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Three Mobile | PrePaid Europe (UK THREE) sim card 12GB data+3000 minutes+3000 texts for 30 days | Check Price on Amazon | |
Orange | Orange Holiday Europe New Package | Check Price on Amazon | |
EE | Europe (UK EE) 4G Mobile Broadband Data SIM preloaded with 6GB lasting | Check Price on Amazon | |
Cellhire | Cellhire Prepaid 4G Europe Data SIM Card - Europe 4GB Bundle | Check Price on Amazon | |
Keepgo | Keepgo Global Lifetime 4G LTE Data SIM Card for Europe | Check Price on Amazon |
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Since the EU’s “roam like at home” rule, which prohibits providers from charging roaming fees, went into effect, the providers of international SIM cards for Europe that target travelers to Europe have been scrambling to compete with local carriers, and it’s travelers like you who benefit the most. We’ve compared many popular SIM cards and selected seven of the best sim card for Europe, these are sim cards all travelers to Europe should know about.
Best SIM Card for Europe International Travels
1. UK Europe ThreeUK SIM Card
Coming up as first as the best sim card for Europe, we have the ThreeUK SIM Card for international European travel. This SIM card will allow you to call UK numbers, as well as EU numbers, while you are traveling around Europe. The nice thing about this SIM card is that it gives you 12GB of data to use, 3000 voice minutes, and 3000 texts.
There are actually 71 different destinations in Europe that this SIM card covers, but some of the highlights are the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Some say that it also works in the USA, but that hasn’t quite been confirmed.
It’s easily re-loaded with data; however, you can use this one in a phone only — there are no tethering or personal hotspot features attached to this SIM card.
Buy it now: here
2. Orange Holiday Europe SIM Card
Orange has cooked up an amazing deal, which we think is the best sim card for Europe. It includes 20 GB of 4G mobile data, 1,000 worldwide text messages, and 120 minutes of worldwide phone calls in 30 countries in Europe for just $49.90. The reason why the Holiday Europe SIM card offers so much more than the Europe Plus SIM card from Mobal even though it costs less is simple: the card is valid only for 14 days, instead of 30. But considering that the average length of trips taken by United States travelers is only 6.2 nights, we think that it’s safe to say that the Holiday Europe SIM card is a superior option for anyone except for frequent business travelers.
Buy it now: here
3. UK EE Mobile Prepaid SIM Card
These days, you can do just about anything over the internet, including making phone calls and sending text and multimedia messages. That’s why this prepaid SIM card from UK EE makes so much sense. It comes with 6 GB of mobile data for just $29.99, and it works for 90 days since activation. It’s important to note that this SIM card is for internet only—it cannot make/receive phone calls or send/receive SMS. But if you can get by with Skype and WhatsApp, the only way how to connect to the internet in Europe that is more affordable than this SIM card is to buy a local SIM card.
Buy it now: here
4. Cellhire Europe SIM data
Up next, we have a SIM card by the name of Cellhire that will enable any GSM phone to use data in Europe. It gives you fast 4G data roaming speeds in thirty different European countries. It’s gives you 4GB of data to use that is only valid for 30 days; however, once you use it up or that thirty days is over, you are unable to add more, which is the big “con” to this one. It essentially operates as a throwaway SIM card. This one does offer data only — you won’t be using phone calls or texting with this one. This is a little different than the 3-in-1 solution from Cellhire that we’ll show you later.
Buy it now: here
5. Keepgo Global Lifetime SIM Card
The Keepgo is a new SIM card designed for global travel, attempting to give you data, phone, and text wherever you go in the world, including many of the European nations. This one will give you around 1GB of mobile data credit that stays valid for 1 year; however, once you use it up, Keepgo has a quick data refill option that allows you to add more quite easily. On top of that, with each data refill the validity of the data or plan is extended an additional year in the event that you’re planning to go back.
This one does come with some SIM adapters to make sure the SIM card is compatible with all phones. However, as far as compatibility goes, this SIM card setup will only work with unlocked GSM mobile devices, including those from Apple, Samsung, Nexus, HTC, Sony, and even LG.
Buy it now: here
6. Mobal Europe Plus SIM Card
If you want to enjoy a worry-free time in Europe and still be able to stay connected just like you’re used to from home, the Europe Plus SIM card from Mobal is a great choice. For $59, it includes 1 GB of 4G data, unlimited incoming calls and texts, and a rate of just $0.30 per minute for calls to the USA and Canada. Should you ever find yourself in the need for more mobile data, you can easily purchase an extra 1 GB for only $10. The Europe Plus SIM works on all unlocked devices, and it’s valid for 30 days after activation.
Buy it now: here
7. travSIM Prepaid SIM Card for UK
This prepaid SIM card from travSIM includes 9 GB of data and 3,000 free minutes for phone calls. It works in most of Europe as well as the USA, Brazil, French Guiana, French West Indies, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, U.S. Virgin Islands, Israel, Canary Islands, Madeira, Réunion, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, and Sri Lanka. The only caveat is the fact that the SIM card doesn’t allow tethering, which is something to keep in mind if you plan on doing work on your laptop, for example.
Buy it now: here
8. O2 Prepaid SIM Card
Next up, we have the O2 prepaid SIM card. This one comes in multiple tiers, giving you options between the amount of data, text, and talk that you want. This particularly one, however, will give you 20GB data to use in the UK with 4G LTE, and then 20GB data while roaming in Europe and EU on 3G. This card works in most EU countries — there are very few that aren’t supported — just insert your SIM into your phone when you arrive at your destination, and you should be ready to roll!
Buy it now: here
9. Cellhire 3-in-1 SIM Card
Most international travelers can probably agree that additional charges and hidden fees are the worst. Cellhire wants you to forget about the stress of not knowing how much you’ll have to pay once you get back home, which is why the company offers its EU SIM card. With it, you can monitor live data usage online from your account to always know exactly how much data from the 2 GB that are included for free with the card you have left. The card works in 33 European countries, and it works with all unlocked devices.
Buy it now: here
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Three Mobile | PrePaid Europe (UK THREE) sim card 12GB data+3000 minutes+3000 texts for 30 days | Check Price on Amazon | |
Orange | Orange Holiday Europe New Package | Check Price on Amazon | |
EE | Europe (UK EE) 4G Mobile Broadband Data SIM preloaded with 6GB lasting | Check Price on Amazon | |
Cellhire | Cellhire Prepaid 4G Europe Data SIM Card - Europe 4GB Bundle | Check Price on Amazon | |
Keepgo | Keepgo Global Lifetime 4G LTE Data SIM Card for Europe | Check Price on Amazon |
* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.