The best eSIM for the United Kingdom depends on where you go and what you need. For a trip around the UK only, a UK data eSIM is the simplest choice: it works in all four countries of the UK, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you're also visiting Ireland or other European countries, or you need a phone number for calls and texts, a Europe plan is a better fit. This guide compares the SimOptions eSIMs that cover the UK, plus the other ways to get online, so you can pick the right one for your trip.
Short on time? These UK eSIMs are data only and cover the whole UK. Pick the one that matches the length of your trip.
United Kingdom 10GB (7 days) · 20GB (15 days) · 50GB (30 days) · See all UK eSIMs
What are the best eSIMs for the UK?
SimOptions sells three kinds of prepaid eSIMs that work in the UK. Here is how they compare, based on the plan details.
United Kingdom data plans (1 GB to 100 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days and 100 GB for 180 days.
- Countries: the United Kingdom only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/5G.
- Top-ups: available.
Bouygues Telecom plans (15 GB to 120 GB)
- Data and days: Travel Basic 15 GB and Travel Basic+ 20 GB for 15 days, My European eSIM 30 GB, 60 GB or 120 GB for 30 days.
- Countries: 46, including the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar, all EU countries, Switzerland and Norway.
- Phone number: Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. Travel Basic is data only.
- Speed: 5G where available.
- Top-ups: not available, so pick enough data and days for your trip.
Europe data plans (1 GB to 50 GB, or unlimited)
- Data and days: from 1 GB for 3 days to 50 GB for 30 days. Europe Unlimited gives you unlimited data for 7 or 14 days.
- Countries: 34 on the Europe GB plans, including the UK and Ireland. Europe Unlimited covers 54, and it's the only one that also lists Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code, and it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country.
What is the best eSIM for the United Kingdom?
Start with where you're going, then pick the data and days that fit your trip.
A city break in London or Edinburgh: United Kingdom 5GB or 10GB
For maps, messages and a bit of social media over a week, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days is usually enough. You can top up if you run low.
Two weeks touring the UK: United Kingdom 20GB
20 GB for 15 days covers a road trip through England, Wales and the Scottish Highlands, with room for navigation and some video calls.
A month or longer: United Kingdom 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Staying longer, studying or working remotely? 50 GB lasts 30 days, 60 GB lasts 90 days and 100 GB lasts 180 days.
The UK and Ireland, or more of Europe: a Europe plan
The UK plans only work in the UK. The Republic of Ireland is a separate country, so if your trip goes from Belfast to Dublin, or on to Paris or Amsterdam, choose a Europe plan that lists both. Compare them in our guide to the best eSIMs for Europe.
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The SimOptions UK plans are data only. If hotels, tour guides or restaurants need to call or text you, the Bouygues Telecom plans give you a French +33 number with unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, and they work in the UK and Ireland. Travel Basic+ suits trips of up to 15 days. More details: Europe eSIM with a phone number.
Other ways to get online in the UK
A travel eSIM isn't your only option. Here is how the alternatives compare.
Roaming with your home plan
Coming from the EU? Since 1 January 2021, the EU roaming rules no longer apply in the United Kingdom (BIPT: Brexit and roaming). "Roam like at home" is guaranteed only in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, plus Moldova and Ukraine (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs). Some EU carriers still include the UK in their plans, others charge extra, so check yours before you go.
Coming from the US, Canada, Australia or elsewhere? Your home carrier sets its own roaming prices in the UK. A travel eSIM gives you data at a fixed prepaid price instead.
A local UK SIM or eSIM
UK carriers sell pay as you go plans with a UK number. Not all of them offer eSIM on pay as you go. O2, for example, says you can order a Pay As You Go eSIM online or in store, if you're eligible (O2: eSIM). A local plan makes sense if you stay for months or need a UK number. For a short trip, a travel eSIM is quicker to set up because you install it before you fly. More in our guide to the best prepaid SIM card for the UK.
Free Wi-Fi
Hotels and cafes often have Wi-Fi, but you won't have it on the road, in the countryside or when you need a map in a new city. Use it as a backup, not as your only connection.
Which countries make up the United Kingdom?
The UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales (ONS: Countries and regions). A plan that covers the "United Kingdom" works in all four.
A few places nearby are not part of the UK, so check the plan's country list if you're going there:
- Republic of Ireland: a separate country. It's on the Bouygues Telecom and Europe plans, not on the UK plans.
- Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey: Crown Dependencies, not part of the UK (Isle of Man Government: Constitution). Of the plans above, only Europe Unlimited lists them.
- Gibraltar: on the Bouygues Telecom plans' list, not on the UK plans.
How to set up your UK eSIM
- Check your phone. It must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM (O2: eSIM). More in our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
- Buy your plan. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it on Wi-Fi before you fly. It activates on its own when you arrive in a covered country.
- Label the line "UK" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, make the travel eSIM your data line and turn on data roaming for it. Turn off data roaming on your home line. See the correct roaming settings for an eSIM.
Your home SIM can stay on your phone next to the eSIM, so you still get texts and security codes on your usual number (Apple: Use Dual SIM with an eSIM). Calls and texts on your home line can still cost roaming fees. For calls home, WhatsApp or FaceTime work over the eSIM's data: see how to make phone calls with a data-only eSIM.
Visiting the UK and Ireland, or carrying on to the rest of Europe? These plans cover both, with or without a phone number.
Europe 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic (data only, 15 days) · My European eSIM 60GB (French +33 number, 30 days) · See all Europe eSIMs · Going further? Find your destination
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for the United Kingdom?
It depends on your trip. For the UK only, a United Kingdom data plan: 10 GB for a week, 20 GB for two weeks or 50 GB for a month. If you also visit Ireland or other European countries, a Europe plan. If you need a phone number, Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
What is the best eSIM for Scotland?
Scotland is part of the UK, so any UK eSIM works there, as do the Europe and Bouygues Telecom plans that list the United Kingdom. Pick your data by trip length, just as you would for England.
Does a UK eSIM work in Northern Ireland and Wales?
Yes. A plan that covers the United Kingdom works in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Can I use one eSIM for the UK and Ireland?
Yes, with a Europe plan. The Europe data plans and the Bouygues Telecom plans list both the UK and Ireland. The United Kingdom plans only cover the UK.
Does a Europe eSIM work in the UK?
The SimOptions Europe plans, Europe Unlimited and the Bouygues Telecom plans all list the United Kingdom. Always check the country list of the plan you choose.
Is roaming free in the UK with an EU phone plan?
Not by law. The EU's "roam like at home" rules stopped applying in the UK on 1 January 2021. Some EU carriers still include the UK, others charge for it, so check with yours before you travel.
Can I get a UK phone number with an eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions UK plans, which are data only. For a UK number, you need a plan from a UK carrier. The Bouygues Telecom plans give you a French +33 number that works in the UK.
Can I top up my UK eSIM?
Yes, the United Kingdom plans can be topped up. The Bouygues Telecom plans can't, so choose enough data for your whole trip.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. Keep your home SIM on for texts and calls, and use the eSIM for data. WhatsApp keeps working with your usual number over any internet connection.
