The best prepaid SIM card for Europe depends on where you go and what you need. For most visitors, a prepaid travel eSIM for Europe is the easiest choice: you buy it online, install it before you leave, and one plan connects you in many European countries, with no ID check in a shop. A local prepaid SIM card from a European carrier works too, but you usually register it with your passport, and it's made for one country. If your SIM is from an EU country, you may not need a new one at all. This guide explains your options, the EU roaming rules and how to pick the right one for your trip.
Is there a prepaid SIM card that works in all of Europe?
Yes, but Europe isn't one mobile zone. Where your SIM works depends on where it comes from:
- SIM from an EU country: it works in the other EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, at home prices under the EU "roam like at home" rules. These rules also cover Moldova and Ukraine (European Commission: Your Europe).
- Countries outside these rules: the UK, Switzerland and Turkey, for example, aren't covered. Some operators include them in their plans anyway, others charge roaming.
- Travel eSIM for Europe: each plan has its own country list, which can include countries inside and outside the EU. Check that list against your route before you buy.
Your options at a glance
- Prepaid travel eSIM: best if you visit several countries, want to be online as soon as you land, or don't want to deal with shops and paperwork. Your phone needs to support eSIM and be unlocked.
- Local prepaid SIM card: a good fit if you stay in one country for a long time, want a local number there, or your phone doesn't support eSIM.
- Your home plan: fine if your SIM is from an EU country, or your carrier includes Europe in your plan. Check the fair use limits and roaming fees first.
The best prepaid eSIM for Europe
A travel eSIM is a prepaid plan without a physical card. You pay once, with no contract and no monthly bill. We sell two kinds of Europe plans, all on our Europe eSIM page.
Need a phone number? Bouygues Telecom plans
If a hotel, an Airbnb host or a tour guide needs to call or text you, pick a plan with a number. These Bouygues Telecom plans come with a French +33 number, unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, and 5G data in 46 countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland:
Bouygues Telecom plans with a French +33 number: 20 GB for 15 days, or 30 GB or 60 GB for 30 days, in 46 European countries. These plans can't be topped up. See all plans on our Europe eSIM page.
Want to know how a European number works on your trip, and how to keep your own number too? Read our guide to a Europe eSIM with a phone number.
Only need data? Europe data plans
If you just need maps, messaging and browsing, a data-only plan is enough. You can still call and text over apps like WhatsApp. This plan works in 34 countries, including the UK, Switzerland and Turkey, and you can top it up if you run low:
Shorter, longer and unlimited Europe plans are on our Europe eSIM page. Our guide to the best eSIMs for Europe compares them by trip length and data use.
Before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM and isn't locked to your carrier. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to buy a local prepaid SIM card in Europe
Every European country has its own mobile networks, and most of them sell prepaid (pay as you go) SIM cards. A local SIM gives you a local number and local rates in that country. Here's what to expect.
Bring your passport
In most European countries you have to register a prepaid SIM card with an ID document. A 2025 study by Cullen International found that 19 of the 28 European countries it looked at require carriers to register prepaid customers (Cullen International). In Spain, for example, the law requires carriers to record the identity of everyone who buys a prepaid card (BOE, Spain's official gazette, in Spanish). As a visitor, bring your passport.
Where to buy
Carrier shops are the easiest place, because the staff can set up and register the line for you. In some countries you also find prepaid SIM cards at airport shops, kiosks and supermarkets, but you still have to register them. Your phone has to be unlocked to use a local SIM.
Main mobile brands in popular countries
- Spain: Movistar, Vodafone, Yoigo and Digi. See our guide to eSIM providers in Spain.
- Italy: TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad.
- Germany: Telekom, Vodafone and O2.
- France: SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free. Bouygues Telecom now only sells a prepaid travel SIM for visitors. See our guide to the best prepaid SIM card for France.
- Portugal: MEO, Vodafone, NOS and Digi.
- United Kingdom: EE, O2, Vodafone and Three.
Offers and prices change often, so check the carrier's own website for its current prepaid plans.
Using a local SIM in other European countries
A prepaid SIM from an EU country also works in the other EU countries under roam like at home. But on a prepaid card, the operator can limit your roaming data based on your remaining credit, so you may get less data abroad than at home (Your Europe). A UK, Swiss or Turkish SIM isn't covered by these EU rules, so check its roaming terms before you cross a border.
EU roaming rules: what roam like at home covers
If your SIM is from an EU country, these rules decide what you pay when you travel in the EU (Your Europe):
- Calls, texts and data: they cost the same as at home, in all EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine.
- Unlimited and very cheap data plans: your operator can set a fair use limit on roaming data. Above it, it can add a small surcharge, capped by EU rules.
- Prepaid cards: your roaming data allowance can be linked to your remaining credit, so topping up gives you more data abroad.
- Long stays abroad: your operator can check your use over four months. If you spend more time and use more abroad than at home, it can ask you to explain within 14 days, and then add capped surcharges.
- Cross-border workers: you can pick an operator in either country. Connecting to your home network at least once a day counts as a day at home.
- Ships and planes: on a satellite network, EU rules don't apply and there are no price caps. Turn off roaming or use airplane mode on board.
- How long: the current roaming rules apply until 2032 (EUR-Lex summary).
Travelling with a UK SIM
Since the UK left the EU, UK operators don't have to offer roaming at home prices in the EU. The UK government says surcharge-free roaming is no longer guaranteed and tells you to check your operator's roaming policy before you travel. UK operators still have to apply a monthly spending cap on mobile data abroad, unless you choose to spend more (GOV.UK).
Travelling from the US, Canada or Australia
The EU rules don't cover you. Your carrier's roaming rates or day passes apply, and they add up fast on a long trip. A travel eSIM or a local prepaid SIM is usually cheaper. See how to avoid roaming charges.
Set up your eSIM before you fly
- Install it on Wi-Fi at home. Scan the QR code from your email while you're on Wi-Fi. Our eSIM installation guide shows each step for iPhone and Android, and Apple explains how to use eSIM while traveling internationally.
- Leave it installed. Our Europe plans activate automatically when you arrive in a country they cover.
- When you land, pick the eSIM for mobile data. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data. On Google Pixel, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (Google).
- Turn on data roaming for the eSIM. Keep data roaming off on your home SIM to avoid charges.
FAQ
What is the best prepaid SIM card for Europe?
For a trip through several countries, a prepaid travel eSIM for Europe, because one plan covers many countries and you don't need to register it in a shop. Pick a Bouygues Telecom plan if you need a phone number, or a data-only plan if you don't. For a long stay in one country, a local prepaid SIM from a carrier there.
Is there a SIM card that works in all European countries?
No single SIM covers every country in Europe, but many come close. A SIM from an EU country works across the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine at home prices. Our Bouygues Telecom plans cover 46 countries, including the UK and Switzerland, and our Europe data plans cover 34, including the UK, Switzerland and Turkey.
Can a tourist buy a prepaid SIM card in Europe?
Yes. Go to a carrier shop with your passport, because most European countries require you to register a prepaid SIM. If you'd rather skip the shop, buy a travel eSIM online before you go.
Can I top up a prepaid SIM in another European country?
Our Europe data plans can be topped up online wherever you are. Our Bouygues Telecom plans can't be topped up, so you buy a new plan when one runs out. For a local SIM, check how the carrier lets you top up from abroad before you leave its country.
Does a European SIM work in the UK and Switzerland?
They aren't covered by the EU roaming rules, so it depends on the operator. Some EU plans include them, others charge roaming. Our Bouygues Telecom plans and our Europe data plans both include the UK and Switzerland.
Do I need a new SIM if my phone plan is from an EU country?
Usually not for trips within the EU, because roam like at home lets you use your plan at home prices. Check your operator's fair use limit on data first. For countries outside these rules, check your roaming rates or use a travel eSIM.