The best eSIM for Romania depends on your trip. If you stay in Romania, a Romania data plan sized to your days is the simplest choice. If you also cross into Moldova, Bulgaria or Hungary, or you need a phone number for calls and texts, pick a Europe plan that covers it all with one eSIM. You install the eSIM at home and it connects when you land in Bucharest, Cluj or Timișoara. This guide compares the eSIMs for Romania sold on SimOptions by trip length, data, coverage and phone number, using the current plan details on our Romania eSIM page.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a week in Bucharest or Transylvania, two weeks around the country, and two weeks with a phone number and some of Europe on top.
Romania 10GB (data only, 7 days) · Romania 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Romania
Quick comparison: eSIMs for Romania
SimOptions sells two kinds of prepaid eSIMs that work in Romania: Romania data plans and Europe plans. Here is how they compare.
Romania 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: Romania only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G and 5G.
- Top-ups: available.
Bouygues Telecom Europe 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 Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece and the UK. Not Moldova, Serbia or Ukraine.
- 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.
SimOptions Europe data plans
- Europe 10GB and 20GB: 34 countries, including Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary and Ukraine. Data only, 4G, with top-ups.
- Europe Unlimited 7 Days and 14 Days: 54 countries, including Romania, Moldova and Serbia. Data only, 4G, with top-ups.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Which eSIM is best for your Romania trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself two questions: do you cross a border, and do you need a phone number?
City break in Bucharest (up to a week): Romania 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a long weekend in Bucharest, a small Romania plan covers maps, messages, ride apps and browsing. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
Two weeks around Romania: Romania 20GB
Driving from Bucharest to Brașov, Sibiu and Sighișoara, or heading to the Black Sea coast? Romania 20GB gives you 20 GB for 15 days, and you can top it up. When we checked, it cost a little less than Europe 20GB, so if you stay in Romania the whole time, the country plan is the better buy.
A month or a long stay: Romania 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Studying, working remotely or visiting family for a while? Romania 50GB lasts 30 days. Romania 60GB lasts 90 days and Romania 100GB lasts 180 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. All three can be topped up.
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Romania plans are data only. You can still call and text with WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. If a host, a driver or a car rental desk needs to call or text you on a normal number, Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM give you a French +33 number with unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, Romanian numbers included. The plan details list calls and SMS within Europe only, so calls to the US, Canada or Australia aren't included. Our guide to Europe eSIMs with a phone number explains when you really need one.
Where you'll use it: Bucharest, Transylvania and the Delta
Most trips to Romania mix a city with a road trip. Here is what to expect for your phone along the way.
Bucharest
The capital is where most flights land. You'll use data for ride apps, maps and public transport. Install your eSIM before you fly, so you're online as soon as you leave the plane at the airport.
Brașov and Bran Castle
Brașov's old town and the Black Church are a short drive from Bran Castle, sold to visitors as Dracula's Castle. The castle's website says Queen Marie of Romania received it in 1920, and it recommends booking tickets ahead because they often sell out (Bran Castle: official site). Having data on your phone makes it easy to book on the day and show your ticket at the gate.
Sibiu and Sighișoara
These two Transylvanian towns are popular stops on a road trip from Brașov. Download offline maps before you drive through the Carpathians, because signal can drop on remote mountain roads, like anywhere in the mountains.
The Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast
Sulina, at the mouth of the Danube, has no road from the rest of Romania: you get there by boat from Tulcea. Save your bookings and boat times on your phone before you set off. The northern edge of the Delta runs along the border with Ukraine, so read the tip on border areas below.
Visiting Moldova, Bulgaria or Hungary too? Pick a Europe eSIM
Romania borders Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria. A Romania plan only works in Romania. A Europe eSIM keeps you online across the border.
- Europe 20GB: 20 GB for 15 days in 34 countries, 4G, with top-ups. It covers Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary and Ukraine, so it suits a trip to Chișinău.
- Travel Basic: 15 GB for 15 days in 46 countries, 5G, data only. It covers Bulgaria and Hungary, but not Moldova.
- Europe Unlimited 7 Days: unlimited data for 7 days in 54 countries, 4G, with top-ups. Pick this one if Belgrade is on your route: it covers Serbia, which the other plans here don't.
Europe 20GB (34 countries, including Moldova) · Travel Basic (Bouygues Telecom, 46 countries) · Europe Unlimited 7 Days (54 countries, including Serbia) · All include Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary · See all eSIMs for Europe
Going on to Budapest? Our guide to the best eSIM for Hungary covers that leg. For a longer tour, our guide to the best eSIM for Europe compares more options, and how to use an eSIM in Europe explains how one eSIM works across borders.
Near the border with a Romania plan
Close to a border, your phone can connect to a network from the neighbouring country on its own, even before you cross. Romania's telecom regulator ANCOM calls this involuntary roaming and advises you to select your network by hand in border areas (ANCOM: involuntary roaming in border areas). With a Romania-only plan, a foreign network isn't covered, so data can stop. If that happens, turn off automatic network selection in your phone's mobile network settings and pick a Romanian network. A Europe plan avoids the problem.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Romania?
Your phone plan is from the EU: you can use it in Romania
Romania is in the EU. If your phone plan is from an EU country, "roam like at home" lets you use it in Romania at your domestic prices, within your carrier's fair use limits. The same rules cover Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs). So for many EU travellers, your home plan is enough. A travel eSIM still helps if your plan has a small data allowance abroad, or if you go on to Serbia, which these rules don't cover.
You're coming from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or Israel
Roam like at home doesn't apply to plans from outside the EU and the countries listed above, and that includes UK plans. Your carrier sets its own roaming prices in Romania, so check them before you go. A travel eSIM gives you data at a fixed prepaid price, while your home SIM stays on your phone for texts and security codes. Our tips to avoid roaming charges help you set this up.
Local carriers in Romania
Romanian operators also sell eSIMs. Digi, for example, offers eSIM with both its monthly and prepaid plans (Digi: eSIM, in Romanian). A local line makes sense if you move to Romania or need a +40 number. For a holiday or a business trip, a travel eSIM you install before you leave is quicker: you're online when you land, with no shop visit.
How much data do you need in Romania?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you stream or work online.
Planning to share your connection with a laptop or a travel partner's phone? Our Romania eSIM page says hotspot is allowed. Hotspot uses data fast, so go a size up.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to set up your eSIM for Romania
- Buy your plan and get your QR code by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Romania" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you arrive, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Romania?
It depends on your trip. For a few days in Bucharest, Romania 5GB or 10GB. For two weeks, Romania 20GB. For a long stay, Romania 60GB or 100GB. If you also visit Moldova, pick Europe 20GB. If you need a phone number, pick Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
Does a Romania eSIM work in Moldova, Bulgaria or Hungary?
No. The Romania plans only cover Romania. For Moldova, Bulgaria and Hungary, pick Europe 20GB. For Serbia, pick Europe Unlimited 7 Days or 14 Days.
Can I get an eSIM for Romania with calls and texts?
Yes. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, including calls to Romanian numbers. The Romania plans are data only.
Can I get a Romanian phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. For a +40 number, you need a line from a Romanian operator.
What is the cheapest eSIM for Romania?
The smallest plan, Romania 1GB for 3 days, is the cheapest one on our Romania eSIM page. For a longer trip, pick the plan that matches your days and data, so you don't pay for more than you use.
Do I need a travel eSIM if my phone plan is from the EU?
Usually not. Roam like at home lets you use an EU plan in Romania at domestic prices, within fair use limits. Check your plan's data allowance abroad before you go.
Can I top up my Romania eSIM?
The Romania plans and the SimOptions Europe plans can be topped up. The Bouygues Telecom plans can't, so choose enough data and days before you go.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.