The Europe eSIM guide for Australians: one plan for 30+ countries, and what to watch for in the UK and Turkey

A European trip is the best case for a travel eSIM and the easiest one to get wrong. Cross five borders in three weeks and a carrier day pass becomes a A$200 line item, while a badly chosen regional plan leaves you without data the moment the train pulls into Zurich or Istanbul. This guide is about picking a plan that covers your whole route.

The short version

• For three or more countries, buy one regional plan. Roamly's Europe plan covers 30-plus countries from A$13.

• Check the country list before you buy any Europe plan. The UK, Switzerland, Norway and Turkey are the usual gaps. Roamly's plan includes all four.

• For one or two countries, single-country plans are cheaper per gigabyte.

• Install at home on Wi-Fi. Your plan starts counting when you first connect in Europe.

The "Europe" trap

The EU's roam-like-at-home rules mean most European networks treat the EU as one zone, and many eSIM plans are built on that. The problem is that a lot of places Australians go aren't in the zone:

• The United Kingdom left the EU, and plenty of Europe plans quietly dropped it.

• Switzerland, Norway and Iceland were never in the EU. They're on almost every itinerary and missing from many plans.

• Turkey is a top destination for Australians and sits well outside the zone.

• The Balkans (Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia) are hit and miss.

Roamly's Europe plan includes the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Turkey, plus Ukraine, alongside every EU country. Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Serbia aren't included, so if the Balkans are on your route, add a single-country plan for those stops.

Whatever plan you buy from anyone, read the country list. It takes thirty seconds and saves a stranded afternoon.

What it costs

Roamly's Europe plan at the time of writing:

• 3GB for 30 days: A$13.00

• 5GB for 30 days: A$19.40

• 10GB for 30 days: A$36.10

• 20GB for 30 days: A$64.80

• 50GB for 180 days: A$99.00

Single-country plans are cheaper per gigabyte. For comparison, 10GB for 30 days is A$19.50 in France, A$18.60 in Spain, A$23.60 in Italy, A$24.10 in the UK and A$16.50 in Turkey.

Worked examples

Two weeks in Italy

Single-country. A 10GB Italy plan at A$23.60. No reason to pay for 30 countries you won't visit.

London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin over three weeks

Regional. A 10GB Europe plan at A$36.10 covers all four, including the UK. Four single-country plans would cost more and mean four installs.

Greece and Turkey, ten days each

Either works. Two single-country plans (Greece plus Turkey at A$16.50 for 10GB) or one Europe plan. The regional plan is simpler if you're island-hopping and the route might change.

Six weeks, everywhere

Regional, 20GB or the 50GB long-validity plan. Both are reloadable if you run low.

Coverage and speed

Western Europe has some of the densest mobile networks anywhere. You'll have 5G in most capitals and 4G on the trains between them. Roamly's Europe plan connects to 5G networks in the majority of included countries, including Proximus and Orange in Belgium, and comparable major carriers elsewhere. Rural France, Spain and Italy are fine on main roads and in villages, and drop out in the same mountain passes where the locals lose signal too.

The plan switches networks automatically as you cross borders. You don't need to do anything at the border except maybe toggle aeroplane mode if the phone is slow to pick up the new network.

How much data for Europe

Europe trips tend to use more data than beach holidays: Google Maps on foot all day, train apps, museum bookings, and a lot of photos. Budget 800MB to 1.2GB a day for a normal traveller. For three weeks, that's 15GB to 25GB, so 20GB is the safe pick. See the data guide for the per-app breakdown.

Apps to sort before you go

• Google Maps offline areas for each city. Big one in Europe, where you'll walk everywhere.

• Rail apps: Trainline covers most of Western Europe; SNCF Connect for France, Trenitalia for Italy, DB Navigator for Germany.

• Museum and attraction bookings now mostly require timed tickets bought online. Sagrada Família, the Vatican Museums and the Anne Frank House all sell out days ahead.

• Your bank app with notifications on. Card skimming is more common in Europe than at home.

Setting up

1. Check your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked.

2. Buy the plan and install it at home on Wi-Fi, following the installation guide.

3. On arrival, set the eSIM as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for that line. Turn data roaming off on your Australian line; calls and texts still come through.

4. As you cross borders, nothing changes. If the phone hasn't picked up a network after a few minutes, toggle aeroplane mode.

See the Europe eSIM plan and full country list, or compare with carrier roaming for a shorter trip.