When traveling, in addition to the suitcase and the toothbrush, the Internet has become a basic element that most tourists cannot miss. It does not matter the reason for the trip: whether it is to spend a few days of rest and vacations, or if you travel for work, today being connected to the Internet at all times is essential to be in contact with family and friends or to answer emails company or serve customers from anywhere.
When traveling within Europe, users from European Union countries can use roaming and will not have to pay a surcharge, but only if they travel to another member country of the European Union. But… what happens if they travel to another country in Europe? That the costs of being permanently connected can be very high. The same will happen to those who do not reside in the European Union and travel through the Old Continent: Latinos, Asians, Americans… who will have to bear high costs for using the Internet from their mobile.
If this is your case, don’t worry, because in this article we are going to explain to you a way to have Internet when traveling within Europe that is comfortable and also cheap: use an eSIM card. With it you can enjoy a plan to have Internet on your mobile, without changing your number and knowing what you will spend beforehand to avoid surprises on your bill when using your mobile in Europe.
Why is internet required in Europe?
There are many reasons why you will need to have Internet during your trip to Europe. If staying offline is not an option for you, we are going to give you the most comfortable and economical solution so that you are always online in Europe in this report.
digital nomads
Having the freedom to work, carry out a project, study… wherever you want, is undoubtedly lucky. To make the most of this experience and be a true “digital nomad”, the only thing that cannot be missing from your backpack will be the Internet connection. With it you can be connected anywhere during your trip to Europe, without having to worry about contracting different plans even if you change countries.
Business trip
If you have the possibility of working from anywhere, you will undoubtedly need to have the Internet to be connected at all times during your trip to Europe. Whether you are a “digital nomad” or if you travel to Europe for work on an occasional basis, you will want to have access to your corporate email, be able to talk with your colleagues through messaging programs or even be able to attend a meeting by videoconference in a secure way. virtual.
Tourists or Vacation trips
If you are traveling for pleasure, because you want to discover and visit some of the wonderful corners that the continent is home to, you will surely want to upload photos and videos to your social networks, and share them with your family and friends via instant messaging. Of course, during your stay you will not want to lose contact with them and know how they are at all times.
However, in the three cases that we explain to you, if you cannot take advantage of roaming, having Internet access in Europe can be very expensive. To avoid surprises, it is best to use an eSIM card, with which you can enjoy the Internet anywhere during your stay in Europe, always knowing what you pay for. In addition, you will see that it is very easy to install and use, keep reading:
The eSIM as an alternative to roaming in Europe
Since 2017, citizens of the European Union can travel to other EU countries and use their mobile phone as they would in their country, without incurring an additional cost. This is what is known as “data roaming”, which despite being something positive, does not cover all cases. For example, if you are thinking of traveling through Europe, but to a country outside the European Union, you have to be very careful when using your mobile phone, because connecting to the Internet from countries such as Andorra, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the Balkan countries … can be very expensive.
In the same way, if you are a citizen of a country that does not belong to the European Union, or you travel through Europe but live in Latin America, the United States… or any other country, you will also have to face very high costs if you use your plan of data from your usual operator to connect to the Internet.
For this reason, in these cases the best alternative is to use an eSIM card, which will allow you to have an Internet data plan on your mobile as an alternative to that of your usual operator, and with which you will be able to connect to the Internet easily and in a much more efficient way. cheaper than using roaming. And always knowing what you pay!
What is an eSIM and how does it work?
The concept is very simple: an eSIM is the digital version of the classic SIM cards that we put in our mobile phones. It includes the necessary data for the telephone operator to identify the mobile and also, as it is already integrated into the mobile’s microchip, there is no need to place any physical card.
This allows you to have several SIM card profiles in the mobile, and each one corresponds to a different data plan. This is the best solution if you want to travel around Europe and have an Internet connection at all times without having to pay for roaming.
Unlimited Internet in Europe with Holafly eSIMs
As we say, if you want to travel around Europe and put aside roaming, you can hire a Prepaid eSIM for Europe with a trusted provider like Holafly and save a lot of money by always being connected during your stay in the Old Continent.
You just have to go to their website to purchase the eSIM card, selecting the data plan that best suits your needs. For example, you can enjoy 5 days with unlimited data to connect to the Internet from your mobile for only 19 euros, but there are many more plans, for more days, so you can choose the one that suits you best.
Once you have purchased the eSIM, you will receive a QR code with which you can easily install your new data plan on your mobile before you travel. Once you arrive in Europe, you will only have to indicate in the configuration of your mobile phone that this new data plan is used to connect to the Internet. And ready! You will already be using your Holafly eSIM card to enjoy unlimited Internet in Europe.
Also, using an eSIM card has other advantages. For example, you will be helping to reduce the use of plastics and CO2 emissions. Keep in mind that you will not receive any physical SIM by mail, and this means that, in addition to contributing to conserving the environment, you will be able to install your eSIM very easily and activate it in just a couple of minutes.
Coverage
When you are using the Holafly eSIM card you will be able to connect to the Internet unlimitedly in any European country, regardless of whether it is a member country of the European Union or not.
In addition, if you visit several countries during your trip to Europe, you will not have any problem connecting to the Internet in an unlimited way, since you will not have to change your data plan. You can use your Holafly eSIM card in all the European countries you want, thus forgetting about roaming surcharges.
Along with the Europa product, which offers unlimited data, you will also find products on Holafly that work in only one country and that are a perfect alternative to roaming. So you can hire an eSIM from Holafly to travel to the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom and countries belonging to the European Union.
Mobile phones compatible with eSIM to have internet in Europe
You just have to take into account that your mobile is compatible with eSIM technology to be able to enjoy the Internet without limitations during your trip to Europe. The good thing is that more and more devices already include support for eSIM cards.
For example, today you can use an eSIM on Apple iPhone SE, XR, XS, XS Max and all models of iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. On Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, Note 20, Note 20 Ultra 5G, S21, S21 +5G, S21 + Ultra 5G Fold, Z Fold 5G and Z Flip.
Huawei P40, P40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro phone models are also compatible with eSIM technology; the Google Pixel 2, 3, 4 and 5; the Motorola Razr, Motorola Razr 2019 Nuu Mobile X5, the Gemini PDA, the Rakuten Mini and the Oppo Find X3 Pro and Reno 5a, among others. And new models that are compatible with eSIM technology are added every day!
Alternatives to have internet in Europe if you do not have a mobile compatible with eSIM
If you don’t have a mobile phone compatible with eSIM technology, if you want to have Internet when traveling in Europe and you can’t roam, there are still a number of options you can use.
For example, you can try to connect to existing Public WiFi networks. Its availability varies a lot from country to country, although in most big cities you may find some public WiFi available. Keep in mind when using these connections that your privacy may be conditioned, so it is recommended not to use them to provide sensitive data or make purchases online by providing your bank card number.
Another option would be to buy a prepaid SIM card from a local operator in the country you are going to visit. It is an option that is usually more expensive and that, above all, does not provide you with unlimited Internet. You will also not be able to use the same prepaid SIM card in all the countries you visit, but you will have to buy a different one in each country you go to.
Finally, you could also use a Pocket WiFi, a device that transmits the Internet to compatible devices that are close by, such as a mobile phone. With it you could be connected, but what happens is that to work it needs a SIM card. In other words, you would need to contract a data plan for your Pocket WiFi to be able to connect your mobile to it and have an Internet connection. In addition, the Pocket Wifi usually offer a 3G or 4G connection, and the prices are high, so it is not worth it, especially if you are going to spend only a few days in the Old Continent.
