The Italy Guides

Italy SIM Cards: How to Get Data in Italy in 2025/26

· 3 min read Practical
Italy SIM card — mobile data options for travellers

Contents

  1. Option 1: EU roaming (for EU/UK residents)
  2. Option 2: Local SIM card
  3. Option 3: eSIM
  4. What to know
  5. Recommendation

Getting data in Italy is straightforward. The three main options are: a local SIM card, an eSIM, or your home carrier’s international roaming plan. The right choice depends on how long you’re staying, what device you have, and how much data you need.

Option 1: EU roaming (for EU/UK residents)

If you’re from an EU country, your standard mobile contract likely includes roaming in Italy at no extra charge (EU roaming regulation). This is the simplest option for most European travellers — just use your existing SIM.

UK residents: Post-Brexit, UK carriers are no longer required to include EU roaming. Many still offer it as part of certain plans; check your specific tariff before travelling. Some carriers charge a daily roaming fee (typically £2–5/day).

Option 2: Local SIM card

Available at any phone shop, tobacconist (tabaccheria), or newsagent. The three main Italian carriers:

TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile): The largest network with the best rural coverage. Good for travelling outside cities. Prepaid plans from €10–20/month for 50–100GB.

Vodafone Italy: Strong coverage in cities and major tourist areas. Competitive data plans. Slightly higher prices than WindTre but good quality.

WindTre: The merged company (Wind + 3), now one of the larger Italian carriers. Good data deals; sometimes the cheapest option for tourists. Coverage slightly less complete than TIM in rural areas.

Buying: You’ll need a passport or ID card and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale) for some plans — but many prepaid tourist SIMs don’t require it. Staff at phone shops near the main train stations (Roma Termini, Napoli Centrale, Milano Centrale) deal with tourists regularly and can process an activation in 10–15 minutes.

Costs: Tourist prepaid data SIMs typically €10–25 for 15–30 days with 20–50GB of data.

Option 3: eSIM

For phones that support eSIM (most modern flagships from 2019 onwards — iPhone XS+, recent Android flagships), an eSIM is often the most convenient option:

Airalo: The largest eSIM marketplace. Italy eSIMs from ~€6/7 days (2GB) to ~€19/30 days (20GB). Activate before you travel; no physical SIM swap.

Holafly: Unlimited data plans; typically more expensive per day but no data monitoring required. Italy plans from ~€19/7 days.

Local carrier eSIMs: TIM and Vodafone Italy both offer eSIM activation in their stores — same plans as physical SIM.

What to know

Coverage: In cities and on main motorways, all three carriers provide 4G coverage. In mountain areas and remote Sardinia, TIM has the broadest coverage.

Data speeds: Italian 4G is fast in cities. 5G is available from all three carriers in major cities (Milan, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Turin).

Wi-Fi availability: Most accommodation provides WiFi. Many restaurants and cafes offer WiFi on request. Italian WiFi quality is variable but usually adequate. The reliance on WiFi without a local SIM becomes awkward when navigating unfamiliar areas.

Maps offline: Download Google Maps or Maps.me offline maps for Italy before arriving — this eliminates the data dependency for navigation.

Recommendation

  • 1–3 days: Use existing roaming plan or just rely on WiFi; a local SIM isn’t worth the setup.
  • 3–14 days: eSIM (Airalo or Holafly) is the most convenient if your phone supports it; otherwise a local SIM from a tabaccheria near your first station.
  • 14+ days: Local SIM from TIM or WindTre for best value; eSIM from local carrier also works.