If you’re dreaming of visiting Italy in the near future, your trip planning is likely to be centred around all the great food you’ll eat, the incredible cities you’ll visit or the beautiful natural sites to see. It’s easy to overlook some important logistical issues such as how you’ll stay connected on the road which is why we’ve created this guide for the best sim card for Italy travel with data.
Whether it’s being able to make sure you can easily get to your hotel when you first arrive, find your way to the best-reviewed restaurant or plan your walking tour of a major city, having one of these prepaid sim cards for Italy will ensure that you can spend your time in the country enjoying it rather than worrying about unnecessary logistics.
Looking for a quick answer? My choice for the best SIM card for Italy is the Orange Holiday SIM with 20GB data (available as eSIM or physical SIM).
Best SIM Card for Italy Comparison
| SIM Card | Description | Prices |
|---|---|---|
Orange Holiday Europe SIM | Data: 20GB Expiry: 14 days Calls:120 min SMS: 1000 Hotspot Allowed?: Yes Countries Covered: 30 Recharagable?: Yes eSIM Available: Yes | Check Prices |
Three Prepaid SIM | Data: 12GB Expiry: 30 days Calls: 3000 min (UK/EU only) SMS: 3000 (UK/EU only) Hotspot Allowed?: No Countries Covered: 71 Recharagable?: Yes eSIM Available: No | Check Prices |
SIM2Roam Data SIM | Data: 10GB Expiry: 30 days Calls: None SMS: None Hotspot Allowed?: Yes Countries Covered: 35 Recharagable?: Yes eSIM Available: No | Check Prices |
Orange Holiday Zen SIM Card | Data: 8GB Expiry: 14 days Calls:30 min SMS: 200 Hotspot Allowed?: Yes Countries Covered: 30 Recharagable?: Yes eSIM Available: Yes | Check Prices |
Movistar Prepaid SIM | Data: 10GB (+60GB in Spain) Expiry: 28 days Calls: None SMS: None Hotspot Allowed?: Yes Countries Covered: 31 Recharagable?: Yes eSIM Available: No | Check Prices |
Dataroam Prepaid SIM | Data: 10GB Expiry: 30 days Calls: None SMS: None Hotspot Allowed?: Yes Countries Covered: 33 Recharagable?: No eSIM Available: No | Check Prices |
How to Purchase a Prepaid Sim Card for Italy
Italy is one of the most popular places to visit in all of Europe so having access to data as soon as you land makes it easier to have a seamless trip to this beautiful country.
While it certainly is possible to buy a prepaid SIM card in Italy once you arrive, you’ll typically find that the SIM cards you can purchase at an airport are often significantly more expensive than you would find elsewhere.
You can also go into a phone shop such as Vodafone once you arrive and purchase a local SIM card, however, that will take unnecessary time out of your trip and you won’t have data available when you first land which can be crucial for getting to your accommodation hassle-free.
Buying a SIM card online for Italy will ensure you have mobile data access as soon as you land and given there are a number of great options available that can either be shipped to your address or delivered electronically via an eSIM, there is no reason to waste time when you actually arrive in Italy.
Will Italian Prepaid SIM Cards Work in my Phone?
In order to ensure your phone will work with any Italian SIM cards you purchase, you need to ensure that your phone is unlocked and not tied to a specific provider.
This is something that is particularly important to pay attention to if you’ve recently signed a new contract with your mobile phone provider. If you’re not sure, call your mobile phone provider to see what your phone status is.
If you find that your phone is locked and you have incredibly expensive roaming charges, then you could consider buying an unlocked phone online or a mobile wifi hotspot that you can use.
Your other option is to rely on public WiFi, however, if you go down this path consider purchasing a good quality VPN such as ExpressVPN to have more security.
Best Italy SIM Cards for Travel with Data
The following are some of the best prepaid SIM cards currently available for travel in Italy.
Orange Holiday Europe with 20GB Data
Regardless of whether you’re looking for an Italian SIM card, or a SIM card for European travel, the Orange Holiday Europe with 20GB Data is one of the best options available on the market.
The large data limit will ensure that you can stay connected when sightseeing as well as have plenty of data left over to use Whatsapp or Facetime to call family or friends back home.
Along with 20GB of data that can be used in Italy or in 29 other European countries, this prepaid SIM also has unlimited calls and texts within Europe as well as allowing 2 hours of calls and 1000 SMS to your home country.
This SIM card can either be purchased as a physical SIM card or eSIM if you have a compatible phone. While the credit is only valid for 14 days, there are a number of top-up data plans should you be going on a longer trip to Italy.
Finally, you can also use the Orange Holiday Europe as a personal hotspot, making it one of the best options for anybody looking for an Italian SIM card who wants to work in Italy using their laptop and have a larger data usage.
Three Prepaid SIM with 12GB Data
Another great option for those looking for a combination of data and calls in Italy, is the Three Prepaid SIM with 12GB Data (also available from SimOptions here).
Along with the 12GB data, you get 3000 minutes of calls and 3000 texts that can be used to other UK or European phone numbers. The data allowance for this SIM card also works beyond just Europe and can be used in 71 countries including in places like the USA and Australia.
If you prefer a longer data validity and aren’t fussed about having calls and texts, you can buy Three Prepaid SIM with a 1-year validity, however, it is data only. Alternatively, you can top-up the SIM card after you buy it.
The Three Prepaid SIM can’t be used as a personal hotspot, but apart from that, it’s one of the best SIM cards to use in Italy if you want to have a combination of data, calls and texts.
SIM2ROAM Data SIM with 10GB Data
If you don’t need calls and texts for your time in Italy and are only looking to get a SIM card for the data allowance, then the SIM2ROAM Data SIM with 10GB Data is a great option.
Apart from the 10GB data option, you can also buy a 3GB or 6GB data SIM, with various data packages being available online to top-up. It works in over 35 countries including Italy and can be used as a personal hotspot.
The setup for the SIM2ROAM Data SIM is a bit easier compared to some other SIM cards as there is no activation required. Your validity period of 30 days will simply begin when you first start using the SIM card.
Overall, this is a great option if you’re looking purely to buy an Italian SIM card for the data allowance.
Orange Holiday Zen with 8GB Data
If you’re a light data user and only want to have a SIM card in Italy for occasional use, then the Orange Holiday Zen with 8GB Data is a good option.
This SIM with give you 8GB of data in Italy that can also be used in 30 countries in Europe. You also get unlimited calls and texts within Europe as well a small allocation of 30 minutes and 200 texts to use worldwide.
You can use this card as a personal hotspot and you have the option to purchase it as a physical SIM or an eSIM.
The Orange Holiday Zen also has multiple top-up options at an extra cost so even if you think you might be a lighter user than you end up while travelling in Italy, you should have no problem getting more credit while overseas.
Movistar Europe Prepaid with 10GB Data
The Movistar Europe SIM with 10GB data is a good option for those combining a trip to Italy with Spain.
This tourist SIM card gives you 10GB of data to use across Europe plus an additional 60GB in Spain. The extra data allowance in Spain is unparalleled compared to most other SIMs you buy online so it makes it a great deal if you’re splitting your time between these countries.
Apart from Italy and Spain, this SIM card can be used in many other countries in Europe and the UK with the notable exceptions of Switzerland and Turkey.
The Movistar Europe SIM does also give 200 minutes of calls in Spain and it can be used as a personal hotspot on your travels. The credit is valid for 28 days but there are top-up options available online.
Dataroam Prepaid SIM Card with 10GB Data
The Dataroam Prepaid SIM with 10GB data is a good no-frills choice if you’re on a short trip to Italy. It comes with 10GB of data that can be used in Italy as well as other European countries, however, there is no call or text credit included.
This SIM is also not possible to recharge so it is not recommended if you’re going on a longer trip or plan to reuse the SIM over several trips.
The Dataroam Prepaid SIM can be used as a hotspot, with the credit valid for 30 days. It also has a straightforward activation process and doesn’t require any advance registration before landing in Italy.
There is no need to wait until you arrive in Italy as you can easily get an Italian SIM card online and have data access as soon as you land or cross the border into this beautiful country!
Are you looking to purchase a SIM card to use in Italy? Have any questions about these options? Let us know in the comments below!
