Key facts
- COVERAGE
- Italy
- NETWORKS
- Vodafone, Wind Tre
- PLAN TYPE
- Data only
- IP ADDRESS LOCATION
- Fixed data: United Kingdom · Unlimited: Poland
- DELIVERY
- QR code by email
How it works
- 1Choose a plan and pay.
- 2Scan the QR code we email you. You can install it before you fly.
- 3When you land in Italy, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line.
Visiting more than one country?
Europe
Italy and 35 more countries on one eSIM
from$5.90
See the Europe planQuestions about the Italy eSIM
Which networks does it use?
Do I get a local phone number?
Can I use it outside Italy?
How do I install it?
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Do I need a codice fiscale to use a travel eSIM in Italy?
Will I have signal on the Cinque Terre trains and paths?
Can I use the eSIM in Vatican City and San Marino?
Will the eSIM help me avoid ZTL fines?
Is mobile data useful on a ferry to Sardinia or Sicily?
Can I buy a plan after I have arrived in Italy?
Using an eSIM in Italy: a practical guide for travellers
Italy rewards travellers who keep moving: Rome to Florence by high-speed train, a hire car through the hills of Tuscany or Puglia, a boat along the Amalfi Coast, a ferry to Sardinia or Sicily, a cable car in the Dolomites. Along the way your phone does a lot of work, from booking timed entry to the Colosseum or the Uffizi to avoiding a fine in a restricted traffic zone and finding a trattoria that is open at three in the afternoon.
This guide explains how a travel eSIM for Italy works, how it compares with roaming and an Italian SIM card, how much data you are likely to need, and what to expect from coverage on the mainland, in the mountains and on the islands. Plans start from $2.90, and you can install and test everything before you travel.
eSIM, roaming or an Italian SIM
There is no single right answer. The best choice depends on where your current SIM comes from, how long you are staying and whether you need an Italian phone number.
Roaming
If your SIM is from another EU or EEA country, EU "Roam like at Home" rules usually let you use your normal allowance in Italy within your provider's fair-use policy. For many visitors from outside the EU, including a lot of UK, US, Canadian and Australian customers, roaming in Italy is charged separately, sometimes as a daily pass. Check with your provider before relying on it.
An Italian prepaid SIM
Italian operators sell prepaid SIMs in their own stores and in some airport and station shops. Italy requires identification to register a SIM, including your passport and often an Italian tax code (codice fiscale), which shops can generate for visitors. It works, and gives you a local number, but it takes time in a queue at the start of your trip.
A travel eSIM
A Spidot eSIM is a data plan you install before you leave. You land with data ready to switch on and keep your own SIM in the phone for calls and texts. Most plans are data-only, so you do not get an Italian number unless you choose a Data + calls plan. WhatsApp, which is used very widely in Italy, works normally over data, including for messaging hotels, guides and restaurants.
How much data you will need in Italy
Plan size depends on how you use your phone. Very roughly: maps and navigation use a modest amount per hour; messaging, email and browsing are light; video calls can use hundreds of megabytes per hour; and HD streaming or uploading lots of video can use more than a gigabyte per hour. These are estimates only.
- A few days in Rome, Florence or Venice: maps, museum bookings, transport apps and messaging usually fit a small fixed data plan.
- A week or two touring: daily navigation through Tuscany, Umbria or Puglia, plus photos and social media, suits a mid-sized or larger plan.
- Remote work or heavy streaming: if you tether a laptop in a rented villa or stream every evening, an unlimited plan charged by the day avoids rationing, although speed can slow after heavy use.
- Repeat visits: a no-expiry plan keeps unused data for next time.
If you run low
You can add more data to the same eSIM at any time. All current options are listed on the prices page.
What to do before you leave
Installing needs an internet connection, so set the eSIM up at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you fly. First check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked; dialling *#06# shows an EID on eSIM-capable phones.
Your QR code arrives by email after payment. Follow the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel. Label the line "Italy" or "Travel", keep your own SIM as default for calls and texts, and choose the Spidot line for mobile data.
- Install the Trenitalia and Italo apps if you are travelling by train, and save tickets offline once bought.
- Download offline maps for areas with patchy signal, such as the Dolomites, the Apennines, inland Sardinia and rural Sicily.
- Book timed-entry tickets for popular sights in advance and save the confirmations offline.
- Add an Italian offline language pack to your translation app.
Arriving in Italy: airports and first steps
Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa are the main long-haul gateways. Many European flights also arrive at Rome Ciampino, Milan Linate, Bergamo, Venice Marco Polo, Treviso, Bologna, Pisa, Florence, Naples, Bari and Brindisi, and on the islands at Catania, Palermo, Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero.
After landing, switch off airplane mode, make sure mobile data uses the Spidot line, and turn on data roaming for it. The data roaming guide shows the setting on each phone. If no network appears after a minute or two, switch airplane mode on and off once.
With data working you can check the Leonardo Express from Fiumicino or the Malpensa Express into Milan, book a transfer, or message your accommodation about check-in times, which in Italy are sometimes arranged with the host in person.
Coverage from the cities to the islands
Your eSIM connects to local Italian networks; Vodafone and Wind Tre are the partners currently used for this plan. In Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Genoa and other cities, coverage is generally good, although thick medieval walls and narrow streets can weaken signal indoors.
Mountains: the Alps, Dolomites and Apennines
Resort towns such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, Val Gardena, Courmayeur, Bormio and Madonna di Campiglio are well served, but high valleys, passes and hiking trails can be patchy. The Apennine spine that runs down the peninsula, through Abruzzo, Molise and Basilicata, has many quiet areas between towns. Download maps before you set out and carry a power bank.
Coastlines and hill towns
Along the Amalfi Coast, in the Cinque Terre and around Lake Como and Lake Garda, steep cliffs and tunnels can cause brief drops. Hill towns in Tuscany, Umbria and Le Marche usually have good signal at the top and weaker spots in the valleys between them.
Sicily, Sardinia and the smaller islands
Palermo, Catania, Syracuse, Taormina, Cagliari and Olbia are well connected. The interiors of both islands, Sardinia's mountainous centre and parts of its coast, and the countryside around Mount Etna can be thinner. Smaller islands such as Capri, Ischia, Elba, the Aeolian Islands, the Egadi Islands and La Maddalena are generally covered in the main towns, with quieter spots in coves and along walking paths.
Data on trains, road trips and ferries
Italy's transport is a mix of fast intercity trains, slow but scenic regional lines, motorways and a busy ferry network.
High-speed and regional trains
Trenitalia's Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains link Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples and Salerno, with services continuing further south. The Florence–Bologna line runs largely through tunnels under the Apennines, so expect signal to come and go on that stretch. Regional trains are cheaper and slower; paper regional tickets must be validated before boarding, whereas digital tickets bought in the app are typically tied to a specific train or time window. Save tickets offline to show on board.
Driving and ZTL zones
Many historic centres, including those of Florence, Rome, Milan, Bologna, Pisa and Siena, have limited traffic zones (ZTL) monitored by cameras. Entering without permission can result in a fine that may reach you after you get home. Navigation apps do not always warn about ZTLs, so check the zone before driving into a centre and ask your hotel whether it can register your plate. Motorways (autostrade) are mostly tolled, with booths accepting cards. Download offline maps for rural roads, and do not handle your phone while driving.
Ferries and boats
Ferries run to Sardinia from Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Piombino, to Sicily from Naples, Salerno and across the Strait of Messina from Villa San Giovanni, and to Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast from Naples and Sorrento. Short crossings close to land usually keep you connected. On overnight routes you will lose land signal in open water, and onboard connections may be separate maritime services, so turn data roaming off if an unfamiliar network appears at sea.
Hotspot, tethering and public Wi-Fi
Personal hotspot usually works with the eSIM, which is handy in agriturismi and villas where the Wi-Fi does not reach every room. Laptops use data quickly with updates and cloud syncing in the background, so pause those first.
Wi-Fi in hotels, cafés and stations is common but can be slow or require registration. On open networks, avoid banking and entering passwords, check that websites use HTTPS, and switch to mobile data when you want a private connection.
Practical tips for Italy
A few local habits make day-to-day travel smoother.
- Payments: cards and phone payments are widely accepted, but small bars, markets and some family-run places still prefer cash, so carry some euros.
- Coperto: many restaurants add a cover charge per person to the bill. It is normal and usually listed on the menu.
- Taxis and ride-hailing: licensed taxis are the norm in most cities, and app-based ride-hailing is more limited than in some countries. Taxi booking apps such as itTaxi and Free Now are used in several cities, and Uber is available in a few, mostly as premium services.
- Public transport: Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin have metro systems, and many cities now accept contactless cards at the gate or on board. Moovit and Google Maps are widely used for routes and times.
- Museums and sights: major sites such as the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, the Last Supper in Milan and the Uffizi often sell out in advance, so book online and keep tickets on your phone.
- Afternoon closing: outside the big cities, many shops close for a few hours in the afternoon. Checking opening hours online saves wasted trips.
Combining Italy with other countries
Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia, and surrounds two small independent states, San Marino and Vatican City. Many itineraries continue into neighbouring countries: the Riviera into Nice and Monaco, Lake Como into Lugano, the Dolomites into Austria, Trieste into Slovenia, or a ferry from Bari or Ancona to Croatia, Albania or Greece.
An Italy plan works in Italy only. For a trip that crosses borders, the Europe plan covers 36 countries with one eSIM. You can also see single-country pages for France, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Greece and Albania.
Switzerland is outside the EU, and near Como, Lake Maggiore and the Alpine passes your phone may connect to a Swiss network even before you cross. Look at the network name on your phone and check which countries your plan includes.
Managing your data on the road
When you get home, switch mobile data back to your own SIM. You can leave the eSIM installed until the plan ends and delete it from your settings afterwards.
