Key facts
- COVERAGE
- Netherlands
- NETWORKS
- Fixed data: KPN, T-Mobile, Vodafone · Unlimited: KPN, Odido
- 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 the Netherlands, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line.
Visiting more than one country?
Europe
The Netherlands and 35 more countries on one eSIM
from$5.90
See the Europe planQuestions about the Netherlands eSIM
Which networks does it use?
Do I get a local phone number?
Can I use it outside the Netherlands?
How do I install it?
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Can I use my phone to pay for trains and trams in the Netherlands?
Is the Wi-Fi on Dutch trains enough instead of mobile data?
Will my data work on the ferry to Texel or the other Wadden Islands?
Can I use navigation while cycling?
How do I know when I am running low on data?
Do I need a Dutch phone number to book museums or restaurants?
Mobile data in the Netherlands: trains, bikes and cities
The Netherlands is small, flat and densely built, which makes it one of the easier European countries to stay connected in. Most visitors spend their time in a tight cluster of cities, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Haarlem, Leiden and Delft, linked by frequent trains. Many also rent a bike, visit the tulip fields in spring, or take a ferry to one of the Wadden Islands.
Your phone does a lot of work on a Dutch trip: train times and platform changes, cycling routes, museum tickets with timed entry and contactless payments almost everywhere. This guide explains how a Netherlands eSIM from Spidot fits in, how it compares with roaming and a local SIM, how much data to plan for, and what to know about coverage on trains, bikes and the islands. Plans for Netherlands start from $2.90.
eSIM, roaming or a local SIM in the Netherlands
Each option has strengths. The right one depends mostly on where your home SIM comes from and how long you are staying.
Roaming with your home SIM
If you have a SIM from an EU country, Roam like at Home usually lets you use your domestic allowance in the Netherlands, sometimes with a fair-use limit. Many EU travellers simply keep using their own plan, and a travel eSIM is mainly useful if your allowance is small or you want a separate line for heavy use.
If your SIM is from outside the EU, for example from the United States, Canada, Australia, India or, with many carriers, the United Kingdom, those rules do not automatically apply. Roaming costs then depend on your carrier's own packages, so check them before you travel.
A local Dutch SIM
Prepaid SIMs are sold in phone shops, supermarkets and some convenience stores. A local SIM can work well for longer stays, but it means finding a shop, possibly dealing with Dutch-language top-up instructions, and swapping out your home SIM, which can stop bank verification texts from arriving.
A travel eSIM
With Spidot, you buy online, receive a QR code by email right after payment and install the eSIM before you leave. Your home SIM stays in place for calls and texts, while the Spidot line handles data. Plans are data-only unless you choose Data + calls, so there is no Dutch number by default. Your phone needs to support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked: check your phone before buying.
How much data a Dutch trip uses
Everyone uses data differently, so these figures are approximate. They assume you use Wi-Fi at your hotel for large downloads.
- Train and public transport apps: journey planning, live departures and e-tickets use little data, but you check them often.
- Maps and cycling navigation: a day of cycling or walking with turn-by-turn directions might use somewhere between tens and a couple of hundred MB, depending on how much the map reloads.
- Messaging and social media: a few hundred MB on an average day, more if you post videos.
- Video calls: roughly several hundred MB to around 1 GB per hour.
- Streaming: often 1 GB or more per hour of video, which is the main reason people run out of data.
Choosing a plan size
For a weekend in Amsterdam, or a few days visiting Rotterdam and The Hague, a small fixed data plan is usually plenty. For a week or more, or if you plan to share your connection with a laptop, a larger fixed plan is the safer choice. If you prefer not to think about data at all, an unlimited plan charged per day is available, though speeds may slow after heavy use.
Business travellers who visit the Netherlands several times a year often prefer a no-expiry plan so leftover data carries over. Compare options on the prices page, and remember you can add more data mid-trip.
Before you travel: install at home
An eSIM needs an internet connection to install, so do it at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you leave. That way you only need to switch on roaming when you land.
- Dial *#06# and look for an EID number to confirm your phone supports eSIM.
- Scan the QR code using the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel.
- Rename the line to something like Travel so it is easy to find in settings.
- Set the Spidot line for mobile data and keep your home SIM for calls and texts.
- Install the transport and museum apps you plan to use, and save any timed-entry tickets to your phone wallet or as screenshots.
Arriving at Schiphol and other entry points
Most international visitors fly into Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Eindhoven Airport and Maastricht Aachen Airport also handle European flights, and many people arrive by train from Belgium, France, Germany or the United Kingdom, or by overnight ferry from England to the Hook of Holland, Rotterdam (Europoort) or IJmuiden.
After landing, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line, using our data roaming guide if you are not sure where the setting is. Wait a minute for the phone to register. If it does not connect, toggle airplane mode once.
Schiphol has its own railway station directly below the terminal, with frequent trains to Amsterdam Centraal, Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. Having data as you leave the plane lets you check departures and the platform before you reach the ticket machines.
Coverage across the Netherlands
With no mountains and a dense population, the Netherlands generally has consistent mobile coverage, including in the countryside. In the Netherlands, the Spidot eSIM connects to KPN. The places where you are most likely to notice weaker signal are not remote valleys but specific spots: inside large concrete buildings, underground parking, some tunnels and on the water.
Cities
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Groningen are well covered. Crowded places, such as Dam Square on King's Day or a full stadium, can slow data down simply because so many people share the same masts. This is temporary and usually clears once the crowd thins.
Countryside, polders and the coast
Rural areas, polders, dune landscapes along the North Sea coast and the bulb fields between Haarlem and Leiden generally have good coverage. In nature reserves such as the Hoge Veluwe or around the lakes of Friesland, you may notice slower speeds in places, but complete gaps are less common than in mountainous countries.
Wadden Islands and the water
Ferries run from the mainland to Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. Crossings are short and you are usually within reach of the coast, but on the islands themselves, especially on beaches and in dunes away from villages, signal can be weaker. The same applies on boats on the IJsselmeer or the Zeeland estuaries.
Data on Dutch trains and public transport
Trains are the backbone of travel in the Netherlands, and most intercity routes run very frequently. Many trains offer onboard Wi-Fi, but mobile data is often more reliable, especially at busy times. Expect brief drops in tunnels, such as the long tunnel sections on the high-speed line between Schiphol and Rotterdam and the underground stations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
The NS app shows train times, delays and platform changes, and the 9292 app plans door-to-door journeys across trains, trams, buses, metros and ferries. On most public transport you can check in and out with a contactless bank card or phone wallet using the OVpay system, as long as you use the same card or device to check in and out. Some international and special trains need a separate ticket, so check before boarding.
- Check the departure board or app before heading to the platform, because platform changes are common at large stations.
- Download your route or the city map before entering a tunnel-heavy stretch if you need directions on arrival.
- Keep your phone charged. If you use it to check in and out, a dead battery can be a real problem at the exit gates.
Cycling with your phone
Renting a bike is one of the best ways to see Dutch towns and countryside, and the national network of cycle routes with numbered junctions (knooppunten) makes route planning easy. Several apps and websites let you plan a route by junction numbers.
Holding a phone while cycling is not allowed in the Netherlands. If you want to follow navigation, use a handlebar mount and set the route before you start, or use audio directions with one earbud so you can still hear traffic. Bike lanes are busy and fast, especially in Amsterdam, so stop at the side before looking at your phone.
Cycling navigation uses modest amounts of data, but it does keep the screen on and the GPS active, which drains the battery. A small power bank is worth carrying on a long day out.
Using your phone as a hotspot
If you are working from a café, a train or a rental apartment with unreliable Wi-Fi, you can usually share your Spidot data with a laptop or tablet through your phone's personal hotspot. This is common for business travellers in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven.
Laptops can quietly use a lot of data on cloud sync, software updates and video calls. Mark the hotspot as a metered connection, pause automatic backups and keep an eye on how much data is left. If you plan to work from your hotspot every day, a larger or unlimited plan is often more comfortable.
Public Wi-Fi and security
Free Wi-Fi is common in Dutch cafés, hotels, libraries, stations and on many trains. It is fine for browsing, but treat it with care.
- Use mobile data rather than open Wi-Fi for online banking, payments and account logins.
- Watch out for networks with names that imitate a café or station network.
- Turn off automatic connection to open networks.
- Keep your phone's operating system and apps updated before you travel.
Practical tips for the Netherlands
The Netherlands is very card-friendly. Debit cards and contactless payments, including phone wallets, are accepted almost everywhere, and some shops, cafés and museums do not take cash at all. A few places may not accept every foreign credit card, so carrying more than one card is sensible.
Many popular museums in Amsterdam, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, sell tickets online for timed entry, and some are rarely available on the door. Booking in advance and storing the tickets on your phone saves time. Most people speak good English, and Dutch websites usually have an English version.
The emergency number 112 works throughout the Netherlands, as in the rest of the EU.
Combining the Netherlands with neighbouring countries
Trains run from Amsterdam to Brussels, Antwerp, Paris, Cologne, Berlin and London, so many visitors combine the Netherlands with Belgium, Germany, France or the United Kingdom. For trips like this, a single Europe plan covering 36 countries saves you from switching plans at each border.
Near the borders, for example around Maastricht, in Zeeland or in the Belgian enclave of Baarle-Hertog surrounded by Baarle-Nassau, your phone may connect to a Belgian or German network. With a Netherlands-only plan, select a Dutch network manually if this happens. With a Europe plan, it usually does not matter.
