Italy
An Italy eSIM roams onto TIM or Vodafone, the networks with the best national reach. Install and scan the QR at home; activation needs Wi-Fi.
from$1.89
Choose a plan- TIM
- Iliad
- 5G
Plans and prices
At a glance
- Networks
- TIM · Iliad · Wind
- Hotspot
- Not published
- When you land
- Install the profile and scan the QR at home on Wi-Fi before you board, since activation cannot be done on Italian mobile data. On landing at Fiumicino, Malpensa or Marco Polo you should register on TIM or Vodafone within a couple of minutes: turn Data Roaming ON for the eSIM line and switch your home line's data OFF so nothing accidentally roams at full price.
Common questions
- Does an eSIM work in Italy?
- Yes. Italy has full eSIM support on TIM and Vodafone, and any eSIM-capable phone from roughly the iPhone XS or Pixel 3 generation onward will register within a minute or two of landing. The one requirement travellers forget is that Data Roaming must be switched on for the eSIM line, since the profile is technically roaming.
- Can I use the hotspot or tethering in Italy?
- Usually yes, and it is the practical way to get a laptop or a travelling companion online. Check the plan terms first, because some unlimited tiers restrict tethering or count hotspot traffic against a smaller separate allowance. On iPhone you may need to set the eSIM as the mobile data line before Personal Hotspot will use it.
- How much data do I need for a week in Italy?
- Most travellers land between 3 and 5 GB for a week of ordinary use: maps, messaging, café browsing, some social posting. Add meaningfully more if you stream on trains, upload video from the Amalfi Coast, or lean on live translation. Walking navigation in Rome's old centre burns more than people expect because it recalculates constantly among narrow streets.
Italy — Read the full guide
TIM and Vodafone divide Italy differently than travellers expect. TIM inherited the old state network and still has the broader rural and southern footprint, so it is the…
Read the full guide