eSIM for Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, a United Kingdom eSIM covers Scotland as well as England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Most visits last about three days, so choose a plan valid for a few days more than that. Install it at home before flying, then switch it on when you land at Edinburgh Airport.
Plans for United Kingdom cover the whole country, including Edinburgh.
For a 3-day visit
How much data for 3 days in Edinburgh
- Light (maps and messages): about 1 GB
- Normal (plus social media and browsing): about 2 GB
- Heavy (video and video calls): about 4.5 GB
An estimate from typical use, not a measurement.
Arriving in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport is west of the city. The Edinburgh Trams run from the airport to the city centre and on to York Place and Newhaven, and the Airlink 100 bus runs to Waverley, the main railway station. Many visitors also arrive by train: London King's Cross to Waverley is a direct route, and Haymarket is the second central station, on the line west towards Glasgow.
Data on arrival helps with the first steps: the tram or bus times, the walk from Waverley, and the way up the hill to the Old Town. Installing the eSIM needs Wi-Fi and a QR code, so do it at home the day before. When you land, switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and leave your home line's data off.
Getting around
The centre of Edinburgh is compact and most visitors walk, although the Old Town is steep. Lothian Buses runs the city buses, and you can pay on board by tapping a contactless card or phone wallet. On the trams, adults can tap a contactless card or phone at the platform validator before boarding and again on leaving, or buy a ticket first from the platform machine or the bus and tram app.
Uber operates in Edinburgh, and the black taxis can be booked through apps as well. Trains to the rest of Scotland leave from Waverley, with tickets sold in the ScotRail and National Rail apps. Download an offline map of the Old Town, where the closes and stairways can confuse a map app.
Where you'll use data
Visitors spend their days on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace, the Old Town's closes and graveyards, then the New Town and Princes Street Gardens. Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill are the usual walks for a view. Entry to the castle and several other sights is timed, so keep the tickets on your phone.
Day trips stay inside the United Kingdom, so the same plan keeps working: Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, North Berwick on the coast, Rosslyn Chapel, or a longer tour into the Highlands towards Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. If your trip carries on across the Irish Sea to Dublin, that is a different country. The United Kingdom plan does not cover it there, and a Europe plan's country list should be checked on our Europe page.
For a longer stay
Common questions
- Will the eSIM work as soon as I land at Edinburgh Airport?
- Yes, if you installed it before the flight. Switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and it connects once you leave airplane mode. If it does not, turn airplane mode on and off once.
- How much data do I need for three days in Edinburgh?
- About 2 GB for normal use: maps, the tram and bus apps, messages and some social media. Heavy use, such as video calls or a lot of streaming, comes to roughly 4.5 GB.
- Can I pay for the bus and tram with my phone?
- On Lothian buses you can tap a contactless card or phone wallet. On the trams you tap in at the platform before boarding and tap out when you leave. Check the Edinburgh Trams site for child and concession fares.
- Does the plan give me a local phone number?
- No. These plans are data only. Calls and messages work through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. If your bank sends codes by SMS, keep your home line on for texts with its data switched off.
- Does the plan work on a trip to Glasgow or the Highlands?
- Yes. A United Kingdom plan covers the whole of Scotland, so Glasgow, St Andrews and the Highlands are included. Download offline maps for remote roads in case you cannot refresh them.