Italy eSIM plans compared: 5 providers, 3 trip lengths
Choose your trip length, then read down: the pick is first, and each card says who the other four suit better.
UbigiBest overall
My pickPlan10 GB, 30 dayson WindTre, Iliad
Price$12.00
Per day$1.20
Take it for most trips, a week in Rome or two weeks down to Sicily. For seven days or fewer, 10 GB for 8 days costs $9.00.
What you actually get with Ubigi network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed, no daily cap
- Hotspot
- Allowed, with no restriction stated
- When the days start
- When you switch to the Ubigi line in Italy, not when you buy
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Ubigi
- Network
- WindTre and Iliad
- 5G
- Listed on both networks, on compatible phones
From Ubigi's Italy plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
AiraloThree networks
Plan10 GB, 15 dayson Vodafone, WindTre, Iliad
Price$18.00
Per day$1.80
Take it for the widest choice of networks: Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad. Its 10 GB costs $6.00 more than Ubigi's and lasts half as long.
What you actually get with Airalo network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 5 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Airalo
- If your trip changes
- Airmoney, Airalo's in-app credit, not cash. A faulty eSIM is refunded in Airmoney or to your card in 7 to 10 business days.
- Network
- Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad
- 5G
- On Vodafone and WindTre. Iliad is listed as 4G
From Airalo's Italy plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
NomadVodafone, hotspot allowed
Plan10 GB, 30 dayson Vodafone, Iliad
Price$18.50
Per day$1.85
Take it if you want Vodafone, with hotspot sharing allowed on every plan. Its 10 GB costs about $18.50, $6.50 more than Ubigi.
What you actually get with Nomad network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Allowed
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Nomad
- Network
- Vodafone and Iliad
- 5G
- Listed on both networks
From Nomad's Italy plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
SailyEasiest app
Plan10 GB, 30 daysnetwork not published
Price$20.99
Per day$2.10
Take it for an app that does the setup in a few taps. At $20.99 it's the most expensive 10 GB here, and Saily doesn't say which Italian network it uses.
What you actually get with Saily network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the "unlimited" plans, 5 GB a day
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Saily
- If your trip changes
- Full refund within 30 days if the plan is not activated.
- Network
- Not stated by Saily
- 5G
- Not stated by Saily
From Saily's Italy plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
HolaflyBest unlimited
PlanUnlimited, 10 dayson Vodafone, WindTre
Price$32.90
Per day$3.29
Take it if you'll film and post every day. Holafly publishes no daily speed cap in Italy, but a hotspot shares only 1 GB a day.
What you actually get with Holafly network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- No published daily cap
- Hotspot
- 1 GB a day
- If your trip changes
- Refund to your card within 6 months, in full if never activated, in 5 to 10 business days.
- Network
- Vodafone and WindTre
- 5G
- Not stated by Holafly
From Holafly's Italy page and refund policy, Nov 9, 2026.
Prices checked Nov 9, 2026, in US dollars. The provider's checkout shows today's price before you pay.
How much data do you need in Italy?
10 GB is plenty for two weeks of maps, train apps and photos, since your hotel's Wi-Fi covers the evenings. A short city break needs less. For your exact trip, use the data calculator.
A light day: Google Maps, Trenitalia, WhatsApp
about 0.2 GBA busy day posting from Positano or Venice
up to about 1 GBTwo hours of HD video on the Rome to Milan train
about 6 GBUnlimited data eSIM for Italy
What matters is the full-speed amount per day: past it, the plan slows down until the next day. Holafly is the only one without a published limit.
| Plan | Full speed a day | Price | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | 5 GBthen 2 Mbps | $25.0015 days | Allowed, no restriction stated |
| Airalo | 5 GBthen 1 Mbps | $44.0015 days | Not stated |
| Nomad | 2 GBthen 1 Mbps | $33.0010 days | Allowed |
| Saily | 5 GB | $48.9915 days | Not stated |
| Holafly | No cap | $44.5015 days | 1 GB a day |
For 15 days, Ubigi's unlimited plan costs $25.00, against $44.00 at Airalo and $44.50 at Holafly. Ubigi slows to 2 Mbps after 5 GB in a day, while Holafly publishes no daily cap at all.
Working from a laptop in Italy? Skip Holafly, which shares only 1 GB a day. Ubigi's 50 GB for 30 days costs $29.00, and Ubigi states no restriction on tethering. That is room for a few hours of remote work a day over a two-week stay.
Best eSIM for Rome, Florence, Venice and the Amalfi Coast
Italy has four mobile networks: TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad. None of the four providers that name their network uses TIM.
| eSIM | Networks in Italy | 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | WindTre, Iliad | Listed on both |
| Airalo | Vodafone, WindTre, Iliad | Vodafone and WindTre |
| Nomad | Vodafone, Iliad | Listed on both |
| Holafly | Vodafone, WindTre | Not stated by Holafly |
| Saily | Not stated by Saily | Not stated by Saily |
Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad all cover Rome, Florence, Venice and the Amalfi Coast towns, so on a classic first trip the price decides. Before a stay in the Dolomites, a farmhouse deep in Tuscany or a small island, open the coverage map of your plan's network on its own website: WindTre, Iliad and Vodafone each publish one.
Set up your Italy travel eSIM before you fly
Most flights from the US to Rome or Milan leave in the evening and land the next morning. Do the first two steps at home and you land ready.
1A week before
Make sure your phone is unlocked
Ask your carrier, or on an iPhone open Settings > General > About and look for Carrier Lock: it should say No SIM restrictions. A phone still on a payment plan is often locked. Not sure it takes an eSIM at all? Check your model.
2The evening you fly, on home Wi-Fi
Install the eSIM, leave it off
Install it from the provider's app or by scanning the QR code. Ubigi's plan only starts counting once you switch to its line in Italy, so installing early costs you no days.
3On the ground in Rome or Milan
Move your data to the eSIM
Under Settings > Cellular, choose the eSIM for Cellular Data and switch its Data Roaming on. Your US line stays on for texts, with its roaming off.
A $12 charge can arrive before you reach passport control. If your US line still has Data Roaming on when the plane lands, the first background refresh can trigger your carrier's day pass. Switch it off while you're still in the air.
Screen by screen: set up an eSIM on iPhone or on Android.
Before you go to Italy
Tap your card on the Rome metro
Rome's metro gates take a contactless card or a phone wallet, with no ticket to buy. Hold one card only: if the reader sees two, the gate stays shut.
Buy regional train tickets in the Trenitalia app
A paper ticket for a regional train has to be stamped in the station machine before you board. One bought in the Trenitalia app lives on your phone, so keep some data for the conductor's check.
Fiumicino has free Wi-Fi
If the install didn't finish at home, join the AIRPORT FREE WIFI network at Rome Fiumicino. It's free, with no account to create.
Italy eSIM with a phone number
None of the five plans here comes with an Italian number. Calls and messages run over WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage on the eSIM data, and your US number keeps receiving texts as long as the line stays on.
Italy eSIM questions
Is it worth getting an eSIM for Italy?
Yes. A carrier day pass bills $12 for every day you use data, which comes to $120 over ten days in Italy. Ubigi's 10 GB covers the same trip for about $12.00, and maps work the minute you walk out of Fiumicino.
What is the best international eSIM for Italy?
If Italy is the only country on your trip, Ubigi: 10 GB for about $12.00. If you go on to France, Switzerland or the UK, one Airalo Eurolink plan covers 41 countries, with 10 GB for about $31.00. See the Europe page.
Is Holafly or Airalo better?
They sell different things. Airalo sells a set amount of data, 10 GB for 15 days at about $18.00 in Italy, enough for most trips. Holafly sells unlimited data by the day, about $32.90 for 10 days, worth it only for heavy video, and its hotspot stops at 1 GB a day.
Do I turn off roaming when using eSIM?
Only on your US line. Turn Data Roaming off there, so your carrier can't start a day pass. On the travel eSIM, turn it on: the plan connects to WindTre, Iliad or Vodafone as a visitor, and stays off without it.
Can I use my US phone in Europe?
Yes. With your carrier's day pass, your US plan works in Italy for $12 a day. If your phone is unlocked and takes an eSIM, a travel plan costs far less, about $1.20 a day with Ubigi on a 10-day trip.