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A Europe eSIM covers a list of countries, not the whole continent. In October 2026 the Simsima Europe plans listed all 27 EU members plus the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia and five Western Balkan countries. Moldova and Kosovo were not listed, and Andorra was on some plans only.
Every country on the list shares one profile and one data allowance, so the same eSIM works from Lisbon to Istanbul without reinstalling or reactivating anything at the border. The five Balkan countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Lists change as networks are added, so the one in the plan details, shown before you pay, is the one to check against your itinerary.
Europe eSIM plans — Browse and compare all Europe eSIM plans on Simsima
Which Countries Does One Europe eSIM Cover?
| Region | Countries covered by one Simsima Europe eSIM |
|---|---|
Prices last updated: October 10, 2026
Key takeaways
- The Europe plan covers the whole EU plus the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia and most of the Western Balkans on one profile
- Moldova, Kosovo, Belarus, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Faroe Islands were not on the list in October 2026, and Andorra only on some plans
- An EU or EEA SIM already roams like at home across the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine, but not in Switzerland, the UK, Turkey or the Balkans outside the EU
- Ferries and cruise ships can switch to satellite networks at sea, where EU roaming rules no longer apply
- Install at home on Wi-Fi, then turn on data roaming for the Europe line only once you land
Microstates, Moldova and Kosovo: the gaps in a Europe plan
The names missing from the list are the ones that catch travelers. Moldova and Kosovo were not on the Europe plan in October 2026, which matters on a Romania and Chișinău trip or a Balkan road trip from Montenegro to Prizren. Belarus and Russia are absent, and so are Armenia and Azerbaijan, even though Georgia is included. The Faroe Islands, though part of the Kingdom of Denmark, have their own networks and are not on the list either.
Andorra appears on some Europe plans and not others, so a ski week in Grandvalira needs a plan that names it. Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are not listed as separate destinations; if your plan matters there, ask support before you buy. For any country missing from the list, add a single-country plan for that leg, installed at home before departure.
Roam like at home: who already has data in Europe
If your SIM comes from an EU country, you may need less than you think. The EU's Your Europe roaming guide explains that roam like at home applies across the EU and also in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, as well as in Moldova and Ukraine, within your operator's fair use policy. The European Commission confirmed that Moldova joined the Roam Like at Home area on 1 January 2026, on the same terms as Ukraine.
Outside that area, an EU plan bills roaming again: Switzerland, the UK, Turkey, Georgia and the Western Balkan countries outside the EU. Under the 2022 EU–Western Balkans roaming declaration, signatory operators committed to lower data roaming prices there step by step, as the Regional Cooperation Council sets out, but it is not roam like at home. Travelers from the US, Canada, Asia or Australia pay their own carrier's international rates everywhere in Europe, which is where a Europe eSIM does most of its work.
London to Budapest by rail: a three-week route and its data
A classic first trip: London, the Eurostar to Paris, then Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Budapest by train over three weeks. That is seven countries, and the first border is the one that matters most for EU travelers, because the UK is outside EU roaming.
Rail and cities mean plenty of station, hotel and cafe Wi-Fi. Maps, rail apps and e-tickets, messaging, some video calls and photo uploads usually add up to 8 to 12 GB over three weeks if streaming stays on Wi-Fi; Simsima's data usage calculator gives a personal estimate. Long rail stretches through rural Germany and the Czech hills have short gaps, so download tickets to your wallet before boarding.
A second common route runs down the Adriatic: Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor in Montenegro and on to Tirana. Croatia is in the EU, Montenegro and Albania are not, and the old coast road between Split and Dubrovnik crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, so a phone can change countries three or four times in a day. All four are on the Europe plan; Kosovo, the usual next stop from Albania, is not.
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Ferries, border lakes and long stays: where a Europe eSIM catches people out
- At sea: Your Europe warns that on ships and planes, if service comes from a satellite system rather than a land network, EU rules no longer apply and charges are not capped. On ferries to the Greek islands or a cruise, turn off data roaming on your home line, and on any line once the phone shows a maritime network
- Border lakes and valleys: on the shores of Lake Geneva and Lake Constance, or in Alpine valleys near Italy and Austria, a phone can connect to a Swiss or neighbouring network before you cross. With the Europe plan this costs nothing extra; with a single-country plan, select a local network manually
- Turkey on a long stay: the MCKS register's FAQ states that phones brought from abroad can be used for 120 days before they must be registered or be cut off. A holiday is unaffected; for a winter on the Turkish coast, ask support before you buy
- No European number: a travel eSIM carries data only, so no calls or SMS on it; keep your home line on for bank codes and call through WhatsApp or FaceTime
- A deleted eSIM cannot be reinstalled on your own: if it disappears after a phone reset, contact Simsima support, which usually replies within 24 hours
Setting up a Europe eSIM on iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy
Simsima emails the eSIM within seconds of purchase. Install it at home on Wi-Fi a few days before you fly; validity starts when it first connects to a network in a covered country, not on the day you install it.
- Check that the phone is unlocked: on iPhone, Settings > General > About shows "No SIM Restrictions" next to Carrier Lock, as Apple's travel eSIM guide explains
- Install at home on Wi-Fi, on the phone you will travel with: open the Smart Link from your confirmation email or your Simsima account and the eSIM installs in one tap, with no QR code to scan (iPhone on iOS 17.4 or later, and Android phones)
- Otherwise, scan the QR code from the email. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM; on a Google Pixel, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM and follow the steps in Google's dual SIM guide
- On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Scan QR code, as Samsung's guide describes
- Label the new line "Europe" and, after landing, turn on data roaming for that line only. On iPhone: Settings > Cellular, tap the line, then Cellular Data Options > Data Roaming; with iOS 26, a Turn On Travel eSIM prompt may handle it for you
- If the phone shows no service after landing or at a border, turn Airplane Mode on for about 30 seconds, then off, as Apple's roaming guide suggests; if that fails, restart and pick a network listed in the plan details manually
Or choose another country
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
The one whose country list includes every stop on your route. For a trip within the EU on an EU phone plan, you may need nothing extra; for one country, a country plan is often better value; for several countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Turkey or the Balkans, a regional Europe plan saves a new eSIM at each border. Check the networks listed in the plan details too.
It depends on the data allowance and validity. The Europe plan page shows each plan's current price and price per GB before you pay, and the [Simsima eSIM Price Index](/en/esim-price-index) tracks median prices per gigabyte country by country, with their date.
Online, before you leave: choose a Europe plan, pay, and the eSIM arrives by email within seconds. There is no card to collect and no passport scan. Install it at home on Wi-Fi; it connects to a local network when you land. Airport shops in Europe sell local SIM cards, but each one covers a single country.
The eSIM is a roaming profile that connects to partner networks in each country on its list. When you cross a border, the phone switches to a network in the new country on its own, using the same profile and the same data allowance, as long as data roaming stays on for that line.
Yes. Both stay tied to your usual number on your home line; the travel eSIM only supplies the data they use. Your chats and contacts are unaffected.
Top up the eSIM you already installed from your Simsima account, ideally before the plan runs out. The extra data goes onto the same profile, so there is nothing new to install.
It needs eSIM support and must be unlocked. Apple lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later as eSIM-capable, and recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones support it too. Simsima's [compatibility checker](/en/esim-supported-devices) confirms a specific model.
How Simsima works — Learn about Smart Link installation, activation, and managing your eSIM
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Check your device compatibility — Verify that your phone supports eSIM before purchasing a plan
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Dimitri MorvanFounder
Founder of Simsima. A passionate traveler based in Barcelona, he helps travelers stay connected without breaking the bank on roaming fees.
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