In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A SIM from an EU network costs what it costs at home in every other EU country, so it needs no eSIM; a UK, US, Canadian or Australian SIM pays a daily charge, such as £2.72 a day on EE or $12 a day on AT&T and Verizon. An eSIM is a SIM downloaded to the phone, and it needs an iPhone XR, XS or later or a compatible Android. Saily and Nomad sell a Europe plan for 35 countries: 5 GB for 30 days is US$19.49 on Saily and US$17.50 on Nomad. Istanbul and Marrakech need a check: Saily’s Europe plan covers Turkey, Nomad’s only on its 36-country plan, and no Europe plan covers Morocco, which has its own plans.
Roaming first
EU networks
A SIM from a network in an EU country is charged at home prices for calls, texts and data in the other 26 EU countries, and the rule also covers Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (European Commission). Unlimited and very cheap plans can carry a fair-use data limit, and the surcharge beyond it is capped at €1.30 a GB plus VAT in 2025, falling to €1 a GB from 2027 (Your Europe).
The rule does not cover the UK, Turkey or Morocco. The Commission says it no longer applies in the UK, though some operators have kept it in their own plans. Dublin is covered by it; Edinburgh, Istanbul and Marrakech are not.
UK networks
The EU rule stopped applying to UK SIMs after Brexit, so each network sets its own terms. All four list the Republic of Ireland as included, which covers Dublin.
| Network | Europe | Turkey and Morocco |
|---|---|---|
| EE | £2.72 a day, £16.50 for 7 days or £27.50 for 12 days, using your UK allowances | Turkey is Zone 1, at £6 for 24 hours or £30 for 7 days. Morocco is Zone 2, at £8 for 24 hours or £40 for 7 days |
| O2 | Your allowances work at no extra cost in its 48-destination Europe Zone, with data capped at 25 GB | Neither is in the Europe Zone. A Travel Bolt On is £7 a day in selected destinations |
| Three | Go Roam in Europe covers 49 destinations with up to 12 GB of data: £2.75 a day on plans started or upgraded from 18 December 2025, and £2 a day on plans from 1 October 2021 to 17 December 2025. Nothing is charged in the Republic of Ireland | Both are in Go Roam Around the World Extra: £8 a day, or £7 on the earlier plans |
| Vodafone | Every pay monthly plan includes Ireland, Iceland, Norway and the Isle of Man. Euro Roam plans cover 52 destinations, and a 25 GB roaming limit applies | Turkey is in the 84-destination Global Roam plans. Morocco is in Zone D, which is charged by the day. The roaming charge checker gives the price for your plan |
US, Canadian and Australian networks
Day passes charge for each day you use the phone abroad.
| Network | Day pass |
|---|---|
| AT&T | International Day Pass: $12 a day in 210+ destinations |
| Verizon | TravelPass: $12 a day in most countries, with unlimited talk and text and 5 GB of data at full speed in each 24 hours, then 3G speeds |
| Rogers | International Travel Pass for 3, 7, 14 or 30 days in 180+ destinations including Europe. The 30-day pass works out at C$4 a day |
| Telstra | Day Pass: A$10 a day in 80+ destinations including Europe, with 2 GB of data a day |
| Vodafone Australia | $5 Roaming: A$5 extra a day in 100+ destinations, up to 90 days a calendar year |
The lists of destinations differ, so look up Turkey and Morocco on your network’s page before relying on a pass there.
When an eSIM costs less
Seven days of a $12 day pass is $84, against US$19.49 for Saily’s 5 GB Europe plan and US$17.50 for Nomad’s. EE’s 7-day Europe pass is £16.50, and its Turkey pass is £30 for a week, where Saily’s Turkey plan is US$3.99 for 1 GB for 7 days. Three’s £8 a day in Turkey is £56 for seven days. In a city covered by your network at no extra cost, such as Dublin on a UK SIM, an eSIM saves nothing.
A woman using her phone at the Cais das Colunas on the Tagus, Lisbon. Photo: Jules Verne Times Two, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What an eSIM is, and which phones take one
An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets a phone use a mobile plan without a physical nano-SIM (Apple). You buy the plan online, scan a QR code or install it through the seller’s app, and the phone then holds two lines: the home SIM and the travel plan. The travel plans in this guide are data only, so calls and messages go through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime.
- iPhone: the XS, XS Max, XR and later models, with different rules for those sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. To use two providers, the network that sold the phone must have unlocked it, or both plans must come from the same provider (Apple).
- Android: support depends on the maker and the model. Saily and Nomad each publish a compatibility list.
- Set up before you fly. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi. Saily’s plans activate on the first connection in the destination, or automatically after 180 days; Nomad’s, on connecting or automatically after 60 days. The travel line needs data roaming switched on and must be chosen for mobile data.
⚠️ Install the eSIM before you land in Istanbul. Saily says access to its app may be limited in Turkey, and the Istanbul safety guide notes that some eSIM services are restricted there.
Europe plans from Saily, Nomad and Klook
Sailyad and Nomadad both sell a plan for 35 countries across Europe. Saily prints its prices in US dollars. Nomad prints US dollars by default, and its page also prices plans in pounds, euros and Canadian and Australian dollars.
| Plan | Saily Europe | Nomad, 35 countries | Nomad, 36 countries (adds Turkey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB, 7 days | US$4.99 | US$5.50 | US$5.50 |
| 3 GB, 30 days | US$12.49 | US$12 | US$13 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | US$19.49 | US$17.50 | US$18 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | US$35.99 | US$23 | US$23 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | Not listed | US$27 (listed at US$37) | US$45 |
| 50 GB | US$95.99 for 90 days | US$35 for 30 days (listed at US$48) | Not listed |
| Unlimited | US$49.99 for 15 days, with 5 GB a day at full speed and then up to 1 Mbps | US$19 for 5 days, US$34 for 10 days | Not listed |
Saily also sells single-country plans, from US$1.99 for Austria and the Czech Republic, US$3.99 for France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, and US$4.49 for Germany, Greece, Poland and the UK. On its UK site, Klookad lists three Europe eSIMs: 5G eSIM Europe from £0.79 a SIM card, a Brightline Europe eSIM from £3.55 with plans of 5 to 90 days, and a 35-country plan from £8.89. The data and days are chosen on each product page. Klook also sells single-country plans, such as 5G eSIM Turkeyad on Turk Telekom from £0.79.
Which cities each plan covers
Every plan below covers the cities in the EU and Edinburgh. Istanbul and Marrakech are where they differ.
| Plan | Istanbul (Turkey) | Marrakech (Morocco) |
|---|---|---|
| Saily Europead | Covered | Not covered. Saily Moroccoad is a separate plan: 1 GB for 7 days is US$8.99, 3 GB for 30 days US$15.99, 5 GB US$21.99, 10 GB US$33.99 and 20 GB US$42.99 |
| Nomad, 35 countriesad | Not covered | Not covered. Nomad Moroccoad is a separate plan, from US$7 |
| Nomad, 36 countries | Covered | Not covered |
| Klook, 5G eSIM Europe | Not covered | Not covered |
| Klook, Brightline Europe eSIM | Covered | Not covered |
Saily’s Turkey planad is cheaper than its Europe plan for a trip to Istanbul alone: 1 GB for 7 days is US$3.99, 3 GB for 30 days US$6.99, 5 GB US$9.99, 10 GB US$15.99 and 20 GB US$22.99.
Which to buy
- EU SIM, EU cities: nothing. Your plan roams at home prices.
- UK, US, Canadian or Australian SIM, several countries: a Europe plan, then check Turkey and Morocco in the table above.
- One country, a few days: a single-country plan from Saily or Klook is cheaper than a Europe plan.
- A lot of data: 10 GB for 30 days is US$23 on Nomad and US$35.99 on Saily.
- Istanbul on a Europe trip: Saily Europe, or Nomad’s 36-country plan.
- Marrakech on a Europe trip: a Morocco plan alongside the Europe plan.
For entry rules, money and what is on in each month, see Plan your trip. Where to go each month covers the weather and the festivals city by city.
The other planning guides cover EES and ETIAS, the Schengen 90/180-day rule and cards, cash and tipping.
Common questions
Do I need an eSIM for Europe?
Not with a SIM from an EU network, which pays home prices in the other EU countries. A UK, US, Canadian or Australian SIM usually pays a daily charge: EE is £2.72 a day in Europe, AT&T and Verizon are $12 a day. An eSIM data plan costs less than a week of daily charges: Saily's 5 GB plan for 30 days is US$19.49, and Nomad's is US$17.50.
Does EU roaming cover the UK, Turkey and Morocco?
No. The EU's roam-like-at-home rule covers the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Commission says it no longer applies in the UK after Brexit, though some operators have kept it. Turkey and Morocco were never covered.
Which phones support an eSIM?
Apple lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later models, with different rules for models sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. For Android, support depends on the maker and the model, and Saily and Nomad each publish a compatibility list. To use a second provider on an iPhone, the phone must be unlocked, or both plans must come from the same provider.
Does a Europe eSIM work in Turkey and Morocco?
Saily's Europe plan covers Turkey but not Morocco. Nomad's 35-country plan covers neither, and its 36-country plan adds Turkey. Klook's 5G eSIM Europe covers neither, and its Brightline Europe eSIM covers Turkey. For Marrakech, buy a Morocco plan: Saily's start at US$8.99 for 1 GB and Nomad's at US$7.
When should I install the eSIM?
Before you fly. Saily's plans start when the phone first connects in the destination, or automatically after 180 days, and Nomad's start on connecting or automatically after 60 days. Saily warns that its app may be limited in Turkey, so set that one up before arriving in Istanbul.
