How to find Wi-Fi when you travel, and which networks to trust
Look for networks run by someone you can identify: public bodies, airports, your train, your hotel, your university. In the EU, the WiFi4EU network name marks free municipal hotspots in squares, libraries and museums, and airports such as Spain's run their own free networks. Students and university staff can use eduroam in many countries. For everything in between, a phone set up to share and recognise networks saves time.
See data packsWiFi4EU: the EU's free hotspots in public places
WiFi4EU was an EU programme that paid for free Wi-Fi in public spaces run by municipalities: parks, squares, public buildings, libraries, health centres and museums. The European Commission says more than 90,000 hotspots were installed. They share one network name everywhere, WiFi4EU, so you can recognise them in any country. Under the scheme's rules, the funded networks must be free of charge, free of advertising and free from commercial reuse of data.
The EU's executive agency for the programme publishes a free WiFi4EU app with a map of hotspots near you, searchable by municipality, and says the app does not track or store personal data. Open it while you still have a connection, at the hotel or on the train, and note the squares or libraries near where you will be. A WiFi4EU hotspot is a good place to download a map or send a photo; banking and logins are another matter, as covered in is public Wi-Fi safe.
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Airports: Spain's network as an example
Airports are among the most dependable places to find free Wi-Fi, and their networks are clearly named. At Aena's Spanish airports, the network is called AENA Airport Free Wi-Fi, and in a VIP lounge it is VIP ROOM followed by the lounge's name. Aena says the service is free, that you can join as a guest with just an email address or with an Aena Club account, and that you then have 60 minutes to verify that email. Logging in with Aena Club or from a lounge gives a faster connection, and each device has to go through the portal separately.
Two practical points follow. Use an email address you can actually open on that device, and check the spam folder if the verification does not arrive. And remember that every airport network has its own login page and rules, and the minutes spent on them come exactly when you want to book a ride or find the bus. That is why many travellers prefer to have their own data working before they reach the exit.
Students and university staff: eduroam
If you study or work at a university or research centre, check whether it belongs to eduroam before you leave. eduroam is a roaming Wi-Fi service for the research and education community: students, researchers and staff from participating institutions can connect at any other participating site. It says it is available in thousands of locations across more than 100 countries, from campuses to coffee shops.
The login is the one from your home institution, and eduroam explains that your credentials are not shared with the site you are visiting but sent back to your institution to be checked. It also says its security far exceeds typical commercial hotspots. Set it up at home with your institution's instructions, and test it once on your own campus: once it works there, the phone joins automatically wherever the eduroam network appears. For a longer study stay, our guide for Erasmus students covers the rest.
Let the phone find and share networks
On Android, Google says that when Wi-Fi is on you get notifications of available high-quality public networks, with a Connect button in the notification itself. In a rental apartment or with friends, sharing a network is quicker than spelling out a password: on Android, open Settings, Network & internet, Internet, tap the network and then Share, and the phone shows a QR code that the other person scans. Google notes that some of these steps work only on Android 12 and later.
Between iPhones, Apple lets you share a Wi-Fi password with someone nearby: both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, each person signed in to their Apple Account and saved in the other's contacts, and Personal Hotspot off. When your friend chooses the network, your iPhone offers Share Password. That is the fastest way to get a whole group onto the apartment Wi-Fi on the first evening.
Trains, hotels and the gaps in between
Long-distance trains and hotels are the other big sources, each with its own catch: train Wi-Fi rides on the same mobile networks along the line, and hotel Wi-Fi is shared with every guest. We cover them in Wi-Fi on European trains and hotel Wi-Fi or mobile data. In cafés and shops, ask the staff for the exact network name rather than joining the one that looks right.
The places where Wi-Fi fails you are predictable: the walk from the airport, the street when you are lost, the bus stop with the wrong timetable. If you plan to rely mostly on Wi-Fi, travelling with only Wi-Fi lists what to prepare. A small Snoozim data pack covers those gaps, with Wi-Fi doing the heavy lifting at the hotel.
What is WiFi4EU?
An EU programme that funded free Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces run by municipalities. They all use the network name WiFi4EU, and the funded networks must be free of charge and free of advertising.
How do I find WiFi4EU hotspots?
The EU publishes a free WiFi4EU app with a map of hotspots, searchable by municipality. Look for the network name WiFi4EU on your phone's Wi-Fi list.
Is the Wi-Fi at Spanish airports free?
Yes. Aena's network, AENA Airport Free Wi-Fi, is free, and you can join as a guest with an email address, which you then have 60 minutes to verify.
Can I use eduroam abroad?
If your university or research centre is part of eduroam, yes. You log in with your home institution's credentials at any participating site, in more than 100 countries.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
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