Mobile internet in Barcelona: a visitor's guide
Barcelona has fast 4G and 5G across the city. What catches visitors out is the first hour after landing, the metro tunnels and the narrow streets of the old town, where the phone knows less than you think.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Spain?
- Yes. It connects to Orange, Movistar (5G).
- Price
- From 4,29 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,29 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Spain is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Spain. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Roaming here, in three lines
- EU and EEA plans: roam like at home applies, within the fair-use limit.
- UK plans: it depends on your operator since Brexit.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually roaming charges or a daily pass.
The rules in full, country by country, are in our guide to Internet in Spain.
eSIM for Spain
Data on your phone the moment you land in Spain. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Nothing is charged now · When we are done improving, we will email you 30% off
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
From El Prat to the city centre
The airport is linked to the city by train, metro and airport bus, and which one you take usually depends on where you are sleeping. All of them go better with data already working: live departures, the ticket on your phone, the address of the flat, the message to whoever has the keys.
Airport Wi-Fi tends to ask for registration or cut you off after a while, and it does not follow you onto the train. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi: installing does not start the plan, the first connection in Spain does, so it is ready the moment you land.
Metro tunnels, the Gothic Quarter and the Born
In metro tunnels coverage depends on the line and on the station, so expect it to come and go between stops. Check the route before you go down, or keep the map cached.
In the Gothic Quarter and the Born the streets are narrow and the buildings tall, so GPS drifts: the blue dot jumps a street across and the arrow points the wrong way. Download an offline map of the city before the trip and navigate by street names as well as by the dot. Museums, basements and older buildings behave the same way, with signal coming and going.
Tickets, timed entry and day trips
- Timed tickets for the Sagrada Família, Park Güell and other sights are shown from the phone. Save the PDF or a screenshot so a weak signal at the door is not a problem.
- Maps and public transport apps update live and pull data all day; an offline map takes most of that load off.
- Day trips out of the city, to Montserrat or along the coast, cross tunnels, valleys and hills where any network can drop. Download the route and the tickets before you leave.
- Photos uploading in the background are the invisible part of the bill: leave that for the hotel Wi-Fi.
How much data
It depends on the days, on whether you watch video and on whether you share with a laptop. How much data do I need turns that into a number from what you actually do.
Prices, and the rest of Spain
Data eSIMs for Spain: 3 GB for 4,29 €, 5 GB for 6,29 €, 10 GB for 11,29 € and 20 GB for 16,79 €. You can buy weeks ahead and install at home; the steps are in how to install an eSIM.
The same eSIM works anywhere in Spain, the Balearics and the Canaries included, so if Barcelona is only the first stop it keeps working. It is data only: no number and no SMS, and your own line keeps your number and WhatsApp.
Travelling later?
Going to Spain later? We remind you before you fly
Tell us the day you leave. We email you a week before and the day before with the steps to install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home. Nothing else.
We only write about this trip, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Privacy policy
Is there mobile signal on the Barcelona metro?
It depends on the line and the station: some stretches have coverage and others drop between stops. Load your route before going down.
Why does the map lose me in the Gothic Quarter?
Narrow streets and tall buildings bounce the GPS signal around. An offline map and the street names are more reliable there than the blue dot.
Does a Spain eSIM work in Montserrat or on the islands?
Yes, it covers all of Spain, islands included. It stops giving data once you leave the country.
Do I get a Spanish phone number with it?
No. It is data only, with no number and no SMS. Your usual line keeps your number, and WhatsApp stays as it is.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Spain