Mobile internet in Florence: a visitor's guide
Most people arrive in Florence by train and then walk everywhere, which puts the phone in charge of the whole day: the ticket on the way in, the map between stone walls, the museum slot booked for a fixed hour. Two questions are worth settling first: does your plan charge roaming in Italy, and where will the signal let you down?
See eSIMs for ItalyRoaming in Florence
- EU phone plans: Italy is in the EU, so roam-like-at-home applies, sometimes with a fair-use data cap.
- UK phone plans: since Brexit it depends on your operator, and several charge a daily fee for Italy.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually international roaming prices or a daily pass. The full picture is in our Italy internet guide.
- An Italy data eSIM keeps it simple: fixed price on local networks (TIM (5G), Iliad (5G), Wind (5G)).
eSIM for Italy
Data on your phone the moment you land in Italy. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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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.
And if it turns out yours cannot use it, write to us and you get every cent back.
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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.
Arriving by train from Rome or Milan
Florence is reached mostly by train, and the ticket lives on the phone: bought in an app, shown as a QR at the barrier or to the conductor, sometimes reissued when a train changes. That is a lot to trust to a moving carriage, because coverage along the line comes and goes through tunnels and open country. Download the ticket to your phone wallet or as a PDF before you board, and keep the booking reference where you can read it offline.
The station sits at the edge of the historic centre, so most of the city is a short walk, but you still want data as you step off: to check the platform you are arriving at, to find the street, to message your accommodation and to call a ride if your luggage says so. Station Wi-Fi normally asks for a registration and does not last. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi (step by step): it starts counting when the phone connects in Italy, not when you install it.
Where the signal and the GPS wander
The historic centre is compact and easy to walk, which is exactly why the phone struggles: tall stone buildings, streets a few metres wide and inner courtyards make the GPS dance, and the blue dot slides a street over or turns you around at a corner. Download the offline map of the centre before you fly. Inside museums and churches, on lower floors and in basements, mobile coverage depends on the building and can drop to nothing.
It also matters outside the city. Florence is the base for day trips to Siena, Pisa or the Chianti, and between towns, on back roads and in the hills the signal can weaken or disappear for stretches. Load the map, the tickets and the return timetable before you leave, not when you are already out there.
Timed tickets and the apps that eat data
- Timed entry for the Uffizi and the Accademia: slots are booked in advance, they sell out, and the ticket is shown from the phone at the door. Download it the night before so the queue does not depend on signal.
- Bookings in general run on data here: restaurant tables, guided visits, day-trip seats and the messages that confirm them all arrive on the phone.
- Offline maps, downloaded before you travel. GPS still works without data, the map does not.
- Photo and video backup to the cloud is the quiet drain of a walking day, and a city like this one fills a camera roll fast. Set it to Wi-Fi only.
How much data for a few days in Florence
- 3 GB: a long weekend of maps, messaging and tickets.
- 5 GB: a week with photos, social media and some video calls.
- 10 GB: two weeks, or two people sharing over the hotspot.
- 20 GB: a month, or working from the city. If you are unsure, the data size guide works it out from what you actually do.
Prices for Italy
Data eSIMs for Italy: 3 GB for 4,49 €, 5 GB for 6,49 €, 10 GB for 11,79 € and 20 GB for 16,99 €. It is data only, so your own line keeps your number and WhatsApp. Buy it weeks ahead if you like: installing does not start the plan, and the hotspot is included without any speed limit from us.
Do I need data on the train from Rome or Milan?
The ticket is shown from the phone and coverage along the line comes and goes, so download it to your wallet or as a PDF before you board instead of reloading the app at the barrier.
Can I get Uffizi or Accademia tickets on the day?
The timed slots are booked ahead and they do sell out, so plan on booking before you travel. Whatever you get, download the ticket rather than trusting the signal in the queue.
Will I have signal on a day trip to Siena, Pisa or the Chianti?
In the towns usually yes, but between them, on back roads and in the hills it can weaken or drop for stretches. Download maps, tickets and return times before you set off.
Does an Italy eSIM work outside Florence?
It works anywhere in Italy, day trips included, and stops giving data once you leave the country. For several countries in one trip, a Europe plan is the one that keeps working across borders.
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 Italy