Mobile internet in Madrid: a visitor's guide
Madrid is a city you walk, with a very large metro running underneath it. The phone ends up doing everything: the map, the transport ticket, the timed entry you show at a museum door. Two things decide how that goes: whether your plan charges roaming in Spain, and where the signal drops.
See eSIMs for SpainDoes your plan roam in Madrid?
- EU phone plans: yes. Spain is in the EU, so roam-like-at-home applies, often with a fair-use data cap. Check yours before you fly.
- UK plans: since Brexit it depends on the operator. Some include Spain, others charge a daily fee.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually international roaming rates or a daily pass, which is where a short trip gets expensive.
A Spain data eSIM closes the question with a fixed price on local networks (Orange (5G), Movistar (5G)). The rules themselves are set out 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.
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.
Discount code
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 Barajas to the centre
The airport is linked to the city by metro and by the express bus, and both are looked up, paid for and shown on a phone: which line, which terminal exit, where the bus stops, how long the ride takes at that hour. Add the message to whoever is waiting with the keys and you have used data before you have left the terminal.
Airport Wi-Fi normally asks for a registration or runs out after a set time, and it does not follow you down to the platform. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi: installing does not start the plan, the first connection in Spain does, so it is working the moment you land.
Metro tunnels, and a phone that never rests
The Madrid metro is long and it goes deep. Inside the tunnels coverage depends on the line and on the station, so expect it to come and go between stops, and load the route or the ticket before you go down rather than while the doors close.
Above ground the centre is walked, and the phone is the map, the camera and the ticket all day. That is a lot of screen and a lot of GPS: take a power bank, download an offline map of the city before the trip, and leave the photo backup for the Wi-Fi at night. In museum halls, basements and older buildings with thick walls the signal comes and goes, as it does anywhere indoors.
Timed tickets and day trips
- Timed entry to the Prado, the Reina Sofía and other museums is shown from the phone. Save the PDF or a screenshot the night before, and a weak signal in the queue stops mattering.
- Maps and public transport apps refresh live and pull data all day; a downloaded map takes most of that off.
- Day trips to Toledo, Segovia or El Escorial are done by train or coach, with the times and the ticket on the phone. Download them before you set off: on the way the coverage depends on the stretch, the tunnels and the hills.
- Photos and video uploading in the background are the invisible part of the bill. Set that to Wi-Fi only.
How much data for a few days in Madrid?
- 3 GB: a long weekend of maps, messaging, tickets and some social media.
- 5 GB: a week at the same pace, with photos going up as you take them.
- 10 GB: one to two weeks with video calls, or if you are working from the city.
- 20 GB: a month, or a phone that shares its connection with a laptop.
If you want the numbers per app, see how much data you need.
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, because it only starts counting when your phone connects in Spain. The hotspot is included and we do not cap the speed.
The same eSIM covers all of Spain, the Balearics and the Canaries included, so if the trip carries on it keeps working, whether that is a day in Toledo or a week on the coast. If the next stop is the other big city, there is a separate guide to internet in Barcelona. It is data only: no number and no SMS, and your own line keeps your number and WhatsApp.
Is there mobile signal on the Madrid metro?
It depends on the line and the station: some stretches have coverage and others drop between stops. Load your route, your ticket or your podcast before going down.
Do I need data when I land at Barajas?
It makes the trip in much easier: the metro or express bus ticket, which line to take, how long it runs and the message to your accommodation all need it. Airport Wi-Fi usually asks you to register and does not last.
Will my Prado or Reina Sofía ticket open without internet?
Only if you downloaded it first. Save the QR to your phone wallet or as a PDF the night before and it opens with no signal at all.
Does a Spain eSIM work in Toledo or Segovia?
Yes, it covers the whole country, islands included, so day trips are fine. It stops giving data once you leave Spain. It is data only, so your usual line keeps your number and WhatsApp.
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