Mobile internet in Prague: a visitor’s guide
Prague is a city you walk, with the phone in your hand: the map in the old town, the tram times, the ticket, the photos. Here is what changes when your data comes from abroad, and where the city eats more of it than you expect.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Czechia?
- Yes. It connects to O2, Vodafone (5G).
- Price
- From 5,49 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 7,29 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Czechia 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 Czechia. 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 Czechia.
eSIM for Czechia
Data on your phone the moment you land in Czechia. 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 the airport to the centre
Prague airport has no train or metro of its own: the usual way in is a bus to a metro station and then the metro. That is two decisions to make with a rucksack on, and both are easier with data: which bus, where to change, and how the ticket works for the whole journey. The apps that sell and show that ticket need a connection.
Airport Wi-Fi tends to ask for a registration form or give you a short slot, and it ends at the door. An eSIM installed at home over Wi-Fi connects by itself when you land; if nothing shows up, our eSIM says no service guide lists the four things to check.
Metro tunnels, narrow streets and courtyards
Above ground the coverage is good. Underground it depends on the line and the station, so a message or a map can sit waiting between stops, and on trams the signal comes and goes as you pass under bridges and through cuttings.
In the old town and in Malá Strana the lanes are narrow, the buildings are tall and half the shortcuts run through courtyards and passages. The GPS dot drifts there, turns you the wrong way and sometimes puts you on the next street. That is the signal bouncing off stone, not your plan. Download the offline map before you travel, while you are on Wi-Fi.
What eats your data here
- The map, open all day and checked every couple of minutes in a maze of small streets.
- Transport apps: tram and metro times, plus buying or showing the ticket on the phone.
- Day trips by train, where the timetable, the platform and the last train home are all looked up on the phone.
- Timed entries and queues: the QR code has to load at the door, often in a thick-walled doorway.
- Photos and video, plus the cloud backup running in the background unless you pause it.
Screenshot tickets and bookings as soon as you have them. An image in the gallery opens with no signal; a web page does not.
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
Data eSIMs for Czechia: 3 GB for 5,49 €, 5 GB for 7,29 €, 10 GB for 12,49 € and 20 GB for 19,99 €. It is data only, so your own line keeps your number and WhatsApp. Installing it does not start the plan: it starts when your phone connects in Czechia, so you can buy it weeks ahead. Hotspot is allowed and we do not cap the speed.
Travelling later?
Going to Czechia 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 Prague metro?
In the tunnels it depends on the line and the station, so expect gaps between stops. Above ground coverage across the city is good.
Do I need korunas to buy the eSIM?
No. You buy it online before you travel, at the price shown at checkout, so nothing depends on changing money when you land. Czechia uses the koruna for everything else.
Why does my map wander in the old town?
Narrow lanes, tall buildings and courtyards bounce the GPS signal, so your position drifts. It is not the data plan. An offline map downloaded beforehand keeps the streets and the search working.
Does a Czechia eSIM give me a Czech number?
No, it is data only. Your usual line keeps your number, your SMS 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 Czechia