Mobile internet in Rome: a visitor's guide
Rome is walked, not driven, and the phone works all day: maps in narrow streets, timed tickets shown at the door, a train ticket bought the minute you land. Two things decide how that goes: whether your plan charges roaming, and where the signal drops.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Italy?
- Yes. It connects to TIM, Iliad, Wind (5G).
- Price
- From 4,49 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,49 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Italy 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 Italy. 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 Italy.
eSIM for Italy
Data on your phone the moment you land in Italy. 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 Fiumicino or Ciampino to the centre
Both airports sit outside the city, and the way in is a train, a coach or a taxi. You want data before you leave the terminal: to buy or show the train ticket, to check which coach goes where, to call a ride, and to message the place you are staying. Airport Wi-Fi normally asks for a registration or a phone number and often cuts out after a set time, so do not build the arrival around it. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi (step by step): it only starts counting when your phone connects to a network in Italy.
Where the signal actually drops
The Rome metro is short, but coverage inside the tunnels depends on the line and the station, so expect gaps between stops. The same happens on the lower floors and in the basements of museums and in underground sites: thick stone and no windows. Above ground, the historic centre is a tangle of narrow streets and courtyards where GPS bounces off the walls and the blue dot jumps a street or two.
Apps that eat data here
- Offline maps: download central Rome before you fly. GPS still works without data, the map does not.
- Public transport apps for live times, which refresh constantly while you walk.
- Timed-entry tickets for the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and other sites are shown from the phone. Save them to your phone wallet or as a PDF the night before, and a queue with no signal stops being a problem.
- Photo and video backup to the cloud: the quiet drain of a walking day. Set it to Wi-Fi only.
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 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.
Travelling later?
Going to Italy 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 Rome metro?
Inside the tunnels it depends on the line and the station, so expect gaps between stops. Load what you need before going down.
Do I need data at Fiumicino when I land?
It helps a lot: the train or coach ticket, the ride app and the message to your accommodation all need it. Airport Wi-Fi usually asks you to register and does not last.
Will my Colosseum or Vatican 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.
Does an Italy eSIM give me an Italian number?
No, it is data only. Your own line keeps your number, and WhatsApp carries on working with it.
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