Mobile internet in Sydney
Sydney is spread around a harbour, and a normal day mixes a train, a ferry and a long coastal walk. Fares are paid by tapping a card or a phone, and the timetables live in an app. The Australia eSIM connects to Optus and is data only, so your usual number stays on the phone.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Australia?
- Yes. It connects to Optus (5G).
- Price
- From 5,29 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 7,99 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- No: Australia is outside EU roaming, so even a plan from an EU country charges it as abroad.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Australia. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
From the airport: the train under the terminals
Sydney Airport has an international terminal and domestic terminals, and each side has its own station underneath on the T8 Airport & South Line to Central and the city. Pay with an Opal card, a contactless bank card or a phone wallet. The airport stations add an access fee to the fare, charged the same way whichever of these you use.
If you would rather go by car, follow the signs for taxis and ride-share pickup; with the eSIM connected you can book while you walk out of arrivals. Install the eSIM at home and switch on data roaming for its line when you land: it starts counting on Optus from that first connection.
eSIM for Australia
Data on your phone the moment you land in Australia. 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.
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.
Opal Travel, the harbour ferries and the coast
The same tap works on trains, the metro, buses, light rail and ferries. Transport for NSW's official Opal Travel app shows real-time departures for all of them, service alerts and a reminder for your stop, and it is the easiest way to see when the next ferry leaves. Ferries leave Circular Quay for Manly, Watsons Bay and Taronga Zoo; the Manly run is the classic harbour crossing.
On the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee you have the sea on one side and the phone out for photos the whole way. Carry a power bank: on a day like that the battery gives out long before the data.
Blue Mountains and the national parks
The Blue Mountains are about two hours by train from Central to Katoomba on the Blue Mountains Line. Down in the valleys, NSW National Parks says mobile reception is limited on tracks such as the Grand Canyon walk, and recommends its free NSW National Parks app, which shows maps and park information without signal. Download it and the track before you leave the station.
South of the city, Royal National Park is a common day out for coastal walks, and its official visitor page also warns that reception is limited, which matters because you need signal to call 000. Tell someone your route. All of this is Australia, so the pack keeps working wherever Optus reaches; it is the terrain, not a border, that cuts the signal.
How much data for Sydney
Three or four days in the city, with maps, Opal Travel and wifi at the hotel, fit in the 3 GB pack, valid for 15 days. A week that adds the Blue Mountains, a ferry to Manly and photos sent from the beach is more comfortable on 5 GB, valid for 30 days. If Sydney is the start of a longer trip, with Melbourne or the reef afterwards, take 10 GB, or top up the same eSIM as you go.
You can buy it up to 180 days ahead; it only starts on its first connection in Australia. The hotspot is included if you need to share with a laptop. For your own figure use the data calculator; all the packs are on the Australia page. For a stop in New Zealand you need the New Zealand eSIM.
Can I tap my phone for the train from Sydney Airport?
Yes. The Opal readers accept contactless bank cards and phone wallets, and the airport station fee is charged the same way. The eSIM does not pay for anything; it gives the phone data for Opal Travel and the map.
Which app should I use for trains and ferries in Sydney?
Opal Travel, the official Transport for NSW app. It shows real-time departures for trains, metro, buses, light rail and ferries, plus service alerts.
Is there signal on the Blue Mountains tracks?
Not everywhere. On tracks down in the valleys, such as the Grand Canyon walk, NSW National Parks says reception is limited, so download its app and the map before you set off.
Which pack for a week in Sydney with a day in the Blue Mountains?
The 5 GB pack, valid for 30 days, covers maps, transport apps and photos for that week. With hotel wifi and little video, 3 GB can be enough.
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 Australia