★★★★★5 out of 5It was great!
Bought this before flying to Italy and honestly it made things so much easier. I was connected pretty much as soon as I landed, which was exactly what I needed.
eSIM for Italy 
Viasimo's Italy eSIM starts at $1.29 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on Iliad, TIM, and Wind with 5G where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.
Works everywhere in Italy
- Abruzzo
- Aosta Valley
- Apulia
- Bari
- Basilicate
- Cagliari
- Calabria
Select your planIn stock
Duration
Quantity
1
Unlimited data · 3 Days$6.99
Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1
$6.99
Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now
Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.
Not sure it works on your phone? Check compatibilityWhich networks does the Italy eSIM use?
Host networks: Iliad / TIM / Wind
Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.
- Data
- 500 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
- Validity
- 1–180 days
- Speed
- 4G LTE / 5G
- Hotspot / tethering
- Supported on most devices
- Activation
- Starts when you first connect in your destination
- Speed management
- Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
- Top-ups
- Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
- Text messages (SMS)
- Data only: use an app for verification codes
- Unused validity
- 180 days before it must be installed
How much data do you need?
The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.
| You are | Plan for | Cheapest plan that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup | About 1 GB a week | $1.591 GB, 7 days |
| TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing | About 3 to 7 GB a week | $4.595 GB, 30 days |
| HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads | 10 GB a week or more | $8.0010 GB, 30 days |
| Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync | 20 GB a week or more | $13.99Unlimited, 7 days |
eSIM, local SIM or roaming?
Charged per day
Your carrier roaming
Queue and plastic
A SIM at the airport
$1.29
Viasimo, one bundle
Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.
How Viasimo compares in Italy
Each row puts one of our plans beside the closest plan Airalo and Holafly list for the same destination: the same data allowance and a similar number of days.
| Plan | Viasimo (USD) | Airalo (USD) | Holafly (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 GB · 30 days | $4.59 | $12.00 | No comparable plan |
| 10 GB · 30 days | $8.00 | $19.00 | No comparable plan |
| 20 GB · 30 days | $14.99 | $26.00 | No comparable plan |
| 50 GB · 30 days | $29.99 | $35.00 | No comparable plan |
| Unlimited · 7 days2 GB a day at full speed | $13.99 | $23.00 | $23.90 |
Competitor prices collected from their public websites on 23 September 2026. Prices change; check before buying. Competitor prices are in US dollars as each site lists them, not converted. Unlimited plans can carry different fair-use limits from one provider to another.
Sources: Airalo, Italy (); Holafly, eSIM for Italy ()
Important to know
- This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
- Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
- Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
- Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
- 5G only works where the host network has deployed it and your phone supports it. Everywhere else it falls back to 4G LTE.
- The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
- Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy
What travellers say about Italy
5.0 out of 5 from 3 reviews
★★★★★5 out of 5Super
Hatte die eSIM für meine Italienreise und war echt zufrieden. Die Einrichtung ging schnell und die Verbindung war die ganze Zeit gut. Würde ich definitiv wieder nehmen.
★★★★★5 out of 5Parfait
Je l’ai pris pour mon voyage en Italie et tout a très bien marché. Installation rapide, bonne connexion et aucun souci pendant le séjour. Franchement très pratique.
Frequently asked questions
Does an eSIM work in Italy?
Yes. Your Italy eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Iliad, TIM, Wind. Coverage runs on 4G LTE and 5G where the network has rolled it out, and falls back to 4G elsewhere.
Do I get 5G in Italy?
Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on Iliad, TIM, Wind in Italy, and your eSIM uses it automatically on a 5G-capable phone, dropping back to 4G LTE outside covered areas. No country is covered everywhere, so 5G availability varies by location.
Is the Wind network in Italy the same as WindTre?
Yes. Wind merged with 3 Italia at the end of 2016, and in March 2020 the separate brands were combined as WindTre, owned by CK Hutchison. Your phone may show either name. Your eSIM can use WindTre, TIM and Iliad, and switches to whichever has the strongest signal.
How do I find out about train and ferry strikes in Italy?
Check the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport's official strike calendar at scioperi.mit.gov.it. It lists planned strikes by date, sector and scope, covering rail, air, local transport, ferries, taxis and general strikes. Check again the day before you travel, and use your train, ferry or airline app to see which services are still running.
Do I still need to pay the Venice access fee?
Not at the moment. Venice's official access fee website says the 2026 trial ended on 27 July 2026, so you no longer need to pay or carry a QR code. The Municipality of Venice will decide whether the fee returns, so check cda.ve.it before a trip in 2027 or later.
Why does switching from WindTre to Iliad not fix my signal in the countryside?
In rural, low-density parts of Italy, WindTre and Iliad share a 5G network through their joint company, Zefiro Net, which the regulator approved in 2022. If one has a dead spot, the other may too. Try selecting TIM manually in your phone's network settings, then switch back to automatic later.
How much data do I need for 7 days in Italy?
For 7 days in Italy, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $1.59 and unlimited data for $13.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.
Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →
Italy: what to know before you land
In Italy your eSIM can use TIM, Wind (now trading as WindTre) or Iliad, and in many rural areas WindTre and Iliad share the same 5G masts. Mobile data is most useful for keeping up with things that change at short notice: transport strikes are published on an official government calendar, and Venice's day-tripper access fee ended its 2026 trial in July.
- Emergency
- 112
- Plugs
- CFL 230V
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
Main airports
- FCO Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport
- MXP Milan Malpensa Airport
- VCE Venice Marco Polo Airport
Apps worth having TrenitaliaItaloFree NowWhatsAppGoogle Maps
TIM, WindTre and Iliad: what's behind the network names
Italy's mobile market has been reshaped in the past decade, so the name on your status bar may not match the brands you see in shop windows.
- TIM is the former state incumbent and still one of the largest operators.
- Wind merged with 3 Italia at the end of 2016, and in March 2020 the separate Wind and 3 brands were replaced by WindTre, owned by CK Hutchison. In 2022 it was the largest operator by SIMs used by people, rather than by machines.
- Iliad, the French-owned challenger, is the newest of the three.
One detail affects coverage in the countryside. In 2022 Italy's communications regulator approved a 5G network-sharing deal between WindTre and Iliad in rural, low-density areas, and their joint company, Zefiro Net, was completed in January 2023. Outside the cities, those two names may be using the same masts, so switching between them won't always help in a dead spot. Manually selecting TIM is often the better test.
Your eSIM chooses the strongest of the three automatically. You'll only need to pick a network yourself if your phone shows signal but data won't load.
Checking the Ministry of Transport strike calendar
Transport strikes (scioperi) are a regular part of travel in Italy. They're announced in advance, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport publishes them all on an official calendar at scioperi.mit.gov.it. It lists each strike's date, the unions involved, the sector and whether it's national, regional or limited to one company.
The calendar covers far more than trains: air transport, rail and its contractors, local buses and metros, ferries and other maritime services, taxis and hire cars with drivers, motorway services and general strikes across several sectors. The notes sometimes list exceptions too, such as flights at a particular airport that are guaranteed to operate.
Before you book a ferry to the islands or a day trip involving a long train journey, look up your travel dates. Check again the day before, because strikes can be added or called off. During a strike, some services still run under minimum-service agreements, but the details depend on the sector. Your train or airline app is the best place to see which departures are actually running, which makes mobile data more useful than usual on strike days.
Venice after the 2026 access fee trial
From 2024, the City of Venice tested an access fee for day visitors on peak days, which you paid online in exchange for a QR code to show if checked. According to the city's official access fee site, the 2026 trial ended on 27 July 2026. Since then you can visit without paying or requesting an exemption, and no QR code is needed.
Whether the scheme returns in 2027 or later is up to the Municipality of Venice. If you're planning a trip next year, check the official site at cda.ve.it shortly before you travel instead of relying on older blog posts or third-party sites that still describe the fee.
Venice still rewards a little phone preparation:
- Download an offline map. The lanes, dead ends and bridges confuse GPS, and a cached map with your accommodation pinned is quicker than searching each time.
- Save the vaporetto stop nearest your hotel, as several stops on the Grand Canal have similar names.
- Keep your accommodation host's number to hand, because many apartments have no reception desk and check-in is arranged by message.
Researched October 2026 · 4 sources
- en.wikipedia.org WindTre – Wikipedia
- scioperi.mit.gov.it Strike calendar – Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti
- cda.veneziaunica.it Venice Access Fee – City of Venice
- worldstandards.eu Plug, socket & voltage by country – WorldStandards
Seven days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Siena and Venice
The classic first-time rail week: two days in Rome including the Vatican, two in Florence with a day trip to Siena, then two in Venice and its lagoon islands, all linked by high-speed trains of under two and a half hours.
When to go April to early June and September to October bring mild weather and longer opening hours without the peak heat and crowds of July and August; Venice can flood with acqua alta from October to January.
-
Day 1 Rome
Rome: the Colosseum and Forum
The Leonardo Express train from Fiumicino reaches Roma Termini in about 32 minutes.
Start at the Colosseum with a timed ticket, then walk through the Roman Forum and up the Palatine Hill for views over the ruins. In the afternoon climb the Capitoline Hill to Michelangelo's piazza and the Capitoline Museums. Finish by walking via Piazza Venezia to the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, best seen late in the evening when the crowds thin.
Signal Your eSIM can use TIM, WindTre or Iliad, all with 5G in central Rome. Signal is weaker inside the Colosseum's lower passageways and in some metro sections.
-
Day 2 Rome
Rome: Vatican City and Trastevere
Metro line A to Ottaviano, or a 30-minute walk from the centre.
Spend the morning in Vatican City, a separate state within Rome. Book the Vatican Museums in advance to see the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, then visit St Peter's Basilica and, if you have the energy, climb its dome. In the afternoon walk along the Tiber to Castel Sant'Angelo, cross to Piazza Navona, and spend the evening in the lanes of Trastevere.
Signal You will usually stay on Italian networks inside the Vatican. Coverage is weak inside the museums' thick-walled galleries, so download your tickets beforehand.
-
Day 3 Florence
Florence: the Duomo and Uffizi
Rome to Firenze Santa Maria Novella takes about 1 hour 35 minutes by Frecciarossa or Italo.
Take a morning high-speed train to Florence. Climb Brunelleschi's dome on the cathedral or the bell tower beside it, then see the Baptistery doors. In the afternoon visit the Uffizi Galleries for Botticelli's Birth of Venus and other Renaissance works; book ahead and note it is closed on Mondays. End with sunset over the Arno from the Ponte Vecchio or Piazzale Michelangelo.
Signal Signal holds for most of the high-speed run from Rome, with short drops in tunnels along the way. Florence's centre has strong 4G and 5G.
-
Day 4 Florence
Day trip to Siena
Direct buses take about 1 hour 15 minutes from Florence to Siena; trains take about 1 hour 30 minutes to a station below the old town.
Travel to Siena, whose medieval centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk into the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and climb the Torre del Mangia for views over the terracotta roofs. Visit the striped marble Siena Cathedral and its Piccolomini Library, then wander the steep streets of the old contrade before returning to Florence for the evening.
Signal Coverage is good in Siena itself. On the road through the Chianti hills, rural 5G is shared between WindTre and Iliad masts, so you may see brief dips between valleys.
-
Day 5 Florence
Florence: Accademia and Oltrarno
See Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia early in the morning, then visit the church of San Lorenzo and its Medici Chapels. In the afternoon cross the river to the Oltrarno for the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens, and walk back through the artisans' workshops around Santo Spirito.
Signal Strong signal throughout the city. Museum interiors can be patchy, so keep your timed tickets saved offline.
-
Day 6 Venice
Venice: San Marco and the Grand Canal
Florence to Venice takes about 2 hours 15 minutes by high-speed train.
Take a morning train to Venezia Santa Lucia and ride vaporetto line 1 along the Grand Canal to San Marco. Visit St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace, crossing the Bridge of Sighs inside. In the afternoon walk to the Rialto Bridge and market area, then get lost in the lanes of Cannaregio before an evening in the Dorsoduro district near the Accademia bridge.
Signal Between Florence and Bologna the line runs through long Apennine tunnels with little or no signal. Venice and the vaporetti have good coverage, but download an offline map for when GPS drifts in the lanes.
-
Day 7 Venice
Murano, Burano and Torcello
Line 12 links Fondamente Nove with Murano and Burano; a short ferry connects Burano and Torcello. Marco Polo airport is reached by bus or the Alilaguna water bus.
Take the vaporetto from Fondamente Nove to Murano to see glass-making and the glass museum. Continue to Burano, known for its brightly painted houses and lace, then hop across to Torcello for the ancient cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and its Byzantine mosaics. Return to Venice in the afternoon in time for your onward train or flight.
Signal Signal is usually fine on the lagoon islands. Check the official Venice access fee site before you go in case rules for day visitors have changed.
Staying connected on this route
- Check scioperi.mit.gov.it before travel days: rail and local transport strikes are announced there in advance.
- Expect long signal gaps in the Apennine tunnels between Florence and Bologna on the way to Venice.
- Book the Vatican Museums, Uffizi and Accademia online and save the tickets offline.
- Download an offline map of Venice; GPS can drift in the narrow lanes.
Itinerary sources · 4
- uffizi.it The Uffizi – Gallerie degli Uffizi
- scioperi.mit.gov.it Transport strikes calendar – Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport
- cda.veneziaunica.it Venice access fee – City of Venice
- en.wikipedia.org WindTre – Wikipedia
Information and verification
Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.
- Prices and plans
- Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in.
- Host networks
- The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.
Transparent pricing
Italy eSIM prices
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $6.99 | $2.33/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $10.99 | $2.20/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $18.99 | $1.90/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $97.99 | $1.63/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $149.99 | $1.67/day |
Going to more than one country?
Regional plans that also cover Italy
Destinations
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Travel guides
Read before you go
Sep 21, 2026 | 7 minute read
