Lazio
Rome
The Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and the Borghese all run on timed entry now, and the Borghese in particular sells out weeks ahead. Between slots it's a walking city, which is where a live map earns its keep.
Italy eSIM
Italy, already connected
Buy before you fly and the QR code is waiting in your inbox. Scan it at home, land at Fiumicino, Malpensa or Naples, and your phone finds an Italian network by itself — no kiosk queue, no roaming bill following you back.
One eSIM, the whole trip
Italy sits inside a 33-country European bundle, so the eSIM you buy for Rome carries on working if you cross into Switzerland, catch a flight to Athens or drive up through France. The UK is on the list too — install it at home, confirm it works, and it picks up again the moment you land back.
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Italy plans
Pick the length of your trip
Every plan below covers Italy. Choose the number of days you're away — the price is fixed, you pay once, and nothing renews afterwards.
Where to go
Twenty regions, twenty countries
Italy only unified in 1861, and it shows — the food, the dialect and the pace change every couple of hours by train. The same eSIM covers all of it.
Tuscany
Florence & the hill towns
The Uffizi and Accademia by appointment, then Siena, San Gimignano and the Chianti roads by car. Half the pleasure is stopping somewhere unplanned; the other half is finding it again afterwards.
Veneto
Venice & the north east
Vaporetto timetables, an entry fee on peak days and acqua alta warnings in autumn — all checked online. Verona, Padua and the Dolomites are an easy train ride out.
Campania
Naples & the Amalfi Coast
Pompeii and Herculaneum on the Circumvesuviana, then ferries to Capri and buses along a coast road built for smaller vehicles. Sailings shift with the weather, so check before you commit to a day.
Lombardy
Milan & the lakes
The Duomo rooftop, and Leonardo's Last Supper — which takes bookings months in advance for fifteen-minute slots. An hour north, Como and Garda run on ferry timetables and lake weather.
The south
Sicily & Puglia
Etna, the Valley of the Temples and Palermo's markets on one side; trulli, sea caves and long empty beaches on the other. Distances are bigger than they look and rural signage is optimistic.
On the ground
What you'll actually use it for
Timed-entry tickets
The Uffizi, the Vatican, the Borghese and the Last Supper are all slot-based and routinely sell out. Booking from a café the day before beats queuing on the off chance.
Staying out of the ZTL
Historic centres are camera-enforced restricted zones, and the fine reaches you months later via the hire company. Live navigation that flags the boundary is worth the plan on its own.
Trains and ferries
Trenitalia and Italo both sell cheaper the earlier you book, and platform changes are announced by app long before the board updates. Ferry sailings move with the sea state.
Reading the menu
Camera translation handles a handwritten trattoria menu, and settles what you're ordering before the waiter loses patience. Regional dishes rarely appear in a phrasebook.
Backing up photos
Two weeks of churches, coastline and dinners is a lot to trust to one device. Let it sync as you go — though save it for the evening, as this is the one that eats data.
When plans go wrong
A rail strike, a closed road, an agriturismo down a track with no number. All far easier to sort out with a connection than without one.
How it works
Set it up before you leave home
The whole thing takes about as long as printing a boarding pass, and it's far easier done on your own Wi-Fi than in an airport queue.
1
Choose your dates
Pick the plan that matches how long you're in Italy. If you're carrying on into France, Switzerland or Greece, the same eSIM already covers you.
2
Scan the QR code
It arrives by email as soon as you pay. Open your phone's mobile settings, add an eSIM, scan — done in under a minute, over Wi-Fi at home.
3
Switch it on in Italy
Your plan starts when the eSIM first finds an Italian network, not when you bought it. Turn roaming off on your UK line and you're set.
FAQs
Before you book
Which networks does an Italy eSIM use?
Our Italy plans roam onto Vodafone, TIM, WindTre and Iliad — the established Italian networks. You get the same coverage a local customer would, across the cities, the autostrada and most of the countryside.
Does it work anywhere else?
Yes. The plan covering Italy is a 33-country European bundle, so the same eSIM keeps working in France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Greece and more. The United Kingdom is included, which means you can install and test it before you leave, and stay connected when you land back.
What does “unlimited” actually mean?
You get 1GB of full-speed data every day. After that the connection carries on at a reduced 512kbps for the rest of that day, then resets the next morning. There's no hard cut-off and no overage charge, so you can't run up a bill.
Do I need this if my UK plan includes EU roaming?
It depends on your contract. Several UK networks reintroduced roaming fees or daily charges for Europe after Brexit, and some cap your data or speeds abroad. Check what your provider charges for Italy and compare it against a fixed one-off price. If your plan already includes generous EU roaming, you may not need one — we'd rather tell you that than sell you something you don't need.
Can I keep my UK number?
Yes. The eSIM runs alongside your existing SIM, so calls and texts still arrive on your UK number while your data goes over the Italian networks. Turn data roaming off on your UK line so nothing lands on your normal bill.
Will it help me avoid ZTL fines when driving?
It helps, but it's not a guarantee. Most historic centres are ZTL restricted zones enforced by camera, and fines arrive months later through your hire company. A live connection lets you run navigation that flags ZTL boundaries and check your hotel's access arrangements in advance — considerably easier than decoding a sign at a junction.
How much data do I need for a week?
For maps, messaging, translation and social media, most travellers use somewhere between 500MB and 1GB a day. These plans give you 1GB a day at full speed, which comfortably covers normal sightseeing. Streaming video or tethering a laptop will get through it faster.
Do I get an Italian phone number?
No, these are data-only plans. That covers maps, email, messaging and calls through WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal. If you need a number that takes ordinary calls and texts, keep your UK SIM active alongside the eSIM.
Will my phone take an eSIM?
Most handsets released since 2018 will, including iPhone XR/XS and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer — as long as it isn't network locked. Look for “Add eSIM” or “Add data plan” in your mobile settings to check.
Buon viaggio
Sort your connection tonight and forget about it. One scan now, and Italy is just somewhere your phone already works.