Holafly Europe eSIM: Is It The Best eSIM for Europe?

Holafly Europe eSIM: Is It The Best eSIM for Europe?

Staying connected to the internet while hopping from one European country to another can be a challenge. The hassles of local SIMs and high roaming fees often leave many travelers frustrated. 

But here’s the good news: there are eSIMs out there that allow you to access uninterrupted connectivity across Europe!

Among the options available, Holafly's Europe eSIM has gained popularity, especially among digital nomads and remote workers. 

It promises to deliver unlimited data in over 32 European countries, all at an affordable rate.

But does Holafly truly live up to the hype?

In this review, we'll answer all your burning questions based on our first-hand experience with this service. By the end of this review, you’ll know whether Holafly's Europe eSIM is the right choice for your European adventure.

What is Holafly eSIM?

Holafly eSIM catalogue by destination

Holafly eSIM is a digital SIM card that lets you access the internet in more than 177+ countries worldwide without changing your physical SIM.

Trusted by over a million travelers, Holafly offers tons of local, regional and global plans for you to choose from.

What makes Holafly stand out is their unlimited data packages, designed with digital nomads and remote workers in mind. These plans ensure uninterrupted connectivity, whether you're working for your online clients or streaming a movie in your downtime.

Holafly unlimited data plans

If you want an in-depth look into Holafly and all the international plans they offer beyond just Europe, you can check our in-depth Holafly eSIM review below:

Holafly eSIM Review (Tried and Tested): Is It Reliable?
Explore our in-depth Holafly eSIM review: global coverage, flexible plans, unlimited data, and top-notch support for travelers.

How Do Holafly eSIMs Work?

In all our travels as digital nomads, we've turned to Holafly eSIMs on several occasions. And we are glad we did! Because they are extremely reliable and also pretty easy to use.

Here's how they work:

  1. You choose and buy the Holafly eSIM plan for the country you are visiting
  2. Next, you receive an activation QR code via email
  3. Then you simply scan this code to activate your eSIM, and voila! In just a few moments, you're connected and ready to go.

Holafly Europe eSIM: What's in the Offer?

Holafly Europe eSIM

Among the 6 regional plans offered by Holafly, the Holafly Europe eSIM is among the most convenient eSIM plans for digital nomads traveling to Europe.

It's designed to keep you connected while exploring multiple countries in Europe in a single trip, and it's very affordable for the value you get.

Specifically, this is what you can expect when purchasing this eSIM plan:

  • Unlimited data plans across 32 European countries
  • Fast and reliable internet connection that connects you to the best network in each country
  • Keep your WhatsApp number
  • 24/7 customer support services through live chat and WhatsApp
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Important update feature: Holafly used to allow Europe eSIM plan users to make and receive calls within Europe for up to 60 minutes each. This feature has been replaced with a new hotspot feature which will allow you to have 500 MB per day for internet sharing across devices.

Given its promising features, we decided to give Holafly Europe eSIM a try and personally put it to the test for our upcoming trip to Europe.

Purchasing process

First, let's look at how easy it was to purchase it.

We bought our Europe eSIM on the Holafly website, where there was a ton of information about the eSIM and its features.

The package options, sorted by travel duration, were clear and easy to navigate. Given our plans for a three-month itinerary, the 90-day plan was a no-brainer for us. 

The actual checkout process was very straightforward: we just entered our details, picked a payment option, and clicked to confirm.

holafly europe eSIM checkout using FREAKINGNOMADS discount code

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Installation and activation process

Just minutes after our purchase was confirmed, Holafly sent us an email with instructions and a QR code to install and activate our eSIM.

The steps involved navigating to our 'Mobile Data' settings, choosing 'Add Data Plan', and scanning the QR code.

Holafly QR code installation

We initially thought we needed two devices to scan the QR code but as we updated to IOS 17 we noticed that now you can add the QR code from your photos which made the process so much easier.

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Pro tip: Although we decided to scan the QR code on the spot, we suggest you install the eSIM before traveling to your destination. This will ensure you have a reliable connection as soon as you arrive.
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If you are unable to scan the QR code, Holafly offers a manual setup option. Detailed instructions on this alternative method are included in the same email containing the QR code.

After scanning, our eSIM profile started downloading instantly and activating our eSIM was incredibly easy.

We simply chose the Holafly as our main data source within the mobile data settings, and our eSIM was immediately active!

Holafly eSIM activation

If you'd rather visualize this process, watch the instructional video below on how to install your Holafly eSIM on your iOS device:

For those on the Android side of things, the video below will guide you through the process:

Using Holafly’s Europe eSIM: Our experience

To make sure we had an accurate view of the Holafly Europe eSIM plan, we decided to test it across different European countries. We used it in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia and Romania.

Holafly app

So the real question is – how was its real-world performance and speed?

The results were truly impressive:

Country Speed Connection details
Portugal 205 Mbps (download) / 107 Mbps (upload) Consistent across the board, including remote islands
Spain 248 Mbps (download) / 131 Mbps (upload) Great in most regions, except for some rural areas
Italy 144 Mbps (download) / 64 Mbps (upload) Northern areas having faster speeds than southern areas
Croatia 122 Mbps (download) / 52 Mbps (upload) Consistently strong, both in urban hubs, islands and mountainous regions
Romania 260 Mbps (download) / 153 Mbps (upload) Great everywhere, even in remote areas

Overall pretty great!

We even managed a few Zoom calls from the pebbly beaches of Croatia as the connection was pretty stable and fairly fast.

Those speeds remained pretty consistent as the eSIM seamlessly transitioned between local network providers while we were crossing borders.

We must say though that we had some small issues when traveling in remote areas of Spain. But to be honest, we also had a local SIM to compare with and we think that it was genuinely a lack of signal in the area. Any other operators, including those offering physical SIM, would have struggled with it too.

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Pros and Cons of Holafly Europe eSIM

So, should you pick Holafly as your eSIM when traveling to Europe?

Let's look at the pros and cons of Holafly Europe eSIM you should consider before making a purchase:

Woman holding smartphone with Holafly app

Pros and cons:

Pros
  • Unlimited data in 32 European countries
  • Easy checkout with payment protection
  • Consistent internet speeds across countries
  • Compatible with top networks in each country
  • No need to change WhatsApp Number
  • 24/7 customer support via live chat and WhatsApp
  • eSIM QR code scanning from photos
Cons
  • Holafly app doesn't yet support eSIM purchase/top-up (though this can be done in the “Holafly center”)
  • Spotty connection in remote areas due to local networks
  • More expensive than other eSIM providers as more premium
  • Their hotspot feature is limited to 500MB per day and it's not unlimited like some competitors

In our opinion, while there are a few things that could be improved, Holafly is definitely one of the best eSIM providers you should consider for your trip across Europe.

Get 5% Off on Holafly Europe eSIM

Use Code 'FREAKINGNOMADS' and Save on New eSIMs and Top Ups

Grab Your Discount Now!

You may also be interested in:

Holafly eSIM for USA Travel: Our Honest Review
Read our in-depth review of Holafly eSIM for USA travel, exploring features, pricing, and user experience to help you stay connected.

Holafly’s Europe eSIM Pricing and Packages

If you are considering purchasing their European eSIM packages, you are probably wondering how much they cost. Here are the prices you can expect:

eSIM Validity Data Allowance Price
5 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $19
7 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $27
10 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $34
15 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $47
20 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $54
30 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $64
60 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $87
90 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $99
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Please bear in mind that these are the prices at the time of writing. For more up to date information on Holafly's European eSIM pricing and packges, visit the Holafly website.

In which countries does Holafly's European eSIM work?

If you are worried about coverage and want to know exactly where their European eSIM works, you can find the full list of countries below:

Region Countries Covered
Central Europe Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland
Western Europe Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom
Northern Europe Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden
Southern Europe Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain
Eastern Europe Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine
Microstates Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City

Get 5% Off on Holafly Europe eSIM

Use Code 'FREAKINGNOMADS' and Save on New eSIMs and Top Ups

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What networks does Holafly use?

Country Local Network Providers Holafly Relies On
Austria A1, T-Mobile, Drei
Belgium Proximus, Orange, Base
Bulgaria Vivacom, Telenor, A1
Croatia Hrvatski Telekom, A1, Tele2
Cyprus Cyta, MTN, PrimeTel
Czech Republic O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone
Denmark TDC, Telia, Telenor
Estonia Telia, Elisa, Tele2
Finland Telia, DNA, Elisa
France Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom
Germany Telekom, Vodafone, O2
Greece Cosmote, Vodafone, Wind
Hungary Telekom, Vodafone, Telenor
Iceland Siminn, Nova, Vodafone
Ireland Vodafone, Three, Eir
Italy TIM, Vodafone, Wind Tre
Latvia LMT, Tele2, Bite
Liechtenstein Swisscom
Lithuania Telia, Tele2, Bite
Luxembourg POST Luxembourg, Orange, Tango
Malta GO Mobile, Vodafone Malta
Netherlands KPN, Vodafone NL, T-Mobile NL
Norway Telenor Norge AS (Telenor), Telia Norge AS (Telia), Ice Norge AS (Ice)
Poland Orange Polska S.A. (Orange), Polkomtel Sp. z o.o. (Plus), P4 Sp. z o.o. (Play)
Portugal MEO (Altice Portugal), NOS (NOS Comunicações), Vodafone Portugal (Vodafone)
Romania Orange Romania SA (Orange), RCS & RDS SA (Digi Mobil), Vodafone Romania SA (Vodafone)
Slovakia Slovak Telekom a.s. (Telekom), Orange Slovensko a.s. (Orange), O2 Slovakia s.r.o. (O2)
Slovenia Telekom Slovenije d.d. (Telekom Slovenije), A1 Slovenija d.d. (A1 Slovenija), Telemach d.o.o. (Telemach)
Spain Movistar (Telefónica Móviles España S.A.U.), Orange Espagne S.A.U. (Orange), Vodafone España S.A.U. (Vodafone)
Sweden Telia Company AB (Telia), Tele2 Sverige AB (Tele2), Telenor Sverige AB (Telenor)
Switzerland Swisscom Schweiz AG (Swisscom), Sunrise Communications AG (Sunrise), Salt Mobile SA (Salt)
United Kingdom EE Limited (EE), Hutchison 3G UK Limited (Three UK), Vodafone Limited (Vodafone UK)

Get 5% Off on Holafly Europe eSIM

Use Code 'FREAKINGNOMADS' and Save on New eSIMs and Top Ups

Grab Your Discount Now!

So, Is Holafly’s Europe eSIM Worth The Hype?

The truth is that Holafly's eSIM is undeniably a frontrunner when it comes to seamless, hassle-free connectivity in Europe.

After testing this eSIM on our journey across Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Romania, it's evident Holafly doesn't just promise – it delivers.

Sure, there were a couple of hiccups. But these minor drawbacks are overshadowed by the availability of local networks in each country, which always kept us connected to a robust service.

The process, from purchase to activation, was mostly seamless. And the added feature of hotspot for internet sharing across devices reflects the thought Holafly has invested in meeting the needs of digital nomads and remote workers.

If Europe is on your itinerary and maintaining constant, affordable connectivity is a top priority, Holafly's Europe eSIM is an unbeatable choice.

Get 5% Off on Holafly Europe eSIM

Use Code 'FREAKINGNOMADS' and Save on New eSIMs and Top Ups

Grab Your Discount Now!

Ready To Stay Connected on Your Next Trip To Europe?

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Irene Lidia Wang
Written by Irene Lidia Wang

UX Designer and digital nomad. After struggling with feelings of not belonging due to her Italian-Chinese heritage, she co-founded Freaking Nomads to offer a space for people seeking their own paths.

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