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

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

Traveling around Europe is an incredible experience, and staying connected from one country to the next has never been easier thanks to eSIMs. No more fumbling with physical SIM cards every time you cross a border.

Holafly's Europe eSIM promises digital nomads and remote workers unlimited data and uninterrupted connectivity across 40 European countries at a pretty reasonable price. But does it actually live up to the hype?

In this review, we'll share our first-hand experience with Holafly's Europe eSIM to help you decide if it's the right pick for your travels. Let's get started!

Holafly Europe eSIM: What's in the Offer?

Holafly Europe eSIM

With global coverage in over 210 countries—including the USUKJapan, and ChinaHolafly stands out as one of the top eSIM providers in the market, offering ton of localregional, and global plans.

Among the 6 regional plans offered by Holafly, the Holafly Europe eSIM is designed to keep you connected while exploring multiple countries in Europe in a single trip.

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

  • Unlimited data plans across 40 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

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 $20.90
7 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $29.90
10 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $36.90
15 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $50.90
20 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $61.90
30 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $74.90
60 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $106.90
90 days Unlimited data with 500MB per day hotspot $139.90
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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 Andorra, Croatia, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain
Eastern Europe Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine
Microstates Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Isle of Man
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Special Discount: Use the coupon code FREAKINGNOMADS at the checkout to get 5% OFF on Holafly Europe eSIM plans and top-ups!

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

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.

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.

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Remember to use the coupon code FREAKINGNOMADS at the checkout to get 5% OFF on Holafly's Europe eSIM plans and top-ups!
holafly europe eSIM checkout using FREAKINGNOMADS discount code

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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Special Discount: Use the coupon code FREAKINGNOMADS at the checkout to get 5% OFF on Holafly Europe eSIM plans and top-ups!

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:

Pros and cons:

Pros
  • Unlimited data in 40 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.

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)

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 eSIMs

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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We'll see you there, Freaking Nomads!

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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