Italy eSIM
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Runs on TIM · ILIAD · WIND
Choose your plan
Every plan includes
- Hotspot and tethering included on every plan
- 180-day activation window, buy now, travel later
- Keep your number, WhatsApp and iMessage unaffected
- Refundable any time before your eSIM is installed
- Top up available on most plans if you run out
A LeafySIM Italy eSIM runs on TIM and Iliad with 5G, and TIM is the network that holds signal in the Cinque Terre tunnels and on the Amalfi coast road. Install it from a QR code before you fly and it works when you land at Fiumicino or Malpensa. Plans run 1GB to 50GB, from $2.99.
Where your Italy eSIM actually works
Your plan connects to TIM and Iliad. TIM carries Italy's widest 4G and 5G footprint and is the one that matters away from the cities: the Amalfi cliff road, the tunnels and hillside villages of the Cinque Terre, rural Umbria, the Sicilian interior, and the Frecciarossa run between Milan and Rome. Iliad is newer, cheaper and still building out, and it falls back to WindTre where its own network has gaps.
Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Linate and Venice Marco Polo all have strong coverage on arrival, so the plan is working before you reach the train.
Italian train tickets live in an app, and the app needs data
This is the specific thing that catches people. Trenitalia and Italo tickets are bought and shown almost entirely through their apps. So is the Roma Pass, so are most museum slots, and the Colosseum and Uffizi both run on timed entry you book ahead and show on a phone. Turning up at Termini intending to buy a paper ticket at a machine is a queue you did not need to stand in.
How much data you need in Italy
Italy is cheap on this catalogue, so buy a size up. Two weeks of maps, train apps, translation and photos runs about 5GB, which is $8.49. The 3GB at $5.99 covers a long weekend in Rome or Florence. Go to 10GB at $14.49 for a month or for anyone working as they travel. The 1GB at $2.99 runs 7 days.
What this plan does not do
Data only. No Italian number, no regular calls, no SMS. Worth noting that some Italian restaurant bookings and agriturismo owners still prefer a phone call, and a few booking forms want an Italian number. WhatsApp covers most of it and runs on data. Keep your home SIM on for bank codes with its data off.
What it costs next to roaming
Verizon's TravelPass and AT&T's International Day Pass both run $12 a day, so two weeks in Italy is $168 before you use a megabyte. The cheapest route a US carrier gives you is T-Mobile's 10 day International Pass at $50 for 15GB. The 5GB Italy plan is $8.49.
Setting up your Italy eSIM before you fly
Buy it now and install on wifi at home. The QR code arrives by email, you scan it in your phone settings, and you leave the line off until you land. The plan holds a 180 day activation window. On landing, switch the line on and turn data roaming off on your home SIM.
The networks you'll ride
Your eSIM connects to the destination's real carriers and picks the strongest signal automatically. We publish this because most resellers won't.
TIM
ILIAD
WIND
Will your phone work? You need a carrier-unlocked phone that supports eSIM, including: iPhone XS, XR and newer , Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer , Google Pixel 3 and newer .
FAQ
Good to know before you fly
When does the clock start?
When your eSIM first connects to a network at your destination, not when you buy it and not when you install it. Install it before you fly, on your home WiFi; the plan starts when you land.
Can I top up if I run out?
Yes, on most plans, any time before it expires. Buy a top-up from your order page and it applies to the eSIM you already installed, no reinstalling required.
Is there a phone number included?
No, this is a data-only eSIM. Your own number stays active on your home SIM for calls and texts, and apps like WhatsApp and FaceTime work over data as usual.
When should I install it?
Before you fly, on your home WiFi. Every plan has a 180-day window to activate, and the clock does not start until you actually connect at your destination.