Europe

Spain eSIM picks

Spain has excellent eSIM coverage on Movistar, Vodafone and Orange. Cities, beaches and the AVE train network are all uniformly strong. Spain is included in every "Eurolink"-style regional plan, so for most travellers this is the easiest European destination to set up.

At a glance

Best for short city breaks (Barcelona, Madrid, Seville): Nomad or Saily Spain plans
Best for nomads basing in Barcelona, Valencia or Málaga: Dracotel
Best for unlimited beach/villa stays: Holafly Spain
Best for Iberia (Spain + Portugal): Airalo regional Iberia or Eurolink

Network notes

Movistar has the broadest rural coverage including the Picos de Europa, inland Andalucia and the Balearics. Vodafone Spain leads in 5G speed in cities. Orange Spain is competitive in urban areas. Whichever your eSIM resells, expect strong performance.

Practical connectivity tips

Install before landing. Barajas (Madrid) and El Prat (Barcelona) Wi-Fi is fine, but Cabify and Uber want active data on first launch.
Apps you’ll want online: Cabify (often cheaper than Uber in Spain), Uber, Renfe (high-speed and regional trains), TMB Barcelona, Madrid Metro, Google Translate, El Tiempo for weather.
Long AVE train journeys: signal is solid along the main corridors (Madrid–Barcelona, Madrid–Seville, Madrid–Valencia) but drops in mountain tunnels. Download podcasts.
Festivals and crowded city centres (Las Fallas, San Sebastián Jazz, La Mercé) sometimes overload local carriers — having a different partner network than the dominant local one can help.

Watch out for

Balearics and Canary Islands count as Spain for most plans, but always double-check the specific SKU’s coverage list — some “Spain” plans exclude the islands.
Inland Andalucia (Las Alpujarras, Sierra de Aracena) and the Picos de Europa: signal drops in valleys.
Banking 2FA from non-Spanish banks works fine; from Spanish fintechs it requires a Spanish number.