eSIMion

United Kingdom eSIM

Pick a United Kingdom data plan below — it arrives by email with a tap-to-install link and a QR code. There is no app to download and your home SIM stays untouched.

eSIM plans for United Kingdom

10 plan sizes are available for United Kingdom, from light plans for a weekend to bigger plans for a long stay. Every plan is prepaid. No subscription and no surprise bill.

Data Validity
1 GB 3 days
1 GB 7 days
2 GB 15 days
3 GB 3 days
3 GB 7 days
3 GB 30 days
5 GB 7 days
5 GB 15 days
5 GB 30 days
10 GB 7 days

Using mobile data in United Kingdom

Your eSIM connects to a local network in United Kingdom, so maps, messages, rides, and translation work like they do at home. Data roaming must be switched on for the eSIM line. That is normal for travel eSIMs and it does not cost extra.

One eSIM can cover most of Europe, so you can cross borders without thinking about your phone. Trains, budget flights, and day trips all stay connected on the same plan.

Mobile networks in United Kingdom

eSIMion plans for the United Kingdom connect through EE. Most plans carry its 5G, and a smaller number are 4G.

EE is the UK's largest mobile network and is owned by BT Group. The rest of the market is Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone and Three, which merged during 2025 and now trade together as VodafoneThree while still running as separate consumer brands.

EE also measures as the strongest network in the country. Opensignal's January 2026 UK report, drawn from data collected between 1 October and 29 December 2025, gave EE 11 awards, more than any other operator. Those included Download Speed Experience at 53.2 Mbps, Upload Speed Experience at 10.4 Mbps, Reliability Experience and Consistent Quality. Three recorded the fastest 5G download at 187 Mbps, and O2 won the overall Coverage Experience award.

One thing to be straight about. EE's 53.2 Mbps figure is measured across all network types, so it is not a promise for any one connection. Three is faster on 5G specifically. What EE wins on is turning up and working, which is what Reliability Experience and Consistent Quality measure, and that is the thing a visitor actually feels on a packed train out of Euston.

Travel eSIMs on the EE network →

The UK has switched off 3G

EE closed its 3G network in January 2024. Vodafone followed in February 2024 and Three by the end of that year, with O2's shutdown running into 2026. All four operators have told the government they plan to close 2G by 2033.

So 4G is now the floor in the UK. A phone that can only reach 3G has no service, and an old handset that scrapes by at home may find nothing here.

The bands your phone needs

EE's 4G runs on band 20 at 800 MHz for reach, band 3 at 1800 MHz and band 7 at 2600 MHz for capacity, and band 1 at 2100 MHz.

Band 20 is the one that carries rural coverage and gets through thick walls. Most phones sold outside Europe carry band 3 and skip band 20. A phone missing it works fine in central London and struggles in a Cotswolds cottage.

Coverage from London to the Highlands

Ofcom reports all four UK networks now reach above 99% of premises for indoor 4G. London and every major city have dense coverage, and the rail corridors between them hold a signal for most of the ride.

The gaps are real and they are rural. The Scottish Highlands and islands, Eryri in north Wales, the Pennines and the west Wales coast all have genuine dead ground on every network. Walkers should carry offline maps as a matter of course, not as a precaution.

One plan, four nations

The plan covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland alike.

Crossing into the Republic of Ireland is a different country and needs an Ireland or Europe plan. That catches people out on Belfast to Dublin itineraries more than anything else in the UK.

Good to know

Power: Type G, 230V

Currency: Pound sterling (GBP)

Languages: English, with Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, and Irish also spoken

Getting a price for United Kingdom

We quote United Kingdom trips one at a time instead of printing prices here. Plan prices come from live provider catalogs and they move. Email your trip to trips@get.esimion.com and the reply shows current prices for four options.

Plans for United Kingdom run from 1 GB up to 10 GB. Plan lengths go from 3 days to 30 days. Visiting more countries than United Kingdom? The Europe regional eSIM covers the area on one plan.

See how pricing works →

How to get it

The fastest way is email. Forward your flight or hotel confirmation to trips@get.esimion.com and we reply with four plan tiers for your exact dates in United Kingdom, each with current pricing. Best Coverage, Best Value, Lowest Price, and Global Simplicity. You pick what matters most.

Or buy directly from this page. Current prices show at checkout. Either way the eSIM lands in your inbox and installs with one tap or a QR scan.

If you run low during the trip, email us and say "top up." We send a one-click link for more data.

First trip with an eSIM? Check your phone →

Related destinations

The fastest way to buy: forward your trip email and we reply with four plan tiers matched to your dates.

trips@get.esimion.com

How pricing works →

Sources: Opensignal UK Mobile Network Experience Report January 2026, data collected 1 October to 29 December 2025. Ofcom Connected Nations. Operator 3G closure announcements and the industry 2G commitment to government. EE official network band documentation.