How to get your cell phone connected in Italy: eSIMs, wi-fi and mobile networks
Everyone should experience Italy's lavish art, architecture, cuisine and life-affirming landscapes. Here's what you need to know about getting connected.
With its heartstopping art and architecture, its lavish, layered history, its world-beating cuisine and its life-affirming landscapes, Italy is one of those destinations everyone needs to visit at least once in a lifetime.
Some of the experiences on offer in Italy – your first glimpse of the Colosseum in Rome, tasting fine wines in Tuscany, gazing on the works of Botticelli, da Vinci and Caravaggio inside the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence – will stay with you forever. But you’ll want to share these memories with people back home via your phone and digital devices.
The good news is that Italy has fully embraced the digital age, with fast mobile phone networks and widespread wi-fi. Here’s everything you need to know about getting connected in Italy, from local cell phone networks to the best eSIM providers.
Will my phone work in Italy?
Most foreign cell phones will work without problems in Italy, so long as your device supports the GSM 900 and GSM 1800 frequencies. As Italy is part of the European Union, citizens of member states can usually make calls and use data services on their home networks for the same rates that they pay at home.
Travelers from elsewhere may face high roaming charges when trying to make calls and get online using their home network provider. Daily roaming costs can exceed US$5 per day for US travelers, so it’s worth considering other options.
To keep down costs, consider buying a SIM from an Italian cell phone network, or purchasing an eSIM from an international operator such as Saily or Airolo. Saily offers packages starting from US$3.79 for 1 gigabyte (GB) of data, valid for one week, and monthly passes such as 20GB of data for 30 days for US$27.54.
However you choose to get connected, consider your data use. An hour of Netflix streaming, for example, will use around 1GB if you watch at standard definition, but as much as 7GB if you’re watching in 4K. If you just use data for casual browsing, checking locations on Google Maps, and sending emails or social media messages, 5GB should be sufficient for a week’s trip. 
What mobile networks are available in Italy?
The biggest network providers in Italy are Vodafone, WindTre, TIM, Iliad and Fastweb. Almost 100% of the population of Italy has access to a 4G connection, and around half of the population has access to a 5G connection, particularly in major cities such as Rome, Milan and Naples.
However, signals are slower and less reliable in more remote areas, such as some of Italy’s national parks, at isolated beaches on islands such as Sardinia, and in the Italian Alps and Dolomites. Don’t rely on always being able to find a 5G connection in smaller villages or away from built up areas. In general, Vodafone and WindTre offer the fastest connections and the widest coverage.
All of Italy’s major cell phone companies offer prepaid SIM packages aimed at visiting tourists, available from airport sales booths and in-town phone shops. For example, WindTre has a 100GB package valid for 30 days for €24.99 (around US$26.15).
These packages often include a smaller data allowance for other EU countries – handy if you pop across to Switzerland or Austria while visiting the Italian Alps, or follow the Mediterranean coast from the Italian Riviera to France.
How can I get a local SIM card?
Italy’s major network providers have sales offices in major cities and offices or booths at international airports and major train stations served by international trains. However, some airport desks charge higher prices than offices in town.
To purchase a local SIM card in Italy, you’ll need to show a valid passport. It’s important to check ahead to make sure your phone isn’t locked into your home network – if it is, buying an inexpensive unlocked second phone may be an easier option than trying to get your phone unlocked.
Once your new SIM is activated, check the data is working before you leave the store or desk, and install the network provider’s app to track your usage and add top-up data. Your phone number is usually on the back of your SIM card packaging – write it down or add it to your phone contacts list so you can share it with people you know.
Is eSIM available in Italy and how does it work?
Most of Italy’s cell phone network providers also offer eSIMs; newer iPhone and Android devices are usually eSIM-compatible, but double-check before you travel. Depending on your phone model, you may be able to keep using your home SIM to receive texts and calls via your home network.
Many travelers choose to buy an eSIM from an international provider such as Saily or Airolo, so they can make calls and get online from the moment they arrive – particularly handy if you plan to use a rideshare service such as FreeNow to get into town from the airport. This will also save you the hassle of going to a phone store or airport booth to get your SIM.
We recommend Saily as our eSIM partner for Italy. As well as offering a wide variety of eSIM packages – from just US$3.79 for 1GB for 7 days – Saily’s eSIMs come with enhanced security features such as the ability to change your virtual location and block ads and tracking services. Use code LP5 to receive 5% off your Saily mobile data plan.
Where can I find reliable wi-fi in Italy?
Larger Italian airports such as Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa offer fast and reliable free wi-fi for travelers, as do major train stations such as Rome Termini. Some intercity trains operated by Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord also offer free wi-fi for passengers, though this is often only activated once the train leaves the station.
Around Italy, you may be able to take advantage of the government-backed WiFi Italia service, which provides free access to wi-fi hotspots in cities, towns and village squares via an app. Cities such as Rome, Florence and Venice have their own local free wi-fi services, though these may only be available to tourists for a few hours per day.
Other spots to try for free wi-fi include:
- Accommodations and places to eat and drink catering to tourists; these often provide a wi-fi connection for customers, though speeds and reliability vary.
- All hotels rated three-star and above are obliged to offer wi-fi for guests, but there may be a charge.
- Tourist information offices, libraries and coworking spaces are also reliable places to find wi-fi.
When using any public wi-fi connection, take care when sending or receiving sensitive information – for example, when using online banking or entering passwords for communication and payment services. If you need to send sensitive data, consider using your phone data or connecting via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) such as NordVPN to protect your information from prying eyes. 
How fast and reliable is the internet?
While Italians are enthusiastic users of digital devices, home internet use isn’t quite as widespread as in some other European countries – only 66% of Italian households have a wired internet connection, and many people prefer to use their phone to get online. As of 2025, Italy was rated 47th in the world for mobile data speeds, and 63rd in the world for fixed broadband speeds by Speedtest.
When using phone data, average download speeds are around 85.8 megabytes per second (Mbps) and upload speeds are around 11.5 Mbps, compared to 91.8 Mbps and 27.8 Mbps via a fixed broadband connection. However, wi-fi services provided by hotels and other businesses can be much slower, and drop-outs in service are not uncommon.
Are there any internet restrictions or censorship laws?
For legal reasons, the Italian government blocks access to some websites related to gambling, abuse, political extremism and the sharing of pirated content. In general, however, the use of the internet is as free and uncensored as in most other European countries. There are no restrictions on the use of VPNs in Italy, except where these are used for criminal activity.
Can I stay connected at major tourist sites?
Some major tourist attractions offer free wi-fi, including museums such as the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, but there is rarely a dedicated wi-fi service at the country’s historic ruins. At sights such as Pompeii or the Forum in Rome, you can often avail of city wi-fi services, or use your phone data to check information and send messages.
In remote areas, you may have to use phone data to get online. The signal is usually reliable near towns and villages (and around ski resorts in the mountains) but service can drop down to 3G or even vanish entirely away from human habitation. 
Will I encounter language barriers when getting connected?
For travelers who speak English but not Italian, the picture is mixed.
- Staff at airport phone desks and phone company shops in town can usually speak enough English to get you connected and answer common questions.
- You are less likely to find someone who speaks English away from touristed areas (you should be fine around Florence, Venice or Rome, but you might struggle in rural areas of Calabria or Le Marche).
- Major phone companies that offer tourist SIMs usually offer support services for customers in English, as well as English-language versions of their websites.
How much does it cost to stay connected in Italy?
If you’re an EU resident, you may be able to use roaming on your home network for the same price you pay at home. If not, roaming with your home network is likely to be the most expensive option.
Italian networks such as Vodafone and TIM offer special tourist promotions for as little as €14.90 for 200GB for 30 days, but deals change regularly, so check phone network websites before you travel. Using an international eSIM package can take the stress out of choosing a provider and provide extra protection; Saily’s packages start at US$3.79 for 1GB for a week.
Wi-fi passes are not particularly useful in Italy, but downloading the WiFi Italia app (available for Android or iOS) is a good idea if you want to take advantage of free government-backed wi-fi hotspots. 
What local tech customs or etiquette should I be aware of?
Beyond local linguistic habits such as answering the phone by saying pronto (in this context meaning “I’m ready”), Italians are much like other Europeans when it comes to using their cell phones.
However, Italian is an expressive language, and some phone users talk quite loudly (or place their phone on speaker mode, even for private calls). Many trains have a dedicated “business quiet” section where the use of phones and other noisy devices is prohibited.
Trains and long-distance buses often have USB power supplies or sockets for charging your devices. Italy uses a standard voltage of 230V at 50Hz frequency, and the most common plug types are C and F. You’ll also sometimes find type L plugs with three pins in a straight line.
How do I contact emergency services if needed?
In the event of an emergency, call:
- 113 for police
- 115 for the fire brigade
- 118 for an ambulance
- 112 for the European emergency number
Download Google’s Italy maps locally to your device so you can navigate easily if you’re out of connectivity. Other useful apps include:
- Google Translate, downloading the Italian dictionary to use offline
- Rideshare apps such as FreeNow, ItTaxi and Uber (for premium services)
- Train company apps for TrenItalia, Italo and Trenord for booking tickets.
This article was produced by Lonely Planet as part of our partnership with Saily. Lonely Planet's advice and opinions are solely our own.
