TIM, Vodafone and Iliad sell prepaids for EUR 10-30 with generous data, always with passport registration and sometimes a codice fiscale involved. The in-store process can take half an hour.
You buy online before the trip, receive the QR by e-mail in minutes and install it on Wi-Fi the night before. On landing, it connects to the local networks on its own. No store, no queue, no passport registration at a counter. At VoaSim, truly unlimited from USD 1.79/day, with an invoice on every purchase and a full refund if it never connects.
| Travel eSIM | Local SIM | |
|---|---|---|
| When you connect | On landing | After finding a store and doing the paperwork |
| Paperwork | None | Passport registration in most cases |
| Your usual number | Stays active (dual SIM) | The chip comes out: you lose your bank SMS |
| Data | Unlimited (VoaSim) | Fixed GB package |
| Multiple countries | The same profile keeps working | A new SIM in every country |
| Price | Fixed, from USD 1.79/day | Variable; cheap per unit, plus paperwork and time |
In stone historic centers (Florence, Venice) indoor signal drops; on the Amalfi coast and the islands there are weak stretches. 5G covers Rome and Milan well.
eSIM for tourist trips of up to 30-60 days, multi-country itineraries and anyone who wants to land connected with zero paperwork. Local SIM if you are staying months in Italy or your phone has no eSIM. More destination details at eSIM for Italy.
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