UK eSIM 2026: Phone and Data Guide for Travelers from the US and Canada

Published November 12, 2026

London is often the first stop of a European trip, and the UK is one of the most popular destinations for travelers from the US and Canada. You need your phone for the Tube and trains, contactless payments, theatre tickets and maps. Your carrier charges a daily fee there just as in the rest of Europe. This guide shows the alternatives and what is different about the UK. As of November 2026.

The short version

• Verizon and AT&T charge $12 per day, Rogers and Telus CAD 18, Bell CAD 16.
• A UK eSIM is the cheapest choice for the UK alone; a Europe plan covers the UK and continental Europe together, including the Eurostar to Paris or Brussels.
• US and Canadian citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before flying to the UK: £20 since 8 April 2026.
• Emergency numbers: 999 or 112.

UK eSIM or Europe eSIM?

The UK is not in the EU, but our Europe plans currently include it, so London plus Paris, Dublin or Amsterdam works on one eSIM. For a trip that stays in England, Scotland and Wales, a UK plan gives you more data for the money:

Read more: eSIM for Europe 2026: A Guide for Travelers from the US and Canada

Ireland and Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is part of the UK, the Republic of Ireland is in the EU. Near the border your phone can switch between UK and Irish networks. With a Europe plan, which covers both, that does not matter; with a UK-only plan, data may stop on the Irish side. For a trip to Belfast and Dublin, take a Europe plan or an extra Ireland plan:

Coverage in the UK

• London: good 4G and 5G above ground; on the Underground, mobile coverage is being extended line by line, so expect gaps between stations on some lines.
• Trains: coverage drops in cuttings and tunnels; save tickets in the app or wallet before boarding.
• Scottish Highlands, the Lake District, Snowdonia and parts of Cornwall: long stretches without signal.

Contactless cards and phone wallets work on London's Tube and buses at the gate, so you need no separate ticket app in London. For longer trains, book in the operator's app or on the National Rail site and keep the ticket offline.

How much data do you need?

• One week in London: 3–5 GB.
• Two weeks with Edinburgh, the Highlands or a road trip: 8–15 GB.
• Remote work or daily video calls: 20 GB or more.

The ETA: apply before you fly

US and Canadian citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation to visit the UK, like visitors from the EU since April 2025. Apply in the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK; it costs £20 since 8 April 2026 and allows several visits of up to six months over two years. Every traveler needs one, including children. Websites that charge more are not official.

Setting up

• Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi; leave it off until you land at Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester.
• Turn off data roaming for your home line.
• After landing, choose the eSIM for data and turn on data roaming for it only. The plan usually starts with the first connection in a covered country.

Get the app

Your eSIMs, the data you have left and top-ups – all in the app.

Scan the QR code with your phone to open Google Play.