Which Unlimited SIM Plan for Spain? (Holafly promo code)

So you’re planning a trip to Spain, and that little voice is telling you to “sort out the SIM situation” before you go. Here’s the twist most guides skip: the answer changed after Brexit. Spain is in the EU, but your UK phone is not, and the free-roaming rules that used to make this a non-question no longer apply automatically.

We’re based just over the border in Portugal’s Algarve, so Andalusia is basically our corner shop, we pop across all the time. That means we’ve used all three options for real, got it slightly wrong once or twice, and worked out where the actual trap is (spoiler: it’s not where you think, and it has a date on it: when you signed your contract).

The goal here is simple: stop you paying for a SIM you don’t need, or getting caught out by a roaming bill you didn’t see coming. Let’s get into it.

Why you need data in Spain (and how much)

Let’s be honest for a second: you can travel Spain with no data at all. But in 2026, the moment you need sat-nav to get out of Seville at rush hour, Google Translate to decode a tapas menu, a last-minute booking on the Costa de la Luz, or just to post that sunset over the Alhambra, being connected is a lot more comfortable.

So the question isn’t “do I need internet” (you do), it’s “how do I get it without overpaying”. Three options: roam on your UK plan (which works in Spain, but read the small print), buy a local Spanish SIM on arrival, or set up a Holafly eSIM before you leave. We’ll go through each, and unlike our Morocco or Japan guides, option one isn’t automatically a trap here, it just isn’t as free as it used to be.

Solution 1: does your UK plan still roam free in Spain after Brexit?

This is where it gets interesting, and where you need to check one thing: the date you signed or last upgraded your contract.

Before Brexit, every UK network gave you free EU roaming, so Spain “just worked”. Since then, most networks have brought back roaming fees in Europe, but they kept free roaming for older contracts. So whether Spain costs you anything depends almost entirely on your provider and your sign-up date. Here’s the lay of the land in 2026:

• O2 is the good-news network: it still includes EU roaming at no daily charge on most plans, with a 25 GB fair-use cap. If you’re on O2, you can usually just turn on data roaming and carry on.
• EE charges around £2.59 a day (its Roam Abroad add-on), with a generous ~50 GB cap. Free only if your contract predates 7 July 2021.
• Three charges around £2.75 a day for newer contracts (its roaming tier changed on 1 April 2026), and caps Europe data at just 12 GB, the lowest of the big four.
• Vodafone runs about £2.25 a day, with a 25 GB cap. Free roaming kept only for contracts before 11 August 2021.

For a weekend in Madrid or a week on the Costa Brava, even at £2-ish a day that’s pocket change, and a weekly pass (roughly £15-21) softens it further. So for a short trip, don’t overthink it: your UK plan does the job.

But (there’s always a “but”) there are two things the “just roam” advice never mentions.

The daily fee adds up. At ~£2.75 a day, a two-week trip is nearly £40 just to use the allowance you already pay for at home. Past a week, an eSIM often undercuts it.

The fair-use cap is real. Even when roaming is “free”, your data is capped abroad, often well below your home allowance: 12 GB on Three, ~25 GB on Vodafone and O2, ~50 GB on EE. Fine for sat-nav and WhatsApp. Not fine if you tether your laptop, stream of an evening, or work online from your apartment.

Below you’ll find exactly what each UK network includes in Spain, so you know where you stand before you fly.

Bottom line on roaming: great for a short trip if you stay inside your allowance and don’t mind the daily fee. Worth replacing the moment you go long or use a lot of data. The other two options are below.

Movistar, Vodafone, Orange España, Yoigo: the local operators

If you’re staying a while, or your UK allowance is stingy on data, a local SIM comes back into play. Four operators share the Spanish market, and each has its own personality.

Movistar is the historic network (ex-Telefónica). Best coverage in the country, especially inland, the Andalusian sierras, rural Extremadura. If your road trip leaves the coast, it’s the safest pick. A bit pricier, but you get signal where the others drop out.

Vodafone España is the solid runner-up. Excellent 4G/5G in cities and right along the tourist coast, with well-designed prepaid “tourista” bundles for short stays. Our pick for a classic coastal trip.

Orange España holds a comfortable spot, good city and coastal coverage, and the small comfort of a brand you recognise (though it’s a separate company from Orange elsewhere).

Yoigo and the virtual operators (MVNOs like Lobster, aimed at English-speaking expats) ride the big networks’ masts and undercut on price. Fine in cities, avoid for remote corners.

Pros and cons of SIM cards for Spain

How much does a Spanish SIM cost in July 2026

Ballpark figures, because prices move and “tourista” promos come and go.

The SIM itself is often free or a couple of euros when you take a bundle with it. What matters is the data plan on top.

For a short stay, a prepaid Vodafone or Orange bundle with 30-50 GB runs about €15-20. Movistar is a touch dearer but covers rural areas better. For a month of unlimited (or near), budget €20-30.

So yes, on paper the local SIM is competitive. But at €15-20 for 30 GB, it’s a hard sell against your UK plan you’ve already paid for, on a short trip. Where it really wins is on long stays, or when your roaming cap is too small.

Here’s an up-to-date snapshot of the local SIM cards you can buy on the ground from Movistar, Vodafone, Orange España or Yoigo, with their current plans:

Roam on your plan, buy local, or get an eSIM?

Three broad approaches by traveller type. Here’s the honest rundown.

Holafly Spain: who it’s really for

We’re not going to pretend an eSIM is essential in Spain, that would be dishonest: if you’re off to Valencia for three days on an O2 contract, just roam, done.

But the moment you step outside that ideal case, a Holafly eSIM becomes the easy-life choice:

• you’re away long enough that the daily roaming fee starts to sting
• your plan caps your data and you’re a heavy user
• you work from the van and need a connection you don’t have to ration
• you just want to land in Madrid already online, nothing to switch on, nothing to fear on your bill

That’s exactly what we like about it: the free-mind factor. No meter, no “have I gone over”, no surprise bill when you get home. On our longer Spanish stays it’s become the default.

Network coverage in Spain: where it’s strong, where it struggles

A quick field rundown, because we’ve driven most of it between Andalusia and the east coast.

The real trap in Spain: the surprise on your bill

Right, the part we wish someone had spelled out for us.

The thing that bites in Spain isn’t a lack of roaming, it’s assuming “free in Europe” means “unlimited and unconditional”. It doesn’t. Between the daily fees, the fair-use cap and (for residents) the long-stay rules, there are two scenarios where travellers get caught.

Scenario one: the heavy user. You’re away two weeks, you work from your accommodation, you tether your laptop and your partner’s, you watch Netflix at night. At that rate, 12 GB (Three’s Europe cap) is gone in a few days. After that it’s throttled, and everything crawls. We’ve lived it: working from the van on the Spanish side, the plan that’s plenty for a normal holiday turns tiny the moment you actually work on it.

Scenario two: the long stay. You winter in Andalusia (we know the type, we live just over the border in the Algarve and watch the vanlifers roll in for the sun). After a couple of months, some get a message from their network about “unreasonable” roaming use. Not a scam, it’s in the terms, nobody just reads them.

In both cases the fix is the same: a local Spanish SIM if you’re happy with the admin, or an unlimited Holafly eSIM so you never think about it again. That’s the price of a free mind, and honestly, not having to watch a meter on holiday is worth a lot.

Further reading: our other SIM card guides by destination

If Spain is one leg of a bigger trip, we’ve written detailed guides for other destinations, same method, same honest field notes.

Our honest take

Here it is in a sentence: for a short trip to Spain with normal use, roam on your UK plan, check your sign-up date but it’ll likely just work, don’t bother buying anything. For a long stay, heavy data use, or working remotely, get the Holafly eSIM with code LAPLANETEDECARO (-5% off), activate it from home and land connected with no cap to watch.

A local Spanish SIM still makes sense if you’re an expat or staying several months, just be ready for the passport registration.

And if you’re heading into the interior by van, download those offline maps, your sat-nav will thank you in the sierras.

Got a question we didn’t cover? Drop it in the comments, we read them. And if you’ve got a good connectivity tip for Spain, share it, the whole community benefits.

Safe travels in Spain, and enjoy it (the connection can wait five minutes when there’s a plate of jamón and a glass of tinto de verano in front of a Mediterranean sunset).

PS: if you do get that message from your network about “unreasonable” roaming after three months in Andalusia, don’t take it personally. You haven’t done anything wrong, you’ve just enjoyed the sun longer than most people manage (which, let’s be honest, says more about your life than your phone plan). Next time: eSIM, and a clear head.