eSIM for Italy
Covered by our Europe plan, from $10.00.
What the network is actually like
The cities and the coast hold up well. The Apennines and parts of the south don't, though Sardinia and Sicily are better than their reputation suggests. Historic city centres are the real problem: metre-thick masonry blocks signal indoors regardless of what the coverage map says.
Networks: Vodafone, TIM, Wind, Iliad
How much data you'll need
Two weeks runs to about 10GB, though pulling offline maps for Venice and the hill towns first will cut that noticeably.
City guides
Where the signal actually drops, and how to get around.
Where people go
Rome
Thick stone walls kill indoor signal in older buildings.
Florence
Small enough to walk end to end in half an hour.
Venice
Offline maps are worth having. GPS gets confused between the buildings.
Naples
Chaotic, and the best food in the country. Ignore the warnings.
What's on
Timings are month-level, because most of these move year to year.
Carnevale
February
Venice, Viareggio
Venice sells out months ahead and the crowds are overwhelming.
Palio di Siena
2 July and 16 August
Siena
A ninety-second horse race the whole city plans its year around.
Ferragosto
15 August
Nationwide
Much of the country closes and goes to the coast. Plan around it.