London eSIM
In London you connect to EE or Three, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The median across the country is 67 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- EE and Three
- Real speed in United Kingdom
- 67 Mbps median, 17 Mbps for the slowest tenth3,002 travellers across United Kingdom, rolling 90 days
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover London
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $5.89 | $5.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $2.63 | $7.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $1.98 | $9.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.49 | $14.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.19 | $23.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $0.94 | $46.89 |
How United Kingdom compares across Europe
- Speed rank
- 28 of 46 destinations we sell in Europe
- Regional median
- 71 Mbps
- Consistency
- The slowest tenth still reaches 25 percent of the median
- Upstream networks
- 2, EE, Three
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Slovakia, 67 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Cyprus, 66 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 4: London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bath
- tenth percentile
- 17 Mbps
- Behind these figures
- 3002 travellers, rolling 90 days
Landing at Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Airport
- LHR / EGLL
- Distance
- 23 km from the centre of London
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalSelect "_Heathrow Wi-Fi" and register once; free for the duration of your stay at Heathrow. Certified Friendly Wi-Fi.
- SIM on arrival
- SIM counters or vending in the terminalSim Local runs 11 stores across Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, mostly in baggage reclaim and arrivals, typically open 05:30/06:00 to 21:00/22:00 daily; it also offers a free eSIM.
- Also serves
- Gatwick Airport (LGW), London Stansted Airport (STN), London Luton Airport (LTN), London City Airport (LCY), London Southend Airport (SEN)
Getting into London
- Elizabeth line (Heathrow T2&3, T4 and T5 to Paddington and central London) (LHR). Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
- Heathrow Express to London Paddington (LHR), about 15 minutes
- Gatwick Express to London Victoria (LGW), about 30 minutes
- Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street (STN), about 48 minutes
- Luton Airport Express to London St Pancras International (via Luton DART) (LTN), about 32 minutes
- Luton DART automated shuttle, terminal to Luton Airport Parkway station (LTN), about 4 minutes
- Docklands Light Railway from London City Airport DLR station (LCY)
- Greater Anglia from Southend Airport station to London Liverpool Street (SEN), about 55 minutes
Underground and on the metro
London Underground runs 11 lines. It opened in 1863. The operator states mobile coverage in parts of the network only.
Worth knowing about London
- TfL is still rolling out 4G and 5G to Tube ticket halls, platforms and running tunnels: coverage is live on sections of the Central, Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria, Bakerloo, Northern, Circle and District lines, plus the whole Elizabeth line and parts of the Windrush line and DLR, with the rest of the network targeted by the end of 2026.
- Where mobile coverage exists underground it is provided by EE, Three, Vodafone and VMO2 and connects automatically with no app or sign-in, so a UK eSIM on one of those host networks will work in covered tunnels.
- Wi-Fi is available at all Tube stations, most London Overground stations and all Elizabeth line stations in central London, with automatic connection for EE, O2, Three and Vodafone customers.
- Heathrow's "_Heathrow Wi-Fi" is free for the whole of your stay after a single registration, and Sim Local stores sit in arrivals and baggage reclaim in Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 if you want a UK SIM or eSIM on landing.
- London City Airport's DLR station is an elevated platform adjoining the terminal building, so there is no shuttle or tunnel walk between plane and train.
Sources for this page
Other cities in United Kingdom we cover
- Bath
- 156 km from London, nearest airport BRS
- Manchester
- 262 km from London, nearest airport MAN
- Edinburgh
- 534 km from London, nearest airport EDI