Best eSIM Zurich. Comparing the top travel eSIMs for Zurich

Get the best eSIM for Switzerland to enhance your travel experience in Zurich. With Happy Tourist by DTAC you’ll get the best eSIM for Zurich with 6GB of data for an excellent price of €25 (around 27 usd). This eSIM card offers excellent global coverage for 15 days which you can use in Switzerland and in several other countries in Europe and in the world, including Switzerland’s neighbors in Europe, like Germany, Italy, France, Austria or Liechtenstein, without having to buy another eSIM or to waste money on roaming fees.

Zurich, Switzerland’s economic center, is one of the cities with the highest quality of life not only in Europe, but in the whole world. With a perfectly preserved old town mixed with a modern way of life, it offers its visitors its incredible architecture, fairytale surroundings and exciting nightlife.

Travelers can explore a city adorned by the majestic Alps, showcasing a vibrant urban environment and architectural gems, such as the Hauptbahnhof and Grossmünster. Among the many activities Zurich offers, a visit to Cabaret Voltaire as the birthplace of Dadaism, strolling through Zurich’s Old Town and Münsterhof, or go window shopping in Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world, should be on everyone’s list. And if you’re feeling alternative, grab a bite in any of the restaurants, bars and shops in the Viadukt in Zurich West.

Zurich, like Switzerland in general, is very expensive, one of the most expensive cities in Europe. There’s no reason to overspend money on roaming fees when your trip is already going to be expensive. With DTAC’s Happy Tourist eSIM, you’ll avoid wasting money on roaming so you can spend it enjoying this excellent travel destination. Zurich must be enjoyed with this perfect travel eSIM card.

Travel eSIMs: The perfect alternative to roaming

Since their creation around 2016, eSIMs have become a great option for traveling. The possibility of purchasing a card with local rates from anywhere in the world, means that you no longer have to accept abusive roaming fees when visiting another country. Travel eSIMs offer a curated plan for a holiday abroad, with optimized rates and features that allow for a seamless experience at your destination. If you have a mobile phone with eSIM capabilities, the best way to avoid wasting money on roaming costs is buying a prepaid travel eSIM card so you can use the internet abroad as if you were a local.

Global vs. local eSIMs: Advantages and disadvantages

When purchasing an eSIM plan for your next trip to you might be inclined to get coverage just in the country of destination. This is a wise decision since local/single-country eSIMs are logically cheaper than regional or global eSIMs, and of course… why would you need global coverage if you’re not planning to get out of the country?

Well, in fact, there are several scenarios where a global eSIM plan for Switzerland comes in handy. From being stranded in an international airport anywhere else in Europe, to being able to cross the country’s borders (from Switzerland to Germany, Italy or France, for instance), having coverage in other countries is always a blessing.

Global eSIMs are usually quite expensive, but with Go Inter by DTAC, this is not true. With this plan you get a global eSIM with 6GB of data for 15 days to use in over 70 countries all over the world for the price of a single-country eSIM. You can even plan a tour through Europe or use the remaining data from your trip when you get back home.

Our top eSIMs for 15 days in Zurich

*Data collected in 2024

Go Inter by DTAC: The best eSIM for Zurich

Great price for a worldwide eSIM

Go Inter by DTAC is the best eSIM you can buy to travel to Zurich. For 15 days you’ll get 6GB of data for €25 (around 27 usd). The best part of this eSIM card is that it is a worldwide plan with coverage in over 70 countries. You can use this eSIM if you’re travelling to Switzerland and its neighboring countries in Europe, like France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein or Italy, and you’ll still avoid roaming fees from your home carrier. Getting a global travel eSIM for the price of a single-country eSIM is a wise choice.

Airalo Pilatus Mobile

Too little data

Among the several plans Airalo offers for a trip to Switzerland, its plan for 15 days is definitely not good enough. For 8 usd you’ll get just 2GB of data, which isn’t even the bare minimum for any normal mobile phone user. While Airalo has several cards for Switzerland with its Pilatus Mobile plans, with longer validities and larger data allowances, the fact that all of them provide coverage only in Switzerland and not anywhere else in Europe makes them a worse choice than DTAC’s Go Inter eSIM.

Bnesim One Time

Large payment with no expiration

Bnesim offers several eSIMs for Switzerland divided into three different types of eSIM plans: prepaid or, as they call it, one time plans, daily subscription plans and monthly subscription plans. Among Bnesim’s one time plans, the best offer is its 20GB card at the expensive cost of 96.50 usd.

It is a huge amount to pay for an eSIM, but the good thing is that the data doesn’t expire.

Bnesim’s no expiration policy means that you’ll be able to use the data allowance for as long as it lasts. It doesn’t matter if you leave Switzerland and come back in a few days, weeks or months, as long as you still have data remaining, you’ll be able to use it. All you’ll need to do is keep your profile active by topping-up your data allowance every six months, but the remaining data will roll over to the new one.

Holafly

Unlimited data but no tethering

At the last spot of our list, we find Holafly’s eSIM plans. For 15 days in Switzerland, they offer an unlimited data plan for the costly price of 51 usd. Being quite a hefty amount to pay comes with the advantage of not having to worry about reaching your data limit, however, if you want to get the best value out of this card, you’ll have to analyze how much data you’ll really need for your trip to Zurich.

In any case, Holafly is, in our opinion, the worst eSIM of our list for Switzerland, not because of its price, but because it doesn’t allow tethering. With Holafly’s eSIM, you won’t be able to share the unlimited data it provides with anyone on your trip. You won’t even be able to connect your laptop or tablet via tethering. You’ll be stuck with 15 days of unlimited data just in your phone, so you won’t be able to use it for work or share it with your smartwatch… it’s a major drawback.

Buying an eSIM

What to take into account

Before buying an eSIM for Switzerland, it is advisable to analyze the features each brand provides to get the right fit for our trip. You should carefully consider the number of days of your trip, the amount of data you’ll need, the price of the eSIM (both total and per GB), and the amount of countries covered by the eSIM, in case you need to use it in a different country in Europe, or anywhere else in the world.

How to buy an eSIM for Switzerland

ESIMs for Switzerland are easy to buy. All you need to do is access the carrier’s website and purchase the one that best fits your needs. After payment, you’ll get a QR code and instructions on how to activate it in an email. Scan the QR code with your phone and follow the instructions to have your eSIM ready to activate.

Compatible devices

To know if you can use a certain eSIM on your mobile phone, check the eSIM carrier’s list of compatible devices or in our article: eSIM compatible phones. Check our list. If your device is among the ones listed, then you can install that eSIM, however, if you have a new smartphone with eSIM capabilities and it doesn’t show up in the compatibility list, contact customer support because the list might not have been updated recently.

Average data needs for 15 days in Zurich

An average user consumes around 5GB every 10 days while traveling, so with proper data management (i.e. using Wi-Fi hotspots, not streaming HD videos or too much music) 6GB should be plenty of data to have a nice trip while visiting Switzerland for 15 days, especially cities like Zurich, given the amount of Wi-Fi hotspots in cafes and restaurants where you can connect to.

With 6GB you can browse the internet with your mobile phone for about 41 hours straight, stream Netflix shows in SD for about 6 hours, or use your social media between 40 and 60 hours…all of this without using Wi-Fi hotspots. 

FAQs about Zurich eSIM