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 plans for United Kingdom
Data	Validity	Price per GB	Price
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

A single carrier provider cannot make this move.

All United Kingdom plans Europe regional plan United Kingdom coverage No service after landing

How United Kingdom compares across Europe

Speed rank: 28 of 47 destinations we have measured 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: Poland, 68 Mbps
Next slowest nearby: Slovakia, 67 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.
On the Central line, mobile signal covers every underground station and tunnel from Shepherd's Bush to Bank. The Jubilee line has it from Westminster to Canning Town, and between Finchley Road and St John's Wood.
The Northern line has continuous signal from Highgate and Hampstead to Embankment, between King's Cross St Pancras and Bank, and from Kennington to Morden.
Piccadilly line coverage runs from Knightsbridge to Holloway Road, apart from the tunnel between King's Cross and Caledonian Road. On the Victoria line it runs from Brixton to Green Park, except the Vauxhall to Stockwell tunnel.
TfL has passed the point where half of its below-ground Tube stations have mobile signal, and is working on the below-ground sections of the Windrush line and DLR.
Tube station Wi-Fi stops in the tunnels. TfL advises connecting on the platform and waiting for the next station rather than trying on a moving train, where phones slow their Wi-Fi searches to save battery.
On London Overground, 81 stations have Sky's The Cloud Wi-Fi, which filters content, while Victoria Coach Station is also on TfL's station Wi-Fi.
The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Windrush lines, charging off-peak fares.
Pay as you go by contactless card or phone works on the Tube, buses, trams, DLR, Overground, most of the Elizabeth line and Thames Clippers, with daily and weekly caps. Touch in and out with the same card or device, or you pay more.
If you pay by phone, keep it charged: a device that dies before you touch out is charged the maximum fare. Mobile payments linked to non-UK bank cards may fail or attract overseas fees.
Oyster cards are not accepted at Elizabeth line stations between Reading and Iver, and a Visitor Oyster card cannot be registered, so its credit is lost with the card.

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