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Best Netherlands SIM card for travelers in 2024
Find out what is the best SIM card for the Netherlands for travelers. Check prices and compare features from Holafly and other carriers
July 8, 2024
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Are you planning to travel to the Netherlands soon? Chances are you need a SIM card to stay connected during your trip, and there are different alternatives to make it happen.
That’s why we will talk about the different SIM cards the Netherlands travelers can get, and we’ll get to know whether these are prepaid SIMs or rather purchased in-store and what they offer!
What to know about Netherlands SIM card for tourist
Throughout the article, we will talk about the different options people have to stay connected when arriving in the Netherlands. It’s important to have a SIM card when arriving, as you might need internet to get an Uber or look at Google Maps!
We will also talk about the difference between prepaid SIM cards and postpaid plans. So, if you are planning on getting one soon, you need to keep reading to get to know more about the Netherlands SIM cards that are available!
How to get a Netherlands SIM card?
The first thing you need to know about the Netherlands SIM cards is that postpaid plans aren’t available for travelers in Europe. You can only get access to prepaid cards, and that’s what we will focus on.
Overall, there are two options to get physical prepaid SIM cards when traveling to the Netherlands; online or purchasing a SIM card when arriving in the country.
Let’s talk about both alternatives and choose which one is right if you need to stay connected.
Buying a prepaid Dutch SIM card Online
In case you are looking for Netherlands prepaid SIM cards you can get before traveling, there are different options available in the market.
Companies like Orange or Bouygues Telecom offer travelers the chance to get a prepaid SIM card before traveling. These include mobile data, and the Orange packages also include phone calls and text messages.
Prices for these SIM cards vary from €4,99 to €49,90 depending on the data plan you choose and what you need when visiting the Netherlands.
The downside of using any of these Netherlands SIM cards is that people have to wait for them to arrive. So, it’s not worth buying any of these when planning to travel in the next few days.
In case you have an eSIM-compatible phone, there’s an alternative with Holafly to get a mobile data plan easier and faster, which is a great option as it is immediately sent and doesn’t require a lot of steps to activate.
Holafly Netherlands virtual SIM card with unlimited data
Now that we have an idea of what Holafly is, let’s talk about what it offers and why it’s better than using a data roaming service.
As for prices, the Holafly eSIM for the Netherlands costs $6. This is the starting price for 1 day of usage, but there’s an option to choose up to 90 days and get unlimited data for as long as the eSIM is working.
As for the purchase, you can either do it through the website or app, and there’s no delivery time. Once the purchase is completed, you will receive a QR code to activate your eSIM.
Multiple payment methods make things easier for travelers. In the Netherlands, you can even use iDEAL to pay within the Holafly mobile app.
If you plan to activate it while traveling, remember to get a Wi-Fi connection to complete the process. Other than this, you will get 500 MBs of data to share per day, and there are no hidden costs when using this service!
Buying a SIM card in the Netherlands
Let’s move on to the next option travelers have for getting the best Netherlands SIM card. Here, we will discuss how to get one in physical stores around the country.
As said before, you can only get prepaid mobile data plans. Postpaid plans aren’t accessible, but what’s not clear so far is how much these packages cost, what carriers are available to use, and where you can get a SIM card.
Before talking about the available data plans, people need to know where to get a SIM card.
In this case, you have different options in the country for getting prepaid SIM cards, such as mobile phone shops, convenience stores, retailers, or vending machines. So, before choosing which data plan to purchase, remember to buy your SIM card!
So, let’s talk about how to get a physical prepaid SIM card in the Netherlands for travelers from different providers you can find in Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
Vodafone Netherlands SIM card
As for Vodafone, once you have gotten your SIM card after arriving in the country if it doesn’t have any data plan included, there are different options to consider using.
As you can get a SIM card from the previously mentioned stores, the good thing is that there’s no need to worry about going back to the store to get a data plan. These are sold online after having the SIM card.
The available plans vary from monthly bundles, unlimited data bundles, and call & text bundles. The favorite for travelers are the ones with mobile data, as expected.
These cost from €5 to €29 and include data packages ranging from 500 MB to 10 GB. To get one, send a text message to 400 plus the package code.
For those with a Vodafone account, these packages are accessible through “My Vodafone.”
Unlimited internet bundles vary from €4 to €14, but these SIM card plans only work for one day to a week. Lastly, for phone calls and text messages, prices vary from €4 to €14 and include a limited amount of both; there are no unlimited calls available.
KPN prepaid Netherlands SIM card
While you might think that getting a KPN prepaid SIM card is the same as other alternatives, things are a bit different. These can be bought through their official site, and they will arrive in two days max. Travelers will have to activate this SIM card through the official KPN app!
You can still get a SIM card from the company at a mobile phone shop, retailer, or vending machine, but these will surely include a mobile data pack.
If you prefer to do the process manually, once you get your SIM card, which costs €4,99, travelers can get a data package that costs €10 and includes 1 GB of mobile data that lasts for a month.
Another package includes 500 MB of mobile data plus phone calls and text messages, and it costs €9,99. However, there are no unlimited calls or better data allowances to choose from.
Simyo Netherlands prepaid SIM card
Similar to KPN, Simyo allows travelers to get a prepaid SIM card through their website. This makes it easier for you to avoid time looking for one, but there are physical stores that offer a prepaid SIM card from Simyo.
The process is a bit different for those bought online. Three different packages cost €7,50 to €35, and compared to other companies, this is the money people can spend while using the SIM card.
Phone calls cost €0,10 per minute, text messages €0,10, and mobile data costs €0,15 per MB, so keep this in mind when adding to your SIM card. Fortunately, you can top up online with other data packages that cost €5 to €10, depending on what you need.
eSIM cards vs. Postpaid SIM cards
Up to this point, we have talked about how to get and what a prepaid SIM offers, but what about postpaid SIM cards vs. eSIMs? These are other alternatives we talked about, so let’s talk about them.
The first thing to note is that travelers can’t purchase a postpaid SIM card. While these offer different benefits, such as a better internet bundle, international roaming for better prices, and different data plans, these require long-term contracts that foreigners can’t sign.
On the other hand, eSIMs are the closest someone can get to these plans. You can get access to the best mobile networks when traveling, avoid data roaming charges, and even find competitive pricing when compared to other alternatives.
While this might leave things clear, let’s see a side-to-side comparison on which to choose for staying connected as a traveler.
| eSIM | Postpaid SIM card |
| Available for travelers | Not available for travelers |
| Easy to use in different European countries | Only work in a single country |
| No add-ons available | Offers a variety of add-ons |
| No need to sign a contract to get one | Requires signing a long term contract to get one |
| No need to wait for the eSIM to be delivered | You have to wait until they arrive in a new country to try to purchase one |
Which Netherlands SIM is best?
Up to this point, we have talked about the different Netherlands SIM cards. Based on their cost and offerings, these are great alternatives for travelers; chances are you prefer other alternatives when visiting the country.
While a prepaid local SIM card is good, most of the data plans are quite limited, and people need to wait until they arrive to find where to get one, which can be an extra cost when looking for a store.
So, rather than choosing the best prepaid SIM card for the Netherlands, we’d rather pick an eSIM from a carrier like Holafly, which offers affordable mobile services and can be purchased before the trip!
The final decision is up to you, but we have pretty clear which one of these options is better and will help travelers save money!
FAQ about Best SIM card Netherlands
Based on the available SIM cards in the country, the best option would be KPN or Simyo. Holafly, while it is not an eSIM, it’s among the best alternatives to stay connected in Amsterdam.
It depends on the carrier. For example, only KPN has an online pricing for their SIM card, which is €4,99, plus the data plan people get. There’s no need to worry about activation costs.
No. If people buy a SIM card in the Netherlands, there’s no need to worry about registering it, as it is not required for now.
