Spain · Connectivity · 2026

Staying online in Ibiza

EU roaming is essentially free for EU/EEA residents under the Roam Like at Home regulation. Non-EU visitors should default to an eSIM — Airalo and Holafly both run cleanly on Movistar's network, which has the best Iberian coverage. Coverage is excellent in cities and on Mallorca / Ibiza; thinner in rural Andalusia and Aragón.

The eSIM route (recommended for most visitors)

Best provider: Airalo (Movistar / Vodafone backbone) or Holafly (unlimited plans).
Typical pricing: Airalo: $7 for 1GB / 7 days, $13 for 5GB / 30 days. Holafly: $19 unlimited / 5 days, $47 unlimited / 15 days.

Holafly's unlimited plans throttle after 5GB/day on most routes. Airalo's metered plans are honest. Both work the moment you land — install before flying.

The local SIM route

Operators worth using: Movistar (best coverage), Orange, Vodafone, Yoigo (cheaper).
Where to buy: Avoid airport vendors (€20-40 markup). Walk into any Movistar / Orange shop in town with passport — €15-20 buys you a 30-day prepaid plan with 30-50GB of data.
Registration: Passport required by law. Activation is in-store and immediate. Plans don't auto-renew unless you set up a card.

Public WiFi

Reliable in cafés, hotels, malls, and most train stations. Renfe trains have free WiFi on long-distance routes. Beach clubs and chiringuitos are hit-or-miss. Avoid using public WiFi for banking — VPN if you must.

Network speeds you'll actually see

5G in all major cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Bilbao, Palma) on Movistar/Vodafone. 4G everywhere else. Real-world speeds: 100-400 Mbps on 5G; 30-80 Mbps on 4G.

Local apps to install before you arrive

Cabify — main rideshare; better availability + driver quality than Uber in Spain
Bolt — second rideshare option; pricing usually 5-15% lower
Renfe — official trains; AVE high-speed bookings
Bizum — instant phone-to-phone bank transfers; locals use this for splitting bills
Glovo / Uber Eats — food delivery; Glovo is more local-business heavy

Last reviewed 10 May 2026. Roaming policies and eSIM pricing shift; check provider sites for current rates.