1 GB
Valid for 7 days
$4.99
$4.99 per GB
eSIM for Hungary
Hungary runs on apps more than most people expect. Budapest public transport tickets live in BudapestGO, intercity trains are cheapest booked in the MÁV app, Bolt is how you get a car at 2am in District VII, and the bath you want on a rainy Tuesday needs a timed online slot. Outside the capital, Lake Balaton ferries, Eger cellar doors and Tokaj tasting rooms all get confirmed by message rather than phone call.
A FairSIM eSIM connects to Yettel, Vodafone or Magyar Telekom, the three national networks, with 5G in Budapest and the larger towns and 4G along the motorways and around the lake. You install it over Wi-Fi before you fly, switch it on at Liszt Ferenc Airport, and skip the shop queue. Four plans are on sale for Hungary, from a long weekend to a month.
One local rule to know: Hungary is in the EU and Schengen but has kept the forint, and card terminals will often offer to charge you in euros instead. Decline and pay in HUF, or you eat the terminal's conversion rate. If you rent a car, the second rule matters more: motorways need an e-vignette bought before you join them, and there is no toll booth to fix it later.
Hungary eSIM plans
Wholesale rates in US dollars, with nothing added at checkout. Buy in the FairSIM app and the plan is on your phone in seconds.
How long is your trip?
All plans. Pick a trip length to narrow the list.
- Get it in the app for Hungary
5 GB
Valid for 30 days
Get it in the app for Hungary$9.99
$2.00 per GB
- Best value
10 GB
Valid for 30 days
Get it in the app for Hungary$18.99
$1.90 per GB
Unlimited
Valid for 15 days
Get it in the app for Hungary$33.99
Speed policy shown in the app
Coverage in Hungary
- 4G LTE
- 5G
- YettelThe former Pannon network, with 5G across Budapest and most county seats and solid 4G on the motorways. A common host for travel eSIMs.
- VodafoneNationwide 4G with 5G in Budapest and larger towns; now part of the 4iG group and trading locally under the One brand in shops.
- Magyar TelekomThe incumbent, with the widest rural 4G footprint and 5G in Budapest, Debrecen, Győr and other cities. No 3G layer, so a 4G-capable handset matters.
Typical speed: Fast enough for video calls and hotspot work in Budapest on 5G, and comfortably usable 4G along the M1, M3, M5 and M7 and around Lake Balaton. We do not publish a headline speed figure for Hungary.
Coverage is good across this flat, dense country: cities, the Danube Bend, the Balaton shore and the Great Plain towns are all served. Expect weaker signal in the Bükk and Mátra hills, in deep bath complexes and wine cellars, and in the older metro tunnels.
How much data do you need in Hungary?
It depends on how you travel. Find your trip below, then pick the plan that matches. You can always top up in the app.
Budapest city break, 3 to 5 nights
Castle Hill, the baths, ruin bars and a Danube walk.
Why data matters: BudapestGO tickets and live tram times, Bolt rides home, Google Maps between Buda and Pest, restaurant bookings and photo uploads.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Thermal baths and spa weekend
Budapest, Hévíz, Bük or Hajdúszoboszló.
Why data matters: Timed entry slots and QR tickets on your phone, spa maps, train times to the countryside baths, and calls home from the pool bar.
- 7 days
- 3 GB
- 14 days
- 5 GB
- 30 days
- 10 GB
Lake Balaton summer
Siófok, Tihany, Badacsony and the ferry hops.
Why data matters: Ferry and BAHART timetables, MÁV trains from Déli station, festival tickets, weather radar for the afternoon storms, and streaming on the beach.
- 7 days
- 10 GB
- 14 days
- 20 GB
- 30 days
- Unlimited
Wine and road trip
Eger, Tokaj, Villány and the Danube Bend by car.
Why data matters: E-vignette bought in an app before the motorway, offline-risky navigation on back roads, cellar bookings by message, and parking apps in town centres.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Remote work month in Budapest
A long stay in a flat in District V, VI or VII.
Why data matters: Teams and Zoom calls, Personal Hotspot when the building Wi-Fi drops, Wolt deliveries, and a data line that does not depend on a landlord's router.
- 7 days
- 20 GB
- 14 days
- Unlimited
- 30 days
- Unlimited
What your home carrier charges in Hungary
Daily roaming passes look small until you multiply them by the length of the trip. FairSIM plans for Hungary start at $4.99 and never bill per day.
EU and EEA carriers roam in Hungary at domestic rates under roam-like-at-home, subject to a fair-use data allowance. Non-EU carriers charge daily passes.
| Carrier | Roaming charge | FairSIM |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T International Day Pass (US) | $12 per day per line, $6 for extra lines | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Verizon TravelPass (US) | $12 per day, high-speed data then slowed | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| EE (UK) | Around £2.50 per day in Europe on plans sold since mid-2021; older and Roam Abroad plans include it | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Vodafone UK | Daily and multi-day Europe passes from roughly £2.42 per day, depending on plan age | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Deutsche Telekom (Germany, EU) | Included at domestic rates under EU roam-like-at-home, with a fair-use data cap | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Orange (France, EU) | Included at domestic rates under EU roam-like-at-home, with a fair-use data cap | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Telstra International Day Pass (Australia) | About A$10 per day for 2 GB on eligible plans | from $4.99, no daily fee |
Carrier prices as published on their roaming pages at the time of writing. They change often; check your own plan before you fly.
How FairSIM works
- 1
Pick a destination and a plan
Choose the country or region and the data you need. The price you see is the price you pay.
- 2
Tap install
On iPhone (iOS 17.4+) the eSIM installs in one tap, no QR code. Do it at home while you still have Wi-Fi.
- 3
Land and connect
Turn on data roaming for the FairSIM line when you arrive. Your plan starts when it first connects.
Connectivity tips for Hungary
Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, then switch the line and data roaming on after landing at Liszt Ferenc. Validity typically starts at the first connection to a Hungarian network.
Pay in forint. When a card terminal offers euros or your home currency, choose HUF and let your bank do the conversion.
Buy transport tickets in BudapestGO before boarding and validate them; inspectors work the metro gates and tram doors, and fines are cash-unfriendly.
From the airport, the 100E Airport Express runs to Deák Ferenc tér and needs its own ticket, not a standard single. Főtaxi is the official rank outside arrivals.
Driving? Buy the motorway e-vignette in an app or at a petrol station before you join the M-roads. County vignettes are cheaper than the national one if you stay in one region.
Budapest taxi fares are set by a single official tariff, so use a meter or Bolt and refuse fixed prices offered on the street.
Keep a Type C or F adapter handy; sockets are 230 V and most hotels have no USB-only options in older rooms.
Adding Vienna, Bratislava or Zagreb? A Hungary plan covers Hungary only. Buy the Europe regional plan or a second country plan in the app before you cross.
Apps you will actually use
- BudapestGO the official BKK app for metro, tram, bus and boat tickets, passes and live departures. Buy and validate before you board.
- MÁV app intercity and regional train tickets, seat reservations and platform changes; cheaper and faster than the station queue.
- Bolt the ride app locals use in Budapest, plus scooters and food delivery.
- Főtaxi the airport's official taxi partner and a reliable metered option in the city.
- Google Maps accurate for Budapest transit; download the Balaton and the wine regions offline before you drive.
- Wolt food and grocery delivery in Budapest and most large towns.
- Simple by OTP the local wallet used for street parking, motorway e-vignettes and cinema tickets.
- Google Translate Hungarian is not related to its neighbours' languages; camera translation helps with menus and pharmacy labels.
Ride-hailing works differently here from most of Europe: Bolt and metered taxis booked through Főtaxi cover almost every trip, and Budapest taxi fares are regulated at a single official tariff, so a metered ride should cost the same whoever picks you up. Agree nothing off-meter.
Can you rely on free Wi-Fi?
Free Wi-Fi is common in Budapest: cafés, hotels, malls, museums, the airport terminals and many restaurants. It is usually fine for messages and maps, and unreliable for a work call, because networks are shared and captive-portal logins drop when you move between rooms. The deep metro lines and long tram tunnels have patchy signal, thermal baths have lockers rather than hotspots, and once you are out on the Balaton shore or a wine road, public Wi-Fi is thin. Plan to use your own data and treat Wi-Fi as a bonus.
Local SIM card or eSIM in Hungary?
Yettel, Vodafone and Magyar Telekom all sell prepaid starter packs, and they are easy to find: operator shops in the big malls, MOL and OMV petrol stations, post offices and newsagents. You pay in forint, you will usually be asked for a passport to register the line, and you then have to top up and activate a data pack, sometimes through a Hungarian-language app or an SMS menu. Airport shop hours are limited, so a late arrival often means buying in town the next day.
A FairSIM eSIM roams on the same Yettel, Vodafone and Magyar Telekom towers, but you install it at home over Wi-Fi and turn it on when you land. No passport at a counter, no forint cash, no Hungarian menus, and your home number stays live in the other slot for bank codes. A local prepaid SIM makes sense if you need a Hungarian phone number for months; for a trip measured in days or weeks, the eSIM is less work.
Good to know before you land in Hungary
- Currency
- Hungarian forint (HUF); euros are accepted in some tourist spots at poor rates
- Plug type
- Type C and Type F (European two-pin)
- Voltage
- 230 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency number
- 112 for all services
- Language
- Hungarian; English widely spoken in Budapest, less so in small towns
- Time zone
- UTC+1, UTC+2 with daylight saving from late March to late October
- Capital
- Budapest
Hungary eSIM questions
Does eSIM work in Hungary?
Yes. An unlocked eSIM phone connects to Yettel, Vodafone or Magyar Telekom. On iPhone that means XS, XR or newer, and iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install.
Which network will my Hungary eSIM use?
Yettel, Vodafone or Magyar Telekom, depending on the plan. All three run 4G nationwide with 5G in Budapest and larger cities. The app shows the network for each plan.
Is there 5G in Hungary?
Yes, in Budapest and most county seats on all three networks. Elsewhere you get 4G LTE, which is fine for maps, calls and streaming.
Do I need a separate plan for Vienna or Bratislava?
Yes, unless you choose the Europe regional plan. A Hungary plan only works on Hungarian networks, even though the borders are open.
Can I use Personal Hotspot in Hungary?
Yes. Every FairSIM plan supports Personal Hotspot, with no separate cap.
How much data do I need for Budapest?
A long weekend of maps, tickets and messaging runs about 2 to 3 GB. A week with photo uploads and some streaming is closer to 5 to 8 GB. A working month wants unlimited.
Do WhatsApp and FaceTime calls work?
Yes. Hungary places no restrictions on internet calling, so WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and Teams all work normally on the eSIM.
Local SIM or travel eSIM for Hungary?
A Hungarian prepaid SIM needs a shop visit, forint cash, passport registration and a top-up in Hungarian. A travel eSIM roams on the same networks and is ready before you land. Choose the local SIM only if you need a Hungarian number.
Will my eSIM work on the train to Lake Balaton or Eger?
Mostly yes. The main MÁV lines run through covered territory, with short gaps in cuttings and hill sections. Download tickets and maps before you leave the platform.
What is an eSIM?
A SIM card built into your phone. Instead of a plastic chip, you download a profile. Every iPhone since the XS has one next to the physical SIM slot, so your home number stays put while FairSIM supplies the data.
Is my phone compatible?
FairSIM works with eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked iPhones: the XS, XR and everything newer, on iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install with no QR code. iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM at all, even when unlocked. Not sure yours is unlocked? Check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock, or ask your carrier. The full list is on the How it works page.
When should I install my eSIM?
Before you travel, while you still have Wi-Fi. Installing does not start your plan; the validity typically starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
Do FairSIM eSIMs come with a phone number?
No. FairSIM eSIMs are data-only by design, which keeps costs low. For calls and texts, your physical SIM stays active so you keep your existing number, and WhatsApp, FaceTime and iMessage work over data.
Traveling beyond Hungary?
Get your Hungary eSIM in the app
Plans from $4.99. Install before you fly, track your data live, and top up in seconds if you need more.
Download on theApp Store
iPhone XS or later · iOS 17.4+ for one-tap install
