A ticket before the Heathrow Express platform
Set holiday.com as mobile data after you land. Contactless and train apps work in the arrivals hall. You are not joining airport Wi-Fi to buy a seat.
United Kingdom eSIM
Heathrow and Gatwick bury the SIM desks past immigration. A United Kingdom eSIM is already on the phone, so you can tap in for the Heathrow Express and open a map before you reach the high street.
Get United Kingdom eSIM1-Minute Express Checkout · Cards & Apple Pay
Heathrow is a poor place to shop for a SIM
UK coverage is not the puzzle. The puzzle is paying for a train, a taxi, or a hotel Wi-Fi code with a dead home line.
Leave the prepaid queue to someone else
Those counters sit after a long-haul landing. An eSIM is a QR from the kitchen table. No plastic card and no EE shop on day one.
Hotspot on the train north
Share the UK line with a laptop on a long ride. Keep the home number for calls. Data stays on holiday.com so the home carrier does not add UK roaming.
From checkout to a working UK line
You pay on portal.holiday.com. The profile goes on in the browser — you do not need the app to start. How it works
1. Open United Kingdom plans
The button opens checkout with the United Kingdom selected. Match the pass to the nights you are in the country.
2. Pay in the browser
Apple Pay or card. Nothing ships. A QR or install link arrives when payment clears.
3. Scan it before you leave home
Install on home Wi-Fi. After you land, data roaming ON for holiday.com, OFF on the home SIM.
United Kingdom eSIM details
Borders and install notes. Device lists stay on holiday.com.
Can I add the UK eSIM before I reach Heathrow?
Yes. Install on Wi-Fi at home. The plan joins a UK network when you arrive and turn data roaming on for holiday.com.
Does a United Kingdom eSIM cover Ireland?
A United Kingdom country plan follows the coverage at checkout. The Republic of Ireland is a different destination. Open the plan details on portal.holiday.com if Dublin or Belfast is on the trip.
Will my usual number still ring in the UK?
On a dual-SIM phone, yes. Keep the home SIM for calls and texts. Use the United Kingdom eSIM for data.
How do I check the phone takes eSIM?
Dial *#06#. An EID next to the IMEI means the hardware supports it, and the phone must be unlocked. See Compatible devices.
Which roaming switch do I flip?
Data roaming ON for holiday.com only. OFF on the home SIM so the home carrier does not treat UK use as roaming.
I bought early. When must I start?
Within a year of purchase. Starting on day 365 still gives the full duration shown at checkout.
Have a UK line before you hit the Heathrow walkways.
Pay on the portal, scan at home, and tap in for the train without a SIM stop.