Cheap UK Travel eSIMs: Lyca Tourist eSIM Review (from £5?)
With eSIMs being the go-to for most travelers these days, there are lots of competitive eSIM brands out there. With that said, some of the most popular eSIM providers get away with charging quite a bit for data, especially in destinations like the UK.
Since I came to London to spend a few months, I needed to find cheap UK travel eSIMs that were reasonable.
Usually one of my favorite places to buy eSIMs is Klook, which offers 1 gigabyte a day in the UK for about $20/month, pretty good, right? If you haven’t heard of Klook for eSIMs, you can check out my full Klook eSIM guide.
But since I would be in the UK for two months, I also wanted a phone number, so I looked for UK eSIMs directly from providers. And Lyca Mobile became one of my top options.
In my Lyca Mobile Tourist eSIM review, I’ll cover my full experience using this eSIM, how well it worked, the plan options, the EU roaming it offers, and other cheap UK eSIM options. Because who doesn’t also like to save money, especially when the UK is already quite an expensive trip!
More money-saving UK guides: Open my London Pass guide + Britrail Pass Guide in a new tab to read later. These can save you £100+!
Disclosure: Some links to products and recommendations are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you). The Lyca Mobile links are not affiliate links.
What is Lyca Mobile for UK Travel?
Lyca Mobile is a pay-as-you-go, no-contract virtual network operator that operates in 23 countries but is based in the UK.
Instead of owning cell towers, Lyca Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that rents access to cell towers. If you’re based in the US, providers like Mint Mobile, Straight Talk, and US Mobile work the same way.
Lyca Mobile plans are very affordable, especially with the promo rates. My first month was only £5, which I’ll cover more on later.
Klook.comMy Experience with Lyca Mobile
When I first landed in London, I used a GigSky eSIM, which worked perfectly for my first few days. But since I would be staying almost two months, I wanted a cheap local UK eSIM with a number.
Since I stayed in the UK the year before, I knew local plans could be pretty affordable, so I skipped eSIM providers like Airalo or Saily, since they would be drastically more expensive for long-term stays.
After some online research on cheap UK eSIMs for tourists, I was sold on Lyca Mobile’s £5 first month promo. There was no contract, just an easy setup. And if it didn’t work well, it was only a £5 loss.
After I bought it, installed it easily and overall, it worked very well in London. There are some dead zones on the Tube, but that’s more of an underground problem than a Lyca Mobile issue.
I used Lyca Mobile for my entire two months in London, so it’s one of the best cheap UK tourist eSIMs out there. I would definitely recommend it, especially if you’re on a budget and traveling in the UK. It’s an easy way to save money and, at least in London, it worked great.
There are a few small downsides, though, which I’ll cover, but they are easy to work around.
Lyca Mobile eSIM Review for UK Travel
My personal Lyca Mobile review for London travel is really positive. But let’s break it down a bit more so you can decide if it’s the right eSIM carrier for you.
Lyca Mobile Plans for Tourists and Travelers in the UK
Lyca Mobile offers some ridiculously good introductory promotions for tourists traveling in the UK.
The plans are pay-as-you-go and last a minimum of a month, of course you don’t have to actually be there the whole month.
Even if you only go for a week, the National Plus Plan with 30 gigabytes of data for £5 is still a steal compared to other eSIM providers.
The cheap UK eSIM also includes unlimited UK texts and calls, plus 12 gigabytes of EU roaming on the National Plus Plan, making it ideal if you’ll be traveling in the EU. More on that later, as I did test out the EU roaming!
Note: Lyca Mobile might change promotions at any time, so double-check the current offers at the time as they may vary.
How Well Lyca Mobile eSIM Works for London Travel
As I mentioned, I only used Lyca Mobile tourist eSIM while I was in London. It worked perfectly for navigating public transport, except on certain tube lines, but that’s just because they’re underground.
On certain lines, like the Central Line, I made sure to keep my map open so I could follow my directions. If I closed it, reloading directions in some underground areas wasn’t possible.
Pro tip: Always pre-load your directions before going underground, and don’t close out the maps app. Even if you lose signal, you’ll still be able to follow the directions. Sometimes I even screenshot directions just in case!
The only other place the signal was weak was at the Waitrose near where I stayed, where going inside instantly weakened it.
Otherwise, the Lyca Mobile tourist eSIM worked amazing in London.
How to Install Lyca Mobile eSIM
In this Lyca Mobile UK travel eSIM review, here’s one of the caveats to be aware of. You have to be in the UK to install it.
Since I was already in the UK, I could install it from home on my Wi-Fi network.
But if you’ll be landing in the UK, you can order it ahead of time and then install it when you land.
With your confirmation email, you’ll get a QR code which you can use to install and activate it.
When you land, you can connect to the airport WiFi and then install the Lyca Mobile travel eSIM.
Or, if you don’t trust airport WiFi (like me!), you can download a cheap Klook eSIM to use when you first land, then install the Lyca Mobile eSIM. You can get 1 GB for 1 day in the UK from Klook for just over $1.
Note: While one of the cheapest UK travel eSIMs, if you find it a hassle to set up Lyca Mobile after landing (plus you need to cancel auto-renew, more on that below), consider getting an eSIM from Klook for more affordable eSIM plans in the UK.
Lyca Mobile for EU Roaming
One of the more impressive features I wanna talk about in my Lyca Mobile tourst eSIM review is the EU roaming.
In fact, all plans include EU roaming, and some even include roaming in China and India.
But since most people traveling to the UK may also be visiting EU countries, that’s where this cheap UK eSIM really becomes a deal.
Since I had a few days left on my second month of the plan when I went to Spain, I tested out the EU roaming. I was in Seville, and the roaming worked great there. With the plan I had, it included 12 gigabytes, even though I only had a few days left to use it.
As for more rural areas in the EU, I can’t speak on that, but for an urban area like Seville, the Lyca Mobile roaming worked fine.
In the second month of my plan, I paid £10 for 30 gigabytes of UK data & was able to take advantage of the EU roaming. Honestly, it’s quite a steal.
Turn Off Auto-Renew
The one qualm I have in my Lyca Mobile tourist eSIM review is that you need to turn off auto-renewal. When you order, it comes on by default.
You can turn off auto-renewal online or in the Lyca Mobile app. It’s easy to do so, but you have to remember to do it.
So don’t forget to create your account, and turn it off to avoid any surprise charges.
Here’s the official guide on how to cancel auto-renewal on the Lyca Mobile website.
Should You Download the Lyca Mobile App?
You don’t have to download the Lyca Mobile app, but I did since I wanted to track my data usage more easily. If you want to track your data usage, download it.
My iPhone is set to the US App Store, but I could still access the Lyca Mobile UK App there.
Klook.comOther eSIMs for the UK to Consider
My final review on this cheap Lyca Mobile tourist eSIM is that overall, it’s a steal and works well.
With that said, it can be inconvenient since you have to install it after you land and you have to remember to cancel auto-renewal. If you don’t mind those steps, it’s a great eSIM for a UK trip, and you can also use roaming if you head into the rest of Europe.
But here are a few other reliable options to consider:
Klook eSIMs for UK Travel
I’ve been using eSIMs from Klook for a while now, including in Turkey, Spain, and Egypt. I always install them ahead of time, and once I land, I turn on roaming, and they work perfectly for me.
I haven’t tried Klook’s eSIM for the UK, but as it’s super affordable, I would recommend it. As I’ve had success with all my Klook eSIMs in the past, I would totally try it in the UK too.
eSIMs from Airalo for UK Travel
Another provider that I rely on is Airalo. While Airalo is more expensive, the eSIMs always work well for me. Plus, if you need customer support, you can contact them through the app or on WhatsApp, and the customer service is 24/7.
I once accidentally purchased an eSIM on Airalo and was able to contact them immediately, and they sent a refund. Plus, the service is also reliable, and I’ve used Airalo in countries like Canada, Taiwan, the UK, and the US.
If you haven’t tried Airalo yet, you can get $3 off your first eSIM with my code KAYLA6320 or through this Airalo download link.
Explore More UK Travel Deals (with Guides)
I hope my Lyca Mobile review helped you decide if it was the right cheap UK eSIM for your trip. I love helping others travel and save money. Here are some more reviews and money-saving guides for the UK, including train travel and activities.
