I like to travel and visit new places. While travelling, being online is extremely important for me. I also want to try new technologies and different eSIM products. During my trip to Bologna, I tried another eSIM from Airalo, the Airalo Mamma Mia eSIM. When I ran out of data, I switched to Keepgo Pisces.
More about eSIM technology and other companies is in this article. In this blogpost, you will find advice on choosing a suitable product for a trip abroad.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase any service, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Airalo Discount Code
If you use my Airalo code SANDRA4293 you can get $3 off or 15% discount (link to the discount here) on your first eSIM.
If you already have an existing account you can get 10% discount on eSIMs US$10+ using this link.
Airalo Applications
Airalo has apps where you can buy new plans or track the usage of your existing plans. Below are the links where you can download them:
For Google Play click here.
For Apple Store click here.
Airalo’s products for Italy
Airalo offers three products for Italy. The first is Airalo Mamma Mia, a data plan specifically for use in Italy.
The second product type is Airalo Eurolink, which can be used in 39 European countries.
The third product is the global product Airalo Discover, which is intended for 127 countries.
Detailed instructions on creating an account and buying a data package can be found in this article.
Price
In January 2024, when I bought my eSIM, Airalo offered six Mamma Mia products. Each product provided a different amount of mobile data – from 1GB (for $5) to 20 GB (for $18 – January promotion). The validity of the packages was from 7 to 30 days.
What phones support eSIM?
With this technology’s growing popularity, more and more phones and tablets are on the market that support it. When buying a phone, you should ask the seller if the phone supports eSIM. Airalo regularly updates the list of supported devices, so it is better to check their official support page.
Mobile operators in Italy and connection type
There are four mobile operators in Italy: Iliad, TIM (Telecom Italia), Vodafone, and WindTre. The Mamma Mia data package can be used on the Vodafone, Telecom Italia, and WindTre networks. Each mobile carrier has different coverage, so I recommend checking out nperf.com.
Connection type
Airalo lists that Mamma Mia eSIM can use 4G/LTE. More and more operators are launching 5G networks, so you may see a 5G icon on your phone.
eSIM Activation
The activation and validity period of the data package starts as soon as the eSIM connects to one of the supported networks in Italy, in this case, Vodafone, Telecom Italia or WindTre.
My Airalo Mamma Mia experience
My data plan
For a trip to Bologna, I bought a data plan with 1GB of data and a validity period of 7 days. The price of the package was $4.50. After applying the discount code, it is possible to have this package even for $1.50.
Network registration
Like many times before, I prepared my phone settings before my departure to Italy. In the phone setting, I disabled mobile data and enabled Airalo Mamma Mia eSIM. Turning off data prevents accidentally activating the eSIM (in the case of the Discover plan that is available worldwide).
After landing at Bologna airport, I turned off the flight mode. Once off, it took only several moments for Airalo eSIM to register into the TIM mobile network. As soon as I enabled mobile data, the 5G icon appeared.
Coverage
I used the Airalo Mamma Mia eSIM only at the Bologna airport and in Bologna. I planned to visit only this city.
While chilling in my hotel room, I opened the Ookla Speedtest application, curious about the speeds in Italy. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a 276 Mbps download speed. Immediately after the test, I received a notification from Airalo that 50% of my data had already been spent.
Since it was Friday night, I decided to listen to one of my favourite DJs on the streaming platform Twitch. Both audio and video worked well. However, after one hour of listening, I had less than 100MB of data.
The following day, I tried to save as much of the remaining data as possible and used only Google Maps. Unfortunately, by the end of the day, I had spent it all. What surprised me was that I didn’t receive any notifications; only my applications stopped working, and I couldn’t browse the Internet.
I wish Airalo sent a notification. I was left in a rather unpleasant situation as I tried to get an Uber to the hotel.
Speed
TIM (Telecom Italia) network in Bologna offers fantastic downlink speed, which was an incredible 276 Mbps in my case.
Top-ups
Buying additional data is easy. After clicking on “My eSIM” and “Mamma Mia,” I saw the offer for these packages. After payment, there is no need to install the eSIM again. The data was automatically added to the existing eSIM. Quite simple, isn’t it?
Application
Using the Airalo application is great because I have an overview of data consumption. I can also buy additional eSIM products or top-up packages. I use it to install an eSIM directly into the phone without scanning a QR code.
Conclusion
I have to admit that the 267 Mbps download speed really surprised me. However, this high speed may not be good if you buy just 1GB of data, as you can quickly run out of data.
I need my data to work everywhere, as I mostly use maps to get to places. Speed is not that important to me unless I am browsing the Internet incredibly slowly.
I rate the experience with Airalo Mamma Mia eSIM positively. Unfortunately, I had no data to try other mobile operators (Vodafone and WindTre).
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Fast download (276 Mbps) | |
| Three options – local Mamma Mia, regional Eurolink and global Discover eSIM | No unlimited data plan |
| Different sizes of data offered – from 1GB to 20GB | No notification once data spent |
| Different validity periods of data plans – from 7 to 30 days | |
| Three supported mobile operators – TIM, Vodafone, WindTre | |
| Simple process for top-ups | |
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