Traveling to London and flying to London Stansted and wondering if you can buy a sim card on arrival at the airport? Avoid high roaming charges and slow overseas data roaming plans.
This is a complete guide with everything you need to know before buying a sim card at London Stansted Airport in 2025.
Find out where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per January 2025, info about eSIMs for the UK, my recommendation, international sim cards, how to get to London city center and more.
In the past I always used to buy a prepaid sim card in every country, nowadays I mostly use eSIMs to stay connected.
Traveltomtom also wrote a complete guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card in the UK with a comparison of the best eSIMs for the UK in 2025.
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card for the UK
- Where to buy a sim card at London Stansted Airport
- Prices prepaid sim cards at London Stansted Airport
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends buying a Three UK prepaid sim card at London Stansted Airport. For £20 GBP ($24 USD) you get 20 GB data.
This also makes it a super easy conclusion and recommendation that eSIMs are the best way to stay connected when traveling to the UK.
Forget about buying a sim card at London Stansted Airport. With an eSIM you are online as soon as the plane lands and there are already eSIMs for just $1 USD.
On Sim Local you can order an eSIM for the UK with 100 GB data for just $25 USD and a Jetpac eSIM gives you 10 GB for just $11 USD. Check out my article why EE eSIMs are the best value eSIMs for traveling to the UK.
For a much more detailed guide about using eSIMs when traveling to the UK check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for the UK in 2025.
Since Brexit most of the UK prepaid sim cards do not support EU data roaming anymore. So if you are traveling onwards in Europe then get yourself a prepaid sim card for Europe or pick an eSIM from my comparison of the best eSIMs for Europe in 2025.
There are also international travel sim cards with global coverage. These sim cards are great if you go on a world trip. Check out my article about the best international sim cards for traveling in 2025.
Why buying a sim card for the UK
Let's keep it real, we just want to stay connected when traveling, right? It just makes our life much easier. Think about ordering a taxi through an app, looking for the nearest ATM's, finding cool restaurants nearby, keeping in touch and what about emergencies, bank transfers, etc.
Don't rely on WiFi, it is not reliable and although most places offer free WiFi also keep in mind that surfing the internet through public WiFi is on an UNSECURED network. The use of a VPN is recommend.
So to not get stuck with high roaming charges Traveltomtom recommends either buying a prepaid sim card in London or ordering an eSIM on the internet.
As Traveltomtom is am aiming to travel to every country in the world I get to a lot of different countries and therefore on Traveltomtom you can find almost 200 sim card guides from all over the world: Europe, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, USA, New York, Newark, Asia, Vietnam, Spain, Indonesia, Guatemala, Iceland, Panama City, Colombia, Papua New Guinea and many more.
So when you are planning your next adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card and eSIM advice for your holiday destination. Bookmark me!
Where to buy a sim card at London Stansted Airport
Just like at London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport there are prepaid sim card vending machines at London Stansted Airport. It works exactly like ordering a snickers. The sim card vending machine at London Stansted Airport is located at the luggage belts.
At the end of the hall next to the luggage belt you can get your prepaid sim card for tourists. Be aware that If you go through customs, you can NOT go back inside the baggage hall to buy a sim card from the vending machine.
But there is another place where they sell sim cards for tourists at London Stansted Airport. In the arrival hall, immediately after you walk out of the arrivals door there is a WH Smith shop on your right hand side.
Prices prepaid sim cards at London Stansted Airport
All info and prices are updated as per January 2025. Prices are in Pounds Sterling and £1 GBP = $1.22 USD and $1 USD = £0.82 GBP.
Next to the luggage belts you can already buy your UK sim card for tourists at the sim card vending machine.
Sim Card Vending Machine
It is all self-service at the sim card vending machines but there is very detailed information about the following UK sim cards: Vodafone, Lycamobile, EE and Three. There are 6 different sim cards to choose from:
Vodafone
- 1 GB data + 200 minutes + unlimited sms in the UK for 30 days = £20 - $24 USD
Three All in One Bundle Unlimited
- 12 GB data + unlimited calls/sms in the UK for 30 days = £30 - $37 USD
You can use your Three data all over Europe and on top of that in: Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and USA.
EE National Bundle
- 10.5 GB data + 150 minutes + 150 sms for 30 days = £20 - $24 USD
EE International Bundle
- 13 GB data + 250 minutes + 500 sms for 30 days = £25 - $30 USD
Lycamobile UK Plan Super
- 6 GB data + 3,000 minutes + 100 sms for 30 days = £25 - $30 USD
- 15 GB data + unlimited minutes/sms + 100 international minutes for 30 days = £35 - $43 USD
Lycamobile is an MVNO and uses the network of O2 in the UK.
Evaluating all the above available UK sim cards from the vending machines I can easily advice you not to buy a Vodafone UK sim card. To me the best UK sim card at the vending machine is the EE sim card. I don't really call or text so I would not even use the 150 minutes and 150 texts, but the 10.5 GB for £20 GBP ($24 USD) is good value for money.
WH Smith Shop
If you want a little more service then I recommend you to go to the WH Smith shop directly on your right hand side when you walk into the arrivals hall. There is even a lovely lady walking around willing to help you finding the right sim card for your trip to Europe.
EE UK prepaid sim card
The WH Smith shops offer the same EE sim cards as the sim card vending machine at the luggage belts .
Lebara
- 1 GB data + 500 international minutes to 41 destinations + 500 UK minutes + £2 credit = £20 - $24 USD
- 5 GB data + unlimited international minutes to 41 destinations + unlimited UK minutes + 1,000 sms + £5 credit = £30 - $37 USD
In case you have read more of my sim cards for Europe articles like the one from Amsterdam Airport or Frankfurt Airport you will understand why I am NOT a fan a Lebara Mobile. Simply no value for money and pricey compared to the other prepaid sim cards available.
Three UK prepaid sim card
At WH Smith they offer 3 different Three UK sim cards for £20, £30 and £45. The packages are slightly different than the UK prepaid sim cards in the vending machine. All the packages offered at WH Smith give you 3000 UK minutes and 3000 UK texts. The difference is the data bundle: 1GB, 12GB and Unlimited data. So for £45 you have unlimited 4G internet for 1 month.
Best sim card at London Stansted Airport
When comparing all the prepaid sim cards Traveltomtom rates Three UK as the best prepaid sim card at London Stansted in 2025.
You get around 20 GB data for £20 GBP ($24 USD), the most value for money when it comes to data. If you buy a UK prepaid sim card for tourists in London City Center you get much better value.
Therefore check out my guide on how to buy a prepaid sim cards in the UK in 2025.
But there is no easier way to get connected when traveling to London then an eSIM. And let me tell you that eSIMs for the UK already start from just $1 USD.
You can order EE eSIMs online via Sim Local and you get 100 GB data for just $25 USD. Therefore Traveltomtom named EE as the best eSIM for the UK in 2025.
A Jetpac eSIM with 10 GB for just $11 USD is another recommended UK eSIM.
Check out Traveltomtom's comparison of the best eSIMs for the United Kingdom in 2025.
If I had the choice buying a sim card at London Stansted Airport at either the vending machine or the WH Smith shop, then I totally would go for the lovely lady at the WH Smith shop.
Best eSIMs for the UK
eSIMs are the most convenient and easiest way to stay connected when traveling to London in 2025. No more visiting a sim card store or swapping physical sim cards. You arrange everything online within just a couple minutes.
You order an eSIM for the UK on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a UK eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in London it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For all FAQ's about using eSIMs when traveling to the United Kingdom click on the link to read my detailed guide.
Here are some recommendations.
Sim Local
At Traveltomtom we recommend getting an EE eSIM for the UK via Sim Local. They have the best deals for tourists. The Traveltomtom Team tested and reviewed the services of Sim Local and came back with positive feedback.
Here are the amazing eSIM deals:
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls/sms for 30 days = $19 USD
- 100 GB data + unlimited calls/sms for 30 days = $25 USD
- 200 GB data + unlimited calls/sms for 30 days = $38 USD
- Unlimited data/calls/sms for 30 days = $50.50 USD
Keep in mind that these eSIMs are only valid in the UK, there is NO free EU data roaming included.
Click here to order an EE UK eSIM via Sim Local.
Airalo
Airalo offers multiple data-only eSIMs for traveling in the UK and Traveltomtom has used Airalo lots of times without any problem.
Check out the Airalo eSIM deals for the UK in 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $7.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $10 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $15 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $22.5 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $36 USD
Click here for more info or to directly order an eSIM for the UK via Airalo.
The above Airalo eSIMs for the UK are from Uki Mobile and are data-only. Calling and texting is NOT supported. The data allowance is only valid in the UK, there is no free EU roaming with these eSIMs. They operate on the 4G/LTE networks of O2 and Three.
SimOptions
If you are looking for eSIMs for the UK that also work in other countries in the EU then Traveltomtom recommends to check out SimOptions as they have UK eSIMs including free EU data roaming.
Traveltomtom has used SimOptions all over the world and called it a marketplace for eSIMs. Read more about it in our complete SimOptions review.
The international eSIMs from Orange and Bouygues Telecom are also rated as the best eSIMs for traveling to Europe in 2025.
Bouygues Telecom
- 15 GB data-only for 15 days = $15.90 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited calls for 15 days = $21.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $32.90 USD
- 60 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $39.90 USD
Orange Holiday Europe
- 12 GB data + 30 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $28.90 USD
- 30 GB data + 120 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $49.90 USD
- 70 GB data + 120 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $55.90 USD
Click here to order an international eSIM for the UK via SimOptions or find more info in the link.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for the UK.
For more UK eSIM offers and much more details check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to the United Kingdom in 2025.
Call home for free at Stansted Airport
Also when arriving at London Stansted Airport and you are willing to call home for free for 2 minutes, then head to the WH Smith shop as they give you 2 minutes free calling time with the phone below. Just a nice service of them as they took all the paid-phones away at London Stansted.
Buy a prepaid sim card for the UK online
If your phone is not eSIM compatible but you would like to order a sim card for traveling to the United Kingdom online before your trip then check out the following.
Arrive prepared for your trip to London with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in London, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions offers the following international prepaid sim cards for the UK:
- 15 GB data-only for 15 days = $15.90 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited calls for 15 days = $21.90 USD
- 10 GB data + $2 calling credit for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 10 GB data + unlimited calls/sms for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 12 GB data + 30 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data + 120 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $49.90 USD
- 60 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $51.90 USD
Click here to order an international sim card for traveling to the UK via SimOptions.
In the days before eSIMs Traveltomtom has used the Orange Holiday Europe multiple times for my trips to Europe.
A last reminder that if your phone is eSIM compatible then you simply order an eSIM for the UK on the internet.
For more info about using eSIMs in the UK check out my complete guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for traveling in the United Kingdom in 2025.
From Stansted Airport to Luton Airport
May you just like me somehow end up on the wrong airport or you have a connection flight to catch at an other London airport? Take the National Express bus 737. That bus will bring you directly from Stansted Airport to Luton Airport in about 1.5 hours. Price: £15.60 GBP back in 2019! ;)
How to get from Stansted Airport to London city center
There are many ways to get to London, some more expensive than others of course. When it comes to public transport you have two options: bus and train.
Bus from Stansted Airport to London City Center
There are several bus connections connecting London city with Stansted Airport. If you want to take the National Express bus you can walk up to their service desk right in front of Arrivals inside the terminal. They have busses going to London every 10 minutes and the drive will take about 50 minutes depending on traffic. Tickets can be purchased for around $10 USD already, though more expensive when you book them at the airport.
Train from Stansted Airport to London City Center
When taking the train you simply go down to the train station and buy a ticket for London at one of the machines. There are always people walking around to help you in the process. The train will take you In three stops to Tottenham Hale for around $20 USD. The tickets can be up to 50% cheaper when booked in advance.
Thank you for reading my tips for buying a sim card at London Stansted Airport, I hope they were useful. Let me know if you have any more questions, leave me a comment below and I am more than happy to help!
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to London!