Traveling to Israel soon and looking for the best way to get connected? Israel is not a cheap country but luckily prepaid sim cards and eSIMs for Israel are cheap. So avoid high roaming charges and get yourself a sim card for traveling to Israel.
This is the ultimate guide for finding the best sim card for your trip to Israel. Find out everything you need to know about: buying a prepaid sim card in Israel, the best eSIMs for Israel, up to date prices as per August 2024, where to buy a sim card, the best 4G/5G network in Israel, my recommendation, how to order a sim card for Israel online, info about international sim card and much more useful travel tips to stay connected.
As part of my journey to visit every country in the world and being a full time nomadic travel blogger I am always on the move visiting new places and countries.
Staying connected is one of the first things I do when planning my next trip and since I love to document all my travel tips you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all around the world: USA, New York, Miami, Canada, Europe, London, Amsterdam, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, Guatemala, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Sydney, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland and many more.
Are you flying to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv then the most convenient place to buy a sim card is on arrival at the airport.Check out Traveltomtom's guide for buying a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me and let me help you save money!
Why buying a sim card for Israel
When there is WiFi everywhere you don't really need a sim card is what a lot of people say. Yes in an ideal world, but don't rely on WiFi in Israel. Although most restaurants, bars and hotels have free WiFi, it is often unreliable or too slow to even update an Instagram story.
Having a working data connection on your phone also makes traveling to Israel so much more convenient AND safer! What about emergency situation when on the road, getting directions from Google Maps, checking your online banking apps, finding nearby restaurants or simply order a taxi through an app. Trust me you will like being connected when traveling to Israel.
Are you not a fan of swapping sim cards and changing phone numbers then have a look into pocket WiFi's. These little portable WiFi devices are a great alternative for having internet abroad. I am not the biggest fan and in the link above you can find my HONEST review about these travel gadgets.
Be aware that using a foreign sim card in your phone only works if your phone is unlocked. If you are not sure about this contact your provider in your home country. European phones are mostly unlocked, American phones tends to be locked often! This also counts for international and eSIMs for Israel.
RELATED: 33 Best Things To Do in Israel in 2024!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends buying a sim card for Israel online in 2024. After comparing all the prepaid sim card deals for Israel and the eSIMs this came out as the best buy. Sim to Israel offers a prepaid sim cards as well as eSIMs for traveling in Israel with 150 GB data for $25 USD only.
Click here to order your prepaid or e-sim directly online via Sim to Israel.
Ordering a sim card for Israel from your couch for almost the same price as on arrival! It takes less than 3 minutes. Easy, fast, simple and no hassle of finding a phone store on arrival in Israel.
If you want to buy a prepaid sim card in Israel on arrival Traveltomtom recommends a Pelephone prepaid sim card. They have the best 5G network and for $18 USD you get 70 GB data.
Another recommended way to stay connected when traveling to Israel is an international travel sim card with global coverage. In my article about the best international sim cards for traveling in 2024 you will find my comparison and recommendations for a trip to Israel.
There are also sim cards for Asia that are valid all across the continent. In the link you will find the best options, however if you are looking for the easiest way to get connected when traveling to Israel then you should looking into getting an eSIM for Israel.
Buy a sim card for Israel online
As of 2024 the following tourist sim cards for Israel are available as a physical prepaid sim card as well as an eSIM!
Definitely worth looking into is ordering a sim card for Israel online. It only takes a couple minutes. If you order a physical sim card it will be delivered to your home address and if you get an e-sim you will instantly receive it in your email.
What do you get?
- 150 GB data + unlimited calls & sms in Israel + unlimited calls & sms to USA and Canada = $25 USD
That is an amazing deal!
Click here to order a sim card for Israel travel and shipping is for FREE!
No hassle finding a sim card shop on arrival in Israel. As soon as the plane lands you are online and have a working data connection on your phone. The sim card will automatically be activated from the first moment it connects with a supported network.
Depending how long you stay in Israel you can choose your package.
A sim card valid for 7 days = $25 USD, 10 days = $29 USD, 14 days = $35 USD, 21 days = $39 USD, 30 days = $45 USD and many more. Click on the link for more info about buying a prepaid sim card or eSIM via Sim to Israel.
Mobile internet operators in Israel
Israel is definitely unique in its kind, because there are many mobile internet providers in Israel. Finding the best Israel sim card wasn’t an easy thing to do therefore as I compared all the prepaid sim card deals of the main mobile internet operators in Israel:
- Partner
- Cellcom
- 019
- HOT Mobile
- Pelephone
- 012 Mobile
Registration process
Like in almost every couontry these days you can only buy a prepaid sim card when you have a valid ID. In the case of tourists traveling in Israel that will be a passport. It is mandatory for buying a sim card in Israel, so bring your passport to the store. In the phone store a copy of your passport will be taken and your new Israel sim card will be registered on your name and your passport number.
Where to buy a sim card for Israel
Mobile phone shops are scattered around the city and buying an Israel sim card in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem is pretty easy. Not only will you find loads of official stores, you can also find many mobile phone shops that sell Israel sim cards for tourists. Hitting a shopping mall is always a good idea when looking for a sim card.
Open Google Maps and search for the nearest phone store or the one you like the most and you will see all the stores around you.
Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv
As I said before it is easy to buy a sim card at Tel Aviv Airport on arrival. Click on the link to read my complete guide for 2024. You will find a book store that sells Partner Israel sim cards as well as a 019 Mobile shop. Be aware then when you decide to buy a sim card in Israel that prices for prepaid sim cards at Tel Aviv International Airport are significantly higher than sim cards deals outside the airport.
You can also order a prepaid sim card for Israel online and pick it up for free at Tel Aviv Airport or get it delivered to your hotel. Or even better... get an eSIM and be online as soon as the plane lands.
Eilat Airport
Are you flying directly into Eilat Airport then don’t worry. At Eilat Airport you can also buy a prepaid Israel sim card. There is a kiosk in the Arrival hall that sells prepaid sim cards for Israel. You can't miss it, the airport in Eilat is very small.
Online
Arrive prepared in Israel and be online as soon as the plane lands with a sim card for Israel that you buy on the internet before your trip. You can choose to get a physical prepaid sim card send to your home address or simply get an eSIM for traveling to Israel.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an eSIM for Israel via either SimOptions, Nomad, Airalo or Sim to Israel.
Prices prepaid sim card for Israel in 2024
Luckily most providers only have 1 or 2 Israel sim card for tourists available, which made my comparison of the prepaid sim cards in Israel much easier. All the prepaid sim card plans mentioned below are only for use in Israel. Prices are in Israeli New Shekel and updated as per August 2024: $1 USD = 3.7 ILS and 1 ILS = $0.27 USD.
Pelephone Israel sim card
A prepaid Phelephone Israel sim card comes with free use of social media apps + unlimited calling & texting. They have the following data packages valid for 30 days.
- 70 GB data = 59 NIS ($16)
- 80 GB data = 79 NIS ($22)
- 100 GB data = 99 NIS ($27)
For more info have a look at the Pelephone Israel website.
Partner
Partner has the best network in Israel, but not the best prices for prepaid sim cards.
- 100 NIS ($27) = 35 GB data + unlimited calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
The above deal is what you will find in phone shops in Tel Aviv, but on the Partner website the up to date deals are much worse. Also the Partner website is for the most parts NOT in English and does NOT translate automatically into English either.
HOT Mobile
- 89 NIS ($24) = 50 GB data + unlimited calls to Israel/US/Canada - valid for 30 days.
- 129 NIS ($35) = 100 GB data + unlimited calls & text to Israel/US/Canada - valid for 30 days.
Cellcom
- 49.90 NIS ($14) = 500 GB data + 500 minutes & 5,000 sms - valid for 30 days.
Seems like a great prepaid sim card package, but unfortunately I could not find this on my trip to Israel in any of the stores. The above though is the latest package I found on the Cellcom website. Mind you that the website does NOT translate to English and it hardly impossible to figure the extra costs like activation costs and sim card fee.
019
The 019 sim cards cost 20 NIS ($3) and they have much smaller data packages.
- 19.80 NIS ($5.5) = 12 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
- 21.90 NIS ($6) = 30 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days.
For more info about the prepaid packages of 019 Israel, have a look at their website.
012 Mobile
I couldn't find any extra info about the sim card fee or the activation fee of 012 Mobile.
- 29.90 NIS ($8 USD) = 150 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days + 50 international minutes.
- 49.90 NIS ($14 USD) = 250 GB data + 5,000 calls & sms - valid for 30 days + 50 international minutes.
It was hard to figure out if the above packages were post paid plans or prepaid plans to be honest. The 012 Mobile website was not much of help either.
Best 4G/5G network in Israel in 2024
All the mobile internet providers have strong network coverage in all the tourist destinations in Israel. 019 and 012 Mobile operate on the network of Partner. Below you can see all the network coverage maps for Israel per mobile operator.
Is there 5G in Israel?
Yes, there is very good 5G coverage in most of the best places to visit in Israel, especially the tourist destinations. In 2024 Pelephone is the provider with the best 5G network coverage in Israel. Have a look at the comparison of the network coverage maps of Partner, Pelephone, Hot Mobile and Cellcom.
4G/5G network coverage map Cellcom
4G/5G network coverage map HOT Mobile
4G/5G network coverage map Partner
4G/5G network coverage map Pelephone
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2024 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in Israel in 2024.
From the above network coverage maps we see that all Israel tourist destinations are covered with a really good 4G/LTE mobile network and even 5G is widespread in Israel.
For tourists traveling to off the beaten path places in Israel this is not the best Israel prepaid sim card. Pelephone and Cellcom have the strongest mobile network and the best 4G/5G coverage in Israel in 2024.
Simple conclusion is also that Pelephone has the best 5G network in Israel in 2024, Cellcom and Partner are a good second choice for 5G in Israel, Hot Mobile has the weakest 4G/5G mobile data network in Israel in 2024.
Best eSIMs for Israel
eSIMs are the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Israel in 2024. No more visiting a sim card shop and swapping physical sim cards. You arrange everything online within just a couple clicks.
I already showed you the eSIMs from Sim to Israel, but there are more e-sim providers.
You order an eSIM for Israel on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have an Israel eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Israel it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible before ordering an eSIM for Israel.
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable e-sim provider and these are their Israel eSIM plans for 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.50 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $5.50 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $7 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $9.50 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $13.5 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $17 USD
Click here for more info or to order an eSIM for Israel via Airalo.
The above data-only eSIMs for Israel are from Annatel and they do not support calling and texting. Data is only valid in Israel and they operate on the 5G network of Partner network. The Annatel eSIM for Israel is 5G ready.
SimOptions
SimOptions is another reliable e-sim provider that sells eSIMs from pretty much every country in the world. Traveltomtom has been using SimOptions sim cards for more than 5 years now without a problem. Here are the SimOptions eSIM plans for Israel in 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5.50 USD
- 3 GB data for 15 days = $9.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 15 days = $13.50 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $19.90 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $34 USD
Click here for more info or to order an eSIM for Israel via SimOptions.
Traveltomtom has used SimOptions e-sims in more than 50 countries around the world, but their Israel eSIM plans are much more expensive than Sim to Israel and Airalo.
Best Israel sim card for tourists in 2024
The available Israel eSIMs on the internet are amazing deals and if you are looking for the easiest way to stay connected then this is a great option.
A local prepaid sim card for Israel might be a couple dollar cheaper, but you can only buy one on arrival in Israel in a phone store.
From the comparison of all the Israel prepaid sim cards Traveltomtom concludes that they are CHEAP! You can basically get UNLIMITED DATA for just a couple dollar. There is fierce competition and there is NOT that much difference between the mobile internet providers in Israel when it comes to the prices for data packages and plans. The big difference was the 4G/5G network strength, but even that is very little in 2024.
Traveltomtom rates Pelephone as the best prepaid sim card in Israel in 2024 because of its great prepaid sim card plans and excellent 4G/5G network in Israel.
Pelephone has the best 5G network coverage in 2024 and offers a prepaid sim card with 70 GB and unlimited calls and sms in Israel for just 59 NIS ($16 USD).
But what about being online as the plane lands?
Don't waste time finding a sim card shop on arrival, simply order your sim card for Israel on the internet. You can order a physical prepaid sim card as well as an eSIM for Israel.
Get a physical sim card delivered to your home address for free or pick up a sim card for free on arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport. Prices are also really competitive and now in 2024 there are also eSIMs available, which makes getting connected even more easy.
- 150 GB data + unlimited calls & sms in Israel + unlimited calls & sms to USA and Canada = $25 USD
Valid for 7 days = $25 USD, 10 days = $29 USD, 14 days = $35 USD, 21 days = $39 USD, 30 days = $45 USD.
Click here to directly order an Israel sim card via Sim to Israel.
Another recommended eSIM for Israel is Airalo as their e-sim plans also are very affordable and already start from just $4.5 USD.
Last time I traveled to Israel I had an eSIM with 1 GB data from Airalo. But because I also wanted to test a local prepaid sim card I bought a HOT Mobile sim card on arrival. Simply because they were just the first store that I stumbled upon and they offered a mountain of Gigabytes for $20 USD and I had no time to find a Pelephone store.
I had no problems at all traveling through Israel. Always enjoyed a fast internet connection.
Looking for some vital Israel travel tips then click in the link. While traveling in Israel I went on some pretty cool adventures: hot air ballooning, ATV riding through the desert and many more things. See my list of the best things to do in Israel.
Click on the links for more info about sim cards for international travel in 2024 or the best sim card for Asia in 2024. In my article I will explain when it is better to buy a local sim card instead of an international sim card.
I am sure some of the above tips for getting a sim card for Israel were helpful. If you have any questions please leave me a comment, I am happy to help you out with any questions about buying a sim card in Israel as well as travel tips for Israel.
Go check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom if you are interested in a world traveler trying to visit every country in the world. As of August 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries.
Enjoy your trip to Israel!
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for traveling to Israel are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.