Montenegro and Albania on One Trip: Which eSIM?

Last updated on 30 September 2026

A week in Montenegro and Albania, four days plus three, costs €20.80 at POVNOMAD with two country eSIMs: Unlimited XL for Montenegro (5 days, €13.90) and 3 GB for Albania (€6.90). A single eSIM with unlimited data in both countries costs €24.50 for seven days with Airalo’s “Eurolink” and €33.90 with Holafly’s “Balkans” eSIM. Neither includes Kosovo. Prices as of 29 September 2026.

If you want to install just one eSIM and also have unlimited data in Albania, Airalo Eurolink is cheaper than us on the survey date. If Kosovo is on your route, our Global eSIM covers all three countries, but with fixed data only: 5 GB for 30 days costs €25.90.

Which eSIMs cover Montenegro and Albania

A country eSIM only works in that one country. For both countries you need two eSIMs or a regional plan that includes both. As of 29 September 2026:

Country lists read on 29.09.2026 on povnomad.com, airalo.com, esim.holafly.com/de and nomadesim.com/de. Eurolink and Holafly Balkans also include Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia, and Eurolink adds Croatia and Italy. Nomad lists Kosovo as temporarily unavailable on its Balkans plan.

According to the product pages, our Montenegro eSIM uses m:tel as an example network and the Albania eSIM uses One and Vodafone; both allow hotspot use. For the other Balkan countries, see our Balkan eSIM comparison.

What a week costs: three routes compared

Three ways to split a round trip, prices from 29 September 2026:

All prices collected on the providers’ websites on 29.09.2026. “–” = no plan on offer on the survey date. Offers may change. The plans are not like for like: at POVNOMAD, Albania is fixed data only, and so is the Global eSIM, which in return covers Kosovo. Unlimited at POVNOMAD means Unlimited XL: 3 GB of high-speed data per 24 hours, then up to 1 Mbit/s. Airalo slows Eurolink to 1 Mbit/s after 5 GB a day and its Montenegro and Albania plans after 3 GB. Holafly names no threshold and says any throttling lasts one day at most; Holafly limits hotspot sharing to 1 GB a day.

With two eSIMs, you pay the least with us in all three splits, as long as 3 to 5 GB is enough for Albania. Airalo Eurolink costs €3.70 more for a week, but gives you unlimited data in both countries with 5 GB of high-speed data a day and needs only one install. Over two weeks, Eurolink at €44.50 is €17.70 above our €26.80. Holafly Balkans costs more than Eurolink in every column.

If you stream video every day in Albania or tether a laptop, take 10 GB for €13.90 or 20 GB for €20.90 with us, both valid for 30 days. We had no unlimited plan for Albania on the survey date. Our unlimited eSIM page explains our unlimited tiers, and our Travel eSIM Price Study 2026 compares the fair use rules of the big providers.

How to switch eSIMs at the border

According to our product pages, the validity of our eSIMs starts on first contact with the partner network in the destination country, not at purchase. You can install both eSIMs at home on Wi-Fi.

1. At home: install the Montenegro and Albania eSIMs (instructions for iPhone and Android). Then switch both lines off until you are in each country.
2. In Montenegro: turn on the Montenegro eSIM, set it as your mobile data line and enable data roaming for this eSIM. Turn data roaming off on your home SIM.
3. At the border, for example at Božaj–Hani i Hotit between Podgorica and Shkodër or Sukobin–Muriqan near Ulcinj: turn on the Albania eSIM, set it as your data line, enable data roaming and switch the Montenegro eSIM off.

Your home number stays reachable for calls and texts, for example for your bank’s verification codes. Your provider bills those outside the EU at your plan’s rates; our eSIMs carry data only. On an iPhone you switch lines under Settings > Mobile Service (Cellular), on a Samsung under Settings > Connections > SIM manager.

No EU roaming in Montenegro and Albania

Montenegro and Albania are not part of the EU roaming area. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in October 2025 that roaming charges with both countries would end in 2026. On 4 June 2026 the Council of the EU authorised negotiations with the six Western Balkan partners, with no date set for entry into force (European Western Balkans). Reports that both countries have been roaming-free since June 2026 are wrong as of 29 September 2026.

Since 2026 only a voluntary price cap applies: each signatory operator must offer 1 GB for less than €14 in at least one product (Regional Cooperation Council). Each operator decides which plan that is, so check your provider’s roaming options before you leave. A local SIM from Montenegro works in Albania at domestic rates: the six Western Balkan economies have had roam like at home among themselves since 1 July 2021 (European Commission).

Dubrovnik, Neum and the ferry: roaming before the border

Many routes start in Croatia, where EU roaming applies. Around Dubrovnik, your phone can connect to a network across the border, according to the German telecoms portal teltarif.de (July 2026), and EU roaming does not cover Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Watch the network name on your screen and pick the Croatian network by hand if in doubt. The coast road crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum; since 26 July 2022 you can bypass that stretch via the Pelješac Bridge. Other border spots where your phone can slip onto a non-EU network, from Kotor to Lake Ohrid, are covered in Border roaming in the Balkans. Our Global eSIM and Airalo Eurolink work in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, while a Montenegro eSIM won’t help you in Croatia.

On the ferry from Bari to Bar or Durrës, your phone connects to an onboard or satellite network at sea, which is outside EU roaming. The EU Roaming Regulation 2022/612 requires EU providers to protect you from unwanted charges there, for example by blocking such networks on request (Article 14(7)). The spending cap of close to €50 excluding VAT per month applies on board too (Article 14(4) and (8)). Before the ferry leaves, turn off mobile data on your home SIM and switch to your eSIM in port. Our country eSIMs are prepaid and only work in their country, so they cost nothing extra at sea.

Kosovo and the Albanian Alps

If Kosovo is on your route, for example a detour to Peja or Prizren, most regional plans no longer fit. In this comparison, only our Global eSIM and Airalo Discover cover all three countries on one eSIM. On fixed data we are cheaper: 3 GB for 30 days costs €17.90 with us and €22.00 with Airalo Discover. The only unlimited plan here that includes Kosovo is Airalo Discover, at €41.00 for seven days.

For a short detour, a separate Kosovo eSIM is enough: €6.90 for 1 GB and seven days with us. Airalo is cheaper for larger plans, with 5 GB for 30 days at €20.50 against our €24.90. Our guide to ATM fees in Kosovo lists which cash machines charge a fee.

In the Albanian Alps you lose signal on the hiking stages between Valbona and Theth and on the ferry across Lake Komani. No provider guarantees coverage at a specific spot, so download maps and tickets in advance. More on networks and 5G is in our comparisons for Albania and Montenegro.

Frequently asked questions

As of 29 September 2026. All prices were read in euros on that day on the povnomad.com product pages, on airalo.com, esim.holafly.com and nomadesim.com and may change at any time.