Best eSIM for Switzerland 2026: Saily Tested by a Swiss Local
Updated: 2 days ago
Disclosure: TechNovice is supported by affiliate partnerships. Saily is a partner of this site, but this recommendation is based on my own documented field testing across Switzerland and separate provider research. I may earn a commission if you buy through TechNovice at no additional cost to you.
I tested Saily myself across St. Gallen, the Alpstein, Graubünden, the Engadin and other Swiss locations. Based on those field tests, Saily is my overall eSIM pick for Switzerland. Across 25 documented measurements, I recorded a median download speed of 58.06 Mbps, with results ranging from 3.30 Mbps to 515.19 Mbps.
I also used Saily for real remote work, navigation, streaming and laptop tethering. As someone who lives in Switzerland and knows these regions well, my main takeaway is simple: Saily is fast enough for most travelers, including remote work, but I would not rely on any travel eSIM for continuous coverage in remote Alpine terrain.
Airalo remains a good fixed-data alternative, while Holafly is worth considering if unlimited data is your main priority.
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Key facts
My overall pick: Saily
Tested by: Nico Dudli, TechNovice founder and Swiss resident
Documented measurements: 25
Locations: St. Gallen, Rorschach, Alpstein, Schwägalp, Chur, Churwalden, Bad Ragaz, Engadin and Seealpsee
Median download: 58.06 Mbps
Median upload: 11.45 Mbps
Median latency: 54 ms
Download range: 3.30–515.19 Mbps
Fastest result: 515.19 Mbps near Chur
Confirmed Saily networks: Salt and Sunrise
Swisscom: Not supported according to Saily support on August 14, 2026
Swiss +41 number: Not included
Optional phone number: Separate US +1 call/text add-on
Remote work: Successfully tested via USB tethering and Personal Hotspot
Why I recommend Saily for Switzerland
I recommend Saily because I have personally tested it across very different parts of Switzerland rather than judging it from provider specifications alone.
I live in St. Gallen and have lived in Switzerland for more than 30 years. That gives me a useful baseline for judging whether an eSIM connection is genuinely practical here, especially outside the major cities.
My tests included normal urban use, train and road travel, Alpine hiking and several days of remote work in the Engadin.
The most useful number from my dataset is the 58.06 Mbps median download. For me, that is much more meaningful than simply advertising the 515.19 Mbps peak because it better reflects the middle of my real measurements.
At around 58 Mbps, I had more than enough bandwidth for the things I actually use while travelling:
Google Maps and Swiss transport apps
WhatsApp and FaceTime
email and web browsing
HD streaming
Wix and ChatGPT
laptop tethering
cloud-based work
My personal conclusion is that Saily delivered more performance than I normally need on a Switzerland trip.
The main caveat is the mountains. I measured excellent speeds in some remote places but had virtually no usable connection at Meglisalp. I therefore would not rely on Saily, Swisscom, Sunrise, Salt or any other mobile provider as my only navigation solution in remote Alpine terrain.
How fast was Saily in my Switzerland tests?
Across my 25 documented Switzerland measurements, I recorded a median download speed of 58.06 Mbps, a median upload speed of 11.45 Mbps and median latency of 54 ms.
My Switzerland field testing | Result |
|---|---|
Documented measurements | 25 |
Median download | 58.06 Mbps |
Median upload | 11.45 Mbps |
Median latency | 54 ms |
Fastest download | 515.19 Mbps |
Slowest download | 3.30 Mbps |
I consider the median much more useful than the peak speed because Swiss mobile performance can change dramatically with exact location, terrain and connection type.
Three of my tests illustrate that especially well.
Chur: my fastest result at 515.19 Mbps
Near Chur, I personally measured 515.19 Mbps download and 40.85 Mbps upload on 5G.
This was the fastest Saily result I recorded in Switzerland.
For me, a connection at this level removes mobile bandwidth as a practical limitation. I would comfortably use it for large uploads, cloud transfers, video conferencing or heavy laptop tethering.
I would not, however, use this single peak to describe typical Saily performance in Switzerland. That is why I prefer the 58.06 Mbps median as the headline figure.
Engadin: I used Saily for several days of real remote work
The Engadin test was more useful to me than a single benchmark because I actually depended on the connection.
I stayed around Samedan and travelled through St. Moritz and Celerina while using Saily as my primary mobile connection.
For longer work sessions, I connected my MacBook Air M2 to an iPhone 15 Pro via USB tethering. Wi-Fi was disabled during the documented mobile work session.
I personally used the connection for:
editing and publishing TechNovice articles in Wix
Gmail
ChatGPT
web research
multiple browser tabs
Spotify Lossless
general browsing
My published Engadin measurements ranged from 27.68 Mbps to 316.61 Mbps.
What mattered more to me was that I could actually work. I did not need to restart the phone, manually reconnect the eSIM or constantly switch networks during the four-day Engadin test.
I occasionally noticed slower page loading during heavier multitasking, but Spotify continued streaming and I could keep working in Wix and Gmail.
Based on my experience, I would personally rely on Saily as my primary internet connection for normal remote work during a Switzerland trip.
For longer sessions, I preferred USB tethering over Wi-Fi hotspot because it gave me a stable connection while charging the iPhone at the same time.
Seealpsee vs. Meglisalp: my most useful Alpine test
One of my most surprising results came during an overnight hike in the Alpstein.
At Seealpsee, a car-free Alpine lake accessible only on foot, I personally measured more than 100 Mbps on LTE.
That was faster than several measurements I recorded in much more accessible locations.
A few hours later, the situation changed completely.
At Meglisalp, where I stayed overnight, I frequently had no usable mobile connection. I could not even run a meaningful Speedtest because the connection was not stable enough.
That experience changed how I interpret eSIM coverage in Switzerland.
Remoteness and altitude alone do not tell you whether mobile data will work. Exact terrain matters enormously.
My personal rule for hiking in Switzerland is therefore simple: download maps, accommodation information and anything important before leaving the valley.
I would follow that rule regardless of which eSIM or Swiss mobile provider I was using.
Which mobile networks did Saily use in Switzerland?
Saily support confirmed Salt and Sunrise as its Swiss roaming partners when I asked directly on August 14, 2026. I was also told that Swisscom was not supported.
That matched what I had already observed during my own testing.
I saw Saily use Salt around St. Gallen and Sunrise during parts of my Alpstein testing. I did not need to manually select either network in normal use.
This is important because I do not infer the mobile operator from Speedtest server names.
Several of my tests inside Switzerland were routed to Speedtest servers operated by companies in Liechtenstein or Austria. That does not mean my phone was connected to a Liechtenstein or Austrian cellular network.
A Speedtest server is test infrastructure, not proof of the mobile carrier.
My personal view is that access to Salt and Sunrise worked well enough in the places I visited, but the lack of Swisscom can still matter if your itinerary includes areas where Swisscom happens to have stronger local coverage.
Saily vs. Airalo vs. Holafly for Switzerland
I would personally choose Saily for most Switzerland trips because it is the option I have tested extensively here. That does not mean it is automatically the best choice for everyone.
Provider | Best for | My take |
|---|---|---|
Saily | Overall choice with extensive Swiss field testing | My first choice for most visitors |
Airalo | Straightforward fixed-data alternative | Worth comparing if its current package fits your trip better |
Holafly | Travelers prioritizing unlimited data | Stronger if you do not want to monitor data usage |
Local Swiss SIM/eSIM | Long stays or travelers needing a +41 number | Better if you need local Swiss mobile services |
I have not conducted simultaneous Saily, Airalo and Holafly speed tests at identical Swiss locations and times.
I therefore do not claim that Saily is objectively faster than either competitor.
What I can say is that Saily is the provider I can evaluate most confidently in Switzerland because I have personally used and measured it across many different locations.
Saily also includes web protection, ad blocking and virtual-location features from the Nord Security ecosystem.
I consider those useful extras, especially while travelling, but they do not prove better cellular performance.
For a dedicated comparison, see my Saily vs. Airalo comparison and Holafly vs. Saily comparison.
Does Saily give you a Swiss phone number?
No. Saily's standard Switzerland eSIM does not include a local Swiss +41 number.
Saily separately offers an optional persistent US +1 phone number with calls and texts through the app.
I think this distinction is important because describing Saily simply as "data-only" is no longer the full picture.
The eSIM itself still does not give you a Swiss mobile number, but the optional +1 service can be useful if you want a separate travel number.
For most visitors, I do not consider the missing +41 number a major disadvantage because WhatsApp, FaceTime and similar apps work over the Saily data connection.
If I specifically needed a Swiss number for local services, banking or SMS verification, I would buy a local Swiss SIM or eSIM instead.
Can I recommend Saily for remote work in Switzerland?
Yes. Based on my own Engadin test, I would use Saily for normal remote work again.
My MacBook Air M2 worked through both USB tethering and Apple's Personal Hotspot from my iPhone 15 Pro.
I used it for real work rather than only running synthetic benchmarks.
That included Wix, Gmail, ChatGPT, research and simultaneous music streaming.
My experience was not flawless. During heavier multitasking, some pages occasionally loaded more slowly.
But I never reached the point where the connection prevented me from working.
For me, that is much more meaningful than whether a Speedtest says 60 Mbps or 300 Mbps.
Switzerland plan or Europe regional eSIM?
I would choose a Switzerland plan for a Switzerland-only trip and compare it with a Europe regional plan if I were crossing several borders.
This is particularly relevant because Switzerland is outside the EU roaming area.
If your itinerary also includes Italy, France, Germany or Austria, a regional eSIM can be more convenient than changing plans at every border.
I would compare the current data allowance, validity and price before buying rather than choosing based only on the plan name.
For current package details, see my Saily eSIM plans guide.
How I set up Saily in Switzerland
I install and configure travel eSIMs before I need them rather than waiting until I arrive somewhere without connectivity.
During my Engadin test, Saily was already installed on my iPhone.
I selected Saily as the active mobile-data line, and the connection usually stabilized within about two minutes.
I did not need to change the APN, restart my phone or manually choose a network.
My recommended setup is:
Install Saily while you still have reliable Wi-Fi.
Select Saily for mobile data.
Enable data roaming for the Saily profile.
Keep network selection automatic initially.
Only troubleshoot manually if the connection does not establish itself.
For detailed instructions, see my Saily setup guide for iPhone and Saily Android setup guide.
If something does not work, use my Saily troubleshooting guide.
Who should not choose Saily for Switzerland?
I would not recommend Saily to everyone.
I would choose something else if I:
specifically needed a Swiss +41 phone number
were staying in Switzerland long enough to justify a local mobile plan
required guaranteed connectivity in remote Alpine terrain
wanted unlimited data without monitoring usage
already had generous Switzerland roaming included with my existing carrier
For a normal tourist trip where I mainly needed navigation, messaging, bookings, streaming and some hotspot use, I would choose Saily.
FAQ
Is Saily a good eSIM for Switzerland?
In my experience, yes.
I personally tested Saily across 25 documented measurements in Switzerland. My median download speed was 58.06 Mbps, with results ranging from 3.30 Mbps to 515.19 Mbps.
More importantly, I successfully used it for navigation, streaming, email and several days of remote work.
What network does Saily use in Switzerland?
Saily support confirmed Salt and Sunrise when I asked on August 14, 2026. Swisscom was not supported at that time.
I also observed Salt and Sunrise during my own Switzerland testing.
Does Saily work in the Swiss Alps?
It worked very well in some Alpine locations and poorly in others.
I personally recorded more than 100 Mbps at Seealpsee, but at Meglisalp I frequently had no usable connection.
Based on that experience, I always recommend downloading offline maps before hiking in remote parts of Switzerland.
Does Saily give you a Swiss phone number?
No.
The standard Saily eSIM does not provide a +41 Swiss number. Saily separately offers an optional US +1 number for calls and texts.
Can I use Saily as a hotspot in Switzerland?
Yes. I tested it myself.
I connected a MacBook Air M2 to my iPhone 15 Pro using both USB tethering and Apple's Personal Hotspot during my Engadin field test.
For longer work sessions, I personally preferred USB tethering.
Would I personally use Saily again in Switzerland?
Yes.
Based on my testing, I would use Saily again for a normal Switzerland trip and for remote work.
My only major reservation is remote Alpine terrain, where I would never depend entirely on mobile coverage.
About my Switzerland test and methodology
I personally conducted the field testing used in this review.
I am Nico Dudli, founder of TechNovice and a resident of St. Gallen, Switzerland. I tested Saily under normal travel conditions rather than relying only on provider information.
My 25 documented measurements used in this review cover locations including St. Gallen, Rorschach, the Alpstein, Schwägalp, Chur, Churwalden, Bad Ragaz, Samedan, St. Moritz, Celerina and Seealpsee.
Across those tests, I measured:
Median download: 58.06 Mbps
Median upload: 11.45 Mbps
Median latency: 54 ms
Download range: 3.30–515.19 Mbps
I primarily tested with an iPhone 15 Pro. For my remote-work sessions, I also connected a MacBook Air M2 through USB tethering and Personal Hotspot.
I separate my measurements from provider information.
For example, I personally measured the speeds and connection behaviour described in this article. The information that Saily supports Salt and Sunrise but not Swisscom came from my direct support inquiry.
I also treat Speedtest server names only as test infrastructure and never as proof of the underlying mobile carrier.
Finally, these results reflect my own tests, devices, locations and dates. Mobile performance changes with terrain, congestion, roaming agreements and exact position.
My recommendation is therefore based on what I personally measured and experienced, not on a claim that every traveler will receive identical performance.
