Mobile data was one of the first things we sorted out after landing in Ireland. Our German SIM only comes with limited data in the EU, and for a longer road trip that just wasn’t going to cut it — so on our very first day, we stopped at a Three store to pick up a prepaid SIM.

Three Super Surfer Plan: Price, Data & What’s Included

We went with the Three Super Surfer plan, priced at €20 with a top-up for 28 days. It gets you unlimited data within Ireland, 30 GB to use across the EU, 200 minutes, and 200 texts — more than enough for a van life trip where most of what you need data for is maps, hotspot tethering, and staying in touch. Three also offers other prepay options, including Three Connect Complete (€25, unlimited Irish data, 37 GB EU roaming, unlimited minutes) and Three Total Talker (€20, 10 GB data, unlimited minutes), so depending on how much you rely on calls versus data, it’s worth comparing plans before deciding. Current pricing and full plan details are on the official Three Ireland prepay page.

🎥 We picked up our Three SIM in Portlaoise on the first day of our road trip. You can see the stop in our vlog: watch from 5:51. Straight after, we grabbed lunch at Supermac’s just around the corner.

Buying and Setting Up the SIM

The whole process was refreshingly simple. We paid, handed over our phone, and the staff member put the SIM in and activated it right there in the store — no fiddling with activation codes or waiting around for a text to confirm we were online. Within a couple of minutes we had working data and were back on the road. If you’d rather not deal with a physical SIM at all, Three also supports eSIM, which is worth asking about at the store or checking online.

How the Network Actually Performed

For the most part, coverage was solid — motorways, towns, and most of the areas we drove through had a reliable signal. That said, we did run into two or three situations, mostly in more rural stretches of the country, where we lost signal entirely for a while. This tracks with what’s generally said about Three in Ireland: coverage is strong in and around populated areas, but like most networks, it thins out in remote countryside, so don’t expect flawless signal everywhere if you’re heading off the beaten path.

Final Thoughts

For a straightforward, no-fuss way to get unlimited data on a road trip through Ireland, the Three Super Surfer prepaid SIM did exactly what we needed. Setup was quick, the price was fair, and coverage was good almost everywhere — just be prepared for the occasional dead zone if your route takes you through rural areas.

Three Super Surfer FAQ

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Planning your own Ireland trip? Check our St. Helens Pier post, our Duckett’s Grove post, and our Ireland facts before you go.