Ready for the Winter Olympics? Better Book Those Tickets to Italy!

The Winter Olympic Games sometimes get a little overshadowed by their summer cousins, and we really don’t think that’s particularly fair. After all, the chilly events sportspeople have to endure at the Winter Games still require incredible feats of strength and endurance, and what’s more, they take place at some of the most spectacular destinations all over the world.

It’s easy to assume that the Winter Olympic Games usually take place solely in Nordic countries, the Great White North, or the chilly peaks of Switzerland and Austria. Now, while they are all viable host nations compared to, say, warmer countries like Barbados or Madagascar, the Committee does still try to spread its wings a little!

The 2026 Winter Games, therefore, will be taking place in Lombardy and broader northern Italy! You’ve got a couple of months until the events start getting underway, but now is absolutely the time to start thinking about booking tickets for flights, accommodation, the games themselves… and grabbing an eSIM. More on that shortly!

What to Know About the 2026 Winter Olympic Games

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be taking place from Friday, February 6th to Sunday, February 22nd, with the opening ceremony taking place at the Stadio San Siro, and the closing ceremony unfolding at the Verona Arena.

Events and celebrations will be taking place across Italy’s snowcapped north, meaning you’ll need to book flights across to Verona, Predazzo, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Anterselva, Livigno, Bormio, Tesero, and Milano. If you’re already visiting nearby Switzerland or Austria, it’s just a quick trip over the border! 

Despite how long the Olympic Games have been running in general, it might surprise you to learn that this is only the 25th Winter festival. There are scores of events to look forward to - with many of them being firm favourites with regular viewers. There are 116 different events unfolding at this year’s games, across eight different sports and 16 disciplines. Could you possibly watch a bit of everything? Time will tell!

This multi-sports extravaganza only takes place once every four years, and in between that time, you’ll get a Summer Games - meaning you’re only ever two years away, most from Olympic action. Italy is also one of those rare nations where you could comfortably host both Summer and Winter action at different times of the year!

You can still buy tickets to go and watch the Winter Games up close if you’re keen to jet across to Italy during its frostier months. However, you’ll need to act fast, and the same goes for securing travel tickets and setting up nearby accommodations, particularly as the Games have always been popular across Europe. 

Given that Italy’s easy to get to from across the continent, there’s going to be lots of competition for space and places to stay.

Above all, however, you’ll need to make sure your phone is data-ready for your travels in February. You could jet across with your usual SIM, but trust us - it’s better to load up an eSIM instead.

Why You’ll Need an Italian eSIM

It’s probably fair to say you won’t be spending your whole trip to Italy and the Winter Olympics on your phone. However, there’s a good chance you’ll want to share your adventures with loved ones - and to do that affordably, you’ll probably want to avoid using your usual SIM card and data package, no matter how your network markets it to you.

With an Italian data eSIM through SIMOVO, you always have complete control over how much mobile internet access you have remaining, and how much you spend. That’s because you pay before you go, meaning there’s no risk of you running up extra charges for chatting online, video calling, or streaming.

What’s more, an Italian eSIM through SIMOVO will remove the need for you to hunt around for WiFi hotspots. During the Winter Games, it’s extremely likely you’ll find hotspots around the main stadiums. However, you can’t always rely on them to be the most secure connections, or even the fastest.

SIMOVO, meanwhile, gives you access to 5G high-speed data through well-trusted network providers such as Vodafone, Wind, and Iliad. We can’t guarantee 5G access absolutely everywhere, but you can rest assured that provided you activate your eSIM before you travel, your device will immediately connect to the nearest network mast with the best possible connection.

That means you have complete peace of mind with regard to being able to contact people, finding your way around local areas with GPS, and streaming music and video during downtime.

What Do SIMOVO Italy eSIMs Offer?

If you know roughly how much data you use, you’re in luck. Our eSIMs for Italy arrive in a range of data sizes based on a sliding budget scale, meaning if you’re a light user, you can easily budget ahead. If you know you’ll need more data, opt for a higher package (or an unlimited eSIM - more on those shortly).

If you’re visiting for the whole of the Winter Olympics, you’ll want an eSIM that falls somewhere in the middle of our range. Italy eSIMs start from 1GB for seven days, up to 50GB for 30 days. And even then, if you run out of data during your travels, you can always get in touch with our team to top up with more.

Or, as mentioned, you could check out our unlimited eSIMs for Italy, which roll over with fresh data every 24 hours. These packages are available from 500MB a day to 5GB a day for up to 30 days - tons of data to share your Winter Olympics adventures with.

Getting an eSIM for your Italy trip this coming February means you’ve got one less thing to worry about when you get to the pistes. Spend the time saved wisely! Book into a nice lodge, check out the events itinerary, and make the most of your trip - these games won’t come around again until the next decade!