What good city wifi looks like
Reliable hotel wifi (50+ Mbps), free transit-station wifi, public-park hotspots, and 4G/5G mobile data alongside. The cities below excel; some Mediterranean cities have weaker coverage than expected.
Tallinn
Tallinn claimed first city-wide free public wifi in 2002. Estonian government pioneered digital infrastructure. Free wifi at Tallinn airport, Tallinn Bus Station, central Old Town squares. e-Residency program signal confidence.
Helsinki
Helsinki excellent municipal wifi (Helsinki Wireless), reliable hotel wifi standard. 5G coverage strong. Finland generally Europe's most digital society.
Stockholm
Stockholm Stockholm WiFi Hotspot network. Hotels reliable. Subway and tram coverage strong.
Vienna
Vienna WLAN Vienna municipal program. Coffee houses universally have wifi (Kaffeehaus tradition + modern Wi-Fi).
Berlin
Berlin Free Wi-Fi Berlin (since 2016) at major squares, transit. Coffee shops universal. Mobile signal strong throughout.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam excellent everywhere — government, hotels, cafes, public transit. Netherlands consistently top digital-infrastructure rankings.
Cities with weaker coverage
Mediterranean small cities (Sicilian villages, Greek islands), parts of rural Spain and Portugal still spotty. Hotel wifi often only-in-lobby in older properties. Mobile data more reliable than hotel wifi in such cases.
Strategy
eSIM (Airalo, Holafly) cheaper than hotel wifi for data-heavy travel. €10–25 covers 7-day European multi-country plan. Free city wifi often password-required at hotel/cafe; ask explicitly for password. Workspace cafes usually have fastest in-city wifi (60–100 Mbps). Digital nomads companion.