Using your phone abroad can cost nothing, a few pounds a day, or a great deal more, depending on your network, your plan and where you go. Free roaming in the EU ended with Brexit, and networks have since set their own rules. This guide shows what to check before you travel, what the big networks charge, when a travel eSIM saves money and where the hidden traps are.
Three questions to ask before you go
- Is roaming included in my plan for where I am going?
- If not, what is the daily charge?
- What is the fair use limit on data once I am there?
Your network must publish its roaming charges on its website, so look there first. Plans differ even within one network, so check the one you actually hold.
Europe
| Network | Using your plan in Europe | Fair use data limit |
|---|---|---|
| EE | A daily charge of about £2.47 to £2.72 on most plans. Some plans include it. | Around 25GB on inclusive plans, though some sources give more |
| O2 | No daily charge on most plans, across its Europe Zone | 25GB, and no more than 63 days in any four months |
| Vodafone | £2.75 a day on recent Pay Monthly plans, or an 8 day pass at £16 or a 15 day pass at £21. Some plans include it. | 25GB |
| Three | Go Roam in Europe, at £2 or £2.75 a day depending on your plan. Some plans include it. | 12GB |
Rates rise each April, and changes happen with little notice, so confirm the figure on your network’s own page. Vodafone also lists a small group of nearby places, such as Ireland and the Isle of Man, as included on its Pay Monthly plans.
Not every popular holiday spot sits inside a Europe zone. Switzerland, Turkey, Andorra and Monaco are outside the EU’s roaming rules, and each network draws its own zone map, so look up the country by name.
Beyond Europe
| Network | Typical daily cost to use your plan outside Europe |
|---|---|
| O2 | About £7 on a standard plan, with a travel bolt on for more countries |
| Three | About £8 for Around the World destinations, and some plans include them |
| Vodafone | About £8 on plans without a global add on |
| EE | Varies by plan and country, so use its roaming checker |
For trips outside Europe, the daily cost often exceeds a travel eSIM. Our guide to plans that include roaming shows which deals bundle it, and SIM only plans with roaming included covers the fixed term versions. Smaller brands often have their own limits, so read roaming limits on budget brands.
Roaming or travel eSIM?
A travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan for one country or region. You keep your UK SIM for calls and texts, with data roaming switched off, and run all data through the eSIM. Typical prices run from about £5 to £20 for a week or more.
| Trip | Better choice |
|---|---|
| One or two nights in Europe on O2 | Your own plan, since there is no daily fee |
| A week in Europe on EE, Vodafone or Three | Compare the daily charge multiplied by your days against a travel eSIM |
| A long trip, or a family with several phones | Travel eSIM, since one daily charge is paid per phone |
| A trip outside Europe | Travel eSIM, which is usually cheaper than a daily pass |
| You need your UK number for calls and bank codes | Keep the UK SIM live, with a travel eSIM for data |
Set it up before you fly, using the steps in setting up a travel eSIM, and make sure the phone is on Wi-Fi when you add it.
The rules that protect you
Ofcom cannot cap what networks charge. Since 1 October 2024, providers must tell you when you start roaming, and explain any charges, fair use limits and the time period that applies to a daily charge. They must offer a bill limit or spend cap. Once you set a limit, the provider must warn you when you are likely to reach it, and it can only be passed with your express consent.
Do not opt out of the arrival message. O2, for example, says stopping alerts could leave you open to unexpected charges.
Traps to avoid
- Borders. Near the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland border, or between Turkey and Greece, your phone can latch on to the stronger signal across the line. Switch off roaming, or change network selection from automatic to manual. Ofcom says providers must tell you how to prevent this, and some do not charge Northern Ireland customers for it. Refunds are not automatic, so contact your network if you are billed.
- Ships and ferries. At sea, your phone can connect to a satellite service that costs more than normal roaming. Turn off mobile data before you leave port, and use onboard Wi-Fi if you need it.
- Planes. Use flight mode.
- Wi-Fi that drops. If data roaming is on and the Wi-Fi fails, your phone may switch to a mobile network.
- Voicemail and calls. Listening to voicemail abroad can be charged, and so can calls back to the UK on some plans.
- Children’s phones, watches and tablets. Check them before you go, since each device can run up its own charges.
- Pay as you go auto top up. Turn it off if you are roaming, so you do not spend more than you intended. See topping up pay as you go before you travel.
Before you fly
- Check your plan, the daily charge and the fair use limit.
- Set a bill limit with your network.
- Decide between roaming and a travel eSIM, and set it up at home.
- Download maps, playlists and shows on Wi-Fi. See how much data a trip uses to size the allowance.
- Turn off background updates and auto selection of networks, if you are near a border or the sea.
- Check roaming costs on a child’s phone.
- Ask about cover for a phone on holiday if you are taking an expensive handset.
FAQs
Is free EU roaming coming back?
Not so far. Reports say the UK raised it in its talks with the EU and was turned down. The EU extended its own roam like at home rules to 2032, but they do not cover the UK.
What happens if I pass the fair use limit?
You can usually keep using data, but at standard daily or per use rates, and some networks cut your speed. Check your network’s wording.
What if my phone roams by accident?
Contact your network and ask for the charge to be removed. Providers must help you avoid inadvertent roaming, but refunds are not automatic.