The cost of using your mobile phone in Europe is something to consider on holiday or when travelling, as roaming charges were reintroduced by some providers following Brexit.
Leaving the European Union meant the EU’s ban on roaming charges – introduced in 2017 – no longer applied in the UK.
The UK government has set a roaming limit of £45 per month in Europe for each phone, which means you cannot continue to use mobile data services there when roaming unless you actively choose to continue spending.
UK law now says phone providers must continue to send you alerts when you are at 80% and 100% data usage.
So if you’re heading off to Europe this summer, how much can you expect to pay to use your phone and do you need to do anything in advance to ensure you’re charged the lowest amount possible?
Let’s find out.
EE
If your EE plan started after 18 August 2021 then you will pay a daily charge of £2.29 a day for roaming.
You don’t need to do anything to opt in: if you use your allowances you’ll pay £2.29 for that day, and if you don’t, you won’t be charged anything.
All your allowances work just like at home – and you can buy more data if you need to.
If your plan offers ‘inclusive extras’ you can add a Roam Abroad pass.
Anyone can add this Roam Abroad pass for £10 a month – so if you’re going to be away for longer than four days it’s a cheaper option.
Vodafone
If your plan doesn’t include inclusive roaming in Europe (Vodafone classes this as Zone B) you’ll pay £2.25 a day to roam in these European destinations.
You can reduce this cost with a Vodafone European Roaming pass, available as £10 for 8 days or £15 for 15 days.
O2
O2 prides itself on being ‘the only major network that isn’t bringing back EU roaming charges for up to 25GB’.
So if you’re on O2 you can use your phone just as you would at home.
If your O2 data allowance is more than 25GB in the UK, it will be capped at that level in Europe – you can use more, but you’ll have to pay for it.
However, if you use it in Europe for more than 63 days in any four-month period, this is classed as ‘permanent roaming’and you’ll be warned about this – if you continue you’ll incur surcharges.
Giffgaff
Giffgaff plans can be used in the EU and selected destinations just like you use them at home and at no extra cost.
Usage is, however, capped at 5GB in Europe.
If you have, a Giffgaff ‘goodybag’ with an unlimited UK data allowance, once you have used over 5GB of data in Europe, you will then be charged 10p per MB.
Sky Mobile
Sky’s Roaming Passport Plus pass (£2 a day) lets you access your UK data, calls and text allowances in over 55 holiday destinations.
These include the EU/EEA, the USA, Australia and more (excluding the Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).
Tesco mobile
For all of 2023, Tesco Mobile’s Home From Home means you can use your phone in 48 destinations including the EU as you do at home.
You can use your minutes, texts and data as normal. If you exceed yourr limit, data is charged at 10p per MB.
Three
If your Three plan started on or after 1 October 2021, you can unlock your data allowances – and call and text the UK and other Go Roam in Europe destinations – for a daily roaming charge of £2 a day in Europe.
That said, if you’re on a Three Your Way plan, it comes with up to 56 days of roaming included. If you run out – or you’re on a Standard plan – you can also buy 3, 7, or 14-day Go Roam Passes. All are subject to a 12GB fair usage limit.
MORE : Vodafone and Three to merge – what it means for your mobile phone bills
MORE : Where is the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone? Phone provider’s data policy explained
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