It’s been a few years since Brexit, so you may already forgotten we used to roam the EU cost-free, at least when it came to extra phone charges.
Now, if you want to stream Daniel Bedingfield on a boat in the Mediterranean (no judgment here), you’re likely to be clobbered with additional charges for the data, unless you choose your plan wisely.
The situation in 2025 is quite patchwork, with some providers still offering coverage without extra charge, but others asking for more of your cash for the privilege.
Here is what you can expect if you use the UK’s ‘Big Four’, which are the ones that operate their own networks, as well the smaller providers which focus on roaming.
O2 (now merged with Virgin Media)
If you’re a Ryanair regular, this provider could be your best bet as they do not charge extra for EU roaming, up to 25GB of data.
‘We’re the only major network to include roaming in our Europe Zone as part of our tariffs,’ they boasted.
In the Uswitch Telecoms Awards last year, the network won Best Mobile Network for Roaming, for delivering ‘seamless data roaming to both pay-as-you-go and contract customers, enhancing connectivity and making travel more convenient’.
Find the full details of their roaming packages here.
Three UK
The situation with Three is a bit more complicated, but they are trying to help out a bit with EU roaming.
A certain number of days are included in their current standard plans, except for Lite. Value and Complete plans include 56 days per year without extra charges for roaming in 49 European destinations, up to 12GB of data. If you are on Lite or an older plan, you can buy a Go Roam in Europe pass.
Find the full details here.
EE (part of BT Group)
Phone use in the EU is not included in the standard package, and you will need to buy a daily or weekly add on to avoid high charges (it is currently £2.50 a day for 24 hours of ‘Roam Like Home’.
Check the full details here.
Vodafone UK
EU roaming is not included by default in Vodafone plans, and you will need to pay for a premium plan if you don’t want to worry about payment shocks when you check your bill.
You can buy add-ons for EU roaming, costing £2.25 per day or £15 for 15 days. Even with this, there is usually a daily cap of 25GB of data.
Find the details on Vodafone roaming here.
What about other networks?
Tesco Mobile has promised to offer free roaming in ‘Home from Home’ destinations until 2026, saying ‘you can take your minutes, texts, and data along with you’.
Asda Mobile also offers inclusive roaming in 46 European countries, up to a 5GB data limit. Over this, usage will cost 10p per MB, and users will be informed when they reach 80% and 100% of their data limit.
Smaller or budget providers ID Mobile, Lycamobile, Smarty, Giffgaff, Talkmobile, and 1p mobile also include EU data roaming as default, but check usage caps before travelling.
Which countries are included in European plans?
Each provider will have a slightly different list of countries, so check on their websites which are included, especially if there is one in particular that you visit a lot.
The standard ones tend to be those in the European Union, but don’t get caught out: some major countries are not in the EU, including Switzerland, Norway, Serbia, and Iceland, and so you might be hit by charges even if you plan covers some European roaming.
Popular holiday destination Turkey, whose biggest city spans two continents, is also rarely included in European roaming plans, and global plans are needed for inclusive coverage for many providers.
If you take a daytrip to the Vatican or San Marino you might be hit with charges, even though they are surrounded by Italy.
And the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are also not part of the EU or UK, so you could be charged.
See our map above for a full list of European countries that could catch you out with roaming charges.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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