Free EU roaming isn’t standard any more
It used to be simple. You’d land in Spain, your phone would work exactly like it did at home, and nobody thought twice about it. That’s no longer true across the board. EU roaming charges have crept back in at most of the big four UK networks, and only one of them still holds the line on free roaming as standard.
If you’re planning an autumn trip, half term getaway or just a work call from an airport lounge, it’s worth checking your network’s actual policy rather than assuming the old rules still apply.
Which networks still include free EU roaming?
O2 is currently the outlier. It includes roaming across a wide range of EU destinations on its plans, with data typically capped at a fair use limit rather than charged daily, which makes it the closest thing left to “just works” roaming among the big networks.
EE, Vodafone and Three have moved to daily roaming charges on most current plans, generally somewhere in the region of £2 to £3 a day depending on the plan and when you signed up. Three has kept some older customers, those who joined or upgraded before its charges changed, on a lower legacy rate. The exact figure depends on your specific plan, so check your own account rather than relying on a headline number.
How much could EU roaming charges actually cost you?
A week in France on a network charging a daily roaming fee could add up to £20 or so on top of your normal bill, purely for using your phone as you would at home. It’s not a huge sum on its own, but it’s an easy one to forget about until the bill lands. Multiply that by a family of four, or a longer two week trip, and it starts to look like a proper line item rather than pocket change.
Key takeaways
- O2 is currently the only major UK network including EU roaming as standard, up to a fair use data cap.
- EE, Vodafone and Three generally charge a daily roaming fee, often in the £2 to £3 a day range.
- Fair use data caps apply even where roaming is included, so heavy streaming abroad can still trigger extra charges.
- Coverage quality abroad varies by network and local partner, not just by price.
- A travel eSIM is worth comparing against your existing plan’s EU roaming charges before you fly.
Does a travel eSIM beat paying EU roaming charges?
Sometimes, yes. If your own network charges a daily fee and you’re travelling for more than a few days, a local or regional data eSIM can work out cheaper, especially for a longer trip. For a short weekend break, the daily roaming charge on your existing SIM might still be the simpler option, since you don’t have to install anything new before you fly.
Do the maths on your actual trip length rather than assuming one option always wins. Roo’s take: five days away is usually the point where a separate eSIM starts paying for itself.
What should you check before you travel?
Log into your network’s app and look up your plan’s specific EU roaming terms, not a general answer someone gave you last year. Policies have shifted more than once since Brexit, and your own contract’s start date can affect which rate applies.
Check the fair use data cap too, even on a network that includes roaming for free. Streaming video or using your phone as a laptop hotspot abroad can burn through an allowance faster than you’d expect, and going over it usually means slower speeds or an extra charge.
If you’re heading somewhere outside the EU, none of this applies in the same way. Long haul roaming charges are usually higher again, so it’s worth a separate check for any trip further afield.
Ofcom also requires providers to alert you when your phone starts roaming, so you can’t rack up EU roaming charges completely by accident. Border areas are the usual catch, since your phone can pick up a network across the boundary without you realising, so a quick check of your alerts settings before you travel is worth the two minutes it takes.
Frequently asked questions about EU roaming charges
- Which UK network still has free EU roaming?
- O2 currently includes EU roaming as standard on most of its plans, up to a fair use data limit, making it the exception among the big four networks.
- How much are EU roaming charges on EE, Vodafone and Three?
- Typically in the region of £2 to £3 a day on current plans, though some legacy customers may still be on an older, lower rate. Always check your own plan’s terms.
- Is a travel eSIM cheaper than paying EU roaming charges?
- Often, for trips longer than a few days. For a short break, your existing SIM’s daily roaming charge can still work out simpler and about as cheap.
- Do EU roaming charges apply to calls and texts as well as data?
- Policies vary by network and plan, so check whether your fee or allowance covers calls and texts abroad as well as data, not just data alone.
- Does my fair use data cap apply even if EU roaming is free?
- Yes. Even networks that include roaming as standard usually cap the data at a fair use limit, beyond which speeds may slow or extra charges can apply.
None of this means you need a new phone plan just for one holiday. It just means five minutes checking your actual terms beats finding out the hard way when you land. If a dedicated travel option looks better for your trip, our guide to travel eSIMs walks through how they work. And if EU roaming charges are the final straw on an expensive plan, our SIM only comparison checklist covers what to look for before you switch.
Ofcom has more on protecting yourself from surprise charges abroad, including how roaming alerts work, on its guide to avoiding surprise mobile charges on holiday.
