How to save money on mobile roaming charges

With many mobile providers now charging to use a phone abroad, it's vital to check costs before you travel. 

Ofcom rules now require providers to offer clear information to customers for using their phone while travelling, including on any roaming charges and fair use limits, spend caps to limit spending, clear information on inadvertent roaming and highlight where to find additional information.

In practice though, roaming is still something you need to navigate with care to avoid unexpected bills. We lay out your options so you can work out how much you'll be paying, and which mobile phone networks are best and worst for roaming.

See how your provider fares in our round-up of the best and worst UK mobile networks.

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Which mobile networks charge for roaming in the EU?

Post-Brexit, UK mobile providers are no longer tied to an EU regulation that stated consumers will be able to 'roam like at home' with no additional charges. Many providers have subsequently brought roaming charges back, with a handful, notably O2, retaining 'free' roaming in the EU with a fair usage data policy. 

Whichever mobile network you're with, it's always best to check roaming charges in your destination country before you travel – especially if you're travelling outside the EU, where it can be much more expensive.

EU roaming costs for EE, O2, Vodafone and Three customers

Three of the 'big four' mobile network providers now charge to roam in Europe, as detailed below. Note that when charged 'per day', this can be either 24 hours from first use, or until 11.59pm (UK time) from when you start using your minutes or data, depending on the provider. 

Mobile providers with free EU roaming

Fortunately not all providers have reintroduced roaming costs. Most of those that haven't are virtual providers, which can offer far better value for money than the big four. Check the table below for a summary of mobile providers that offer free EU roaming, and click the links to view Sim prices. Switching provider is easy – read our guide on how to switch mobile provider if you're not sure how it works.

Mobile roaming charges outside the EU

If your jet-setting takes you further afield than Europe, cost can vary dramatically between different networks, so make sure you understand the terms of your agreement. 

Many providers have caps in place to help consumers avoid sky-high bills. These providers should send you an alert to your phone when you have reached 80% and 100% of your limit, so you don't get any nasty surprises. 

In other cases, roaming is capped at how much money you have stored on your account when you last topped up.

But beware – if you opt to remove the safety cap, providers consider they’ve offered you ‘fair warning’ and you could still be facing a hefty bill if you forget to keep an eye on your spending. To avoid these sorts of situations, some providers, such as EE, O2 and Vodafone, have roaming add-ons that can make data and calls significantly cheaper – but there’s a catch.

Vodafone, O2, EE, and Three travel bundles

Each of the ‘big four’ providers – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone – offer a different way to help keep your roaming costs manageable. But these may not always represent good value for money, depending on how much you expect to use.

Read the terms and conditions carefully so that you don’t end up with bill shock when you get home, and keep on top of your mobile usage while abroad. Our guide on how to keep track of your data and minutes can help.

What happens if you use up your bundle?

Even if you are able to use your phone in the EU without additional charges, bear in mind that if you run out of bundled minutes, messages or data, you'll pay the same ‘out of bundle’ charges as you would at home. This varies by operator, but could cost upwards of 50p a minute per call, 30p per text message, and 10p per megabyte of data.

It's another good reason to make sure you have a good handle on how much you're using, whether at home or abroad.

For more general advice and tips on cutting costs, read our 10 ways to save money on your mobile phone bill.

Five more ways to save money on mobile roaming

Alongside using a provider that offers free or cheap roaming, there are more ways to save.

1. Turn off roaming

Your first mistake could be that you've forgotten to switch off mobile roaming in your phone's settings. This means you're liable to be charged roaming fees from the moment you arrive in the destination country. Keep roaming switched off in your phone settings until you really need it.

2. Stick to using wi-fi

It’s pretty common to get free wi-fi in holiday accommodation, and bars, restaurants and other venues will often be happy to furnish you with a password for their public wi-fi. This is the easiest way to make savings on roaming costs, and can cover you in most situations if you’re frequenting the same spots.

In terms of whether it’s safe to use public wi-fi, if you stick to legitimate wi-fi networks of the venues you’re visiting (don’t just try and hop onto any available network), avoid those who request too much personal data to sign up, and you’re only using it for general browsing rather than more sensitive activities, like online banking, you should be fine.

3. Buy a Pay As You Go (PAYG) Sim just for your holiday

If your mobile provider is charging for mobile roaming but you don’t want to switch, you could just buy a Sim for your travels and swap it into your phone. If you have a phone with a dual-Sim slot, you can keep your existing Sim and use your phone settings to switch between them when you go on holiday.

An easier way to add a new Sim card is to use an eSim – read our guide to mobile phone eSims for more.

You’ll have a new phone number, but this could be manageable. For example, you could set up a new Whatsapp profile called ‘(Your Name - holiday Sim)’ and then share this new number with people you will need to contact while travelling.

Bear in mind the cost per minute or data could soon add up if you want to use your phone frequently, so this PAYG option might be best if you will only use your phone occasionally, for low-data activities like sending text-only messages, or for emergencies. 

4. Get a local Sim card

If you're travelling to a destination on a longer trip, or return to the same country multiple times a year, it might be worth getting a local Sim card. As with getting a PAYG Sim, this would involve getting a new number. Depending on how long you will be in the country and how much you expect to use your phone, you can either get a prepaid Sim card, or sign up to a rolling monthly deal.

You can buy a prepaid Sim card when you arrive in the country, which includes a local phone number and a bundle of calls, texts and data that you can top up as often as needed. These are often available from airports, or mobile phone stores and newsagents. You will then be able to make calls, send texts and use data just like you would at home, but without paying any roaming fees. A prepaid Sim card is usually valid for six months from the moment you activate it, or from each time you top up. 

For more information and some useful tips and advice, read our guide on how to prepare your mobile phone for holidays abroad.

5. Use a hotspot

A wi-fi hotspot allows you to connect additional devices to a mobile phone and use that phone's internet connection to browse the web. More typically used to connect a tablet or laptop to the internet, you could also connect another mobile device. If someone else you are travelling with has a roaming package, you could use their phone as a wi-fi hotspot and connect to it with your phone. Just double-check that your roaming package allows this – sometimes referred to as 'tethering'.

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