UK roaming charges in Europe: what every network charges, checked September 2026
EU roaming prices for EE, Vodafone, Three, O2, Sky, giffgaff and Tesco Mobile as of September 2026, which networks are still free, and what a 7 or 14-day trip costs.
· 10 min read
As of September 2026, most big UK pay monthly plans charge between £2 and £2.75 a day to use your allowance in the EU: EE £2.72, Vodafone £2.75, Three £2.75 for newer customers and Sky £2. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff still include EU roaming at no extra cost, within fair use limits. On a paid network, a 14-day trip usually costs £21 to £38 in roaming fees. That compares with about £8.87 for 10 GB on the Europe eSIM package.
Below: each network's current price, what a one- and two-week trip costs, the networks that are still free, and the edge cases (Switzerland, Turkey, the Channel Islands) that catch people out.
UK network EU roaming charges, network by network
Each figure below comes from the network's own website, as of September 2026. Networks change these prices, usually in April, so check your own plan before you travel.
| Network | Daily charge (pay monthly) | Passes | Fair use data cap in Europe | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE | £2.72 | 7 days £16.50, 12 days £27.50 | Not stated on EE's roaming price page | Plans taken on or after 7 July 2021 |
| Vodafone | £2.75 | 8 days £16, 15 days £21 | 25 GB, then £3.84 per GB | Plans started on or after 11 August 2021, unless Europe is included in your plan |
| Three | £2.75 (joined or upgraded on or after 18 December 2025); £2 (1 October 2021 to 17 December 2025) | 3 days £5, 7 days £12, 14 days £24, as listed on Three's roaming page | 12 GB | Plans started on or after 1 October 2021; not Pay As You Go |
| Sky Mobile | £2, only on days you use your phone abroad | None | 25 GB per billing cycle | All plans (free for Sky VIP Diamond members) |
| O2 | Included | Not needed | 25 GB, or your UK allowance if smaller | Nobody on pay monthly |
| Tesco Mobile | Included (Home From Home) | Not needed | No cap, but a surcharge applies if you use more abroad than in the UK | Nobody, pay monthly or pay as you go |
| giffgaff | Included | Not needed | 5 GB per plan, then 10p per MB | Nobody |
Notes on each network
EE. The £2.72 daily charge gives you your UK calls, texts and data in the Europe zone. EE's 7-day pass (£16.50) and 12-day pass (£27.50) are cheaper than paying daily on longer trips. Plans taken before 7 July 2021 still include EU roaming. EE Pay As You Go customers can buy Roam Like Home for £2.50 for 24 hours or £10 for 7 days; without one, data costs £3 for 500 MB.
Vodafone. Vodafone's Europe zone is Zone B, at £2.75 a day for plans started on or after 11 August 2021. Its 8-day (£16) and 15-day (£21) passes are the best value of the paid networks for a longer trip. Some plans include Europe roaming already. Stays of more than 62 days are charged differently.
Three. Three's Go Roam in Europe charge depends on when you joined or upgraded. From 1 April 2026 it's £2.75 a day if you joined or upgraded on or after 18 December 2025, and £2 if you joined between 1 October 2021 and 17 December 2025. Plans that started before 1 October 2021, and all Pay As You Go, don't pay a daily charge. The data you can use in Europe is capped at 12 GB. Three's roaming page lists 3, 7 and 14-day passes at £5, £12 and £24. Check in the Three app which price applies to your plan.
Sky Mobile. Sky charges £2 a day, but only on days you use more than 10 MB of data or make a call or send a text to a UK number. A day spent entirely on hotel Wi-Fi is free. Sky's roaming zone also includes Turkey and the USA at the same £2.
O2. O2 says it's the only major network that lets everyone roam in the EU at no extra cost, up to 25 GB. Its Europe zone has 48 destinations, including Switzerland and the Channel Islands. If you spend more than 63 days abroad in four months, surcharges can apply.
Tesco Mobile. Home From Home covers 48 destinations at no extra cost, on both pay monthly and pay as you go. Tesco says the offer was due to end in 2026 but is now continuing, with at least 30 days' notice of any change.
giffgaff. EU roaming is included, but the data you can use is capped at 5 GB per plan, not per trip. Beyond that, data costs 10p per MB, which is about £100 per GB. Five GB is fine for a week but tight for a fortnight of maps and photos.
iD Mobile, Lebara and VOXI
We couldn't read these three networks' current roaming pages, so we've left their figures out rather than print numbers that may be out of date. Check the roaming section of the iD Mobile, Lebara or VOXI website, or your account app, for your plan's Europe terms and data cap.
What a 7-day and 14-day trip costs
Here's the roaming cost of a trip where you use your phone every day, compared with the Europe eSIM package. Prices checked 25 September 2026. Cabin Mode prices are in USD, with approximate sterling at the 24 September 2026 reference rate; Cabin Mode charges in the currency shown in the app, and prices can change.
| 7-day trip | 14-day trip | |
|---|---|---|
| EE, paying daily | £19.04 | £38.08 |
| EE, cheapest pass combination | £16.50 (7-day pass) | £32.94 (12-day pass plus 2 days) |
| Vodafone, paying daily | £19.25 | £38.50 |
| Vodafone, pass | £16 (8-day pass) | £21 (15-day pass) |
| Three, £2.75 daily | £19.25 | £38.50 |
| Three, £2 daily | £14 | £28 |
| Sky, every day used | £14 | £28 |
| O2, Tesco, giffgaff | Included | Included (giffgaff: 5 GB cap) |
| Europe eSIM, 5 GB / 30 days | $5.64 (about £4.27) | |
| Europe eSIM, 10 GB / 30 days | $11.72 (about £8.87) |
A worked example: a Vodafone customer spending a week in Lisbon pays £19.25 at the daily rate or £16 for the 8-day pass. A 5 GB Europe eSIM costs about £4.27, a saving of about £12. On a two-week trip, the Vodafone 15-day pass (£21) is much closer: 10 GB on the eSIM costs about £8.87, a saving of about £12 again.
The comparison isn't exactly like for like. The daily charge covers your UK minutes and texts too, while Cabin Mode plans are data only, with no phone number and no SMS. In practice most people abroad call over WhatsApp, FaceTime or similar apps, which work over the eSIM's data. And your UK number still receives texts, including bank codes, while the eSIM carries your data.
When roaming is the better deal
- You're on O2 or Tesco Mobile. EU roaming is included, so an eSIM only helps if you'll go over your fair use cap or visit a country outside your network's zone.
- You need to make a lot of normal phone calls. Your UK minutes come with the daily charge, while an eSIM gives you data only.
- You're away for a weekend on Sky. Two or three days at £2 a day costs little more than a small eSIM.
- Your phone isn't an iPhone, or is carrier-locked. Cabin Mode is iPhone only, and a locked phone can't use another provider's eSIM.
When an eSIM is the better deal
- A week or longer on EE, Vodafone or Three where Europe isn't in your plan.
- Heavy data use on giffgaff or Three. giffgaff's 5 GB and Three's 12 GB caps are low for two weeks of maps, video and hotspotting. The Europe package's 20 GB plan is $22.58, about £17.08.
- Several countries on one trip. The Europe package covers every EU country plus the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, on one eSIM.
Where "Europe" doesn't mean what you think
Each network defines its own Europe zone, and the edges matter.
Switzerland. EE, O2, Three, Sky and Tesco Mobile include it in their Europe zone. giffgaff doesn't: it charges Switzerland at Rest of the World rates, 20p per MB, and warns that near the border your phone may connect to a Swiss network. See the Switzerland eSIM guide for more.
Turkey. Turkey isn't in the Europe zone for EE, O2, Three, giffgaff or Tesco Mobile. EE puts it in Zone 1, at £6 for 24 hours. Sky is the exception, with Turkey in its £2-a-day zone. The Europe eSIM package doesn't cover Turkey either; see eSIM for Turkey.
Channel Islands and Isle of Man. EE, Three, O2 and Tesco Mobile treat Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man as part of their Europe zone. Vodafone puts the Isle of Man in its free Zone A. The Europe eSIM package doesn't cover the Channel Islands, so if you're heading to Jersey or Guernsey your UK plan is the one to use.
Ferries and planes. On a cross-Channel ferry or a flight, your phone can connect to a maritime or in-flight network. These are charged separately from EU roaming and can be expensive. Put your phone in Airplane Mode or turn off Data Roaming until you're ashore.
How to avoid the daily charge
The daily charge is triggered by using your UK line abroad. With a travel eSIM carrying your data, set up your iPhone like this:
- Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi. How to install an eSIM on iPhone has the steps.
- On arrival, go to Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data and choose the travel eSIM.
- In Settings › Cellular, tap the travel eSIM and turn Data Roaming on. Tap your UK line and turn Data Roaming off (on some iOS versions this sits under Cellular Data Options).
- Leave your UK line switched on so texts arrive, but don't make calls or send texts from it unless you're happy to pay that day's charge.
Networks count different things as using your phone. For Sky, it's more than 10 MB of data, or a call or text to a UK number. Check your network's rules. How to avoid roaming charges on iPhone goes through the settings in more detail, and keeping your number and bank codes abroad covers SMS codes.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK networks still have free roaming in Europe?
As of September 2026, O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include EU roaming at no extra cost on their standard plans, subject to fair use caps. Older EE, Vodafone and Three pay monthly plans, started before mid-2021, also still include it, as does Three Pay As You Go. Some newer Vodafone plans, such as Euro Roam, include Europe roaming as a plan feature.
How much does EE charge for roaming in Europe?
EE charges £2.72 a day in its Europe zone as of September 2026, or £16.50 for a 7-day pass and £27.50 for a 12-day pass. Plans taken before 7 July 2021 include EU roaming at no extra cost.
How much is Vodafone roaming in Europe per day?
Vodafone charges £2.75 a day for Europe (Zone B) on plans started on or after 11 August 2021. It also sells an 8-day pass for £16 and a 15-day pass for £21, and some plans include Europe roaming.
Does Three charge for roaming in Europe?
Yes, on most pay monthly plans started on or after 1 October 2021. The charge is £2.75 a day if you joined or upgraded on or after 18 December 2025, or £2 if you joined before that. Pay As You Go and older plans don't pay a daily charge.
Is a Europe eSIM cheaper than paying my network's daily roaming charge?
For a week or more on a network that charges, usually yes. Seven days at £2.75 is £19.25, while 5 GB on the Europe package is about £4.27. If your network includes EU roaming, as O2 and Tesco Mobile do, stick with it unless you'll go over the cap.
Is Switzerland included in UK EU roaming?
It depends on the network. EE, O2, Three, Sky and Tesco Mobile include Switzerland in their Europe zone. giffgaff charges it at Rest of the World rates. The Europe eSIM package covers Switzerland.
Do I still pay the daily roaming charge if I use a travel eSIM?
Not if your UK line isn't used. Turn Data Roaming off on your UK line and don't make calls or send texts from it. Each network defines what counts as use: Sky, for example, charges only on days you use more than 10 MB or call or text a UK number.