Where Roam like at Home applies
If your mobile contract is from an EU country, EU rules let you use your allowance in the other EU countries, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, at no extra cost. This is called Roam like at Home, and the rules run until 2032.
Operators can apply a fair-use limit to data on unlimited or very cheap plans, so check your contract before a long stay.
Where it does not apply
Roam like at Home stops at the border of the EU and the EEA. Popular destinations outside it include:
- Switzerland, even though it is in the middle of Europe
- the United Kingdom, since it left the EU
- Türkiye, and the Western Balkan countries that are not in the EU
- the United States, Japan, Thailand and the rest of the world
Some operators include a few of these countries in their own bundles. Others charge a daily fee or by the megabyte.
If your contract is from the UK, the EU rules do not cover you at all: UK operators set their own prices for roaming in Europe too.
The spending limit
EU operators must stop data roaming when you reach a default limit of €50 a month before VAT, unless you have chosen a different limit, and must warn you as you get close. UK operators have a similar default limit of £45.
The limit protects you from a huge bill, but at per-megabyte prices it can be reached quickly – and then the data stops.
How they compare
| Compared | Roaming with your operator | Travel eSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | A daily fee or a price per megabyte, set by your operator | A fixed price for set data and days, paid before you go |
| Phone number | Your usual number for calls and texts | Data only. Your usual SIM stays on for calls and texts |
| Set-up | Nothing to install | Install before you go, switch on when you land |
| Phone | Any phone | An unlocked phone with eSIM |
| Spending | Charges add up until the limit stops data | You cannot spend more than the plan price |
When roaming makes sense
- Your contract already includes the destination, or your operator sells a day pass you are happy with.
- You need to make a lot of calls and texts on your own number.
- Your phone is locked to a network or has no eSIM.
When a travel eSIM makes sense
- Your destination is outside your operator’s bundles.
- You want to know the full price before you travel.
- You will use maps, translation and messaging every day.
Use both
Most phones with eSIM keep two lines active: your usual SIM for calls and texts, and the eSIM for data. Turn off data roaming on your usual SIM so it never uses data abroad by mistake. You can still receive calls and texts on your usual number, but your operator may charge for calls abroad.
Before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM, then find your destination.