Using your UK phone abroad can cost very little or quite a lot, depending on where you go and which network you're on. An eSIM is a cheap way to get data wherever you travel. Here's what UK networks charge in Europe and further afield, what an eSIM actually is, when it's worth it, and how to set one up before you fly. Prices are approximate, change often and mostly come from comparison sites, so check each provider before you buy.

The short answer

For most trips outside Europe, a travel eSIM costs less than roaming. In Europe, many UK plans now include or cheaply cover roaming, so an eSIM only helps on longer stays or if your network charges a daily fee. For a quick two- or three-day trip, your network's roaming add-on is often the simplest choice.

What an eSIM is

An eSIM is a digital SIM you install by scanning a QR code or using an app, instead of a plastic card. For travel, you buy a data-only plan for the country or region you're visiting and keep your normal UK SIM in the phone for calls and texts. Your UK number stays active, and your phone uses the eSIM for internet.

What roaming costs

Europe. Since Brexit, UK networks decide their own charges. According to a Travel City guide (April 2026) and AvoidRoaming (June 2026), roughly:

  • O2: free, with a 25 GB fair-use cap
  • Vodafone: about £2 a day
  • EE: about £2 to £2.47 a day, depending on when you joined
  • Three: about £2 to £2.75 a day, with a lower fair-use cap

Non-EU European countries such as Switzerland can cost more per day. Older contracts can differ, so check your own app. Daily charges usually run midnight to midnight UK time, so one late-night use can trigger a full day's fee.

The rest of the world. Charges are higher. For the USA, the two sources we checked disagree because tariffs vary: Travel City lists Vodafone at £7.39 a day, Three at £8 and EE at £10 a day on some plans, while another comparison put EE and O2 at about £6 and Three at £5. EE also sells a monthly Roam Abroad add-on that includes the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Over a fortnight that can easily mean £70 to £100 per phone, and charges are per line, so a family pays several times that. Check your own network's price before you go.

Roaming, eSIM or local SIM?

According to Cybernews (October 2026):

  • Travel eSIM: best for most trips, especially multi-country ones. Set up at home, active on arrival, and your main number stays active. Usually data only, and needs an unlocked phone that supports eSIM
  • Roaming: best for short trips or emergencies. No set-up, but it can get expensive on longer trips
  • Local SIM: best for long stays in one country. Often the cheapest per GB, but you have to buy it there, and swapping SIMs is a hassle

What an eSIM doesn't do

  • Mostly data only: most travel eSIMs don't include a local phone number for calls or texts, and Nomad's own page says only some of its plans include one, so check the plan details. You can use WhatsApp, Signal or FaceTime over data
  • Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. If it's locked to your network, ask your provider to unlock it
  • Android phones vary. Many can run one eSIM plus one physical SIM, so check before you rely on it

What it costs

Prices vary by provider, country and plan. As an example, Nomad's own USA page lists these prices in US dollars: 1 GB for 7 days $5, 3 GB for 30 days $6, 5 GB for 30 days $10, 10 GB for 30 days $15, and unlimited for 3, 5 or 7 days at $11, $16 and $23. Larger plans go up to 100 GB for a year at $120. A Finder UK comparison for the USA (updated March 2026) listed some of the other providers:

  • Airalo: from about £3.50, and about £22 for seven days unlimited
  • Saily: from about £3.01 for 1 GB
  • Holafly: unlimited plans from about £3.79 a day up to about £116

For Europe, AvoidRoaming (which sells eSIMs, so treat it with care) put regional plans at about £6 to £8 for 3 GB for seven days. Unlimited plans often slow down after a daily high-speed allowance, and longer plans cost much less per day.

Which one to choose

We use Nomad, which sells plans from 1 GB to unlimited for individual countries and regions, and supports hotspot sharing. Prices are in US dollars, and some reviewers say its support can be slow to respond. You can see Nomad eSIM here.

How to set it up before you fly

Do it on home Wi-Fi, not at the airport.

iPhone

  1. Go to Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan and scan the QR code
  2. Name the lines "Home" and "Travel Data"
  3. Set the default voice line to Home
  4. Set Cellular Data to Travel Data
  5. Turn Allow Cellular Data Switching off, so your phone doesn't use your UK data by accident
  6. Turn Data Roaming off for Home and on for Travel Data

Android

  1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs (on Samsung, Connections > SIM Manager) and add the eSIM
  2. Set the eSIM as the line for mobile data
  3. Turn off data roaming on your UK SIM
  4. Keep calls and texts on your UK SIM

Send a test text and open a web page to check both lines work before you leave.

Before you go

Check your phone is unlocked and supports eSIM, and keep your UK SIM safe. See our USA guides and Australia guides for destination-specific costs, and don't forget travel insurance.

Where this comes from

Prices and rules change, and the sources don't always agree, so this is a snapshot checked on 22 October 2026. These are the sources it draws on: