Roaming charges are back for a lot of UK customers. Several networks now charge a daily fee to use your allowance in the EU on newer plans, and outside Europe the per-day or per-MB prices can be eye-watering. A prepaid travel eSIM is the alternative, and for most trips it is cheaper and simpler than it sounds.
What an eSIM is
An eSIM is a SIM built into the phone rather than a physical card. You buy a plan, scan a QR code (or tap a link), and a second line appears on your phone. Your UK SIM stays in place, so you still receive calls and texts on your own number, while data goes through the travel plan. When you get home you delete it.
Check these first
- Does your phone support eSIM? Most iPhones since 2018, Google Pixels since the Pixel 3 and Samsung flagships since the S20 do. Cheaper Android phones often do not. The travel-eSIM seller's site will list compatible models.
- Is your phone unlocked? A handset locked to a UK network may refuse a foreign eSIM. Contract phones sold since late 2021 are unlocked by law in the UK; older ones may need a free unlock request to your network.
- Data only. Almost all travel eSIMs are data only. Calls and texts still go through your UK SIM and are charged at your network's roaming rate, so use WhatsApp, FaceTime or similar for calls abroad.
- Validity period. Plans are sold as an amount of data valid for a number of days (7, 15, 30). The clock usually starts when you first connect abroad, not when you buy, but check.
- Regional vs single country. A "Europe" plan covers many countries at once and is the better buy for multi-stop trips; a single-country plan is cheaper for one destination.
Set it up before you leave
Install the eSIM while you are still on home Wi-Fi — you need a connection to download it. Then, before landing, turn off data roaming on your UK SIM and set the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data. If you skip that step your phone may quietly use the UK SIM for data and you will be billed for roaming after all.
When roaming is still the right call
If your plan includes roaming in the country you are visiting at no extra cost, use it — there is nothing to gain from an eSIM. And for a one-night trip, a single day of roaming may cost less than the smallest eSIM plan. It is a per-trip decision, which is why we let you compare travel eSIM plans by destination alongside the SIM deals.