Travel · 6 min read
Roaming charges in Europe: what you'll pay in 2027
Free EU roaming ended with Brexit. What UK networks typically charge a day in Europe, how to check your own plan, and how to pay nothing at all.
Remember landing in Málaga and just using your phone? From 2017 until Brexit, EU rules meant "roam like at home" for UK customers. When the UK left, that guarantee went with it. And one by one, many networks brought back a charge.
The short answer: many UK networks now charge a daily fee to use your plan in Europe, typically around £2 to £3.50 a day per phone (as of November 2026), while some include Europe on certain plans. Networks set these prices themselves, so check yours before every trip. Kindly includes the Europe Zone, 45 destinations, in every plan, with no daily charge.
Is roaming free in Europe from the UK?
Not automatically. Since the UK left the EU, UK networks no longer have to offer free roaming in EU and EEA countries. What happened next depends on your network and your plan. Some include Europe on all plans. Others include it only on pricier plans and charge a daily fee on the rest. Two people on the same network can pay completely different amounts.
What do UK networks charge for roaming in Europe?
Where there's a charge, it's usually a flat fee for each day you use your phone abroad, typically £2 to £3.50 per phone. It usually starts automatically when you first use your phone abroad that day. Here's what that adds up to:
| Trip | At £2 a day | At £3.50 a day |
|---|---|---|
| One phone, 7 days | £14 | £24.50 |
| A couple, 14 days | £56 | £98 |
| A family of four, 14 days | £112 | £196 |
That's on top of your monthly bill, which for many people rises anyway: EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all put their prices up every April.
Why do roaming charges catch people out?
- The charge starts without you noticing. On many plans it starts automatically, and a background app update can be enough.
- "Included" often has a limit. Even where Europe is included, there's usually a fair use cap on how much data you can use abroad each month.
- Not everywhere in Europe is treated the same. Places outside the EU, like Switzerland, Norway or the Channel Islands, can be in one network's list and missing from another's.
- Ships and planes are different. Networks at sea and in the air aren't the same as roaming on land, and are usually charged separately.
- Borders can surprise you. Ofcom warns that near the Northern Ireland border, or on the English coast near France, your phone can connect to a foreign network without you leaving the UK.
What protections do you have?
Two rules help:
- A £45 limit on mobile data spending abroad. UK law sets a default limit of £45 per monthly billing period on data charges abroad. You get alerts at 80% and 100%, and you can only keep spending if you choose to. It covers data, not every charge, so it isn't a full cap on your bill.
- Roaming alerts. Since 1 October 2024, Ofcom has required mobile providers to tell you when you start roaming, and to give clear, free information about what it costs, including fair use limits and spend caps.
Check before you go
- [ ] Is every place on my trip in my network's Europe list? Include stopovers, day trips and cruise ports.
- [ ] Does my plan include Europe, or is there a daily charge? How much is it, and what starts it?
- [ ] What's my data limit abroad? Look for the fair use figure.
- [ ] Do I have a spend cap? If not, set one before you fly.
- [ ] Does everyone need data? Turn data roaming off on phones that can live on Wi-Fi, like a child's.
- [ ] Have I downloaded the essentials? Offline maps, playlists and films, on home Wi-Fi.
- [ ] Airplane mode on the ferry and the plane, unless you've paid for onboard Wi-Fi.
How do you avoid roaming charges in Europe?
The simplest way is a plan that already includes Europe, so there's nothing to remember. After that: use Wi-Fi where you can, download before you go, and keep a spend cap on. If you're on a daily-charge plan and going away for weeks, a travel eSIM for data can work out cheaper.
How Kindly does Europe
The Europe Zone, 45 destinations from Spain and Portugal to Greece, the Canaries and Switzerland, is included in every Kindly plan. No daily charge, nothing to switch on. On 10GB and 20GB plans, you use your normal allowance in Europe. On Unlimited, you get up to 25GB of data a month there.
Every SIM comes with a £0 spend limit, on as standard, so there are no surprise charges. Going further, to the USA, Canada or over 100 other destinations? Say Yes to Travel Safe at checkout or turn it on later: £7.50 a day inc VAT, only on days you use it, and never more than 10 days' charges a month. And there are no annual price rises.
We're a small North East team with more than 30 years' combined experience in telecoms, doing something different and wanting to do it right. That's why we're opening to 1,000 customers at a time, so we can look after everyone properly. Every personal and business SIM gives £1 a month to charities and community causes; charities on our charity plans get £1 off instead.
Paying to use your phone in Europe? Bill Check reads your current bill and shows what you'd pay with Kindly, with Europe included.
FAQ
Is roaming free in Europe after Brexit?
Not guaranteed. It depends on your network and your plan, so check before you travel. Kindly includes 45 Europe Zone destinations in every plan.
How much is roaming in Spain?
On UK plans that charge, typically £2 to £3.50 a day per phone, as of November 2026. Spain is in Kindly's Europe Zone, so it's included.
What is the £45 roaming limit?
A legal default limit of £45 per monthly billing period on mobile data charges abroad. You're alerted at 80% and 100%, and data stops unless you choose to carry on.
Will roaming charges go up in 2027?
Nobody can promise either way: networks set their own roaming prices and can change them. Check your network's roaming page before every trip.
Can I avoid roaming charges without changing network?
Mostly, yes: use Wi-Fi, download before you go, turn data roaming off, or use a travel eSIM for data. A plan with Europe included is simply less to think about.
Sources
- Connection Technologies: roaming charges on UK networks, updated 3 Sep 2026 (typical daily charges of about £2 to £3.50 where a charge applies; some plans include Europe)
- GOV.UK: using your mobile in EU and EEA countries (free roaming no longer guaranteed; £45 data limit per billing period; 80% and 100% alerts)
- Ofcom: new mobile roaming alerts for UK holidaymakers (alerts from 1 Oct 2024; information on charges, fair use and spend caps; inadvertent roaming near borders)
