A weekend in Paris, a beach week in Spain or a long summer road trip through Italy all have one thing in common: you want your phone to work the moment you land. Maps, ride apps, restaurant bookings, boarding passes and messages home all depend on mobile data. Since the UK left the EU, roaming is no longer automatically free on every network, so it pays to choose a SIM plan that includes EU roaming as standard rather than paying a daily charge on top.
This guide explains how roaming allowances work on 30-day SIM plans, which tier suits which kind of trip, and how to avoid surprise charges while you are away with an EU roaming SIM.
How Roaming Allowances Work
Every 30-day tier includes roaming in the EU, but each one has a data cap for use abroad. Calls and texts follow your plan’s UK allowance, while data you use in the EU counts against the roaming cap. Once you know the cap, you can match your plan to the length and style of your trip.
| Plan | UK data | Roaming data cap | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Plan Smart | 5GB | EU, 5GB | £5 (£3.50 first month) |
| National Plus | 30GB | EU, 12GB | £10 (£5 first month) |
| UK Plan Super Extra | 75GB | EU and India, 12GB | £15 (£7.50 first month) |
| UK Plan Mega Plus | 120GB | EU and India, 12GB | £20 (£10 first month) |
| UK Plan Unlimited | Unlimited | EU and India, 35GB | £25 (£12.50 first month) |
Matching the Plan to the Trip
A Short City Break
For a long weekend, most people use a few gigabytes for maps, messaging and the odd video. UK Plan Smart, with up to 5GB of EU roaming for £5, covers that comfortably, and the first month costs just £3.50.
A One or Two Week Holiday
A longer holiday usually means more photos shared, more navigation and perhaps some streaming in the evenings. National Plus gives up to 12GB of EU roaming for £10, plus unlimited UK calls and texts for when you are back home. It is the natural choice for a typical summer holiday.
Frequent Travellers and Visits to India
UK Plan Super Extra and UK Plan Mega Plus add India to the roaming area with a 12GB cap, which is useful for anyone who splits time between the UK, Europe and India. On the 12 and 24 month terms, Super Extra goes further and includes data roaming in the EU, China and India.
Long Stays and Remote Workers
If you work remotely from Europe for weeks at a time, UK Plan Unlimited has the biggest allowance abroad, up to 35GB of roaming in the EU and India, alongside unlimited data at home.
Avoiding Surprise Costs Abroad
- Check your remaining roaming allowance before a long day of navigation or streaming.
- Download maps, playlists and films over Wi-Fi before you leave.
- Turn on low data mode for apps you do not need while travelling.
- Remember that the roaming cap is separate from your UK data allowance.
- Top up or move to a bigger tier before a long trip rather than during it.
Calling Home While You Travel
Every tier also includes 100 international minutes, which are handy for calling family abroad or booking a hotel in another country. Combined with EU roaming, it means you can treat your SIM only plan with roaming as your travel SIM too, rather than buying a local SIM card at the airport.
Before You Fly
Make sure your phone has roaming switched on in the settings, update your apps, and keep a note of your plan details in case you need support. If you are travelling with family, consider putting everyone on the same tier so that nobody runs short halfway through the trip.
Ready for the Road
With EU roaming included on every 30-day tier, you can pick your plan by the length of your trip: Smart for a weekend, National Plus for a holiday, Super Extra or Mega Plus for regular travellers, and Unlimited for long stays. Choosing a travel SIM for Europe that is also your everyday plan keeps things simple from departure to arrival.
These plans are available from Lyca Mobile. For more travel ideas and style inspiration for your next trip, visit DressGlamour.