How to roam on in the EU this spring

Now spring has sprung, make your next getaway even better and roam in the EU at no extra cost, up to 25GB

The world turns. Ice melts. The seasons change. We are officially into spring where we’re daring to imagine a time when we’re not all absolutely freezing. More than that, we’re starting to imagine a break from the daily grind of the start of this year with holidays abroad. Bank holiday breaks. Easter adventures.

Whether it’s a short getaway or a full-blown fortnight type of affair, we’re here for absolutely all of it. But what we’re not here for is a massive mobile bill at the end of the holiday. Unlike other major networks, we don’t charge anyone extra for EU roaming up to 25GB. So when you’re travelling in our Europe Zone, your data, minutes and text allowances will work just like they do at home. All year round.

You won’t need a new SIM for EU and UK roaming – all you need to know is that your data is subject to a Roaming Limit in Europe. Is your UK monthly data allowance over 25GB? Then your Roaming Limit will be 25GB, meaning you can use up to 25GB of data at no extra cost. If your allowance is under 25GB, you can use data abroad in the EU without charge until you reach your normal allowance.

Sound good? Here’s why having access to data at no extra charge abroad can be so helpful when you step into spring. Roam on.

Get to grips with directions

Make the most of the spring sunshine by getting out and about, exploring curious city alleyways or cute seafront restaurants. But after a while, you might find that all those charming, cobbled streets and sun loungers on the beach start to look mighty similar. Need a bit of help finding your way back to your pad in the midday sun? Use roaming data to check your route on your phone’s map. (Speaking of maps, you can check whether your holiday destination is in our Europe Zone using our interactive roaming charges map.)

Translate away

If you’ve booked your spring break at the last minute, there’s a good chance you haven’t had time to properly learn the lingo of the country you’re visiting. So when you pop into a local eatery for a nibble or to a bar for refreshment, ordering can get a bit stressful. (If you ordered a beer, why did they just get a cocktail shaker out?) With roaming data, though, you can translate spoken phrases and visual text in no time. An easy way to avoid a nasty surprise.

Share everything you want to

Sometimes, it’s hard to wait for Wi-Fi to share a photo or video from your trip. Suffering from itchy Instagram fingers or have the TikTok twitches when you want to show off your shopping haul? You can use roaming data to share your holiday best bits while on the move. It’s always worth making sure you have a bit of data to spare in case of emergencies – which is why we’ll send you a text when you’ve almost reached your Roaming Limit. And again when you’re at 100% of your Roaming Limit.

Find the best local spots

Part of the fun of a spring getaway is exploring. But on short breaks, there’s more pressure to find great eateries or local haunts than when you’re on a long summer holiday. If you decide to chance it, you might end up in a tourist trap and have a bad experience. So, dip into your roaming data to hit the online maps and check out the reviews first. Try to focus on local reviewers rather than posts from your fellow holiday-makers – that way, you’ll know it’s a guaranteed authentic experience. Online searches for “what’s near me” can also unlock hidden gems just around the corner from you.

Minutes and texts when you want them

Making calls and sending texts is included in your EU Roaming Limit at no extra charge. You just have to be in our Europe Zone outside the UK and contacting another Europe Zone country (including the UK). Need to let your sister know you’ve made it to Prague in one piece? You can. Keen to order a taxi because it’s raining in Rome? Consider it, and you, covered. It’ll count towards your minutes just like it would at home, with no additional costs.

What you need to know

Want more information about O2 roaming allowances and roaming in Europe? If you haven’t already downloaded the My O2 app, you can use it to check how much of your monthly data you’ve used while you’re abroad. And if your allowance is less than 25GB and you need more data while you’re away, simply buy a one-off Bolt On through My O2. If you don’t get through all the data on your trip, you can still use it when you get back to the UK. Happy holidays!

Your UK data allowance applies in our Europe Zone, subject to 25GB limit if your UK data allowance is over 25GB. Roaming is chargeable at £3.50 per GB afterwards. If you use all of your UK data allowance when roaming outside the UK, you need to purchase a data Bolt On.
Roaming terms and conditions.

Published: 11 Mar 2024