Before you buy anything, check whether your existing UK plan covers Europe. Many do. If it does not, your options range from upgrading your UK plan to buying a local SIM when you arrive.

Check Your Existing Plan First

Three includes free roaming in 23+ countries under its "Go Roam" scheme, which covers most popular European destinations including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and many others. If you are on Three, you likely have nothing to do. Check the Go Roam country list on Three's website before you travel.

EE offers roaming in Europe but charges for it unless you have a plan that includes it. As of 2024, EE charges £2/day for roaming unless you are on a plan with "Roam Freely" included. Worth checking your plan details: the charge is per day you use data, not a flat monthly fee.

Vodafone similarly charges a roaming daily fee unless your plan includes it. Vodafone's "Roam-Free" feature is available on some plans.

O2 has a similar structure with a daily roaming charge on most standard plans.

Buying a SIM on Arrival

For a week or longer, or if your UK plan charges daily roaming fees, a local SIM often works out cheaper.

Local SIMs are sold in airports, phone shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores across Europe. Major operators to look for by country: Orange or Free in France, Vodafone or Tim in Italy, Movistar or Orange in Spain, T-Mobile in Germany and the Netherlands.

A local tourist SIM typically costs €10-€20 for 10-30GB of data valid for 30 days. Data speeds are usually good in major cities.

The catch: you need to either switch your physical SIM (which means your UK number goes offline) or use eSIM if your phone supports it. For eSIM options, see the dedicated guide.

What to Buy at the Airport vs the City

Airport SIM shops are convenient but more expensive than city-centre phone shops. If you need data the moment you land (for maps, translation, an Uber), the airport price is worth the premium. If you can navigate to your hotel or accommodation on the airport WiFi and swap the SIM there, buy in the city for a better deal.

In most major European cities, a phone shop or supermarket SIM takes 5-10 minutes to activate. Some require ID.

Data Versus Calling

Tourist SIMs are data-heavy and call-light. Most travellers do not need calls: WhatsApp, Google Maps, and messaging work over data. If you do need to call local numbers (restaurants, a taxi, a hotel), check the SIM includes some call credit.

The simplest approach for most city breaks under a week: check your UK plan first. If you are on Three, you are already sorted.