If you are looking for the best roaming SIM cards in the UK, then you have come to the right place.
In this article, I have reviewed five of the best roaming SIM cards in the UK. I have covered everything from why to choose them, what to look out for when buying, and cost breakdown to help you select the perfect best international SIM cards for travelling.
Best SIM Cards for Roaming
You do not have to incur expensive SIM card rates when you are travelling abroad. This article will guide you to make the perfect choice, please stick to the end!
Let's get started!
1. Three 30GB SIM
This is the best all-inclusive SIM card for international travel in the UK. It comes with 30GB of data and calls, which can be used when you are abroad. It can be used in over 100 destinations with no data limits and with any unlocked phone.
Their "Go Roam" package allows you to use your UK phone number for calls and texts when you are abroad. With Go Roam in Europe, you can use up to 20GB of data for calls and texts to any phone number in the UK.
Go Roam comes with a free seven day European Travel Pass, which includes 500 minutes of calls within Europe and 500 texts. It also comes with 50MB of data each month, enough for many people's daily needs.
Cost breakdown
1GB of data = £15.00 + VAT (20p per MB)
10GB of data = £60.00 + VAT (50p per GB)
30GB of data = £120.00 + VAT (80p per GB)
70GB of data = £240.00 + VAT (100p per GB)
500 minutes of calls within Europe = £20.00 + VAT (10p per minute)
500 texts within Europe = Free - just pay the cost of your phone call to the other end!
Go Roam package = £15.00 + VAT (20p per MB)
EU Travel Pass = £25.00 + VAT (10p per minute and 20p per text)
Free 7 day travel pass with Go Roam package - valid for the first seven days after you activate your Go Roam package.
The use of an international calling card with Go Roam will cost £1 per minute or £2 per message (if you are abroad for less than a week).
Pros
No international roaming charges - so there are no extra costs for using your UK phone number while abroad.
Can use up to 20GB of data on the Go Roam package, which is enough for many people's daily needs!
You can also use it with an unlocked iPhone or other phones that support GSM calls.
Three covers many countries.
Cons
You need to buy a Go Roam package - this is not free, but it is cheap at £15.00 + VAT for 20GB of data (plus the cost of the EU Travel Pass).
2. Vodafone Unlimited Lite SIM
Vodafone roaming scheme has fewer destinations than Three by default. Their roaming services cover a total of 48 destinations in the EU, with any Essential package covering 71 different countries like a Three SIM.
With Vodafone's roaming plan, you can make international calls and send texts at the same rates as you would with your UK number. The package includes up to 25GB of data per month, so you can easily stay connected to family and friends back home.
Vodafone also has a "Roam Further" add-on for those travelling out of Europe and have the Vodafone Essential Plan. This plan goes for £6 per day, and it is available in 152 countries.
Cost Breakdown
UK customers will pay £15.00 + VAT (20p per MB) for data usage when abroad, and £25.00 + VAT (10p per minute and 20p per text) for calls made to other countries in the EU.
You can use up to 25Gb each month.
Pros
You can use your UK phone number when you are abroad with Vodafone's roaming plan, so there are no extra costs for using your UK phone number while abroad.
It is cheaper than the Go Roam package, and you can use up to 25GB of data each month.
Offers 4G/5G speeds on your smartphone in most European destinations.
Cons
Limited destinations compared to the Three SIM.
3. EE 4G SIM
EE's 4G roaming package includes a wide range of destinations in the EU, including most of Western Europe.
You can use over 50GB of data each month with this plan. There are no extra costs for calls or texts made from your UK phone number while abroad, so you can stay connected to family and friends.
EE also offers the "Go Further Roaming Pass," which allows you to access the internet for free in 53 countries, including Canada, Australia, and the USA.
It's a cheaper option when travelling around Europe but quite expensive when travelling out of Europe since you will need to purchase the Travel Data Pass.
Cost Breakdown
Different roaming rates depend on your destination. For example, you can pay £6 for 500MB in nine countries, including France, Germany, and Spain, but the same amount of data for £4.80 in Canada and the USA.
Pros
Has Wi-Fi calling option.
EE roaming SIMs give you a lot of control and help you avoid any excess charges.
Offers a huge data limit.
Cons
Roaming is expensive outside the EU.
4.O2 150GB SIM
O2's 4G roaming package includes a wide range of destinations in the EU, including most of Western Europe.
You can use over 60GB of data each month with this plan.
There are two tiers of O2 SIM roaming as highlighted below.
Free roaming in the Europe Zone
This plan is available in 49 countries in the Europe Zone and offers up to 150GB of data for £7.50 per month. With this plan, you expect to pay a one-off cost of £20 for your first 30 days.
When travelling in the Europe Zone, you can access the internet for free with your O2 4G SIM, but you will still be charged standard rates when making calls or sending texts from your UK phone number.
O2 Travel Inclusive Zone
This plan is available in 75 countries and offers no data limits, 120 minutes and 120 texts per day for only £4.99.
O2 roaming is limited to 3G speeds in some destinations, but these SIM packages are relatively pocket-friendly.
Cost breakdown
UK roaming
Free for up to 3 months after your plan ends.
EU roaming
Free for the first 30 days of use. After that, standard rates apply. The standard call rate is £0.20 per minute, while text is £0.05 per message (min 50).
Out of EU - You get a Standard call rate £0.20 per minute, with text being £0.05 per message (min 50).
Pros
Easy to use and control your data usage when abroad with the ability to pay for data or talk time rather than being charged a flat rate by default.
You have a variety of options to choose from.
Free calls and texts in the Europe Zone.
Pocket-friendly SIM.
Cons
If you travel a lot, it may not be the best option for you as you will have to pay upfront for your first 30 days of use and then keep paying after that even if you don't need the service.
If you don't have a data plan, the only way to get 3G coverage outside of Europe Zone is to pay extra and buy an International Data Plan.
Overall, if you are looking for a free-roaming SIM card to use in Europe Zone, the O2 network is one of the best options available with great coverage and low-cost calls.
5. Virgin Mobile 10GB SIM
Virgin Mobile is a reseller that uses EE's mobile network at the time of this writing.
Virgin Media SIM plans include unlimited calls and texts to UK mobiles, landlines, and other network providers.
You will need a compatible handset or device with an internet connection to use the service. You can also get 1GB of data for free every month from Virgin Media's streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, etc.
Virgin Mobile offers a "Feel Like At Home" scheme which is free and only available in European Countries. The "Feel Like At Home" Scheme is available in 170 different countries.
This means that you can keep your number, texts, and calls at the same rate as you have now for up to 30 days.
For any other countries, if you are planning on using Virgin Mobile's services in those countries, then it is recommended that you buy a roaming SIM card from them instead of getting one from EE.
Pros
Virgin Mobile's prices are reasonable, and the service includes all UK mobile networks such as EE, Three, O2, etc., so you can use your phone in any country within the European zone without paying extra roaming charges.
Virgin Mobile offers good value for money plans that include unlimited calls and texts to UK mobiles.
Virgin Mobile's roaming service is available in all European countries, so you can use your phone in any country within the European zone without paying extra roaming charges.
The data allowance is unlimited, and the mobile internet speeds are pretty fast, even if you are on a slow connection.
Virgin Mobile's coverage area is pretty good, and you can use your phone in most of the UK without any problems at all.
Cons
The data allowance is only 10GB per month, which will be enough for surfing the web and streaming music and videos, but it may not be enough if you plan to download any large files or install apps on your phone. You can buy extra data packs from Virgin Mobile if you need more data.
Virgin Mobile's roaming service is only available in European Countries, so if you plan to use their services outside of Europe Zone, it will be necessary to buy a roaming SIM card instead.
Virgin Mobile offers good value for money plans, but you can get a better deal by buying a cheap SIM card from other resellers.
There is no fixed-fee data usage out of Europe.
Conclusion
The best roaming SIM card in the UK is the Three 30GB SIM. It offers excellent value for your money and has superior coverage. If you are a frequent worldwide traveller, this is the perfect roaming SIM card for you.
If you are travelling across European countries, then it is recommended that you buy a UE roaming SIM card.
I hope this review has helped you in your decision to travel with a roaming SIM card.