If you travel to Europe more than once or twice a year, the roaming allowance on your phone contract deserves as much attention as the headline data figure. Summer in Crete, Christmas markets in Germany, a ski week in the Alps and a few weekend breaks in between can add up to a month or more abroad each year. A SIM only contract with EU roaming included means you can use your data across Europe without a daily charge, and the contracts below have no annual price rises either.
How Much EU Data Does Each Trip Need?
The roaming cap is the part of your monthly data you can use in the EU. Here is a rough guide to what different trips use, so you can compare it with the caps further down.
| Trip | Typical data used abroad |
|---|---|
| Weekend city break, maps and messages | 2GB to 4GB |
| A week on the beach, photos and some streaming | 6GB to 10GB |
| A fortnight touring, daily video calls home | 12GB to 20GB |
| A month working remotely from Europe | 25GB or more |
These are estimates, and streaming habits make the biggest difference. Still, they show why a larger roaming cap is worth having if your trips are long or frequent.
Remember that the cap applies to each monthly allowance, not to each trip. If you take two short breaks in the same month, the data you use on both counts towards the same roaming cap, so frequent travellers should size their plan for their busiest month rather than an average one.
The Contracts, From Smallest Cap to Largest
All four are 24 month pay monthly contracts with no annual price rises, 5G data and unlimited UK minutes and texts. They differ in data, roaming cap and international calling.
24 Month 50GB, with 12GB of EU roaming. Plenty of data at home and enough roaming for a week in the sun or a couple of city breaks a month. It costs £8 a month and is half price at £4 for the first three months.
24 Month 120GB, with 12GB of EU roaming. The same roaming cap, but much more data at home for streaming and hotspot use. It costs £16 a month and is half price at £8 for the first six months.
24 Month Unlimited, with 30GB of EU roaming. Unlimited data at home and a roaming cap that covers a fortnight of heavy use abroad. It costs £18 a month and is half price at £9 for the first six months.
24 Months Unlimited Plus, with 35GB of EU roaming. The largest roaming cap in the range, plus unlimited international minutes for calling abroad from the UK. It costs £24 a month and is half price at £12 for the first six months.
Comparing Value Per Gigabyte Abroad
Looking at the standard monthly price against the roaming cap shows which pay monthly SIM with Europe roaming gives you the most travel data for your money.
- 24 Month 50GB: 12GB of EU data for £8, about 67p per roaming gigabyte.
- 24 Month 120GB: 12GB of EU data for £16, about £1.33 per roaming gigabyte, with far more data at home.
- 24 Month Unlimited: 30GB of EU data for £18, about 60p per roaming gigabyte.
- 24 Months Unlimited Plus: 35GB of EU data for £24, about 69p per roaming gigabyte, with unlimited international minutes.
On this measure, 24 Month Unlimited is the stand-out for frequent travellers, giving the lowest cost per roaming gigabyte and unlimited data at home. The 50GB contract is the best value if your trips are short, and Unlimited Plus is worth the extra if you also call friends or family overseas.
Questions to Ask Before Signing
- How many days a year do you spend in Europe, and how long is your longest trip?
- Do you share your connection with a laptop or tablet when you travel?
- Do you make international calls from the UK as well as travelling?
- Would you rather pay less now or have more headroom later in the contract?
Over to You
For short trips, the 50GB contract with 12GB of roaming is hard to beat. Frequent travellers get the most from 24 Month Unlimited with 30GB abroad, and anyone who also calls overseas should consider Unlimited Plus with 35GB. Each one is a roaming-included SIM contract with a fixed price for two years.
All four contracts are offered by Lyca Mobile. Deciding where in Europe to go next? Explore beaches, cities and mountain escapes on Onthevacation.
