Before you buy
What your operator charges outside the EU, and how to find out before you fly
No guide can tell you your price, because it changes by plan and by zone. What it can do is show you how to look it up in five minutes.
Dani Requena 7 min Photo by Jaanus Jagomägi on Unsplash Searching for how much roaming costs in a given country and finding a specific figure is the normal thing to do, and it's also the quickest way to get it wrong: that figure belongs to one particular plan from one particular operator at the moment somebody wrote it down. Roaming rates change, they come with promotions, and several generations of plan coexist inside the same company.
So you won't find prices here. You'll find how to look up yours, which is the only thing that's any use.
First: the only border that matters
Within the European Union and the European Economic Area your data travels with you by regulation. Outside it, each operator decides, and that's the line to cross in your head before you look anything up.
How to check it in five minutes
- Open your operator's app or log into your account in a browser.
- Find the roaming section. It's usually inside your line's details, not in the sales pages.
- Find the country you're going to and note which zone it's in. Every company numbers its zones its own way.
- See what your plan includes in that zone: nothing, a daily fee, a few days a year, or a bundle you have to activate.
- Check the data spending cap you have set and raise or lower it to suit you.
If you can't find the answer at any of those steps, customer service has it, and it's a short call. Asking them to confirm it in writing in the app's chat also leaves you a record.
The three schemes you'll come across
| Scheme | How it works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Daily fee | A flat charge for each day you use it | Whether it's charged per calendar day or per 24 hours from first use |
| Data bundle | An allowance for a few days in that zone | What happens when it runs out: it can switch to pay as you use |
| Pay as you use | A price per megabyte or per minute | This is the expensive one, and it climbs without you doing anything unusual |
The right-hand column is where the surprise usually lives. A daily fee triggered by a single WhatsApp message charges for that whole day, so on a two week trip it can be triggered fourteen times.
The five questions to ask
- Which zone is my destination in, and what does my plan include there?
- What does it cost to receive a call, not just to make one?
- What happens when the fee or bundle runs out?
- What spending cap do I have set, and how do I change it?
- Is there anything to activate before I leave for the bundle to work?
The trick that prevents 90% of the shocks
Turn DATA roaming off on your line while leaving the line switched on for calls and texts. That way your phone can't browse over your own line even if an app tries in the background, and you're still reachable on your number.
From there, data comes in wherever you decide: a bundle from your operator, an eSIM for your destination, or the hotel wifi.
How to set your phone up with both lines is in your everyday number and WhatsApp while you travel.
Frequently asked questions
How much does roaming cost outside the European Union?
It depends on the operator, on your particular plan and on the zone the country falls into. It can range from a daily fee to charging per megabyte, which is why only checking your own plan is any use.
Where do I check what my operator charges?
In the app or your online account, in the roaming section, inside your line's details. That's where each country's zone and what your plan includes appear.
What is a daily roaming fee?
A flat charge for each day you use your phone in that zone. Check whether it counts calendar days or 24 hours, and what triggers it, because a single message can use up a whole day.
How do I avoid a roaming bill?
Turn data roaming off on your line and leave the line on for calls and texts. Data then comes in wherever you decide.
Can I dispute a roaming bill?
Yes. Go to your operator first and, if that doesn't resolve it, to whichever telecoms ombudsman or regulator covers you. Keep the dates and the country.
