On the road
Roaming in the European Union: what it really covers and what it doesn't
If your line is from an EU country, your data travels with you inside the Union, with details worth knowing: fair use, countries that look in and aren't, and the small print.
Nerea Aguilar 7 min Photo by Sam Ferrara on Unsplash If your line was issued in an EU country, roaming inside the Union works as though you were at home: you call, message and browse on your usual plan with no surcharge. It's one of the most useful things the Union has done for travellers, and also one of the most misunderstood, because it has details that only surface when they get in the way. If your line is from outside that area, this regulation doesn't apply to you: what works in Europe is decided by your own operator's terms.
Which countries are covered
The twenty-seven EU member states plus the three EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In all of them your plan travels with you.
And these are in Europe and are NOT covered by the regulation: Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the United Kingdom after Brexit, Turkey, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Whether your operator includes them is its own decision, and it varies.
The case that confuses people most, with its border traps, is in roaming in Switzerland.
Fair use, the detail that comes up most often
Included roaming is designed for travelling, not for living permanently in another country on a line from your own. That's why operators may apply a fair use policy, with two practical consequences.
- If your plan is unlimited or very large, the operator may set a cap on roaming data, and that cap has to be published in your terms.
- If for several months in a row you spend more time connected abroad than in your own country, the operator may warn you and, if nothing changes, apply a surcharge.
On a normal holiday trip neither of those comes into play. For someone who spends the winter abroad, they do.
What EU roaming does NOT cover
| Situation | Does it come out of your plan? |
|---|---|
| Browsing in Italy on your own data | Yes |
| Calling an Italian number while you're in Italy | Yes |
| Calling an Italian number from your own country | No, that's an international call |
| Special and premium-rate numbers | No, they're billed separately |
| Connecting from a ship or a plane | No, those are satellite networks and are billed separately |
The last two rows cause the most surprises. The one about ships above all: on a cruise or a ferry your phone latches onto the onboard network, which belongs to no country and isn't part of EU roaming.
Quality travels too
Since the latest revision of the regulation, your operator has to give you the same network quality while roaming that you'd have at home, as long as the visited country's network allows it. Put another way: if there's 5G there and your plan includes it, you're entitled to 5G, not to a quietly downgraded 3G.
So do you need an eSIM inside the Union?
If your line is from the EU, usually not, and it's worth saying so plainly even though we sell eSIMs: inside the Union, included roaming is hard to beat.
The cases where it does make sense are specific: old plans with very little data, prepaid lines with poor roaming terms, long stays where fair use kicks in, or a trip that combines countries inside and outside. And if your line is from outside the Union, an eSIM for a European trip isn't the exception, it's the normal answer.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries are included in EU roaming?
The twenty-seven EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland, Andorra, the United Kingdom and the Western Balkans are not covered by the regulation, even if some operators include them on their own initiative.
Is EU roaming really free?
You use it on your home plan with no surcharge. What does exist is a fair use policy, which can cap data on very large plans and step in if you live outside your own country most of the time. If your line is from outside the Union, the regulation doesn't apply.
Can I use my data on a cruise?
Not under EU roaming. Ship and aircraft networks run over satellite, belong to no country and are billed separately, usually at a high price.
Will I get 5G travelling in Europe?
If the country's network offers it and your plan includes it, yes. The regulation requires operators to provide the same quality while roaming as at home whenever it's technically possible.
Do I need an eSIM to travel around Europe?
If your line is from the EU, usually not: included roaming is hard to beat. It makes sense on old plans with little data, on long stays, or on trips combining countries inside and outside the Union. If your line is from outside, an eSIM is the normal answer.
