How to avoid brutal roaming charges outside the EU

5 July 2026 · 5 min read

Inside the EU, the “roam like at home” rule means your domestic plan works much as it does at home. At the EU border that protection ends — from there on it's per-minute and per-megabyte pricing, which can add up to a serious sum in a single week.

What does it really cost?

Outside the EU most operators bill data either as a daily pass or per megabyte. The order of magnitude is typically tens of euros per gigabyte — and a video call, a few maps and an episode in the evening easily use 1 GB a day.

Four solutions, in order

1. An eSIM data plan. Fixed price, paid in advance, available instantly. Your home number stays reachable for calls and texts.
2. A local SIM card. It can be cheap, but it means queueing, passport registration and swapping cards — and your home number drops out.
3. Your operator's daily pass. Convenient, but usually the most expensive option and often with limited data.
4. Wi-Fi only. Free, but you need navigation, taxi apps and check-in exactly when there's no Wi-Fi.

Checklist before departure

• Turn data roaming off on your home SIM and leave it on only for the eSIM.
• Download the offline map of your destination in advance.
• Stop background data for the heavy apps (cloud, photos, video).
• Check that your phone is eSIM-capable and not SIM-locked.

How much data do you need?

For a weekend 1–3 GB, for a week's holiday 5 GB, and for heavy use (video, hotspot) plan for more than 10 GB. If it runs out, you can top up the same eSIM — no new QR code needed.

Haven't picked a destination yet? Take a look at our round-up of summer destinations, or start with the eSIM guide.