EU roaming: Costs, coverage, and smarter alternatives

How does data roaming in Europe work?

When you land in Rome or Barcelona and turn off airplane mode, your U.S. SIM connects to a different service provider in the country you are visiting. This behind-the-scenes partnership is called roaming. It lets your phone keep using data services, send texts, make and receive calls, and even handle a quick video call, while your home carrier tracks your service usage and bills you later.

Inside the European Union, residents enjoy a separate framework called “Roam Like at Home.” EU and EEA subscribers can use their domestic monthly allowance of data, calls, and texts while visiting other EU countries with no surcharge. 

However, those protections do not extend to American SIM cards. If you travel with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon, you are still using data roaming whenever your phone connects to a European network, and the price depends on your U.S. plan. Some plans include a small high-speed roaming bucket before initiating throttling and reducing speeds. Others rely on day passes. Without either, pay-per-use charges apply.

If you want a more extensive primer, start with our explainer on what data roaming is. Then make sure your cellphone will connect on EU networks by checking whether your phone will work in Europe.

Which countries are covered by EU roaming?

The “Roam Like at Home” agreement covers all 27 EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. In theory, an EU SIM used in France will work in Spain or Germany at home rates, and the carrier should aim to deliver the same quality where local networks allow it. Several territories, such as the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores, and many French overseas departments, are generally treated as part of this zone. That said, providers publish their own EU/EEA roaming lists that show exactly which locations fall into a different roaming zone, and spell out any fair-use caps or surcharges that apply.

A few destinations fall outside the scheme: Switzerland and Andorra are not in the EU or the EEA, so data roaming there usually costs extra. The United Kingdom is also outside the framework after Brexit, and though some EU networks still offer free roaming in the UK as a policy, others do not.

Two takeaways matter for a U.S. audience. If you carry an EU or EEA SIM, free roaming applies across the zone, subject to any fair usage policy agreement you have with your local carrier. If you carry a U.S. SIM, “Roam Like at Home” does not apply at all. Your data roaming charges depend on your American carrier, even if you cross several European countries in one trip.

How much does roaming cost in Europe?

Roaming costs in Europe can quickly add up. Travelers using pay-per-use pricing, which is often the default when no travel pass is active, are billed by the megabyte for data, by the minute for phone calls, and by the message for texts. Even light mobile data usage can result in a large bill, since background sync, maps, photo backups, and the occasional video call consume more data than most people expect.

Here are pay-per-use rates U.S. travelers can expect in a popular destination like Italy:

*The US$0.01 per MB data roaming rate in Italy applies to “Other T-Mobile plans,” as stated on T-Mobile’s website.

The information about pricing in this comparison was last verified on the providers’ official websites on August 21, 2025.

Those numbers are easier to understand when you translate them into everyday tasks:

• A standard-definition Netflix stream can use roughly 1 GB per hour. At US$2.05 per MB, that is more than US$2,000 per hour on a standard pay-per-use plan. High-definition video can reach 3 GB per hour, and 4K can exceed 7 GB per hour, which is simply not viable on metered data roaming.

• A one-on-one video call in most apps uses 300–700 MB per hour depending on quality and network conditions. Even at the lower end, the cost can exceed US$600 per hour at US$2.05 per MB.

• Some map navigation, a couple of app updates, and cloud photo sync can easily use up 100–300 MB of data. At pay-per-use rates, this can mean several hundred dollars in a single day.

If you are not sure how much data you will burn through on a city break or a two-week tour, use this data usage calculator to estimate your mobile data usage before you buy any solution. 

Should you turn roaming off in Europe?

The good news is that you do not need to have data roaming active every minute. Background refreshing, cloud sync, and auto-updates don’t just drain your battery — these processes nibble at your data too. If you plan to rely on hotel Wi-Fi, a local plan, or an eSIM, turn roaming off on your U.S. line to prevent accidental data usage.

If you want to turn off roaming on your phone, follow these steps:

• iPhone: “Settings” → “Cellular” → “Cellular data options” → “Data roaming” → “Off”

• Android: “Settings” → “Connections” → “Mobile networks” → “Data roaming” → “Off”

If you want the pros and cons laid out in a more granular way, our guide on whether data roaming should be on or off explains exactly when to toggle it, and our article on how to use an iPhone in Europe without charges can help you find a practical setup that lets you avoid surprise fees.

Best ways to avoid roaming charges in Europe

Today, avoiding roaming charges is easier than ever thanks to new tools like eSIMs and widespread connectivity options. Below are the most practical and popular ways to stay online without relying on costly international plans.

1. Use an eSIM — the easiest and most flexible solution

An eSIM gives you local data in Europe without swapping your number or requiring you to go to a store. Since it’s embedded into your phone, activating it  takes only a couple of minutes, and you can keep your U.S. line available for voice calls and SMS messages while the eSIM handles data services across the EU. In practice, this means you can receive calls on your regular number, avoid data roaming charges, and still manage your data limit and data usage inside a single app.

With the Saily eSIM app, you can browse plans before your trip, then activate a data-only connection as soon as you land. No physical SIM swaps, no roaming fees, and no waiting in line.

If you are new to this tech, our primer on what an eSIM is will walk you through compatibility and setup and explain how a downloadable profile functions alongside a physical SIM on a modern mobile device. Once you’re ready to choose an eSIM for Europe, you can compare regional coverage, typical allowances, and pricing across European countries, then pick a package that matches how you travel and how much data you actually use.

2. Buy a local SIM card

A local SIM from Italy, Spain, or another EU country can be a great value if you plan to stay there for a longer time. Prepaid bundles often pair a large data allowance with unlimited calls inside the country, and many include an EU roaming plan that lets you use your phone in other EU countries at domestic rates. If your trip involves spending several weeks in one place and you want local phone calls at local prices, a local SIM can be a valid choice.

However, you’ll have to consider some trade-offs. You will need to visit a shop, present an ID, and swap cards, which means your U.S. number will be unavailable unless your phone supports dual-SIM functionality and you keep both lines active. Network quality is generally high in major European countries, but it may vary depending on the region and carrier.

If you’re unsure which solution to choose, our eSIM vs. physical SIM comparison explains setup steps, device quirks, typical costs, and scenarios when each option makes more sense. It also covers small, but important details — like how to manage data usage and preserve your U.S. number — so you can choose the path that fits the way you travel.

3. Rent pocket Wi-Fi

Pocket Wi-Fi is a small, battery-powered hotspot that lets your group share one plan across a number of phones, tablets, and laptops. It works well for families or teams that want everyone to connect to the internet using the same login credentials, the same signal, and one bill to reconcile at the end of the trip.

On the flip side, you’ll need to pay daily rental fees, leave a deposit, arrange pickup and return, and remember to charge yet another device. If you’re wondering when a shared router beats individual plans, our guide to pocket Wi-FI for Europe lists typical costs, as well as scenarios when a hotspot is actually the better solution.

4. Use public Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is widely available at airports, hotels, cafes, and some public areas across Europe. While it’s tempting to rely on these networks to avoid roaming costs, they come with some serious downsides.

Public Wi-Fi is often slow and unreliable, especially in crowded places. It can also be unsecure, leaving your data exposed to snooping or theft. Using it occasionally is fine for minor tasks like messaging or checking maps, but it’s not ideal for regular connectivity.

For secure and consistent access, a prepaid data plan is still the safer bet.

Which option is best for you?

When it comes to choosing how to connect to the internet on your trip, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best option depends on your route, the devices you carry, and the way your service provider handles “Roam Like at Home” rules. Although EU SIMs benefit from "Roam Like at Home," operators still enforce a fair-usage limit whenever the SIM is used outside its country of purchase. Think of it as a roaming data cap that sits on top of your domestic plan: Once you hit that ceiling, your mobile service may slow the connection or start charging you based on out-of-bundle rates. If you are traveling with a U.S. SIM, those protections do not apply, so any connection to a European network counts as data roaming and can trigger roaming charges, unless you use a local or regional plan.

Use the table below as a quick way to map real-world scenarios and choose a setup that actually fits how you travel:

Pick the row that matches how you travel, then sanity check the speed and cost columns against what you actually do online. You can also mix different approaches: Keep an eSIM as your default and lean on hotel Wi-Fi in the evenings. Whichever option you choose, read the small print on your service provider’s fair-usage limit and check any roaming data caps so your bill matches your expectations.

The best way to stay connected in Europe

Roaming feels effortless because it works the moment you land, but the costs stack up fast on pay-per-use. Public Wi-Fi is fine for quick checks, not for day-to-day use. Pocket hotspots suit families who want a single bill, though the pickup, deposits, and charging routine add friction. A local SIM can be great for a month in one city, but it requires a store visit and a card swap.

For most trips, an eSIM is the sensible solution. You install it once, pay local rates, cross borders without touching your settings, and keep your U.S. number available for calls and texts while your data runs on the eSIM plan. If you want a compact checklist of why travelers choose this route, our overview of the benefits of eSIM lays out the advantages in plain terms.

If a trip is on your calendar, set yourself up before you fly. You can download Saily’s eSIM app for free and have a working data plan ready for the moment you switch off airplane mode.