Topic notes

Roaming

Which networks still include Europe, what a fair-use ceiling really means, the cheaper way to handle longer trips, and the one habit that prevents the biggest bills of all.

Written July 2026 · no prices published · nothing for sale

Read this first

Only one of the four mast owners still includes Europe on standard plans.
Two people on the same network can be under different rules, depending on when they signed.
A fair-use ceiling applies everywhere abroad; past it, per-gigabyte charging starts.
On trips past a few days, a local data eSIM beats daily charging.
Maritime and in-flight billing sits outside your spend cap entirely.

How we are placed. thurlowvance is an independent information service for mobile customers in the United Kingdom. We are not a mobile network. We have no affiliation with, endorsement from, appointment by or connection to Three, EE, O2, Vodafone, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile or any other provider, and no commercial arrangement with any of them. We do not sell, supply, arrange or broker SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services of any kind, and we take no commission from anybody. Everything here is general information; a provider's own current terms always take precedence.

Note 01

Where each network stands

Network	Position in Europe
O2	Still included on standard plans, under a published ceiling — the only one of the four
Three	Daily charge on most current plans; some older plans kept it included
EE	Daily charge on most current plans; some higher tiers restore it via a pass
Vodafone	Varies by plan generation — check your own screen
Sky Mobile	Daily passes chosen by band
Budget brands	The brand's own terms apply, never the landlord's

Only the roaming screen inside your own app settles which regime you are on.

Note 02

What a fair-use ceiling does

Included roaming is included up to a published limit. Beyond that limit, per-gigabyte charging starts.

That is where the alarming bills come from — not from the daily fee you expected, but from the invisible line you crossed on day nine. Write the ceiling down as a number before you go, and check consumption once mid-trip rather than after you get home.

Note 03

The cheaper way on longer trips

Keep your UK number live for calls and texts, and add a cheap local or regional data profile at the destination with data routed through it.

On any stay past a few days this comfortably beats daily roaming charges, and it undoes itself in seconds when you land back home. It needs a handset supporting two profiles, which most recent flagships do.

Note 04

Five minutes before you fly

Confirm the spend cap is enabled.
Read the roaming screen and note the ceiling as a figure.
Turn off automatic backups and app updates over mobile data.
Buy a travel data profile if the trip runs past a few days.
On landing, check which network you have latched onto and that data routes as intended.

Worth knowingFerries, cruise ships and some aircraft bill through satellite systems that sit outside ordinary roaming and outside your spend cap. This is the single biggest source of shocking bills, and switching mobile data off before boarding prevents every one of them.

Still unsure after reading these notes?

Ring us and we will go through it with you. Nothing is offered for sale at any point.

020 3807 7759This number is for guidance and information only. We sell nothing, arrange nothing and act for no network. Ring it if any part of these notes leaves you unsure.

Ring us if these notes do not cover it

We hold no arrangement with any network, take no commission and sell nothing at all. If your question is not answered here, telephone and ask.

020 3807 7759Guidance and information only. We sell nothing and act for no network.

Roaming

Read this first

Where each network stands

What a fair-use ceiling does

The cheaper way on longer trips

Five minutes before you fly

Still unsure after reading these notes?

Ring us if these notes do not cover it

Network notes

Topics A–H

Topics I–O

This site

Legal