What your roaming covers
A short guide. Your contract is what counts: allowances, eligible countries and charges vary by plan.
European roaming
Included:
- Your UK data allowance, within the fair usage policy
- Calls and texts from your allowance to UK mobiles and UK landlines (01, 02 and 03 numbers)
- Calls and texts to mobiles and landlines in other countries in the same roaming zone
- Receiving calls and texts
- Emergency calls on 999 or 112, UK freephone numbers and voicemail
Not included: calls to non-geographic or premium rate numbers; calls and texts to countries outside the European zones; calls and texts from one European zone to a country in another.
Worldwide daily roaming
Included:
- Your UK data allowance, within the fair usage policy
- Calls and texts from your allowance to UK mobiles and UK landlines (01, 02 and 03 numbers)
- Calls and texts to mobiles and landlines in the country you're visiting
- Receiving calls and texts
- Emergency calls on 999 or 112, UK freephone numbers and voicemail
Not included: calls to non-geographic or premium rate numbers; calls and texts to any other country, in the same zone or outside it; calls and texts from one European zone to a country in another.
Roam Like at Home
Included:
- Your UK data allowance, within the fair usage policy
- Calls and texts to UK mobiles and UK landlines (01, 02 and 03 numbers)
- Calls and texts to mobiles and landlines in the same roaming zone
- Receiving calls and texts in an included country
- Emergency calls on 999 or 112, UK freephone numbers and voicemail
Not included: calls to non-geographic or premium rate numbers; calls and texts to countries outside the Roam Like at Home zones; international calls and texts made from the UK; calls and texts from one European zone to a country in another.
Anything outside your allowance, or to a country outside the zone, is charged. A roaming add-on on your account is normally used first.
When a daily fee starts
As soon as your phone joins a network abroad
Where your plan has a daily fee, it starts when your phone connects to a network there. You don't have to make a call, send a text or open an app: a phone joins a network by itself when it's switched on, or when flight mode goes off.
Don't want the fee?
Switch on flight mode before you arrive, and keep mobile data and data roaming off. You can still use Wi-Fi. The start and end of each daily period depend on your plan: call us before you go if you need the exact times.
Avoid a surprise on your bill
Roaming is charged by the network your phone joins, not by where you're standing.
Near a border or the coast
Your phone picks the strongest signal, which may belong to the next country, a different roaming zone. It happens near borders, coastlines and islands, on routes like the Channel Tunnel, and near the UK and Ireland border. Check the network name on your screen, and choose one by hand if it's wrong.
Planes and ships
Networks on planes and ships (they show as AAA and SEA on a bill) aren't part of normal roaming and can be expensive. Keep flight mode on while you travel. You can use on-board Wi-Fi where it's allowed, and turn mobile back on once you're on land.
Older phones
Some countries have little or no 2G or 3G left, so an older phone may get a poor signal or none. This matters most in the USA with a basic phone. Not sure yours will work? Ask us before you go.
On some networks, a roaming data limit may not stop 4G data in certain countries. Check your allowance and destination before you travel.
A few quick checks
Before you travel
- Check your country above
- Know your data allowance, fair usage limit and any daily charge
- Make sure roaming is switched on for your line
- Check your phone works on networks there, and update it
- When you land, choose a network by hand (below)
- Save our number: 0330 232 0196
If roaming doesn't work
- Flight mode on, wait a few seconds, then off
- Restart your phone
- Check mobile data and data roaming are on
- Choose another network by hand (below), or try automatic
- Two SIMs? Check your Telle Calls line is the one for data
Still stuck? Call 0330 232 0196.
Keep charges down
- Turn off mobile data or data roaming when you don't need it
- Use trusted Wi-Fi where you can
- Pause app updates, cloud backups and photo syncing: they use data in the background
- Avoid plane, ship and next-country networks unless you know the charges
Choose a network by hand
We recommend it wherever you go: then your phone can't wander onto a network your plan doesn't cover, near a border, on a plane or on a ship.
iPhone
- Open Settings.
- Tap Mobile Service (or Mobile Data).
- Tap Network Selection.
- Turn off Automatic and wait for the list.
- Pick a network in the country you're in.
Android
- Open Settings.
- Tap Connections, or Network & Internet.
- Open Mobile Networks, then Network Operators.
- Turn off Select Automatically and wait for the list.
- Pick a network in the country you're in.
Menu names vary a little between phones. Lost signal? Pick another network, or switch automatic back on. And switch automatic back on when you come home. Not sure which network to pick? Call us before using data.