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O2 EU roaming: Pricing, plans, and alternatives
Travelling to Europe? Learn more about O2's EU roaming charges and plans, tips on how to avoid roaming charges, and alternatives to staying connected.
As an O2 customer, you might be wondering whether you can use your current plan to make calls, send texts, and browse the internet when travelling internationally and across Europe. Since Brexit, O2’s international roaming rules may have changed for UK mobile users, and O2’s network has its own policies.
This blog covers everything you need to know about O2 EU roaming options, including charges, plans and passes, and coverage, to ensure you don’t rack up a large roaming bill by the end of your trip. You can also avoid high roaming charges by opting for an unlimited data travel eSIM from Holafly.
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Is data roaming free in Europe with O2?
Unlike many other mobile networks, you’ll be happy to know that EU roaming with O2 is free. Whether you’re a Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go customer, you can use your data (only up to 25 GB), minutes, and texts at no extra charge across 48 European territories in O2’s Europe Zone.
However, even if your monthly UK data allowance is higher than 25 GB, you’ll still be subject to a data roaming limit of 25 GB. If you continue to use data, you’ll be charged for it.
O2 EU roaming countries
As mentioned previously, you can use your existing UK data allowance for data roaming (with a 25 GB limit), texts, and minutes in the following 48 European territories:
| Zones | Countries |
|---|---|
| Europe Zone | Austria, Azores, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus (Southern), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City |
Some European territories are outside O2’s Europe Zone; if you travel to such a destination, you might incur roaming charges unless you buy O2 add-ons like the O2 Travel Bolt On.
However, in other cases, you may still be able to get inclusive roaming in these destinations with the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone on specific plans such as the Volt or Plus Plan.
European countries not included in O2’s Europe Zone
If you travel to any of these European destinations, you might incur roaming charges depending on your existing plan as a Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go customer.
| Non-EU European countries (outside O2’s Europe Zone) | Albania, Greenland, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, North Cyprus, and Turkey |
Continue reading to find out what these data roaming charges may be, and how you can avoid them by purchasing certain add-ons and travel passes.
O2 EU roaming charges, passes, and plans
While O2 offers EU roaming on your existing UK monthly data allowance at no extra cost, you may incur roaming charges if you exceed the 25 GB limit in any of the 48 European destinations in O2’s Europe Zone
If you exceed the 25 GB data roaming limit, you’ll need to buy a data roaming Bolt-On or pay pay-as-you-go charges to continue using data.
Data roaming Bolt-Ons
If you expect to exceed your data allowance and the 25 GB limit, you can purchase an O2 Bolt On.
- O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Bolt On (available with Volt and Plus plans): £7 a day in O2’s Europe Zone + 27 destinations outside of Europe
- O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate Bolt On (available with Ultimate plans): Roam freely in O2’s Europe Zone + 75 roaming destinations
Pay-as-you-go roaming rates (European destinations)
As long as you stay within your UK monthly allowances, you can roam for free in O2’s Europe Zone. However, if you exceed this and the 25 GB limit, you’ll be charged pay-as-you-go roaming rates:
- Calls: 35p per voice minute
- Texts: 15p per message
- MMS: 45p per message
- Data: £3 per MB up to max £1/day (further usage of data for that day will be free, subject to a fair usage of 50MB for the day)
If you use the whole 50MB Web Daily allowance, you can purchase the Web Daily Bolt On for £1, which gives you a further 50MB to use that day.
Non-EU O2 Europe roaming charges
While many non-EU European territories are a part of O2’s Europe Zone and subject to the same rates. If not, you generally have three options for European countries outside O2’s Europe Zone.
Data roaming Bolt-Ons
As mentioned above, if you’re on one of O2’s travel-inclusive roaming plans (Volt, Plus, or Ultimate plans), you can get a data roaming add-on (Bolt On) for destinations outside O2’s Europe Zone.
| European destinations (outside of Europe Zone) | 100 MB | 500 MB | 1 GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenland (Zone 1) | £9 | £18 | £26 |
| Albania, Montenegro, Turkey (Zone 2) | £18 | £26 | £45 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, North Cyprus (Zone 3) | £26 | £45 | £65 |
O2 Travel Pass
Let’s say you’re not on one of O2’s travel-inclusive pay monthly plans. What are your options? Pay Monthly customers can pay £7 a day to use data, calls, and messages in 63 destinations outside of Europe (including some non-EU European territories like Albania, Montenegro, and Turkey).
Other passes include:
- Rest of the World 24-hour pass: £7.50 for a day of calls, texts, and data (allowances vary depending on the zone)
- Rest of the World 30-day pass: £99 for a month of calls, texts, and data (allowances vary depending on the zone)
Pay As You Go customers can only get roaming in Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Monaco, or Switzerland at a rate of £1.99 a day.
Pay-as-you-go roaming rates
If you travel to any European destinations outside of O2’s Europe Zone and call, text, or use data without having a travel-inclusive monthly plan or purchasing an add-on, you must pay the standard roaming rates.
This can be as high as £7.20 for an MB of data, £3 for a minute of making or receiving calls, and £1 for a single text message.
Top tip: Ensure you’ve added a travel pass, international roaming add-on, or roaming-inclusive monthly plan before embarking on your trip. Otherwise, it’s quite easy to accumulate a large phone bill, which will add to the cost of your entire trip.
How to avoid O2 Europe roaming charges
Travelling to Europe and don’t want high data roaming charges to rain on your parade? Here are some tips to help you save while roaming internationally.
Know your roaming zone
It’s crucial to double-check where you’re headed and whether O2 offers roaming in that specific EU country; most (but not all) European countries are included in the Europe Zone. Check if your plan qualifies for free roaming in your destination and if there are any data roaming add-ons or travel passes you can add in case you run out of your UK monthly data allowance.
Without going through these checks, you may confuse your destination and end your trip with a hefty bill.
Monitor your data usage
While you can get free EU roaming, O2 has a fair usage cap of 25 GB. If you continue to use data beyond this limit, you’ll be charged the standard daily rate. Track how much data you’ve used through the O2 app or dial *#100# to check your usage while abroad. To limit data usage while travelling:
- Turn off any automatic app updates
- Download movies, entertainment, playlists, and maps before you travel
- Use WiFi whenever possible
Consider an international travel eSIM
Most networks offer international roaming at an extra charge; others offer free roaming but with capped data usage. An alternative solution is travel eSIMs. Buy and activate your eSIM online and manage it via an app; you’ll be connected as soon as you land at your destination.
Avoid roaming charges and stay connected internationally with Holafly
Nowadays, many eSIM providers offer cost-effective solutions for staying connected as you travel. Among these is Holafly, the perfect travel companion. All Holafly eSIM plans offer unlimited data, 24/7 customer support, flexibility in choosing your plan, and a daily allowance for hotspot sharing.
When it comes to staying connected in Europe, Holafly’s eSIM for Europe offers unlimited data for as little as £2.73 per day for a 15-day plan. You can customise your plan to your vacation, so you never have to pay for days when you’re not away. Manage your plan from the dedicated Holafly app and top up anytime. Here are some prices alongside various possible trip durations:
- 3-day trip to Europe: £11 (£3.67 per day)
- 7-day trip to Europe: £24 (£3.43 per day)
- 15-day trip to Europe: £41 (£2.73 per day)
If you plan to tour Europe in the long run, consider Holafly’s long-term solution, Holafly Connect. This monthly eSIM subscription service offers unlimited data in over 170 destinations for a whole month at only $64.90 (~£47). With the unlimited data package, you also get unlimited hotspots for the rest of your devices, so you can stay connected without any inconvenience.
Avoid excessive roaming fees
Don't get caught out by data roaming charges in Europe. Use local networks at local rates.
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Born and raised in Queens, New York, I'm a Psychology graduate with a passion for writing that I've been nurturing since 2019. Over the years, I've enjoyed creating meaningful content across various niches, including sports, hospitality, and career development. At Holafly, I focus on crafting useful and inspiring pieces to make your adventures more effortless. One of the best perks of this role? Creating travel content always seems to inspire my next vacation destination!
