International Roaming

Roaming in Italy: Costs, plans, and alternatives

Roaming in Italy can be costly. Compare roaming costs and how to stay connected abroad for less with an unlimited data Holafly eSIM.

Staying connected while exploring Italy is necessary, but roaming can become an expensive nightmare if you’re not equipped with the essentials. Roaming in Italy simply means using your home mobile provider’s network abroad, often at extra costs.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to use roaming services with your provider, various roaming options, smart alternatives, and tips to avoid unexpected charges. We’ll also introduce a digital travel solution that helps you skip extra roaming costs altogether, an unlimited data travel eSIM.

In this article

Roaming costs in Italy

Roaming charges in Italy vary depending on your provider and current plan. If you’re traveling from the US with T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon, you can expect roaming charges to range from ~$10 to ~$15 USD.

On the other hand, if you’re traveling from the UK and are on an EE, Three, Vodafone UK, O2, Lebara, or GiffGaff network, roaming charges are typically between ~£2.50 and ~£7+ per day. Some networks, such as O2, Lebara, and GiffGaff, may offer free EU roaming.

Roaming in Italy from the US

T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are the USA’s leading mobile operators. Each carrier handles roaming in Italy differently, with their own international plan, daily travel passes, and data roaming policies that can affect how much you’ll pay to stay connected and use mobile internet in Italy.

T-Mobile roaming in Italy

If you’re on one of T-Mobile’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plans:

Experience Beyond Go5G Next: 256Kbps
Experience More, Go5G Plus, Max, and One Plus: 256Kbps

You won’t have to pay any additional roaming charges, but you will have to pay more for your plan every month to use your mobile phone abroad. If not, you can opt for one of T-Mobile’s international passes:

One-day International Pass: $5 for up to 512 MB
10-day International Pass: $35 for up to 5 GB
30-day International Pass: $50 for up to 15 GB

If you’re not on a roaming-inclusive plan and choose not to buy an international pass, you’ll have to pay T-Mobile’s pay-as-you-go roaming rates, which are $0.25 a minute for calls and $0.01 per MB.

Verizon roaming in Italy

Verizon international roaming services offer US-based travelers a few ways to stay connected in Italy: a roaming-inclusive monthly plan, a travel pass, or pay-as-you-go roaming charges.

International Monthly Plan

$100/month
Includes 210+ destinations, including Italy
Unlimited roaming data and text
250 voice minutes

Travel Pass

$12/day
Unlimited international data, unlimited calling, and text

Pay As You Go rates

$2.05 per MB
$1.79 per minute
$0.50 per sent text

AT&T roaming in Italy

If you’re with AT&T and want to be able to use your phone in Italy, you can opt for:

International Day Pass:

$12/day for the first line
$6/day for each additional line
Use your regular plan allowances abroad

Pay-per-use rates (if no pass is activated):

$3 per voice minute
$0.50 per text message
$2.05 per MB

While AT&T’s international roaming services offer a roaming-inclusive monthly plan, this is limited to 20 Latin American countries.

Roaming in Italy from the UK

For UK travelers heading to Italy, roaming services also greatly depend on your provider. Some networks, like O2, still include free EU roaming, while others (EE, Vodafone, Three) charge a daily fee for data roaming, voice calls, and texts. Below, we’ll cover how each main carrier handles Italy roaming data bundles and what charges apply.

Vodafone UK roaming in Italy

Vodafone UK’s international roaming includes Italy in two of its monthly unlimited plans:

Unlimited Max Global Roam
Unlimited Max Euro Roam

If you’re on either of these pay-monthly plans, you can use up to 25 GB of your UK allowance while roaming in Italy.

For other plans, like Vodafone Basics, you can pay the daily fee or purchase roaming passes:

£2.57 per day to use your existing balance of calls, texts, and up to 25 GB of data
8-day roaming pass for £15
15-day roaming pass for £20

If you don’t purchase roaming passes or are not currently on a roaming-inclusive monthly plan, you’ll automatically be charged the daily roaming fee (£2.57) if you try to use your phone in Italy.

EE roaming in Italy

Italy is included in EE’s international roaming coverage for customers on the following monthly plans:

Full Works
EE’s Essentials Plus
All Rounder

If you’re on any of these plans and are traveling internationally, you can use your UK allowances while roaming in Italy at no extra cost. If not, you can get an EU travel pass for £2.59/day or £15/week to use your UK allowances in Italy.

EE offers two separate roaming passes for pay-as-you-go customers:

Roam Like Home 7-day pass: £10 to use your existing UK data allowance, calls, and texts
Roam Like Home for 24 hours: £2.50 to use your existing UK data allowance, calls, and texts

Standard roaming charges (£70 per voice minute and 30p per text) will apply if you go over your allowance.

Three roaming in Italy

Three’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plans include Three Your Way Value and Three Your Way Complete. On any of these plans, you’ll have up to 12 GB of data roaming a month to use your mobile phone in Italy and other countries.

If not, you can choose one of the following passes:

Go Roam in Europe 3-day pass for £5
Go Roam in Europe 7-day pass for £12
Go Roam in Europe 14-day pass for £24

Pay-as-you-go roaming rates for Italy (if no pass is activated):

10p/MB
35p/minute
15p/text message

O2 roaming in Italy

You won’t have to pay any additional roaming charges to use O2’s international roaming services as a pay-monthly or pay-as-you-go customer. You’ll be able to use your monthly data allowance (subject to a roaming limit), make phone calls in Italy, and text.

Get unlimited data for less in Italy with Holafly

Opting for traditional roaming services often means dealing with daily charges, limited data allowances, data speed caps, and the risk of unexpected additional fees on your bill when traveling abroad.

With Holafly’s eSIM for Italy, you can avoid all of this and get:

Unlimited data
A fast and stable internet connection
Internet access the moment you arrive in Italy
24/7 customer support
A quick and easy setup process

… and the flexibility to match your eSIM plan to your vacation! Choose however long or short you’d like your plan to be, and add more days from the Holafly app if needed. Whether you’re exploring remotely, making calls over apps, or just navigating on your international trip, Holafly eSIMs keeps you connected abroad with total peace of mind.

How to avoid roaming charges in Italy

Roaming in Italy can be both expensive and limiting, and consequently, travelers are moving towards smarter, cheaper and more flexible options to stay connected. Here are the best ways to avoid roaming charges in Italy and enjoy reliable high speed data.

Grab a local Italy SIM card upon arrival. If you don’t have an eSIM-compatible phone (most modern phones are), you can pick up an Italian SIM card from local providers. While they offer more affordable rates, the SIM registration process can be a hassle. With an eSIM, it’s as quick as five minutes.

Download maps and content offline to prepare for international travel in Italy. Download Google Maps to all the popular destinations, language apps, train schedules and guides in advance to reduce data usage, especially for data heavy apps.

Monitor data usage and set alerts when your allowances are low from your phone’s settings. Many smartphones and mobile services let you cap or turn off roaming services entirely. Our data usage calculator calculates how much data you’ll need for your trip.

Use messaging and calling apps instead of SMS/calls to avoid high international long distance rates. Holafly’s eSIM plans offer unlimited data so you never have to worry about running out.

Consider using a pocket WiFi for Italy if you’re travelling in a large group or its digital counterpart, Holafly Plans. With this monthly eSIM subscription, you can get unlimited data and unlimited hotspot in 170+ destinations for only $64.90 per month.

Skip the roaming fees entirely by getting a Holafly eSIM for Italy. You’ll have unlimited data the moment you land without worrying about roaming passes, limited data allowances, or an international plan from your home provider.

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Mahnoor Bangush

SEO Content Writer

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!

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