Three international roaming: Costs, plans, and alternatives

Planning a trip abroad and looking for a way to stay connected? If you’re a Three user in the UK, you can use Three international roaming to use your phone just as you would at home. While it sounds great, roaming isn’t free and comes with some restrictions. Follow along to learn all about Three roaming options, prices, and alternatives to consider.

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Don't get caught out by data roaming charges. Use local networks at local rates.

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What is Three international roaming?

Simply put, Three roaming is what allows you to use your regular Three eSIM or SIM card abroad. Most phone service providers have agreements with local providers in other countries. When you cross an international border, you can use data roaming to connect to a local network in the country you’re visiting without the need to change your SIM card.

Three UK roaming zones

The price and conditions of international roaming tend to differ from country to country. Before we dive into the prices for each, let’s take a look at countries covered by different Three roaming zones.

Three roaming plans and prices

There are several ways to get roaming abroad with Three, each catering to a different kind of user. Let’s take a look at the available options and what they have to offer.

Pay monthly

If you’re a frequent traveler, you might want to get a monthly plan that already includes international roaming. These plans cost more every month, but don’t require additional payments for roaming when you travel. With an eligible pay monthly plan, you’ll be able to use your regular data, text, and call allowances while on the move.

Roaming is included in Three Your Way Value and Three Your Way Complete plans. The Value plan allows for up to 28 days of free roaming a year, while the Complete plan includes 56 days of free roaming yearly. All plans are subject to Three’s Fair Use Policy, which allows up to 12 GB of data roaming a month, even if you have a plan with more data.

The pricing for these plans depends on how many calls, texts, and data you decide to include in your plan. That said, you can expect to pay £5 to £10 more every month for a plan that includes roaming when compared to the Lite plan, which doesn’t include international  roaming options.

Roaming pass

You can get roaming from Three even if you don’t have it included in your monthly plan. This is possible through a Go Roam pass, which gives you all the benefits of a monthly plan with roaming, only for a set period of time. All of these plans are subject to the same fair use limits as the monthly plans.

Alternatively, you can pay a daily fee, called Data Passport, to access your regular allowances abroad. The daily fees are:

• £2/day for Roam in Europe destinations.
• £5/day for Around the World destinations.
• £7/day for Around the World Extra destinations.

If you run out of data allowance while roaming abroad, you can buy an additional data pack to extend your roaming use.

Pay-as-you-go roaming

What if you don’t have roaming included in your monthly plan and don’t buy a roaming pass? The good news is that you’d still be able to use your phone abroad. The bad news — it’d be much more expensive than any roaming plan or pass.

When you choose pay-as-you-go roaming, you pay a fixed fee for every call minute, message, and MB of data you use. This fee differs depending on your destination.

It’s worth noting that the prices above apply to most, but not all, countries in every roaming zone. Double-check the charges for your specific destination before you start using pay-as-you-go roaming.

As you can see, even in the cheapest destinations, roaming charges can quickly run up a big phone bill, especially if you use data-heavy apps. Not to mention the charges that go up to £6/MB in some countries. In general, it’s best to stay away from pay-as-you-go roaming, unless you have no other option.

How to activate international roaming with Three

The process for activating data roaming depends on whether or not you have roaming included in your monthly plan. If you do, all you need to do is turn on data roaming in your phone settings, and you’ll be able to use the internet abroad. 

If on a monthly plan, you also won’t need to do anything at all for calls and messages. To make calls to the UK while abroad, you’ll need to replace the first 0 with +44 when dialing a number.

If roaming isn’t included in your plan, you should first log into your My3 account on the Three website and buy a roaming pass. Once you have your pass, you can turn on data roaming in your phone settings and enjoy using data, making calls, and sending texts.

If you turn on data roaming without having a roaming pass or an inclusive plan, you’ll automatically be charged pay-as-you-go charges. That’s why it’s recommended to keep data roaming off until you’ve made sure that you have a valid roaming plan.

How to avoid Three roaming charges

While you can include roaming on your monthly plans, it adds extra costs every month, which add up over time. For other plans, you have to pay for a roaming pass just to access your regular allowances. Thankfully, you can avoid this by using an eSIM for international travel.

In recent years, eSIMs have become the most popular way to stay connected while travelling, thanks to the convenience and pricing they offer. You can buy, set up, and activate your eSIM online within minutes and enjoy steady mobile internet wherever you go.

Enjoy unlimited data abroad with Holafly

Holafly is one of the most popular eSIM options in the world. All Holafly plans include unlimited data, hotspot sharing, and 24/7 customer support. This all but ensures that you’ll always stay connected, no matter where you go or how much data you use.

Depending on the destination and duration of your trip, you can get a Holafly eSIM for as little as £1.29 a day. These unlimited plans often start at £6 for one day, which is comparable to Three’s roaming plans but doesn’t use up your regular allowance. 

If you’re a frequent traveller or a digital nomad, Holafly Connect might be an even better option for you. It’s a pay-monthly eSIM subscription that offers coverage in 170+ destinations worldwide. You can get the unlimited plan for $64.90 (~£48.50)/month, enjoy staying connected anywhere in the world, and simply cancel your subscription when you no longer need it.

Avoid excessive roaming fees

Don't get caught out by data roaming charges. Use local networks at local rates.

Buy an eSIM

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Rokas Aniulis

Senior SEO copywriter

A senior SEO writer from Lithuania, combining my passion for writing and travel at Holafly. With years of experience in technical fields, I'm here to answer all of your questions about staying connected. I specialize in turning even the most complicated topics into something everyone can understand.

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