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Vodafone UK EU roaming: Charges, passes, and alternatives
Travelling to Europe as a Vodafone UK user? Here's everything you need to know about Vodafone EU roaming, including plans, charges, and alternatives.
Vodafone UK has a wide array of options if you’re looking to stay connected in Europe. This said, since Brexit, the rules for Vodafone UK roaming in the EU have slightly changed. Customers on Vodafone Pay Monthly Plans may be affected and charged when roaming in the EU, but it depends on when these contracts started.
This blog covers everything you need to know about Vodafone UK international roaming in the EU, including Vodafone EU roaming charges, plans, validity, and coverage. We also highlight an alternative to avoid Vodafone charges in Europe, the unlimited travel eSIM from Holafly.
Avoid excessive roaming fees
Don't get caught out by data roaming charges in Europe. Use local networks at local rates with Holafly.
Does Vodafone UK have free roaming in Europe?
Yes and no. Whether you’re allowed free roaming in Europe depends entirely on your existing plan or when your Vodafone Pay Monthly plan started.
Certain Vodafone plans, such as the Unlimited Max Xtra Global Roam and Unlimited Max Euro Roam plans, provide inclusive EU roaming to help keep roaming charges in control.
If you have a Vodafone Pay Monthly plan that began before 11 August 2021, roaming on your plan has not changed; you don’t have to pay any Vodafone UK EU roaming charges.
However, if you’re on a Pay Monthly plan that started on or after 11 August 2021, depending on the zone, roaming charges may apply for using your plan’s allowance in most European countries.
Here’s a table highlighting which Vodafone UK plans come with free roaming in the EU.
| Plan | Free EE roaming in the EU? |
|---|---|
| Pay Monthly (Unlimited Max Xtra Global Roam) | Yes |
| Pay Monthly (Unlimited Max Euro Roam) | Yes |
| Vodafone Basics Pay Monthly (started before 11 August 2021) | Yes |
| Vodafone Basics Pay Monthly (started on/after 11 August 2021) | No |
Vodafone UK EU roaming countries
Vodafone offers various zones for its Pay Monthly plans; roaming charges will depend on the zone your destination is in or when your Pay Monthly plan started.
The first two zones (A and B) include EU destinations. Zone A consists of 4 destinations, and Zone B includes 47 destinations, with 24 EU member states and some non-EU locations. Overall, Vodafone offers 51 Euro Roam destinations.
It’s also important to know that no roaming charges apply in Zone A on a Pay Monthly plan as long as you don’t exceed the 25 GB fair usage limit. For Zone B destinations, you’ll have to pay certain roaming costs depending on when your Vodafone Pay Monthly plan started.
Here’s a complete list of Vodafone’s Euro Roam countries:
| Zones | Countries |
|---|---|
| Euro Roam (Zone A) | Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Iceland, and Norway |
| Euro Roam (Zone B) | Aland Islands, Austria, Azores, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus (except Northern Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France (including Corsica), French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Italy, Jersey, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City |
European countries not included in Vodafone’s Euro Roam zones (A and B)
If you’re travelling to a European country outside of the EU, you’ll likely be covered within Vodafone’s Euro Roam zones and subject to similar rates to EU destinations.
However, some European countries are excluded from Vodafone’s Euro Roam zones A and B. If you travel to these specific destinations, you’ll be subject to each zone’s roaming rates.
| Zones | Non-EU European countries |
|---|---|
| Global Roam Zone C | Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, North Cyprus |
| Zone D | Andorra, Armenia, Macedonia (North Macedonia), Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia |
| Rest of the World Zone 1 | Kosovo |
| Rest of the World Zone 2 | Belarus |
| Rest of the World Zone 4 | Greenland |
Vodafone EU roaming passes, plans, and pricing
Vodafone’s roaming charges depend on its international zones, as seen listed above.
To understand Vodafone’s EU roaming charges, you need to first check which type of mobile plan you use back in the UK:
- Pay Monthly
- Pay-as-you-go
EU roaming charges for Pay Monthly customers
As a Pay Monthly customer with Vodafone, you have the option to use your allowance of calls, texts, and data while in the EU.
All Vodafone customers are able to use their allowance in Euro Roam Zone A destinations without charge. Meanwhile, if on an Unlimited Max Xtra Global Roam or an Unlimited Max Euro Roam plan, you’ll have EU roaming included in your plan’s monthly cost.
If you don’t have any of these plans, are on a Vodafone Basics plan, or a Pay Monthly plan that started after 21 August 2021, you’ll need to get a European roaming pass for Euro Roam Zone B destinations.
You’ll be charged £2.57 a day to use your existing balance of calls, texts, and up to 25 GB of data.
You can also purchase an 8-day Europe roaming pass for £15 or a 15-day roaming pass for £20. Both of these passes cover Euro Roam Zone B’s 47 destinations.
EU roaming charges for pay-as-you-go customers
Let’s say you’re not on a Vodafone Pay Monthly or Basics plan. What happens if you travel to any of Zone B’s EU roaming destinations?
If you’re a Vodafone pay-as-you-go customer on a Pay as you go 1, Vodafone Simply, or active Big Value Bundle plan, you’ll either be charged the daily roaming fee or you’ll have to purchase Europe Roaming Extras:
- 8-day Europe Extra for £12: 100 minutes, 200 SMS, 3 GB data (Text EUROAM to 2345)
- 8-day Europe Data Extra for £9: 3 GB data (Text EUDATA to 2345)
- 8-day Europe Minutes Extra for £5: 100 minutes (Text EUMINS to 2345)
- 8-day Europe Texts Extra for £4: 200 SMS (Text EUSMS to 2345)
You can also activate any of these extras via your Vodafone account on the My Vodafone App. It’s important to know that it will be activated immediately once you make a purchase.
Top tip: Purchase once you’re in your destination to avoid wasting allowances. If you run out of extras, you’ll have to purchase another one.
Non-EU Vodafone Europe roaming charges
As mentioned above, some non-EU European countries fall outside Vodafone’s Euro Roam Zones A and B. If you’re traveling to Europe and the country doesn’t belong to the Euro Roam Zones, here’s what you’ll be charged:
| Plans | Daily roaming charge | Talk | Text | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Roam Zone C | £6-7.39 per day | – | – | – |
| Zone D | £6-7.39 per day | – | – | – |
| Rest of the World Zone 1 | – | 60p per minute | 8p per text | 12p per MB |
| Rest of the World Zone 2 | – | £1.20 per minute | 30p per text | 60p per MB |
| Rest of the World Zone 4 | – | £2.40 per minute | 60p per text | £1.20 per MB (not available in some destinations) |
How to avoid Vodafone roaming charges in Europe
It’s easy to rack up a large roaming bill when abroad, especially when using data-heavy apps. Here are some quick and easy tips to help prevent this from happening.
Get an Unlimited Max Xtra Global Roam or an Unlimited Max Euro Roam plan
Both plans have inclusive EU roaming, which means you won’t have to pay extra when roaming in any of the 83 worldwide destinations (Global Roam) or 51 European destinations (Euro Roam). While you’ll have to pay £3.50-5 more for a roaming-inclusive plan, opting for one will help you avoid high roaming charges.
Track your data usage
Regularly tracking how much data you’ve used through the My Vodafone app will help you avoid high roaming charges. You can even set data usage alerts to get notified before you exceed your allowance.
Keep your phone on airplane mode
Switch your phone to airplane mode to avoid accidental or high roaming charges when you don’t need to use data or make calls internationally. You can still use WiFi in airplane mode.
Get a travel eSIM
Holafly offers eSIMs for entire regions or just a single destination, based on your trip. Choose a plan that suits your needs, buy and activate it online, and never worry about running out of data with an unlimited data eSIM.
Get an eSIM subscription
If you’re looking to tour Europe (or any other destination) long-term, consider Holafly Connect. This monthly subscription service is available in three flexible data packages (unlimited, 25 GB, and 10 GB), perfect for remote workers, frequent travellers, and digital nomads.
For only $64.90 (~£48), you can get unlimited data for a whole month and unlimited hotspot tethering for all your devices.
Get unlimited data in Europe with Holafly
Vodafone EU roaming lets you stay connected while you travel in Europe, but plans are limited and often use your monthly allowance.
Instead, Holafly travel eISMs offer unlimited data, the flexibility of choosing your own plan, 24/7 customer support, easy access on your mobile phone, and affordable prices.
With Holafly’s eSIM for Europe, you can enjoy unlimited data on an 8-day trip for £25 (£3.13 per day), compared to Vodafone’s 8-day Europe Extra with 3 GB for £12.
Plus, the more days you add, the cheaper the daily price gets:
- 10-day trip to Europe: £30 (£3 per day)
- 12-day trip to Europe: £35 (£2.92 per day)
- 15-day trip to Europe: £41 (£2.73 per day)
Peace of mind before you fly
Set up your Europe eSIM before travel and get unlimited data on arrival.
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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!
