Comparing International Roaming Caps Across UK Mobile Providers

A roaming cap is the maximum amount of your UK data allowance that you can use abroad before extra charges, restrictions or add-ons kick in. 

It matters because a plan advertised with 100GB, or even unlimited data, may give you considerably less once your phone connects to an overseas network. 

Among the providers compared here, EE offers one of the larger caps on eligible plans, while O2 and Vodafone commonly allow up to 25GB. Three and SMARTY are tighter at 12GB. 

Tesco Mobile takes a different approach. It currently allows customers to use their UK allowance in Home From Home destinations without a fixed data cap, although fair-use conditions still apply. 

The “unlimited” plan that stopped at 12GB 

Nathan travelled to Greece with an unlimited UK data plan and assumed he was sorted. 

For the first few days, he used his phone as a hotspot, streamed football and let every holiday photo upload automatically. Then came the warning: he was approaching his 12GB roaming limit. 

His UK allowance was unlimited. His overseas allowance was not. 

Nothing dishonest had happened. The cap was sitting in the fair-use policy. Nathan simply had not read past the large word UNLIMITED. 

Mobile adverts are good at headlines. Roaming limits tend to live downstairs in the smaller print. 

Roaming data caps compared 

These are general limits for eligible plans in July 2026. A destination may still require a pass or sit outside the provider’s included roaming zone. 

The larger allowances 

EE applies a 50GB fair-use limit outside the UK on relevant unlimited consumer plans. That is generous enough for most holidays, although inclusive roaming is only available on certain plans or through a roaming benefit. 

O2 keeps things simpler in Europe. Customers can generally use up to 25GB of their allowance across its Europe Zone without an additional roaming fee. 

Vodafone also uses a 25GB roaming fair-use limit, including on unlimited plans and eligible roaming passes. Once that allowance is used, further data may be charged. 

The middle ground 

iD Mobile’s roaming policy lists a 30GB monthly fair-use allowance in its supported destinations. 

That gives travellers a decent amount of room for maps, messaging, social media and moderate streaming. 

Lebara also allows up to 30GB when using eligible plans in the EU and India. It is a useful option for travellers whose journeys regularly follow those routes rather than hopping across the entire globe. 

Talk Home Mobile’s allowance varies by tariff. Current plan pages show roaming caps ranging from 20GB to 40GB, so customers need to check the individual deal rather than assuming every plan behaves the same way abroad. 

The tighter caps 

Three and SMARTY both apply a 12GB roaming fair-use limit. 

That is plenty for normal holiday use, but it can disappear quickly when hotspotting, streaming or backing up videos. 

Giffgaff is tighter still at 5GB across eligible EU roaming destinations. Go beyond it and additional data is charged, so this is one to watch if Google Photos has a mind of its own. 

Tesco Mobile currently stands out by saying there is no fixed usage cap in its Home From Home destinations. 

Customers can use their UK allowance, although the service is intended for periodic travel rather than living abroad permanently. 

What should you compare? 

Do not judge a roaming plan by the cap alone. 

Check whether your destination is included, whether a daily fee applies and what happens once the limit is reached. Some providers charge per gigabyte. Others require an add-on or stop the data altogether. 

For ordinary maps, messages and browsing, 12GB may be enough. For remote work, tethering or daily video streaming, a 25GB or 50GB allowance gives far more breathing room. 

The best roaming cap is not necessarily the biggest one. 

It is the one you know about before your phone politely informs you that the holiday data has run out.