The United Kingdom is a short hop for Europeans and a long one for everyone else, and for both groups the roaming picture has changed. Since Brexit, EU operators are no longer required to include the UK in "roam like at home", and many have reintroduced charges. For visitors from the US, Asia or Australia, the UK was always a premium roaming destination. An eSIM closes that gap.
The networks
The UK has three network operators after the merger of Vodafone and Three: EE, O2 and VodafoneThree. All cover London and the other cities with 5G and the motorway network with 4G. Coverage thins out in the Scottish Highlands, parts of Wales and the national parks, and the operators differ there more than they do in cities. EE has historically had the widest rural footprint. Travel eSIMs connect to one of the three as roaming partners.
EU visitors: check your own plan first
If your home operator is in the EU, look at your tariff before buying anything. Some operators still include the UK in their roaming zone, some charge daily passes, and some bill per megabyte. If the UK is included, you do not need an eSIM. If it is not, a UK eSIM for a long weekend costs less than two days of passes.
Visitors from outside Europe
A US plan's international day pass or an Australian operator's roaming add-on typically costs several dollars per day. Over a one-week trip, an eSIM with 5 to 10 GB is cheaper and gives more data.
How much data for the UK
London is a maps-and-transport city: Citymapper or Google Maps, contactless payment confirmations, bookings and photos. Count on 500 MB to 1 GB per day. A week needs 5 to 7 GB; two weeks with some streaming, 10 to 15 GB.
Current prices
At the time of writing, the UK listing on esimlist.com has 62 plans from five providers, including BNESIM, Maya Mobile, Ubigi, UPeSIM and Yesim. The cheapest is 1 GB for 30 days at $2.42, and the largest is 150 GB for 30 days at $69. The UK is one of the cheapest destinations per gigabyte in the comparison.
Tips
- Combining the UK with Ireland or mainland Europe? A Europe regional plan that lists the UK is the easier choice; check the country list, as a few regional plans exclude it.
- Ferries and the Eurostar cross network borders; the eSIM reconnects automatically on the other side.
- Tethering works on most plans if you need a laptop online.