With the world opening up again after the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign holidays and travels become more and more popular again. On your foreign trip, you want to stay connected as much as possible of course, within Europe it used to be very easy as you could use your data plan at your UK provider just like you would use it in the UK with the “Roam like at home” policy that got introduced in 2017. However, following Brexit quite a few UK network providers have imposed limits on data usage in the EU similar to when you would travel outside Europe. So which UK providers have the best network and the best prices for roaming in foreign countries? Read on to find out.
Published on: 10-06-2022

Which network has the best network speed?

There are actually substantial differences in network speeds across different mobile providers. Currently, EE has by far the fastest network speed with a median speed for their 4G network of roughly 40 Mbps. The nearest competitor is Vodafone, with speeds of around 17 Mbps. A lot of UK mobile carriers partner up width foreign networks in order to expand and have more global coverage. So, when travelling abroad, the network speed can change depending on the country you travel in and the partnered network your provider has teamed up with. However in general there shouldn´t be a substantial difference in terms of speed differentiation.

The UK has an average mobile network speed of 48 Mbps. This is considered average in comparison of other European countries and their of mobile speeds. In total, there are 21 European countries that have a faster speed than the UK, with Norway (134 Mbps) and the Netherlands(108.33 Mbps) having the fastest mobile speeds. So if you were to travel to one of these countries, you might experience faster speeds than you´re used to in the UK. However, if you were to travel to destinations such as Spain (34.26 Mbps) and Italy(37.15 Mbps), you might experience slighter slower internet speeds than you’re accustomed to.


4G download speed for major providers
Provider SpeedMbps
EE 40.7Mbps
Vodafone 16.7Mbps
Three 15.5Mbps
O2 9.8Mbps



5G download speed for major providers
Provider SpeedMbps
EE 146.68Mbps
O2 123.43Mbps
Vodafone 116.72Mbps
Three 115.9Mbps


How much do I pay for roaming within Europe?

Most of the major network providers have introduced charges on roaming again. EE, Vodafone and Three have all introduced charges again when travelling within Europe. These 3 providers have around 63% of the total UK market share in terms of clientele and thus most people will face charges when travelling abroad. EE charges £2 per day for roaming within Europe. You can also opt for an eight-day bundle or a 15-day bundle, which each would cost you £1 per day. Vodafone has exactly the same pricing as EE. At Three, the daily charge of £2 is the same as for the other 2 networks, however, this only applies to EU countries. In European countries that are non EU countries Three charges £5 a day. These fees do not apply to pay as you go customers as they can still room freely as before without extra charges.

The only major provider that allows free roaming inside Europe is O2. They currently do not charge any extra money on foreign data use in Europe and also have not announced any plans to do so yet. The only time they charge extra is when you use more than 25GB in a month. Above that threshold you would be charged £3.50 per GB. Other providers that operate on the O2 network also offer free roaming in Europe. Examples include Sky network, Tesco Mobile and Giffgaff. However, one issue is that network speeds could be better compared to other providers.

I will travel outside of Europe, does anything change?

When travelling outside of Europe the situation can become a bit complicated. With many different rules that differ per country. It could very well be the case that for some countries you could roam without any extra charges while for other countries these charges can be very high. There also differences across providers in terms of which countries they have no extra charges for and which countries they actually charge extra. One thing that is very likely at least is that roaming and calling outside of Europe can get very expensive.

Tips for keeping roaming costs low while abroad

If you don´t have the luxury of a contract at O2, you will probably have to pay extra for roaming while abroad. To not see your bill rise exorbitantly, it is a good idea to limit the amount of data that you use. There are several ways to keep your roaming costs as low as possible, this can be especially important when travelling abroad outside of Europe. Here follows a list of a few things you can consider.

  • Get a pay as you go sim card to evade extra charges
  • Use Wi-fi whenever you can
  • Turn Roaming off to make sure your phone does not use data without you being aware
  • Download all your videos and music on your phone before leaving
  • Turn off non-essential apps

Overall, which network you use boils down to your preferences and your financial situation. If spending extra money while abroad is not a big problem, getting a subscription at a provider with fast speeds like EE might be an option. Their charges are quite similar to other companies and they are renown for their high speed coverage. If you do care about your wallet a lot, then companies that operate on the O2 network and thus do not charge extra when roaming abroad are your best bet. Obviously O2 is the main operator, but other smaller providers such as Tesco and Sky also operate on the same network and thus offer free roaming.