Data roaming in Europe & Alternatives to Get Internet: Which Option to Choose?

To have a perfect trip to Europe, one of the important things is to learn about data roaming in Europe, it helps you stay connected with your family during your vacation in Europe.

The article below outlines data roaming in Europe, including costs, options and alternatives for travelers. Data roaming helps people from other countries to Europe still be able to contact and maintain connections with family. In addition, Gigago also gives you useful information that you must learn before coming to Europe.

I. Phone Roaming in Europe – Quick Facts for Tourists

Below is some basic information about data roaming in Europe sent by Gigago to tourists:

• Data roaming regulations in Europe: If travelers have a mobile phone data plan from one European Union country, they can use their phone in other European countries without any additional roaming charges.
• Check with your mobile carrier: Check with your mobile carrier before traveling to Europe to understand their specific roaming policies, fees, and coverage. network operator in the area you plan to visit.
• Data usage limits: Providers have a data limit policy when roaming within Europe. Travelers may incur additional charges for additional high-speed data or accept slower data speeds.
• To enable data roaming in Europe, contact your mobile service provider through the carrier’s official website, by phone, or through their online mobile app.
• Emergency call service: 112 is the common emergency phone number of European countries. Any mobile phone, including roaming phones, can call this number.
• European roaming plans: Check with your provider to see if they offer any plans for travelers with a certain amount of calls, texts and data at a fixed cost.
• Roaming settings: Make sure your phone is set up for data roaming and that you can control your data usage to avoid unwanted charges.

II. Understand about Roaming in Europe – How It Works

Data roaming is understood as switching from your current mobile network to another network in a different country or area that your current carrier does not cover to be able to text, call and have data to Internet access (4G/5G).

In terms of scope, there are two types of data roaming: domestic data roaming and international data roaming. If you come to Europe from another country to travel, international data roaming helps users keep in touch with other subscribers, make calls, and use data in another country without having to change to a new SIM.

Benefits of data roaming in Europe:

• Stay connected: Data roaming allows you to use Internet services and access data even when you are in places without coverage from your registered carrier.
• Wide choice of service providers: Travelers will not be tied to a specific carrier and can choose the carrier with the best service in each location you visit.
• Convenience: Instead of having to buy a new SIM at each location or in areas not covered by your carrier, data roaming allows you to continue using your existing SIM. This saves time, effort and avoids inconvenience related to changing SIM or phone configuration.

Disadvantages of data roaming in Europe:

• Cost is quite high: The cost of listening, calling, texting or data packages is more expensive than other methods.
• Data roaming has limits on data and internet access speed.

III. Is the Roaming Rate in Europe Expensive?

Currently, roaming rates in Europe are quite expensive. However, it depends on each mobile operator that data roaming costs in Europe will vary. Some of the information below helps tourists gain a more specific perspective.

• Roaming in Europe with Three: €2.34 per day for EU countries, €5.85 for some countries outside of the EU.
• Roaming in Europe with Vodafone: €2.34 for 25GB, €3.66 charged for each additional gigabyte used after the previous limit is used up.
• Roaming in Europe with Sky  Mobile: €2.34 per day.

From the information above, it shows that the cost of using roaming services can be very high and inactive when used, visitors to Europe should choose to use a domestic SIM.

IV. How to Activate Roaming Service for Europe in Your Cell Phone?

You need to follow these 4 simple steps to activate roaming service on your phone:

Step 1: Choose the service provider that suits your needs and that you trust the most 

• First, you need to identify your data roaming service provider
• You can keep your home mobile plan or use the service of a European mobile carrier
• If your network service provider is one of the following brands and you keep the same when you arrive in Europe, the service costs will be as follows:

Mobile network carrier	Roaming fees
Three	5 USD per day (approx 170 THB)
T-Mobile	70 USD for 5 days (approx  2400 THB)
Vodafone	6 USD per day (approx 200 THB)

Step 2: Enable data roaming from your service provider for your phone

Carriers have different ways to activate roaming. Travelers should refer to the supplier’s official website for further details.

Example for Vodafone network:

• Download Vodafone application (My Vodafone)
• Click on “International Roaming” 
• Select the country you are going to 
• Done, you complete data roaming.

Step 3: Purchase a roaming data package

To use the roaming service, travelers need to purchase a data package. Roaming package prices are often quite expensive. However, you should buy it to save on roaming charges.

Tips for you:

• Choose the data roaming package that suits your needs and budget. For example: If you are a heavy data user, choose an unlimited data plan. On the contrary, if you are not good at controlling data, choose a roaming plan with limited data.
• Travelers should not be subjective when purchasing a data roaming package, they should buy it one day before departure because this package can usually be used immediately after purchase.

Step 4: Turn on data roaming on your phone

Data roaming on iOS phones (iphone): 

• Settings 
• Cellular 
• Tap on “Data roaming”

Data roaming on Android:

• Settings
• Tap on “Data roaming” 
• Turn “International Roaming” on

V. How to Avoid Roaming Charges When Traveling to Europe

To avoid roaming fees when traveling to Europe, tourists need to remember some of the following tips:

• Turn off data roaming when not in use
• Use public Wifi if you are in a place with a stable public Wifi connection (if the country is internet safe).
• Turn off automatic application updates
• Use Tag SIM/eSIM local to avoid wasting data
• Control your data usage according to your needs

VI. Europe eSIM – Alternative to Data Roaming in Europe to Get Internet

Beside data roaming, tourists can also stay connected, stay in touch with friends and family, get the internet in Europe by using travel eSIM Europe. eSIM is a type of electronic SIM, replacing common plastic SIMs today. eSIM has functions that can replace regular SIM but with a smaller size. You should use prepaid and data-only eSIM if you want to save money.

Method	Data roaming	Europe eSIM
Pros	Convenient when there is no need to remove the main SIM on the phone Keep your personal phone number for contact	No need to declare information, you still need to buy eSIM online No need to disassemble much, just scan the QR code to activate the eSIM Multiple SIM cards can be installed on the same phone.
Cons	High roaming costsIt’s not easy to roam when not all carriers in Vietnam have contracts with Europe	Not all devices are compatible with eSIM to use it (usually only high-end phones can use it). Must have an unlocked phone to use.

European eSIM can be an alternative to data roaming in Europe because it can be seen that the advantages of eSIM are superior to roaming in terms of both cost and convenience. If you have not found a reputable place to buy eSIM, Gigago will accompany you, providing you with many eSIM options.

VII. How to Turn Off Data Roaming When Traveling in Europe

Below are instructions on how to turn off data roaming when traveling in Europe according to your phone device type: 

1. Turn off international roaming on Android When Traveling in Europe

• Open the “Settings” app on your Android device
• Open “Network & Internet” or “Connections”
• Go to “Cellular networks” or “Mobile networks” and tap on it
• Find the option that says “Data roaming” and tap on it.
• Turn the switch next to “Data roaming” to the off position

2. Turn off international roaming on iPhones

• Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone
• Scroll down and tap “Cellular” or “Cellular data”
• Select “Data roaming.”
• Turn the switch next to “Data roaming” to off
• A confirmation message may appear. Tap “Off” or “Off” to confirm stopping data roaming.

VIII. FAQs

IX. Conclusion

This article has shared information about data roaming in Europe for you and many other travelers. Hope it was useful to you. Don’t forget to visit Gigago’s official website when you need to refer to eSIM in Europe or any other country.