Choosing the right eSIM for a UK and European city-hopping trip

When you are travelling to the UK or Europe from abroad, it’s important to plan for your connectivity to avoid relying on expensive roaming or the inconvenience and cost of buying a physical SIM card. This becomes even more important when you want to travel between the UK and EU countries.

While it may be easy for EU/EEA citizens, visitors from abroad need a more solid plan, like an eSIM app, to make city-hopping much easier and affordable.

Image credit Jacob

The technicalities behind UK and EU roaming coverage 

EU citizens can travel from their country to other EU countries without incurring any roaming charges under the “roam like at home” principle. Connectivity there essentially works like a single connected system.

However, this only applies to EU countries and mobile plans. Since Brexit, the UK no longer enjoys these privileges, with roaming charges now applicable. If you’re travelling from the UK to an EU country or vice versa, it’s important to confirm how your carrier handles roaming.

Things are even more complicated when you are travelling from other regions. While most international providers tend to group the EU, most only manage a few countries. This means you need to be keen on the list of EU countries your provider supports under a specific plan. Otherwise, you’ll incur extra charges for countries not included in the plan.

These technologies also apply to some eSIM services. These tend to separate the UK from the EU, meaning you need to choose a plan that combines both or confirm that the UK is included in the EU plan.

Choosing between regional and country-specific plans

When purchasing an eSIM plan, you can choose between a specific country and a region. For example, if you are planning to stay in the UK for 3 days, then head to Paris, you can buy a limited UK plan, then change it before crossing to France.

This is often cheaper, but the price difference between a country-specific plan and a European plan is actually minimal. In most cases, going for a regional eSIM plan is cheaper in the end and much more convenient. Most of these include the UK, so you can move from London to Paris and proceed to Amsterdam without worrying about connectivity or extra roaming charges.

Estimating how much data you will use

It’s easy to underestimate the amount of data you’ll need while travelling as you probably won’t factor in YouTube or Netflix. However, even if you are not streaming, your phone can still end up consuming a significant amount of data.

This is especially due to navigation when opening maps, using the navigator, recalculating routes, or checking public transport options throughout the day. You may also get or make a video call while away from your hotel, contributing significantly to the consumption.

Ideally, always avoid going for the smallest plan as the cost adds up during renewals. Choose a plan with a buffer or go with the unlimited option if you consider yourself a heavy user or want peace of mind. 

Other factors to consider before choosing your eSIM

Besides the main factors, there are still others you need to keep in mind to help you choose the right plan:

• Look at the validity periods to ensure the plan doesn’t expire mid-trip.

• Check the threshold for unlimited plans to see if the reduced speed is sustainable.

• See if the plan allows hotspot or tethering.

• Make sure your phone is fully compatible with eSIMs.

• Confirm the provider offers an eSIM app for easy management.

These will help shape how smooth your experience feels across the entire trip.