Since 2017, according to the EU Roaming regulation (called “Roaming-like-at-home“), all citizens, residents, and travelers enjoy free roaming to call, text and use mobile data abroad in the EU without additional charges. The regulation was set to expire by Jun 30th, 2022, and (fortunately for us) it was extended since Jul 1st, 2022, for at least 10 years until 2023. While such regulation benefits many, the biggest beneficiaries seem to be tourists and people who often travel between EU countries.
According to a press release from the EC (European Commission), the significant benefits of this regulation include better mobile internet speed while traveling, preventing unexpected hidden charges, more information for better choices, emergency communication while traveling, lower inter-operator prices, and better conditions for consumers. This article will discuss my experiences with the “Roaming-like-at-home” and some tips about using mobile internet while traveling abroad in the EU.
Before 2017, when traveling inside the EU, I always bought a local sim card for travelers whenever I reached a destination, along with a KeepGo data plan which I always keep as a backup. Since the regulation came into force, I mostly abandoned my KeepGo sim card and data plan because KeepGo was expensive. At the same time, eSim and phones which support eSim became cheaper and more popular.
First and foremost, you must remember the list of countries supporting “Roaming-like-at-home”. The list contains all 27 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden), plus 3 EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).
While this list is massive, there is an easier way to remember instead. These countries aren’t included in this “Roaming-like-at-home” regime: Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, and San Marino. After Brexit, the UK is not included in this list as well. Except for Switzerland and the UK, which are countries you most probably have to spend a few days or more exploring as a traveler, the rest 3 countries are microstates, and you could explore them within 1 day or 2 at most.
Below are a few tips to help you use data roaming more effectively and save on roaming costs when traveling abroad within EU and EEA countries. Some tips could also be applied when you travel anywhere else.
Turn off data roaming when visiting countries with no roaming support
Before you arrive in any country with no roaming support, make sure that you turn off your mobile data or turn off data roaming in your phone’s settings. If you don’t need the phone, turn it off to save battery.
Manually select cellphone network
Not every network is equal. Some have better coverage; some deliver better network speed. Your phone doesn’t search for a new network if it has already connected. If you find weak signal strength, no 3G/4G/LTE/5G, you might want to try to visit your phone’s settings and choose another network. This trick also applies in your home country if your network is weak or has a temporary problem.
Be careful with data roaming at country borders
When approaching the border section between a country with and one without “Roaming-like-at-home”, you might want to try the tip above to force your phone to use only the country’s network, which supports “Roaming-like-at-home”. Some service providers charge massive roaming costs, and you won’t want to return home seeing a thousand-dollar bill for the services you didn’t even know you used. Believe it or not, it happened to many travelers already!
Buy data plans which cover multiple countries
When visiting a country that doesn’t support free data roaming, the worst thing you want is to run out of data when you are still there. Try to estimate your daily data usage and buy the closest amount of data you need. If you choose the data plan which covers only one country, you might not be able to use the data you haven’t used when you leave, so if there is an option for a multiple-countries data plan, take it instead.
Don’t buy travel sim cards when you arrive
On your arrival, you will have to take care of many things. Wifi may not be available. Too late and all the shops are closed. Sim cards are often sold much more expensive than buying them online. Whether you need a physical sim card or an eSim, please do yourself a favor by buying it in advance.
Calling for emergency
The common number for emergencies in the EU is 112. The calls are free. Unlike in the USA, where you don’t need an active sim card to make an emergency call, some countries in the EU require an active sim card to reduce the number of fake calls. Networks must also be available, although it doesn’t need to be your contracted service provider’s network.
Unlimited doesn’t always mean unlimited
Don’t just select the data plan because it says Unlimited. Many unlimited data plans come with very slow speeds, and some are limited on several services to prevent you from over usage. Always take a look at the network speed as a factor in choosing the right data plan.
