Are you planning the ultimate trip to the United Kingdom but you're wondering what your best options are for taking your phone overseas? While you can of course use your phone in the UK, costs — especially data use — can add up quickly if you don't set yourself up right.
For shorter trips or if you need your Australian number when in the United Kingdom, roaming with an Australian provider is the better choice. For longer ones, we'd recommend getting a travel eSIM or a local SIM card instead. If you're not sure where to start, we've put together a quick round-up of all the best SIM cards, travel SIMs, and international roaming options available.
Before we start, here are the most popular roaming-compatible plans from each postpaid telco featured in this guide:
And here are the most popular roaming-compatible plans from each prepaid telco featured in this guide with a minimum 28-day expiry:
Buying a UK eSIM card
These days, travel SIM cards are rarely a good deal, they tend to cost more than you'd pay if you just buy a local SIM in your destination. As such, we'd recommend most travellers stick with a UK SIM card or use any built-in roaming options with their plan — though only go with the latter if you don't intend to use your phone too much outside of free WiFi.
However, if you have a phone with eSIM, travel eSIMs tend to be the exception. For example, if you buy a travel eSIM for the UK through Airalo, you can get yourself a 10GB plan with a 30-day expiry for $27.50. The SIM is data-only, however, which means you can't make phone calls. There are also several other options with a range of plan lengths and data inclusions.
Travel eSIMs are effectively prepaid as you pay upfront, and they don't renew automatically. If you go over your allowance, you won't be charged extra. Instead, your service will just stop working.
Airalo is one of our favourite eSIM providers that we've tested in our travels. Plans start at $6 for 1GB of data with a three-day expiry. While Airalo's cheapest plans are data-only, it also has options with talk and text. This provider also offers travel eSIMs for usage across Europe, which include coverage in the United Kingdom. This can be a handy option if you're looking to hop across the English Channel during your travels.
Jetpac is another eSIM provider worth considering. If you run out of data on a Jetpac eSIM, you can still use WhatsApp, Uber, Grab, and Google Maps. Jetpac US travel eSIMs have a unique perk where you can score for free airport lounge access if your flight is delayed. This is done by registering your flight in the Jetpac app and can be nice to have in emergencies. However, it's important to note that this provider's travel eSIMs don't come with any text or calls.
Last but not least, there's Saily. If you're after an eSIM travel plan that also lets you make phone calls, it might be a good option. This provider offers the ability to add a phone number for an extra USD$1 per month, which is relatively competitive when you compare it against the premium that comes attached to Airalo's eSIM plans that includes calls and texts.Here's a look at travel eSIMs for the United Kingdom from some of our favourite providers with at least 5GB and a seven-day expiry:
| Provider | Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | $18 for 5GB with a seven-day expiry | View on Airalo |
| Jetpac | USD$10 for 5GB with a seven-day expiry | View on Jetpac |
| Saily | USD$12 for 5GB with a 30-day expiry | View on Saily |
For a longer trip, here's a look at plans with at least 10GB and a 14-day expiry minimum:
| Provider | Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | $27.50 for 10GB with a 15-day expiry | View on Airalo |
| Jetpac | USD$25 for 10GB with a 30-day expiry | View on Jetpac |
| Saily | USD$18.99 for 10GB with a 30-day expiry | View on Saily |
Just be aware that most United Kingdom travel eSIM options are data-only. This means you won't be able to make calls or send text messages using any of the above travel eSIMs.
If you don't need the ability to make calls or send text messages (and you have a compatible device), the travel eSIM plans tend to be better value than what's offered by local United Kingdom providers when it comes to cheaper options.
“When I traveled overseas in 2023, I opted to stay connected using an Airalo eSIM rather than rely on my provider's roaming. While I did have to be wary of any apps that require two-factor authentication, the the process of setting up my eSIM was very straightforward and that amount of data I was getting per dollar was very competitive."
Fergus Halliday, Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut
Getting a UK SIM card
If you're staying in the UK for more than a week, you should consider picking up a local SIM card when you arrive. Even Vodafone's $5 per day roaming starts to add up when you're overseas for more than seven days.
Your Australian mobile phone will almost certainly be compatible with the networks used in the United Kingdom, but you'll need to check it's unlocked before you put in a new SIM.
If you opt for a UK SIM, you'll need to make sure your plan doesn't auto-renew and that the service is contract-free. You should be able to pick up a local SIM at airports or convenience stores once you touch down. Here are a couple to consider.
Lycamobile UK
Lycamobile in the UK is a good pick for travellers. Plans start at £5 for 5GB of data on a 30-day expiry, 1000 UK calls and texts, 100 international minutes, and EU roaming capped to 5GB. Here are Lycamobile UK's plans:
| Price | Data | Talk | Texts | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBP£5 | 5GB (EU Roaming up to 5GB) | 1000 calls to UK, 100 international minutes | 1000 texts to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£10 | 30GB (EU Roaming up to 12GB) | Unlimited to UK, 100 international minutes | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£15 | 75GB (EU Roaming up to 12GB) | Unlimited to UK, 100 international minutes | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£20 | 120GB (EU Roaming up to 12GB) | Unlimited to UK, 100 international minutes | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£25 | Unlimited (EU Roaming up to 35GB) | Unlimited to UK, 100 international minutes | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
Lycamobile SIM-only plans are contract-free, and should be easy to find when you land. Alternatively, you can buy a Lycamobile eSIM through its website and download it straight to your phone.
Three Mobile UK
Three Mobile UK calls its prepaid offers Pay As You Go one-month data packs. Plans start at £10.00 with 40GB and unlimited talk and text in the UK. Here are Three Mobile's Pay As You Go plans:
| Price | Data | Talk | Texts | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBP£10 | 40GB | Unlimited to UK | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£15 | 100GB | Unlimited to UK | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£20 | 200GB | Unlimited to UK | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
| GBP£35 | Unlimited | Unlimited to UK | Unlimited to UK | 30 days |
Data Packs also include Go Roam, which means you can use your inclusions for 24 hours across Europe for an extra £2 per day.
You can pick up a Three Mobile SIM at Three stores in the UK.
Roaming in the UK with telco
For shorter trips, roaming with your telco can be a good option. It is also the only way to keep using your Australian number while abroad, which can be important if you're overseas for business rather than pleasure.
Below we've taken a look at the price per day and price per gigabyte for providers you can roam in the United Kingdom with at a decent rate. We haven't looked at providers that are too expensive or only have pay-as-you-go options. Click on any provider's name to get more information about their roaming offer.
| Provider | Price per day | Price per gigabyte | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| felix mobile | $0.05 | $5 | Over 40 |
| Vodafone | $5 | N/A | Over 100 |
| Optus | $5 | $1 | Over 150 |
| Telstra | $5 | $2.50 | Over 80 |
| Belong | $2 | $10 | Over 45 |
| Aussie Broadband | $5 | $1 | Over 150 |
| Tangerine | Between $3.93 and $5 | Between $5.50 and $10 | Over 60 |
| More | Between $3.93 and $5 | Between $5.50 and $10 | Over 60 |
| Kogan | Between $6.43 and $10 | Between $9 and $12.50 | 30 |
| amaysim | Between $0.06 and $0.19 | Between $7.78 and $12.50 | Over 120 |
| Boost Mobile | Between $2.85 and $6.67 | Between $5.71 and $10 | Over 40 |
Roaming in the UK with felix
- Price per day: $0.05
- Price per gigabyte: $5
felix mobile is a smaller provider with a great option for travellers: a $20 international roaming pack. This gets you 4GB of international data, 100 texts, and 100 minutes of talk with a one-year expiry. If you take advantage of public WiFi as much as you can while travelling, 4GB could even last your entire trip.
Here are felix's mobile plans:
felix is powered by the Vodafone network in Australia.
felix's roaming isn't as broadly available as options from The Big Three: it works in around 40 destinations. This still covers the United Kingdom, as well as European countries such as France, Italy, Spain, and Germany.
Roaming in the UK with Vodafone
- Price per day: $5
- Price per gigabyte: N/A
Vodafone postpaid plans are an easy choice for heading overseas thanks to $5 roaming. For $5 per day, you can use your local inclusions overseas in over 100 countries — including the United Kingdom. This means you don't have to worry about a separate overseas data allowance — your usage will work the same way it does in Australia.
The $5 per day charge will only be added to your bill on days when you make a call, send a text, or use any amount of data overseas. Just note, you can only use $5 roaming for a maximum of 90 days of the calendar year.
These Vodafone postpaid plans all include $5 roaming:
Roaming in the UK with Optus
- Price per day: $5
- Price per gigabyte: $1
If you're on an Optus Choice Plus, Plus Family or Plus Promo plan, you'll use Optus Daily Roaming. This is a $5 per day charge that gives you 5GB of data, plus unlimited standard talk and test. But if you blow through your 5GB within 24 hours, you're charged another $5 for another 5GB, and the 24-hour timer restarts. Optus Daily Roaming starts as soon as you use your phone in a selected destination.
These Optus postpaid plans all support $5 Roaming.
You can only use $5 Roaming across 150+ destinations, which Optus calls "Zone 1" countries. This covers the UK, most of Europe, the US, New Zealand, and China.
"Zone 2" is predominantly made of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America. You won't be able to use Optus $5 Roaming in these countries.
Find out more in our dedicated guide about roaming with Optus.
Roaming in the UK with Belong
- Price per day: $2
- Price per gigabyte: $10
Telstra's budget brand Belong is reasonably new to roaming, and has just a single travel pack.
Telstra's budget brand Belong has just a single travel pack. The pack activates as soon as you connect to an eligible network and customers pay just $30 for 3GB of data, unlimited standard SMS, and 150 minutes of standard calls for use over a 15-day expiry period in over 45 destinations.
All Belong customers also get free access to its basic roaming service, which allows them to receive SMS for free while overseas. Belong customers can also use WiFi calling when travelling, when on a suitable network.
Below are Belong's mobile plans suitable for pairing with its international roaming add-on:
Roaming in the United Kingdom with Aussie Broadband
- Price per day: $5
- Price per gigabyte: $1
Aussie Broadband isn't really known for their roaming options, but this provider's take on the formula is quietly one of the better value options for those looking at short-term stays in selected countries.
For those looking to stay connected in Zone 1 destinations like the United Kingdom, roaming costs just $5 per day and comes with 5GB of data per day. If you exceed that allowance, you'll be charged another $5 and be given another 5GB of data to use. Unused data does not roll over but this add-on does also include unlimited national and international calls and unlimited SMS to Australian and non-Australian numbers.
Here are the Aussie Broadband plans that work with the provider's roaming add-on:
Aussie Broadband's roaming add-on works in over 150+ countries. For everywhere else, you'll have to rely on Pay As You Go (PAYG) roaming rates instead.
Roaming in the UK with Boost Mobile
- Price per day: Between $2.85 and $6.67
- Price per gigabyte: Between $5.71 and $10
Boost Mobile is another Telstra-powered telco offering customers International Roaming Packs. Boost Mobile customers can choose from three roaming options:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day expiry | $20 | 15 mins, 15 texts, 2GB |
| Seven-day expiry | $30 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $40 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 7GB |
Boost's roaming works in 42 countries, including the United Kingdom. Here are Boost's 28-day prepaid recharges compatible with its roaming pack:
These are Boost Mobile plans you can add roaming to:
Roaming in the UK with Tangerine
- Price per day: Between $3.93 and $5
- Price per gigabyte: Between $5.50 and $10
While best known for internet, Tangerine's mobile plans have solid roaming options. Tangerine has some big-value international roaming options via its travel packs. These are one-off purchases that get you a set amount of standard calls, SMS and mobile data. They work up until 11:59PM (AEST) on the last day and cover over 60 destinations, including the UK. Here's how they compare:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Seven-day expiry | $35 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $55 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 10GB |
These are Tangerine's plans you can add roaming to:
Tangerine is powered by the Telstra Wholesale network in Australia.
Roaming in the UK with More
Tangerine's sibling brand, More, has identical roaming options that go with its postpaid mobile plans. Once again, both will work in the UK:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Seven-day expiry | $35 | 30 mins, 30 texts, 5GB |
| 14-day expiry | $55 | 60 mins, 60 texts, 10GB |
More is powered by the Telstra Wholesale network in Australia. These are More's plans you can roam with:
Roaming in the UK with amaysim
- Price per day: Between $0.06 and $0.19
- Price per gigabyte: Between $7.78 and $12.50
amaysim, an Optus MVNO, has four international roaming add-on packs, each lasting 365 days. amaysim roaming works in over 120 countries, including the United Kingdom.
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Small Talk | $20 | 100 mins, 100 texts, no data |
| The Works | $25 | 50 mins, 30 texts, 2GB |
| Just Gigs | $50 | No mins, no texts, 6GB |
| The Epic | $70 | 100 mins, 60 texts, 9GB |
Each is different, some with data-only or others with no data at all. But you can stack multiple together to achieve the inclusions you want.
You'll also need to be on a currently active amaysim mobile plan to purchase these travel packs. Choose from a selection of amaysim plans below:
Roaming in the UK with Telstra
- Price per day: $5
- Price per gigabyte: $2.5
Telstra customers have different options depending on what plan they're on, which boil down to a Day Pass or PAYG roaming.
Customers with a postpaid Upfront plan have access to Telstra's International Roaming Day Pass. Use your phone for calls, text or mobile data in one of the selected countries and the pass automatically triggers and the charge is added to your bill. The Day Pass lasts for 24 hours, after which you won't be charged until you use your phone again for talk, text or (in Zone 1 or 2 countries) mobile data. Rinse and repeat.
The UK is in Telstra's Zone 2 group, which covers over 80 destinations. You'll pay $10 per 24-hour period for 2GB of data and unlimited standard calls and text.
If you go over your data allowance within a 24-hour period, you pay $10 extra and Telstra adds 2GB of data to a sort of overage 'bank' on your behalf. This additional data has a 31-day expiry and you dip into it whenever you go over another 24-hour allowance. But it's strictly to cover your overage use — you'll still pay for the Day Pass again when the time comes.
You'll be notified when you've used 50%, 85% and 100% of your Day Pass' inclusions.
Here's a look at Telstra's Upfront mobile plans:
Telstra prepaid customers can buy an international roaming pack for their trip. Your options are as follows:
| Pack | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day expiry | $10 | 15 mins, 15 texts, 400MB |
| Seven-day expiry | $15 | 25 mins, 25 texts, 2GB |
| 14-day expiry | $25 | 50 mins, 50 texts, 4GB |
Roaming in the UK with Kogan Mobile
- Price per day: Between $6.43 and $10
- Price per gigabyte: Between $9 and $12.50
Kogan Mobile offers three international roaming packs for use in about 30 countries, including the UK:
| Expiry | Price | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|
| One-day expiry | $10 | Up to 50 mins, 50 texts, 1GB |
| Three-day expiry | $25 | Up to 100 mins, 100 texts, 2GB |
| Seven-day expiry | $45 | Up to 150 mins, 150 texts, 5GB |
Call minutes and SMS (text only) include standard calls to and from the selected countries and standard numbers in Australia.
You can purchase the international roaming pack via the Kogan Mobile app, use your online account or call customer support, or test "ROAM" to 12612 from your mobile. Given the pricing, we'd advise getting a local SIM at your destination instead for most trips.
If you're really looking to save money, you can skip buying a SIM and hop on the free public WiFi networks available in hotels, cafes, attractions and city centres throughout the UK.
Mooching off WiFi doesn't mean giving up on talk and text either. Apps like Messenger, Skype, Viber and WhatsApp will let you send and receive text messages and phone calls via the internet. All apps allow free talk and text between contacts who both have the app. And if you want to make calls to those who don't, you can buy a little Skype or Viber credit.
You'll want your friends and family to install your app of choice so you can contact them and they can contact you for free. You'll also want to make sure your phone is in airplane mode to stop any accidental calls, texts or data usage that could trigger exorbitant roaming charges.
You can check out maps of available Wi-Fi through sites apps like Wiman or Instabridge to help you connect on the go.
Frequently asked questions about UK travel SIM cards
Can you buy a UK SIM in Australia?
If you're looking to buy a UK SIM card in Australia, there are websites like SIMCorner and SimsDirect that will ship you a SIM to your Australian address, so you don't have to spend time looking for one when you arrive. Just be sure to double-check what these SIMs include, as they're often different to the SIMs you can get on arrival.
Can I buy a UK SIM online?
If you're looking to buy a UK SIM online, most providers have an online store that you can use when you arrive. If you're trying to buy one from Australia, you can look at websites like SIM Corner that will ship you a SIM, or go via Airalo for an eSIM if you have a compatible device.
Is there a SIM card that works in the UK and Europe?
If you want to use a UK SIM in Europe, you'll need to check if your plan includes roaming. In some cases, this may be called EU roaming. On some plans, there may be an additional daily fee to use a UK SIM in Europe, but on others, this is free of charge. Make sure to read the fine print.
Do you need a different SIM card for every country in the United Kingdom?
No. If your travel plans take you from England over to Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, worry not. If your SIM card works in one corner of the United Kingdom, it'll almost certainly work in the others.
Can I use my Australian phone in the United Kingdom?
Unless you're using a particularly niche Android smartphone that doesn't support the frequency bands used by UK mobile network providers, a smartphone bought in Australia will almost certainly work in the United Kingdom.
Is it cheaper to get a SIM card in the UK?
It depends. Although it can involve a little bit of a detour to ditch the airport kiosk and hold off before you grab a local SIM, grabbing a prepaid SIM once you've arrived in the United Kingdom can end up being cheaper than what your Australian telco charges for roaming.
Alex Choros