Holidaymakers heading abroad this summer may face a shock phone bill as more network providers charge for roaming around Europe and further afield.

Prior to Brexit, Britons could use their UK data plans in Europe at no extra cost, but since the transition more networks have been reintroducing charges.

Only 11 phone networks still let you roam for free but some have data caps meaning you could be paying some surprise fees. 

Research commissioned by On The Beach earlier this year revealed that on average, UK travellers are being charged £58.25 for their overseas holiday phone bill.

An alarming 58 per cent have been stung with a hefty bill after a trip abroad, with some forking out more than £100, according to the study.

The complexity of the various roaming packages has also caused confusion, with regulator Ofcom reporting 14 per cent of UK mobile customers experienced inadvertent roaming charges in the past year. 

So to avoid the unpleasant bill after flying home, here is a full list of mobile providers and their roaming packages. 

02

02 is the only one of the four major networks not have brought back roaming charges. 

For customers travelling in its 'Europe Zone' you can use data, minutes or text for no extra charge as long as you don't spill over the 25GB cap.

For those venturing further afield there is a bolt on which allows you to use your phone for free in a further 27 countries.

BT

BT's 'Roam Like Home' offer lets customers roam for free in 47 countries and you can simply continue with your phone plan, allowing you to call, text and browse the internet wherever you are. 

There isn't a cap for when you're abroad but if you go over your standard 50GB allowance for the month you could incur a fee. 

While you have the pick of 47 destinations, BT does warn jet setters about roaming in Northern Cyprus as you could connect to a Turkish network.

And, since Turkey is not in the EU any data and minutes used will be charged.  

iD Mobile

iD Mobile offers holidaymakers going abroad unlimited data roaming across Europe in 50 countries, including those heading to France for the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

And, it doesn't matter if you're on a different network as the phone operator is offering eSIM allowing customers to switch to them while on-the-go.

iD Mobile's eSIM can be used simultaneously with another SIM on the save device. This allows users to switch to iD while continuing to use their existing service and phone number.

Plans start at a minimum of one month for £7 with 30GB data allowance.

Asda mobile

Asda will let you roam for free in 46 European countries for no extra charge.

The only downside is there is a data roaming limit - 5GB, regardless of whether your usual limit is higher than this and if you go over the limit, Asda will charge 10p per MB.

But, to help stop that, the supermarket says it will alert customers when they reach the 80 per cent and 100 per cent limit. 

Smarty

For Smarty customers you can roam in the EU for no extra costs and if your plan includes calls and texts, they'll also work as usual.

If you go over your data limit of 12GB you can buy an add on. 

GiffGaff

Anyone on the GiffGaff network can use their phone in any EU destination for free.

If you're already a customer, you'll continue to be charged in line with EU rates but there is a cap of 5GB on data. 

If you go over the limit, you could be charged 3.2p/minute, 1p/text, 10p/MB.

Lebara

With Lebara you can use your UK allowances while roaming in the EU or India for no extra cost although there is a cap of 30GB.

For roaming outside of Europe and India, you will need to buy an appropriate roaming add-on or use pay-as-you-go credit.

Tesco Mobile 

Tesco Mobile is offering free roaming until 2025 for all customers. So text, calls and data can all be used at no extra cost across 48 destinations.

This will last until 2025 but Tesco has not yet confirmed when in 2025 free roaming will end.  

Plusnet 

Like BT, Plusnet also offers a 'Roam Like Home' package which lets customers use their normal monthly allowance in up to 40 European countries.

Instead of having a cap while abroad, customers can use their normal monthly allowance but if they go over their 20GB allowance they might incur a charge. 

Networks that charge you to roam in Europe 

Not all networks are as generous and some of the major players have been charging customers for phone usage abroad since Brexit in 2016. 

EE

For EE customers who took out new contracts after July 7, 2021, there is a daily charge of £2.47 for using your phone in European destinations.

You can also buy a 'Roam Abroad' pass, for £25 a month if you're a frequent flyer which allows you to use your phone without any extra charges, but you'll need to go away for 11 days each month to save money.

Sky Mobile 

Sky phone customers can buy a Roaming Passport Plus pass for £2 a day which lets customers use calls, data and texts in 55 countries including the EU, USA and even Australia. 

Three 

For Three customers who want to travel to Europe, you'll need to buy a Go Roam Europe pass for either three days, a week or 14 days. 

The Three website says roaming costs £2 for Go Roam in Europe and £5 for Go Roam Around the World, but if you buy a pass in advance you get up to two days of free roaming.

But even with that pass, there's still a cap of 12GB per month.

Vodafone

The only countries where you can roam at no extra cost with Vodafone are the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Iceland and Norway.

For anywhere else, customers are charged extra which means customers who want to go away will have to pay £2.42 a day in Europe.