Is roaming free in Europe?

Only for EU-based carriers. The EU Roam Like at Home regulation lets European residents use their domestic data in other EU countries at no extra cost. American carriers like AT&T and Verizon are not covered and charge $10/day.

Does EU roaming apply in the UK after Brexit?

No. Since Brexit, UK carriers are no longer bound by EU roaming regulations. Vodafone and EE now charge daily fees for roaming outside the UK, similar to US carrier pricing.

Which European countries are covered by EU roaming?

All 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway (EEA). Switzerland is not covered. The UK left the EU roaming zone after Brexit.

What is the cheapest way to use data in Europe?

A travel eSIM from Airalo or Saily costs $4-8 for a week of data across all European countries. This beats AT&T's $70/week and gives you full LTE speeds on local carriers like Orange, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom.

EU Roaming Guide for US Travelers (2026)

What EU Roam Like at Home actually means

Since June 2017, EU regulations require carriers based in EU member states to let customers use their domestic plan across all 27 EU countries plus the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) at no extra charge. A Vodafone UK customer before Brexit, or a Deutsche Telekom customer today, pays the same rate in Spain as at home.

This rule applies only to carriers headquartered and licensed in the EU/EEA. AT&T is a US carrier. Verizon is a US carrier. T-Mobile US is a separate entity from Deutsche Telekom. None of them fall under EU jurisdiction, so none of them are required to offer free EU roaming. Learn how data roaming works and what US carriers charge.

What US carriers actually charge in Europe

Carrier	Plan	Daily Rate	7-Day Trip
AT&T	International Day Pass	$10/day	$70
Verizon	TravelPass	$10/day	$70

A two-week trip to Europe on AT&T International Day Pass costs $140 for data alone. The same trip with a travel eSIM costs $8 to $20 depending on the provider and data size.

UK carriers after Brexit

After Brexit, UK carriers left the EU Roam Like at Home framework. Both Vodafone and EE reintroduced daily roaming charges for travel to EU countries. Vodafone charges £6/day and EE charges £6/day for non-EU destinations, with EU roaming included only on select newer plans.

Which countries are in the EU (and which are not)

27 EU member states

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

EEA (same roaming rules)

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway follow EU roaming regulations for EU-based carriers.

Popular European destinations outside the EU

Switzerland, United Kingdom, Turkey, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia are not EU members. Even EU-based carriers may charge roaming fees in these countries. US carrier rates are the same regardless.

The eSIM alternative for Europe

A regional Europe eSIM covers 30 to 40 countries on a single plan. Airalo's Eurolink bundle covers 39 European countries for roughly $5 to $15 depending on data size. That is a single purchase that works across borders with no daily fees.

Install the eSIM before you leave, keep your US carrier SIM active for calls and texts, and use the eSIM for all data. You get local network speeds without roaming charges.

Works in 27 EU countries plus Switzerland, UK, Turkey, and more
No daily fees. Pay once for a fixed data block or unlimited daily plan
Install before departure. Active within minutes
Keep your US number for calls and texts on your carrier SIM

Country-specific Europe guides

See roaming costs and eSIM prices for the most visited European destinations:

See eSIM savings for: France · Germany · Spain · Italy · Netherlands

EU roaming rules don't apply to US carriers