Roaming Bolt-Ons: Using Your Phone Abroad

What Are Roaming Bolt-Ons?

A roaming bolt-on is a travel package that gives you a set allowance of data, calls and texts to use while you are abroad. Without one, using your phone outside the UK can result in surprisingly high charges — sometimes several pounds per megabyte of data or per minute of call time.

Roaming bolt-ons give you a predictable daily or weekly cost, so you can use your phone with confidence while travelling.

When Do You Need a Roaming Bolt-On?

You may need a roaming bolt-on if:

• You are travelling outside the EU (e.g. USA, Asia, Middle East, Africa).
• Your plan does not include EU roaming — some newer or budget plans have removed free EU roaming.
• You expect to use more data than your fair usage limit allows while in Europe.
• You want to avoid bill shock by locking in a fixed daily or weekly rate.

Roaming Bolt-Ons by Network

Network	EU Roaming	Rest of World
EE	£2.47/day on non-inclusive plans	Travel Data passes from £6/day
Vodafone	£2/day on non-inclusive plans	8-day passes for other regions from £6/day
O2	Included on most plans	Travel Bolt On from £4.99/day
Three	Go Roam destinations included	Travel add-ons for non-Go Roam countries

EE Roaming Add-ons

If your EE plan does not include EU roaming, you will be charged £2.47 per day when you use your phone in Europe. This is applied automatically — no action is needed. For destinations outside Europe, EE offers Travel Data passes that give you a set amount of data for a daily fee. Check the My EE app for current pass options and prices before you travel.

Vodafone Roaming

Vodafone charges £2 per day for EU roaming on plans that do not include it. For travel beyond Europe, Vodafone offers 8-day roaming passes covering specific regions. Passes start from around £6 per day depending on the destination. Add them through the My Vodafone app before departure.

O2 Roaming

Most O2 pay-monthly plans include EU roaming at no extra cost, subject to a fair usage policy. For travel outside the EU, O2 offers a Travel Bolt On from £4.99 per day. You can add it through the My O2 app under Bolt Ons.

Three Roaming

Three includes a generous list of Go Roam destinations where you can use your UK allowance at no extra charge. For countries not on the Go Roam list, travel add-ons are available through the My3 app.

Tips for Roaming

• Add your bolt-on before you leave: Set up your roaming pass while still in the UK. If you wait until you arrive, you may be charged at standard roaming rates until the bolt-on activates.
• Set a spend cap: As a safety net, make sure you have a spend cap in place. This prevents unexpected charges if your bolt-on expires or you accidentally use data outside of it.
• Use Wi-Fi where available: Connect to hotel or airport Wi-Fi to reduce your mobile data consumption abroad.
• Turn off background data: Apps updating in the background can consume your roaming allowance quickly. Disable automatic updates and background app refresh before travelling.

Roaming for Business Travellers

If your team travels regularly, Connection Technologies can pre-configure roaming bolt-ons across your business fleet before each trip. We ensure the right passes are on the right lines, activated at the right time — and removed when your team returns. This eliminates bill shock and removes the admin burden from your staff.

For a full breakdown of roaming charges across all networks, see our roaming charges guide.