Best deals for roaming?

[nirakaro]

Asda offer fairly cheap deals - £5 for a PAYG bundle with 3gb and unlimited texts and minutes (3 GB currently being doubled on short term offer).

They say this about roaming:

"No changes post-Brexit
We are not planning to introduce roaming charges to our bundles. You can still roam at no extra cost in our selected European destinations!"


Edit: Lebara also offering roaming on one of the cheapest (moneysavingexpert recommended) deals.

Looks like the cheaper budget providers are a better bet than the big flagship companies, although maybe it is because they can't afford to change their billing systems.

"We are not planning to introduce…" . Weasel words – it's easy enough to 'not plan' something. You just tell your planning department not to plan it, but to make thorough preparations so that they can produce a plan in five minutes when it's wanted.

[Sweep]

Asda offer fairly cheap deals - £5 for a PAYG bundle with 3gb and unlimited texts and minutes (3 GB currently being doubled on short term offer).

They say this about roaming:

"No changes post-Brexit
We are not planning to introduce roaming charges to our bundles. You can still roam at no extra cost in our selected European destinations!"


Edit: Lebara also offering roaming on one of the cheapest (moneysavingexpert recommended) deals.

Looks like the cheaper budget providers are a better bet than the big flagship companies, although maybe it is because they can't afford to change their billing systems.

yep and asda require only the most minimal usage to retain your connection and credit. No requirement to buy more credit a few times a year - no requirement at all.
They piggyback Vodafone these days.
I use them - find them good.

[al_yrpal]

For European roaming apparently O2/Virgin (same company) its now free. QED....

I have used the pay monthly £10 a month, O2 10gb unlimited calls and texts for the last couple of years. Seems pretty good, excellent coverage. Just changed the Mrs's phone from Tesco payg too

My excellent Oppo phone cost only £100. All in all a low cost non contract deal that works. Why have an expensive contract?

Al

[mjr]

For European roaming apparently O2/Virgin (same company) its now free. QED....

I have used the pay monthly £10 a month, O2 10gb unlimited calls and texts for the last couple of years. Seems pretty good, excellent coverage.

£10/month gets you 15GB/unlimited/unlimited on giffgaff on the O2 network. The 5GB you're not getting is probably funding your "free" roaming.

[ossie]

For European roaming apparently O2/Virgin (same company) its now free. QED....

I have used the pay monthly £10 a month, O2 10gb unlimited calls and texts for the last couple of years. Seems pretty good, excellent coverage.

£10/month gets you 15GB/unlimited/unlimited on giffgaff on the O2 network. The 5GB you're not getting is probably funding your "free" roaming.

We all pay for "free" roaming as does everyone in the EU... To be fair these extra gigabytes just sneak up on you and newer tariffs. His deal at the time was probably very good. I'm paying £5 a month for 2GB and have been for years. I never once went over that on various tours abroad however I'm not using it for all day navigating (use a Garmin) and my allowance gets rolled over..... Roaming is still included for me as well on ID mobile. I could upgrade to 6gb for an extra £1 it appears....but I won't use it so will stick to one of the minimum monthly payments out there.

I guess data usage is the thing here, mine isn't much (0.3gb last month despite several cross UK trips)..whatsapp, google and carefully controlled background apps but I'm hardly paying much attention to be fair.

[al_yrpal]

Like many people I normally use hardly any of the 10gb of data but I did use it all once. It was quite a shock, I wondered what had happened when access to the internet just disappeared. A call to O2 put it right. I tried 5gb for £5 but kept running out. At the moment I have no intention of leaving these shores so perhaps giffgaff is worth a look? Anyway, it proves that if you are free to choose, inexpensive EU roaming is possible. Just take out your simm and pop an O2 one in for whilst you are in the EU. You can buy the simms at most Tesco or Coop checkouts.

Al

[simonhill]

Double check the rules before just popping in a SIM for going to EU.

I've read so many recently, but at least one says it must be used in UK for a certain period. Not sure if that is before you go abroad, but worth getting a bit of UK airtime in first.

[rjb]

I don't have a mobile as I live in a mobile not spot in rural Somerset. BT have left the phone box in the village for this reason. Why bother with a mobile when you can still use phone boxes or access the internet at public libraries. Off grid you may find like here that your mobile signal is non existent.
And my passport expires in a few months and I won't be renewing it even if Nicola closes the border.

[nirakaro]

Why bother with a mobile when you can still use phone boxes or access the internet at public libraries.

Hehe. I can think of several good reasons. We don't all live in rural Somerset for starters.

[Jdsk]

I don't have a mobile as I live in a mobile not spot in rural Somerset.

Coverage in the UK is a disgrace. But I mostly use my mobile 'phone when I'm not at home...

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

For European roaming apparently O2/Virgin (same company) its now free. QED....

I have used the pay monthly £10 a month, O2 10gb unlimited calls and texts for the last couple of years. Seems pretty good, excellent coverage.

£10/month gets you 15GB/unlimited/unlimited on giffgaff on the O2 network. The 5GB you're not getting is probably funding your "free" roaming.

Obvious when put so clearly, but well worth repeating in this thread.

Thankyou for that reminder.

Just take out your simm and pop an O2 one in for whilst you are in the EU. You can buy the simms at most Tesco or Coop checkouts.

The hassle and uncertainty is as much a problem as the actual expenditure. Should I shift tariffs, buy a SIM card in the UK, or wait till I'm in the other countries?

And if I buy one here which one? I don't find it easy to understand tariffs and conditions and it takes me some time to get my mind back up to speed.

Double check the rules before just popping in a SIM for going to EU.

I've read so many recently, but at least one says it must be used in UK for a certain period. Not sure if that is before you go abroad, but worth getting a bit of UK airtime in first.

This sort of stuff.

Please keep the advice coming. It's very helpful.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

PS: Improving the position from the consumer's point of view is going to be a lot easier if the relevant Secretary of State tells the truth:
https://twitter.com/NadineDorries/statu ... 9021795330

[mjr]

We all pay for "free" roaming as does everyone in the EU...

In a way, but we now have to pay even more to roam, and no network has dropped basic prices saying it is a result of not having to give roaming for no extra charge.

For European roaming apparently O2/Virgin (same company) its now free. QED....

I have used the pay monthly £10 a month, O2 10gb unlimited calls and texts for the last couple of years. Seems pretty good, excellent coverage.

£10/month gets you 15GB/unlimited/unlimited on giffgaff on the O2 network. The 5GB you're not getting is probably funding your "free" roaming.

Obvious when put so clearly, but well worth repeating in this thread.

Thankyou for that reminder.

You're welcome. It seems rare that two brands of the same company offer two such obviously comparable prices.

[Psamathe]

My existing mobile contract ends in 1 month so just negotiated on renewal/new contract and managed same as I had before except cheaper and including roaming (which I obviously had before) (and on a network that has ended free roaming).

Ian

[st599_uk]

You're welcome. It seems rare that two brands of the same company offer two such obviously comparable prices.

They're not the same company. GiffGaff have bought a block of access from 02 and sold it on. They're getting favourable wholesale rates. The question is when they next buy a block, will the roaming rights be retained.