The Cheapest Phone Network for Data Roaming Revealed

Travelling to and from work in the UK and travelling to and from other countries outside of it are two entirely different concepts with respect to mobile network usage. In a world where we are more connected to the web than ever before, many people consider their mobile devices a lifeline to their family, friends and information. In the palms of our hands, we are able to contact anyone, read about anything and generally accomplish just about everything we could ever want. With that being said, travelling outside of the UK and doing so can result in data roaming charges. We'll search below for the cheapest data roaming plans available to help minimize the pinch to your wallet when travelling.

EE

One of the largest mobile networks in the United Kingdom, EE has a variety of travel solutions for UK customers who want to keep their bills low when away from home. Currently on data, EE offers a plan that allows up to 50 MB of data per day for just £3. While this may not satisfy the most ardent data users, this is equivalent to a 1.5 GB monthly data plan when broken down into daily allotments. You can activate it from your mobile phone for one day, one week or month, ensuring you get just what you need.

GiffGaff

Another popular service provider to millions, GiffGaff makes sure that its customers can roam responsibly – whether that be data or voice – in the EU and beyond. Currently, GiffGaff offers data roaming solutions, but they are not the cheapest by far. To equate it to EE's offerings, £3 will get you about 17.5 MB of data usage. The good news? There are no time constraints attached to when you can use it – most people do not use 50 MB per day of data anyway. If you are just checking your email and prefer to pay as you go, then GiffGaff's data roaming service may be perfectly fine for you.

O2

Cheaper than both EE & GiffGaff, O2 keeps its large customer hand connected to everything they love while travelling abroad with low-cost data roaming plans. O2's data roaming plans are the cheapest in nominal terms (consider checking out Unlocking Smart if your current phone is tied to a carrier). Currently, users can fetch up to 50 MB of data per day for just £2. This is substantially cheaper than GiffGaff, and about 2/3 the price of EE's data roaming plan. For those who may wish to adopt a pre-paid, basic solution when travelling aboard, O2's data-roaming plans can go a long way toward keeping bills low and keeping service continuously available.

Three

If you use tons of data while travelling, then Three's option may be the best bet. While it is pricey at £5 per day, it offers unlimited data usage when roaming anywhere in the EU. If you are planning to head outside of Europe, then the data-roaming rate packages vary, but they all include unlimited data access. Those who love to stream movies, listen to music and do all of the other mundane tasks that come with owning a mobile phone may find Three's plan to be the best value from an unlimited standpoint.