EE roaming is one of the most searched travel topics in the UK, and for good reason: since Brexit, the network has charged most Pay Monthly customers to use their allowance in Europe, and destinations such as Turkey and the USA need a separate pass. For a single traveller the amounts look modest. For a family with four phones, each line pays, and the total for a ten-day holiday adds up quickly.
This guide sets out EE's roaming charges as published on 4 October 2026, works through the cost for one, two and four lines over ten days, and puts them next to a family travel eSIM such as the Sirocco Turkey eSIM. If you want the family set-up in detail, see our family eSIM page.
EE roaming charges in 2026: the essentials
All the figures below come from EE's own roaming costs checker, consulted on 4 October 2026 for a Pay Monthly customer whose plan started after 7 July 2021. Your own plan may differ, especially if it includes roaming as an extra, so check in the EE app before you travel.
| Destination | EE zone | Option shown by EE | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain (and the rest of the EE Europe Zone) | Europe | Daily charge | £2.72 a day |
| Spain | Europe | 7-day EU Pass | £16.50 |
| Spain | Europe | 15-day EU Pass | £30 |
| Turkey and northern Cyprus | Zone 1 | 24-hour Zone 1 Pass | £6 |
| Turkey and northern Cyprus | Zone 1 | 7-day Zone 1 Pass | £30 |
| Turkey and northern Cyprus | Zone 1 | 15-day Zone 1 Pass | £50 |
| USA | Zone 1 | 24-hour, 7-day, 15-day Zone 1 Pass | £6 / £30 / £50 |
A few points from EE's own wording are worth knowing:
- Europe: the daily charge lets you use your UK data, calls and texts in the EE Europe Zone and is added to your next bill automatically. If your plan started before 7 July 2021, EE says the charge does not apply to you.
- Turkey and the USA: EE states that you will not have access to mobile data there without a roaming pass. Passes can only be bought once you arrive, and EE texts you a link when you land.
- Calls outside your allowance: in Zone 1, EE's checker showed standard rates of £2.46 a minute and 98p a text.
EE has also sold a monthly add-on called the Roam Abroad Pass in the past. We could not confirm its current price on EE's public pages on 4 October 2026, so it is not used in the sums below. If you have it on your account, your costs may be lower.
EE roaming in Europe after Brexit: Spain as an example
Take a ten-day family holiday in Spain. Without a pass, each EE line pays the daily charge for every day it is used abroad:
- Daily charge only: 10 x £2.72 = £27.20 per line
- 15-day EU Pass: £30 per line (more than ten daily charges)
- 7-day EU Pass, then three daily charges: £16.50 + 3 x £2.72 = £24.66 per line
The last option is the cheapest combination of EE's published prices for exactly ten days. It assumes you buy the 7-day pass on arrival and that the daily charge applies to the remaining three days, which is how EE describes the daily charge. For a family:
| Lines | Daily charge only | 7-day pass + 3 days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £27.20 | £24.66 |
| 2 | £54.40 | £49.32 |
| 4 | £108.80 | £98.64 |
If your EE plan started before 7 July 2021, Spain costs you nothing extra within your allowance, and that is hard to beat. Keep using EE as normal.
EE roaming in Turkey: Zone 1 passes
Turkey is not in the EE Europe Zone. It sits in Zone 1, and there is no data at all without a pass. For ten days, the options are:
- Ten 24-hour passes: 10 x £6 = £60 per line
- 15-day Zone 1 Pass: £50 per line
- 7-day Zone 1 Pass plus three 24-hour passes: £30 + 3 x £6 = £48 per line
The combination is the lowest total from EE's published prices, though it means buying a fresh pass on day eight, nine and ten. The 15-day pass costs £2 more and avoids that.
EE roaming in the USA
The USA is also a Zone 1 destination in EE's checker, with the same prices as Turkey. Ten days therefore cost between £48 and £60 per line, depending on how you combine passes.
What a family of four pays: 1, 2 and 4 lines over 10 days
The table below takes the cheapest combination of EE options for each destination (as calculated above) and sets it next to Sirocco, using the same assumption for every line: each traveller has their own phone and their own line.
On the Sirocco side, the figure is the cheapest plan with at least 10GB and at least 10 days, multiplied by the number of travellers, with the 10% group discount applied from three eSIMs in the same order. Prices are updated automatically on this page and the exact amount is shown before payment. Sirocco charges in euros.
For reference, the European Central Bank rate on 2 October 2026 was €1 = £0.85033, if you want to convert euro amounts yourself.
| Destination | Lines | EE (cheapest combination) | Sirocco, at least 10GB and 10 days each |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 1 | £48 | €9.10 |
| Turkey | 2 | £96 | €18.20 |
| Turkey | 4 | £192 | €32.76 |
| USA | 1 | £48 | €14.90 |
| USA | 2 | £96 | €29.80 |
| USA | 4 | £192 | €53.64 |
| Spain | 1 | £24.66 | €9.60 |
| Spain | 2 | £49.32 | €19.20 |
| Spain | 4 | £98.64 | €34.56 |
Compare the two columns for your own trip, and keep in mind that the offers are not the same kind of product:
- What you get: an EE pass unlocks your UK minutes, texts and data allowance. Sirocco provides mobile data only, with no local number.
- Volume: with EE you use your normal UK allowance, subject to EE's fair use rules. With Sirocco each traveller has a fixed amount of data on their own plan.
- Structure: EE charges each line separately and you buy passes on arrival. Sirocco is one purchase for the whole family, with one eSIM per traveller.
After purchase, each traveller can move to a different plan: a smaller one for a child, for instance. If you are not sure how much data you need, the data calculator gives an estimate based on how you use your phone.
When EE is the better choice
There are clear cases where staying on EE makes sense:
- Your plan started before 7 July 2021 and you are travelling in the EE Europe Zone: no daily charge.
- Your plan already includes roaming as an extra at your destination.
- You need to make plenty of ordinary phone calls, which a data-only eSIM does not provide.
- You are away for a day or two only, and a single daily charge or 24-hour pass is enough.
How to avoid EE roaming charges with a family eSIM
If you decide to use a travel eSIM for data, the set-up is simple and you keep your EE number.
Before you leave
- Check that each phone supports eSIM: dial *#06#, and if an EID number appears, the phone can take one. Our compatibility page lists the main models.
- Buy one eSIM per traveller in a single order. Each person gets their own plan, for example 10GB for a parent and a smaller plan for a child.
- Each traveller receives their installation link by SMS or email. Install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi.
On arrival
- EE line: leave it switched on for calls and texts, with data roaming turned off. This is what stops data use on EE from triggering the daily charge or a pass.
- Sirocco line: choose it for mobile data and turn data roaming on. Our guide to turning on data roaming shows where the settings are.
- iPhone: keep your EE line selected for iMessage and FaceTime so your contacts see the usual number.
Your number and WhatsApp do not change. Ordinary calls and texts still arrive on your EE line if it is switched on; EE may charge for them under its own terms, so check your plan. Our page on keeping your number explains this in more detail.
Children's phones
For a child, check first that the phone is eSIM compatible. Sirocco's Kids Mode means the child's screen shows no prices, no account is created in the child's name, and the parent manages everything. A smaller plan is usually enough for a younger child, and you can top up one traveller later without reinstalling anything. More details are on the kids eSIM page.
Check your own EE plan first
EE's prices depend on when your contract started and on any extras you have chosen. Before you travel:
- Log in to the EE app or My EE and look for roaming extras on each line.
- Check your Spend Cap. EE notes that a cap set too low can stop your services working abroad.
- Text ROAMING to 150, as EE suggests, to check the line is set up to roam.
Then compare the cost of EE passes for every line in the family with a single family order. The answer depends on your destination, the length of the trip and how many phones you are taking.