Data sim 'Flavour of the month' for EU roaming? (44 Viewers)

[VXman]

Looking at current offerings for Data sims in EU. Don't want a contract.

ID mobile £10 a month for 100GB - 30GB cap in EU. (could get 2 or 3 of those I guess)

IQ mobile £20 annual charge for the sim and then £20 for 100GB. Limited to 3 months in 12 in the EU.

RWG used to be good but limited to 20GB roaming now.

Any other good deals for EU roaming/no contract?

 

[ericonabike]

I wanted a UK sim to use in mifi with a large eu allowance so that we could stream uktv. Was on RWG until they capped it at 25gb. Bought IQ SIM, 100GB allowance in EU for month for £20. Bought the allowance a week ago for three week stay away. All uktv available, burned through 25gbso far on Firestick at lowest screen resolution. Easy to check usage, customer service so far is fine. I am a totally happy bunny

 

[Kups]

Looking at current offerings for Data sims in EU. Don't want a contract.

ID mobile £10 a month for 100GB - 30GB cap in EU. (could get 2 or 3 of those I guess)

IQ mobile £20 annual charge for the sim and then £20 for 100GB. Limited to 3 months in 12 in the EU.

RWG used to be good but limited to 20GB roaming now.

Any other good deals for EU roaming/no contract?

Popit. 100 GB in EU for £25. Then £1 per month to pause. 30 day contract cancel anytime.

 

[Bessy765]

Thing with IQ is during the three months you can by more data if you run out it’s three months buy as much as you like, we have 2 sim one is mine for three months other is wife’s so we can use it on out 2 x 90 trips.

 

[matbic]

Luckily my ID Mobile sim allows me full allowance so I get 250gb in europe but we used it all one month so I sourced a local sim in Spain from a shop in Almerimar, it was a Digi mobile 200gb sim for €14 a month.

Very fast speeds as well

That’s not what they say in their terms and conditions: “You can use your minutes, texts and data, up to 30GB while roaming abroad (subject to your allowance, our fair usage & open data policies).”

But it’s good to know you can get away with using more than 30GB!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[royw]

I am trying IQ GO right now in Germany, worked well in NL but got nothing in Luxembourg, speed is showing at 65mbs (up/down) which is slower than I had last year using my EE Roaming on my phone and a lot slower than the EE UK data sim I used to have. If it will do what you want then its fine otherwise. And the 65mbs is with it fitted to a Hauwei 5577 with roof antenna. I will probably go back to my EE contract on roaming, I get 50gb / billing month in the EU and I will have the use of the phone which I am doing without right now. Good luck

we had connectivity in Lux fine, here are the countries iq covers.

 

[Carpmart]

Interesting that so many people have used UK SIMS and not needed a VPN. I will have to test that again and work out what I was doing wrong!

In any case the main issue has been data allowances and connection speed which is why I will be using Starlink on the next trip.

I don't yet know if that requires a VPN to view UK content. I will report back!

I can confirm it does need a VPN for geographically controlled content.

 

[Kups]

I can confirm it does need a VPN for geographically controlled content.

However, if your Starlink is getting it's signal via a UK ground station then you don't need a VPN. I've found that to be the case in France down as far south as Ile de Re last year. Exactly where these ground stations are is not published by Starlink but there's plenty of discussion online. Presume there will be more EU ground stations coming online so a VPN will be needed more.

 

[Carpmart]

However, if your Starlink is getting it's signal via a UK ground station then you don't need a VPN. I've found that to be the case in France down as far south as Ile de Re last year. Exactly where these ground stations are is not published by Starlink but there's plenty of discussion online. Presume there will be more EU ground stations coming online so a VPN will be needed more.

Since Sept ‘23 all around France, Spain & Portugal, I’ve not connected to a ground station in the UK…

 

[Minxy]

Is this the one? Seems strangely cheap!

Exclusive Monthly Plan £7.90 | MSM | Lebara Mobile UK

www.lebara.co.uk

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Al n Val]

That’s not what they say in their terms and conditions: “You can use your minutes, texts and data, up to 30GB while roaming abroad (subject to your allowance, our fair usage & open data policies).”

But it’s good to know you can get away with using more than 30GB!

I had the contract before June 2023 when it changed so I can use my full allowance in the EU

 

[VXman]

Is this the one? Seems strangely cheap!

Exclusive Monthly Plan £7.90 | MSM | Lebara Mobile UK

www.lebara.co.uk

Ah - the discounted Lebaras are back!!! wish I'd know this before I ordered my ID sim.

Out of interest - how did you find that link. If you go directly to the Lebara website it doesn't appear. It needs the /msm/ extension to the address. Makes me suspicious.

 

[BrochMike]

Out of interest - how did you find that link.

Just googled "Lebara 90p" - offer still looks like it'd work but I can't try as I'm in France for a few weeks yet (using ID & IQ)

 

[BrochMike]

Out of interest - how did you find that link

Looks legit - can be found on Money Saving Expert "MSE Blagged"

 

[GerTee]

Tesco mobile no roaming restrictions till 2025.

They have a 60 day 'fair use' policy which I will be testing this year After 60 days, they (apparently) start charging extra over your normal contract. I'll let you know. Interestingly, I've just had my 6th 'Welcome to France' text message. I wonder if Tesco have multiple agreements with providers over here. Might confuse their fair use monitoring...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[treblid]

Read the Lebara fair usage policy carefully. It catches many people out if they do not use much data in the UK.

 

[BrochMike]

Read the Lebara fair usage policy carefully. It catches many people out if they do not use much data in the UK.

Any hints before people go searching?

 

[treblid]

Any hints before people go searching?

Post in thread 'Data roaming charges in excess of "fair usage" anyone been charged?' https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...usage-anyone-been-charged.292534/post-5849457

Plenty of other discussion on the subject on MHF.

 

[Barti Ddu]

Any hints before people go searching?

Max your Lebara SIMs out for a couple of months before going abroad to get a good baseline UK usage. Downloading iPlayer content and deleting is an effective way to do this.

We've never fallen foul of the Lebara fair use roaming policy, despite expecting to, and we've been in the EU for 10 to 12 weeks at a time.

 

[BrochMike]

Post in thread 'Data roaming charges in excess of "fair usage" anyone been charged?' https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...usage-anyone-been-charged.292534/post-5849457

Plenty of other discussion on the subject on MHF.

Appreciate the pointers.

This is what I found buried in their FAQ (so assume this is the catch)

"To safeguard against abuse, if your roaming usage is greater than usage in the UK over any continuous 120 day period, you will be subject to a surcharge"

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Barti Ddu]

Appreciate the pointers.

This is what I found buried in their FAQ (so assume this is the catch)

"To safeguard against abuse, if your roaming usage is greater than usage in the UK over any continuous 120 day period, you will be subject to a surcharge"

Exactly. So for the 2 months prior to going abroad, max it out with UK usage. Multiple cheap Lebara SIMs have worked a dream for us for the last 2 years. Hoping they continues to do so.

 

[Bolti]

RoamingThey have a 60 day 'fair use' policy which I will be testing this year After 60 days, they (apparently) start charging extra over your normal contract. I'll let you know. Interestingly, I've just had my 6th 'Welcome to France' text message. I wonder if Tesco have multiple agreements with providers over here. Might confuse their fair use monitoring...

Have had a Tesco mobile sim for 2 years now. T&C's state after 64 they will SMS a warning and you have 14 days to stop roaming. Last winter we went to Spain beginning of December returning end of March never heard a thing. I think lots of welcome to... are a good sign.
I do know O2 are very active at stopping phone Sims used in router's ( not mifi's) and will suspend the SIM without notice.

 

[Minxy]

Ah - the discounted Lebaras are back!!! wish I'd know this before I ordered my ID sim.

Out of interest - how did you find that link. If you go directly to the Lebara website it doesn't appear. It needs the /msm/ extension to the address. Makes me suspicious.

None of them ever appear on the Lebara website as they are specials for MSE.

Nothing wrong with them at all, we've used them a few times, last and this year, without any issues at all. Just hammer them before you go so you use at least 15gb in the UK which matches the max allowed for roaming.

 

[JoshnPen]

None of them ever appear on the Lebara website as they are specials for MSE.

Nothing wrong with them at all, we've used them a few times, last and this year, without any issues at all. Just hammer them before you go so you use at least 15gb in the UK which matches the max allowed for roaming.

I used a mse special offer lebara sim in my phone for the last six months, ported my number to it, absolutely no problems - better coverage than my previous Three sim. 92p a month for 15gb, for 6 months, then i can leave or it increases to approx £8, still a bargain.

 

[Barti Ddu]

I used a mse special offer lebara sim in my phone for the last six months, ported my number to it, absolutely no problems - better coverage than my previous Three sim. 92p a month for 15gb, for 6 months, then i can leave or it increases to approx £8, still a bargain.

Yes, Lebara coverage is excellent. They piggyback onto the Vodafone network in the UK.

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[Barti Ddu]

Just hammer them before you go so you use at least 15gb in the UK which matches the max allowed for roaming.

The Lebara "Roam like at Home" T&Cs allows you to use all your UK allowance in the EU, except for the Unlimited plan where it is capped at 30gb per month.

 

[VXman]

The Lebara "Roam like at Home" T&Cs allows you to use all your UK allowance in the EU, except for the Unlimited plan where it is capped at 30gb per month.

I think what Minxy refers to is 'fair usage' policy which has to do with how much you use at home vs. abroad. What they don't like is you buying a large data allowance and then not using it in the UK but using it all abroad. So they have a policy which means that your abroad use is proportional to your average use at home. So you need to use a decent amount at home first to stop any chance of being restricted abroad.

Having said all that I haven't found that in Lebaras T & C's yet.

EDIT: This is what BrochMike said earlier in the thread....

This is what I found buried in their FAQ (so assume this is the catch)

"To safeguard against abuse, if your roaming usage is greater than usage in the UK over any continuous 120 day period, you will be subject to a surcharge"

 

[Barti Ddu]

I think what Minxy refers to is 'fair usage' policy which has to do with how much you use at home vs. abroad. What they don't like is you buying a large data allowance and then not using it in the UK but using it all abroad. So they have a policy which means that your abroad use is proportional to your average use at home. So you need to use a decent amount at home first to stop any chance of being restricted abroad.

Having said all that I haven't found that in Lebaras T & C's yet.

EDIT: This is what BrochMike said earlier in the thread....

Yes. I realise that. I'm the one above advocating maxing out the Lebara SIM in the UK by downloading and deleting iPlayer content in the 2 months before going abroad.

The point in Minxy's post I was trying to correct is that Lebara limit you to 15gb roaming. They don't. You can use up to 30gb roaming in the EU if you have a corresponding package in the UK.

 

[VXman]

Yes. I realise that. I'm the one above advocating maxing out the Lebara SIM in the UK by downloading and deleting iPlayer content in the 2 months before going abroad.

The point in Minxy's post I was trying to correct is that Lebara limit you to 15gb roaming. They don't. You can use up to 30gb roaming in the EU if you have a corresponding package in the UK.

I think Minxy was referring to the 90 pence Lebara which we were discussing. It is 15GB over all so is obviously limited to 15gb abroad.

 

[Barti Ddu]

I think Minxy was referring to the 90 pence Lebara which we were discussing. It is 15GB over all so is obviously limited to 15gb abroad.

Fair do's.

However if you want the full 30gb allowance of Lebera EU roaming data per month, this uSwitch deal gets it for £3.58 a month.

Lebara SIM Only Deals: Compare in May 2024 - Uswitch

Choose from a range of Lebara SIM only deals and compare price plans to find the ideal data package to suit your needs. Get a 30-day deal with no contract included.

www.uswitch.com

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[VXman]

None of them ever appear on the Lebara website as they are specials for MSE.

Nothing wrong with them at all, we've used them a few times, last and this year, without any issues at all. Just hammer them before you go so you use at least 15gb in the UK which matches the max allowed for roaming.

So, no use for buying now and taking to France next week? If its a 15GB allowance I can't use 15GB before I go as I won't have anything left for when I'm there. I'd need to buy and use for a month before I go? Am I understanding correctly?