Going to Spain

[NEM45]

Hello I am off to Fuerteventura and we are hiring a car so thinking best I have use of my maps on my phone. What’s the best way to do this without being charged a fortune each time I use my phone out of the villa which has WiFi. Thanks 

[Chris_B]

@NEM45 

Are you a contact or PAYG customer on contact you can pay daily rate of £2.47 when you use your device you might need to increase your spend cap ( Receiving any sort of notification is using your device ).  Or you can purchase the roam abroad pass at £25. You’ll need to cancel this when you’re back in the uk as this is a monthly add on.    
 on PAYG you purchase a 7 day add on.  

have a look at THIS 

[bristolian]

Regardless of any billing add-on, your ability to get coverage abroad (which calls, texts & mobile data rely on) is dependent on roaming being activated - which allows your phone to connect to foreign networks.

On pay-monthly, this needs to be enabled manually - usually by texting ROAMING to 150 before leaving the UK. Ensure you do this, else you won't get coverage abroad.

[XRaySpeX]

You may use your usual UK allowances in the EU with up to 50 GB (contract) or 25 GB (PAYG) data per billing month if you have more. If on contract & your contract started after 07/07/2021 there'll be a £2.47 / day charge for using your UK allowances in EU or alternatively you may buy the Roam Abroad Pass for £25 / billing month.

On PAYG there are charges for using your pack allowances in the EU of either £2.50 / day or £10 / week, to be taken only from your PAYG credit, not your recurring card payment. If you opt for neither or you don't have an active pack, you will be paying standard rates for calls & texts & need to buy a PAYG add-on for data.

If you are on contract, remember to text ROAMING to 150 before you leave UK to ensure the roaming ability is enabled on your account.

If you are on PAYG, make sure you have already used your PAYG SIM to make a call or text in the UK.

[manc_mikeh · Accepted solution]

Please note: The original marked solution was from June 2024.

Update
You can pay a daily rate of £2.72 when you use your device. You might need to increase your spend cap (receiving any sort of notification is using your device ). 

Using your phone when you go to another country

• When you arrive in another country, you’ll get a welcome text telling you how to use your phone there.

• In the EU, you can usually use your UK minutes, texts and data.

  • You can use up to 50 GB (pay‑monthly) or 25 GB (Pay As You Go) each month.

• Some plans cost a little extra per day to use your phone in the EU.

  • You can also buy a short pass that covers a week or more instead.

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If you’re on Pay As You Go (PAYG)

• Using your phone in the EU costs extra.
• You’ll get a text asking if you want:
  • £2.50 for one day, or
  • £10 for one week
• You pay using your PAYG credit, not your card.
• If you don’t choose an option, calls, texts and data cost more.

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Before you travel

• Pay‑monthly users: text ROAMING to 150 before you leave the UK.
• PAYG users: make sure you’ve used your SIM in the UK first (by making a call or sending a text).

[XRaySpeX]

@manc_mikeh : Incomplete & incorrect in that there is no longer any monthly £25 Roam Abroad Pass. The full answer follows:

You'll receive a Welcome text upon arrival at a country giving your roaming options.

You may use your usual UK allowances in the EU with up to 50 GB (contract) or 25 GB (PAYG) data per billing month if you have more. If on contract & your contract started after 07/07/2021 there'll be a £2.72 / day charge for using your UK allowances in EU unless you buy the 7-day EU Pass for £16.50 or the 12-day EU Pass for £27.50 or you already have them as an Inclusive Extra or you have an EE Essential Plus, All Rounder or Full Works Plan.

On PAYG there will be roaming charges to use your pack allowances in the EU, to be taken only from your PAYG credit, not your recurring card payment. You will receive a msg upon arrival offering & inviting you to take up the options for roaming in EU of either £2.50 / day, by replying ROAMEU1D to 150, or £10 / week, by replying ROAMEU7D to 150. If you opt to reply neither or you don't have an active pack, you will be paying standard rates for calls & texts & will need to buy a PAYG add-on for data.

If you are on contract, just remember to text ROAMING to 150 before leaving UK to ensure the roaming ability is enabled on your no.

If you are on PAYG, just make sure you had already used your PAYG SIM to make a call or text in the UK.

[ee_user14]

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@manc_mikeh wrote:

Please note: The post marked above as a solution is incorrect on several fronts

Receiving any sort of notification is using your device

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I don't think this is strictly true either, the above depends on what sort of notification you're referring to, and how it's received.

Using mobile data would indeed trigger the daily charge, but using WiFi or receiving texts wouldn't. @manc_mikeh reference to "receiving any sort of notification is using your device" for the purposes of the daily charge, is untrue.

[XRaySpeX]

@manc_mikeh : Still incomplete & vauge!

[ee_user14]

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@manc_mikeh wrote:

The original marked solution was from June 2024.

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I wonder if @manc_mikeh wants to start finding every other post on this forum that's got a solution from 2024, and starts posting corrections!!