We show a saving only when roaming would genuinely cover your whole trip.
UK → Germany · roaming vs eSIM
Compare eSIMs for Germany.
Compare what your UK network charges to roam in Germany with travel eSIMs sized for your trip. See the hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits before opening checkout.
20 destinations20 with eSIM pricesRoaming priced, never guessedNo account needed
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Hotspot rules, speed caps and fair-use limits beside every plan.
See where each number came from and when we checked it.
The Germany guide · updated 10 Sept 2026
Short answer: check your UK plan first. If it charges a daily fee in Germany, an eSIM usually costs less.
Germany is in every UK network's Europe zone. O2, iD Mobile, giffgaff, SMARTY and Tesco Mobile include it on eligible plans, up to a roaming cap. EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky Mobile and VOXI charge a daily fee or sell passes. For a short city break the daily fees are small; for a longer trip, or a work trip with a lot of hotspot use, an eSIM bought before you travel is usually cheaper.
- Local networks
- Telekom, Vodafone, O2 Telefónica and 1&1. Nomad lists O2 and Vodafone, and Airalo and Klook both use O2.
- Caps on included roaming
- O2 25GB, iD Mobile 30GB, SMARTY 12GB and giffgaff 5GB of your plan's data. Tesco Mobile sets no separate cap.
- Local SIMs
- A German prepaid SIM needs an ID check before it works, often by video call or at a post office.
- Trains
- Coverage on long-distance trains varies between regions, so download tickets and offline maps before you board.
What your UK network charges in Germany
Germany is in every UK network's Europe zone. Some networks include it in your plan; others charge a daily fee or sell passes. Every row below is priced for your trip in the calculator above and links to the page we read it on.
| Network | How Germany is charged | Worth knowing | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | EE Europe roaming: £2.72 a day, £16.50 for 7 days or £30 for 15 days | For plans taken out or upgraded from 7 July 2021. Uses your UK allowance in Germany, up to a 50GB fair-use ceiling. On an older plan, check the EE app. | EE mobile price guide ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| O2 | O2 Europe Zone: included, up to 25GB | Pay Monthly plans use their UK allowance in Germany at no extra cost. Past 25GB of data abroad, you need to buy a Bolt On. | O2 Europe Zone roaming ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Vodafone | £2.75 a day, or a European Roaming pass: £16 for 8 days, £21 for 15 days | Applies if your plan doesn't already include Europe. The passes cover 52 destinations, and Vodafone's 25GB roaming limit applies. | Vodafone roaming Extras ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| Three | Go Roam in Europe: £2 a day, or passes from £5 for 3 days | Passes cost £5 for 3 days, £12 for 7 and £24 for 14, and let you use up to 12GB of your UK data abroad. | Three Go Roam passes ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| iD Mobile | iD Roam Free: included, up to 30GB | iD's published EU limit is 30GB for customers who joined on or after 21 June 2023. On a smaller plan, your own allowance is the limit. | iD Mobile EU fair-use policy ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| Sky Mobile | Roaming Passport Plus: £2 on each day you use it | Charged only on days you call, text or use data abroad, and uses your UK allowance up to Sky's 25GB roaming cap. Your phone may need to support VoLTE. | Sky Roaming Passport Plus ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| giffgaff | Included on eligible plans, up to 5GB | You can use up to 5GB of your plan's data, or your whole allowance if it's smaller. Beyond that it's 10p per MB, and EU roaming switches off after 63 days. | giffgaff EU roaming rules ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| SMARTY | Included, up to 12GB a month | Plans with more than 12GB of data can use 12GB a plan month while roaming. Voice plans get unlimited standard calls and texts within the EU and back to the UK. | SMARTY roaming and international ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
| VOXI | European Roaming Pass: £2.60 for 1 day, £4.80 for 2, £15 for 8, £20 for 15 | The pass starts when you buy it. You get your UK allowance or 20GB, whichever is smaller, and Endless social and video don't apply abroad. | VOXI European Roaming Pass ↗checked 25 Aug 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile | Home From Home: included on pay monthly and pay as you go | Covers 48 destinations, including every EU country, with no separate data cap. A fair-use policy applies only if you spend more time abroad than in the UK. | Tesco Mobile Home From Home ↗checked 10 Sept 2026 |
Roaming versus an eSIM, priced for a real trip
Everyday use is about 0.8GB a day, so a week needs 6GB and a fortnight 12GB. Roaming figures come from the same published charges the calculator uses; eSIM figures are the cheapest single plan from each provider that covers the trip, live from Nomad. Klook is left out because it shows prices only on its own page.
7 days · plan for 6GB
UK roaming
- O2Included
- iD MobileIncluded
- giffgaffIncluded
- SMARTYIncluded
- Tesco MobileIncluded
- Three£12.00
- Sky Mobile£14.00
- VOXI£15.00
- Vodafone£16.00
- EE£16.50
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 10GB · 30 days≈ £10.22live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
14 days · plan for 12GB
UK roaming
- O2Included
- iD MobileIncluded
- giffgaffIncluded
- SMARTYIncluded
- Tesco MobileIncluded
- VOXI£20.00
- Vodafone£21.00
- Three£24.00
- Sky Mobile£28.00
- EE£30.00
Travel eSIM
- Nomad · 20GB · 30 days≈ £15.33live price, converted from USD · see plan ↗
Roaming figures assume you roam every day of the trip and the pass or daily fee covers your data need; the calculator above lets you change both. Nomad prices are converted from US dollars at a rounded rate and marked as estimates.
The eSIM providers we compare for Germany
Four providers appear in the comparison above. Saily and Nomad send us live prices, Airalo's are checked by hand, and Klook shows its prices only on its own page. Links we could earn a commission on are marked as sponsored in the page source.
Saily on local partner networks
Quotes real pounds, so the price you see is the price you pay. Saily says it doesn't restrict hotspot use, though your phone or the local network may.
Watch out: Check when the plan starts counting down before you install it.
Saily Germany plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Nomad on O2 and Vodafone
Prices in US dollars, which we convert at a rounded Bank of England rate, so your card may charge a little more. Nomad lists O2 and Vodafone for Germany and says its eSIMs support hotspot use.
Watch out: Nomad plans have to be activated within 60 days of purchase, so don't buy months ahead.
Nomad Germany plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Airalo on O2
We have no affiliate relationship with Airalo and list it anyway. Its Germany eSIM lists O2 as the main network.
Watch out: If you pick an unlimited plan, check its daily full-speed limit before you buy.
Klook on O2
Klook's price changes with every combination of days and data, so we don't show one. The link opens Klook's own page for this country.
Watch out: You get a QR code on a voucher. Install it on Wi-Fi before you travel and check when the countdown starts.
Klook Germany plans ↗We may earn a commission on this link.
Which UK networks include Germany, and which charge
O2, iD Mobile, giffgaff, SMARTY and Tesco Mobile let eligible plans use their UK allowance in Germany at no extra charge. EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky Mobile and VOXI charge for each day you use your phone, or sell passes.
A three-day trade fair costs £8.16 on EE, £6 on Sky or £5 on a Three pass. Over a week the passes run from £12 to £16.50, which is where an eSIM usually wins. The worked costs below compare them with live eSIM prices.
Work trips and hotspot use
Tethering a laptop uses data far faster than a phone. At our heavy-use estimate of about 2GB a day, a working week needs around 14GB, which is past giffgaff's 5GB and SMARTY's 12GB roaming caps.
The eSIMs compared here, apart from any plan that says otherwise, allow hotspot use. Check the hotspot and speed limits beside each plan in the comparison before you buy.
Why a German SIM takes longer to set up
German law requires an identity check before a prepaid SIM can be used. For visitors that usually means a video call with a passport or a check at a post office, which can take longer than the trip is worth.
A travel eSIM is bought online and installed at home, so it's working when you land, and your UK number stays on the phone for bank texts.
Setting up for Germany
- 01Check your UK plan first
If your network includes Germany and its roaming cap covers your trip, you may not need an eSIM at all. Your network's app shows both.
- 02Buy and install at home
Install the eSIM on home Wi-Fi before you travel and keep the new line switched off until you land. Save the QR code or setup details in case you need to reinstall.
- 03Turn off data roaming on your UK line
Leave your UK SIM on so calls and bank texts still reach you, but switch its data roaming off so it can't run up charges.
- 04Make the eSIM your data line
Set the eSIM as the line for mobile data, turn off automatic data switching, and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
Germany questions, answered
Do UK phones work in Germany without roaming charges?
On O2, iD Mobile, giffgaff, SMARTY and Tesco Mobile, eligible plans use their UK allowance in Germany at no extra cost, up to each network's cap. EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky Mobile and VOXI charge a daily fee or sell passes.
What does VOXI charge for roaming in Germany?
VOXI needs a European Roaming Pass: £2.60 for 1 day, £4.80 for 2, £15 for 8 or £20 for 15. You get your UK allowance or 20GB, whichever is smaller, and Endless social and video don't apply abroad.
Why is buying a SIM card in Germany difficult?
German law requires an ID check, often by video call or at a post office, before a prepaid SIM works. The travel eSIMs compared here are bought online from the provider instead.
Can I use a Germany eSIM as a hotspot for my laptop?
The eSIMs compared here generally allow hotspot use; check each plan's limits beside it in the comparison. Hotspot data on UK roaming counts towards your network's roaming cap.
Will a Germany eSIM give me a German phone number?
The plans compared here are data only, so there's no German number and no ordinary calls or texts. WhatsApp, FaceTime and Teams work over data, and your UK SIM can stay on for texts.
Where the numbers come from
How we work this out.
On EE we price roaming for all 20 destinations. Across the other nine networks we price 116 more network-and-destination combinations from published charges; everywhere else we send you to your network's own checker instead of guessing. Saily and Nomad send us their prices directly, covering 20 destinations. Airalo prices are checked by hand for 5 of them and stop being ranked a week after we last looked. Klook never shows a price here — we send you to their own page instead of guessing one.
UK roaming rules 25 Aug 2026 · review overdueHand-checked prices & calls/texts labels 25 Aug 2026 · review overdueExchange rates (rounded) 25 Aug 2026 · review overduePrice refresh rule 7 days, then removed from rankingLive prices from Saily and Nomad working · 20 destinations
Setting up before you fly
Keep your UK number. Turn off its data.
- 01Install at home
Buy before departure, install on Wi-Fi and keep the new line switched off until arrival.
- 02Choose the data line
Set the travel eSIM as Mobile Data and disable data switching so your UK SIM cannot take over.
- 03Keep texts available
Leave the UK line on for banking texts if needed, but turn off its data roaming and avoid chargeable calls.
Common questions
Things worth checking first.
Do you work out what my own network would charge?
On EE, for all 20 destinations. Across the other nine networks, for 116 more network-and-destination combinations. Everywhere else we send you to your network’s own checker rather than invent a number — usually because the network has stopped publishing a rate, or prices it against your individual account. Pick the tariff that applies to you and we work out the daily fees, the cheapest combination of passes, or the per-megabyte rate from your network’s published charges. We only claim a saving when roaming would actually cover your whole trip and everything else you asked for.
Are these prices live?
Saily’s and Nomad’s are — they come from each provider’s own feed and are marked “Live price”. Saily quotes real pounds; Nomad quotes US dollars, which we convert. Airalo prices are checked by hand, show the date we checked, and drop out of the ranking after seven days. They are already in pounds, so they need no conversion. Klook never shows a price here, because we cannot read one reliably; that link takes you to their own page.
Why does one provider show several plans?
Because more than one can fit your trip — a bigger allowance, a longer run before it expires, or unlimited data. We show each provider’s best few for your trip and tuck the rest — including any that cost more without giving you more — behind one “show more” button. Pin up to three to compare side by side.
Where do I find hotspot and speed limits?
Open “Hotspot, speed & other limits” on any plan. It covers whether you can use the phone as a hotspot, what happens when you hit a speed cap, what the fair-use rules are, when the plan starts counting down, and which local network you will be on. If it says “check plan”, the provider’s own wording was not clear enough for us to promise you either way.
Can I make normal calls on these?
Usually not. Most travel eSIMs give you data only — WhatsApp and FaceTime work, but your phone number does not. If you need real calls and texts, answer “Yes” in the form and we will only recommend a plan that we have confirmed includes them.
Will an eSIM work on my phone?
Search for your exact model and we will check it against manufacturer guidance. Two things we cannot check for you: whether your phone is locked to a UK network, and which regional version you own — some models sold in certain countries have no eSIM at all. Confirm both before buying.
How many destinations do you cover?
20 destinations — Turkey, United States, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia — and all 10 UK networks. Saily and Nomad price every destination live; 5 of them also carry hand-checked Airalo prices.