Last updated: 14 October 2026
giffgaff roaming is free in Europe, with limits. On any giffgaff plan you can call and text in 37 "EU and selected destinations" at no extra cost and use up to 5GB of your plan's data there, for up to 63 days. Outside that zone, which means the USA, Turkey, Egypt, Dubai and Thailand, your plan does not work at all: you pay from credit (from 20p per MB of data, from £1 a minute for calls) or buy a travel data add-on in the giffgaff app. Switzerland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are not in the free zone either.
So for a normal holiday in Spain or Greece, giffgaff is enough and you need nothing else. A travel eSIM earns its place outside the EU zone, on trips that need more than 5GB, and on trips that mix Europe with somewhere giffgaff does not include.
Going to the USA? On giffgaff's pay as you go rate of 20p per MB, 1GB of data there costs £204.80. A week of US data with us, 1.5GB a day, costs $11.99 (prices in US dollars). Visiting the US? Our USA SIM card guide compares a US eSIM, a prepaid SIM bought in the US and what each UK network charges there.
What giffgaff includes in the EU
giffgaff calls this "roam like at home". Here is how it works, from giffgaff's help centre:
- Up to 5GB of data per plan. In the EU and selected destinations you get "a maximum of 5GB of data included from your plan", and giffgaff stresses it is per plan, not per month or per visit. If your plan has less than 5GB, the limit is your plan's own allowance: a 2GB plan gives you 2GB abroad.
- Calls and texts are unlimited to standard numbers in the country you are visiting and back to the UK, under a fair usage policy that stops very heavy use.
- Past 5GB, data costs 10p per MB. That is about £102 per GB. When you have less than 500MB left you can start your next plan early, or buy an EU travel data add-on.
- Up to 63 days. giffgaff gives EU roaming for up to 63 days to members who live in the UK, as long as they used giffgaff in the UK in the 63 days before arriving. Stay longer and giffgaff texts you that roaming will be switched off; after that, use is charged from your credit. The only way back is to return to the UK and use your phone.
- New members with no UK usage before travelling may find their roaming status off. giffgaff asks for proof of UK residence through its agents to switch it on.
Special numbers are not included: UK 080 freephone numbers, premium numbers and international calls need credit.
Which countries count
The 37 destinations are the 27 EU countries plus French Guiana, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Martinique, Mayotte, Norway, Reunion and San Marino.
Not included, even though they are in or near Europe: Switzerland, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Monaco, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Moldova. In the north of Cyprus, Turkish rates apply.
Watch the borders. giffgaff gives the example of a holiday in Cyprus where your phone picks up a Turkish network, which is not covered. Near a border, set your phone's network selection to manual and pick a network in the country you are in.
Outside the EU zone: credit or a travel data add-on
Everywhere else, your plan's allowances stop. You have two ways to stay connected.
Pay as you go from credit. giffgaff's roaming page lists the rest of the world from 20p per MB of data, from £1 a minute for calls and from 30p a text. In the USA (Alaska and Hawaii are listed separately) its roaming charges page shows data at 20p per MB, £1 a minute to make or to receive a call, 30p per text sent, and received texts free. Some countries need credit in your account before roaming works at all.
Travel data add-ons. You buy them only in the giffgaff app, with a credit or debit card (not PayPal). They come in 1GB, 5GB or 10GB, start from £4 and last 30 days from purchase, so you cannot buy one now and start it later. An EU add-on works across the whole EU zone. Outside it, each add-on works in one country only. giffgaff's help centre lists add-ons for Albania, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Japan, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and the USA. The United Arab Emirates is not on it. Prices depend on the destination and are shown in the app. While an add-on is valid, the 63-day EU limit is lifted.
| Where | Data | Calls and texts |
|---|---|---|
| EU zone, on a plan | Up to 5GB of your plan, then 10p per MB | Included |
| Switzerland | 20p per MB, or an add-on: £8 for 1GB, £16 for 5GB, £24 for 10GB | 15p a minute, receiving free, 5p a text |
| Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man | 20p per MB | 15p a minute, receiving free, 5p a text |
| USA | 20p per MB, or a USA add-on | £1 a minute to make or receive, 30p a text |
| Rest of the world | From 20p per MB, or an add-on where offered | From £1 a minute, from 30p a text |
| Planes, ships and ferries | £5 per MB | £1 a minute, 30p a text |
What a trip costs with giffgaff
- A week in Spain or Greece: nothing extra. Your plan covers it, up to 5GB of data.
- A week in the USA: at 20p per MB, 1GB of pay as you go data costs £204.80, so never use data there without an add-on. A USA add-on is the sensible route if you stay with giffgaff; check its price in the app before you fly. Calls cost £1 a minute both ways, so a ten-minute call from home costs £10 even if you only answer it.
- Two weeks in Turkey: Turkey is outside the EU zone. Your choices are data from credit at rest-of-world rates or Turkey add-ons, one country at a time.
- Two weeks in Spain with heavy use: 5GB is about 350MB a day. Maps, photos and a few video calls can pass that. Beyond 5GB you pay 10p per MB, buy an EU add-on, or start your next plan early.
When a travel eSIM is cheaper
Be honest about it: for a week or two in the EU zone within 5GB, giffgaff is already free and a travel eSIM adds nothing. A travel eSIM is the better buy when:
- You go outside the EU zone where giffgaff sells no add-on. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, data comes from credit at rest-of-world rates. A prepaid eSIM for Dubai has a fixed price.
- You need more than 5GB in Europe. At 10p per MB, every extra GB costs about £102. A Europe eSIM sized for the trip, or an unlimited one, removes the cap.
- Your trip crosses several countries outside the zone. giffgaff's add-ons outside the EU work in one country each. A regional eSIM covers several on one plan.
- Your route mixes the EU zone with Switzerland, Turkey or the Balkans. One regional plan is simpler than plan data in some countries and pay as you go in others.
- You stay longer than 63 days. giffgaff switches EU roaming off; a travel eSIM has no such rule for the days it is sold for.
A travel eSIM needs a phone that takes an eSIM and is not locked to a network: check yours in 30 seconds. For how the two approaches bill you in general, see travel eSIM vs international roaming.
For a Europe trip that will go past 5GB, or that adds Switzerland or Turkey to the EU, compare our Europe plans with what giffgaff gives you.
How to use giffgaff and a travel eSIM together
You do not have to give up your number. Keep giffgaff for calls and texts and let the eSIM carry the data.
- Install the travel eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi: iPhone or Android.
- When you land, set the eSIM as the line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- On your giffgaff line, leave data roaming off, so it never uses credit for data. Keep the line switched on if you want texts such as bank codes: giffgaff does not charge to receive texts abroad.
- Switch on giffgaff's credit spend cap in the app before you go, so a stray call cannot drain your credit.
- Make calls over the eSIM's data with WhatsApp or FaceTime. giffgaff's help centre says Wi-Fi Calling is not supported abroad, so a giffgaff call outside the EU zone is charged at roaming rates, even on hotel Wi-Fi.
Our USA, Turkey, Egypt, UAE and Thailand pages show the plans for the places giffgaff's plans do not reach.
Comparing networks? See how SMARTY, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile, Lebara, iD Mobile and VOXI handle roaming.
FAQ
Does giffgaff work in the USA?
Yes, but not on your plan's allowances. As of October 2026 the USA is outside giffgaff's EU zone, so data comes from credit at 20p per MB, calls cost £1 a minute to make or receive and texts 30p, unless you buy a USA travel data add-on in the giffgaff app.
Is giffgaff roaming free in Europe?
Yes, in 37 EU and selected destinations, as of 14 October 2026: calls and texts are included and you can use up to 5GB of your plan's data, for up to 63 days. Switzerland, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Monaco and Turkey are not included.
What is giffgaff's EU roaming data limit?
5GB per plan, or your plan's allowance if it is smaller, as of October 2026. After that, data in the EU zone costs 10p per MB unless you buy an EU travel data add-on or start your next plan early.
How long can I use giffgaff in the EU?
Up to 63 days, as long as you used giffgaff in the UK in the 63 days before you arrived. After that giffgaff switches EU roaming off and charges your credit. A travel data add-on lifts the limit while it is valid.
Does giffgaff work in Turkey?
Yes, but Turkey is not in giffgaff's EU zone, as of October 2026. You pay from credit at rest-of-world rates or buy a Turkey travel data add-on in the app. In the north of Cyprus, Turkish rates apply too.
Does giffgaff Wi-Fi Calling work abroad?
No. As of October 2026 giffgaff's help centre says Wi-Fi Calling is not supported abroad. VoLTE calling over 4G does work abroad, at the usual roaming rates.
Can I use a travel eSIM with giffgaff?
Yes, if your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. Keep your giffgaff SIM or eSIM for your number, set the travel eSIM as your data line, and turn data roaming off on the giffgaff line.
Facts checked on 14 October 2026 against giffgaff's own pages.