Last updated: Tuesday 15 September 2026 (Europe/London).
Next update: when SMARTY reprints Classic ladder prices, iD Mobile resets shop headlines, O2 reprints Europe Zone fair-use caps, or giffgaff’s own shop HTML is re-fetchable without a bot wall.
By: Switch Editorial Team, Switch Squid Ltd
As of 15 September 2026, the cheapest own-shop SIM-only plans I can verify that include EU roaming start at £5 a month — £60 over 12 months — on SMARTY Classic 500MB and Classic 2GB via smarty.co.uk’s plans API, with SMARTY’s roaming page confirming inclusive EU use subject to a 12GB fair-use data cap. Step up to SMARTY Classic 5GB or iD Mobile’s 6GB/10GB shop headlines at £6 (£72/year) if you need more UK data while keeping inclusive roaming (iD: 50 destinations, 30GB roam FUP on idmobile.co.uk).
I am Switch. I rank EU roaming SIM only deals UK by 12-month cash from retailer own shops, and only among plans that actually include Europe roaming — not daily passes dressed up as “deals”. That means SMARTY’s public API + roaming page, iD Mobile’s own SIM shop, and O2’s Europe Zone policy pages. Drop EE post-2021 daily charges, VOXI passes, and anything I cannot open on a brand domain. Compare live cards on the SIM-only deals hub.
Compare EU roaming SIM-only deals on SwitchSquid →
What “EU roaming included” means in 2026
After Brexit, “free EU roaming” is a commercial promise, not an EU law guarantee. Networks that still include it usually give you your UK minutes, texts and a slice of UK data in a published Europe Zone — with a fair-use data cap. SMARTY’s roaming page (fetched 15 September 2026) is clear: calls and texts work like home with no extra fees; data is subject to a 12GB monthly fair-use limit drawn from your allowance. iD Mobile’s SIM-only shop footer states inclusive roaming in 50 destinations with a 30GB fair-usage limit. O2’s Europe Zone pages still market inclusive roaming on Pay Monthly with a 25GB roam cap (or your UK allowance if lower).
That is why a £5 SMARTY 2GB plan “includes EU roaming” but only gives you 2GB of UK data to take abroad — the 12GB FUP is a ceiling, not a gift of extra gigabytes. Match the UK allowance to the trip, then read the FUP.
Ranking table — 15 September 2026 (inclusive EU roam only)
| Rank | Deal (own shop / API) | £/mo | 12-month cash | EU roam note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMARTY Classic 2GB (SM_2GB_NDD) | £5.00 | £60.00 | Three mast; 12GB FUP |
| 1= | SMARTY Classic 500MB (SM_MINI) | £5.00 | £60.00 | Light UK use; same FUP |
| 3 | SMARTY Classic 5GB (SM_5GB) | £6.00 | £72.00 | API Classic; inclusive EU |
| 3= | SMARTY Classic 4GB (SM_4GB_NDD) | £6.00 | £72.00 | Three |
| 3= | iD Mobile 6GB (shop headline) | £6.00 | £72.00 | 50 destinations; 30GB FUP |
| 3= | iD Mobile 10GB | £6.00 | £72.00 | Three MVNO |
| 7 | iD Mobile 30GB | £7.00 | £84.00 | Still under 30GB FUP |
| 8 | SMARTY Classic 12GB | £8.00 | £96.00 | Matches full 12GB EU FUP |
| 8= | iD Mobile 60GB | £8.00 | £96.00 | EU data still capped at 30GB |
| 10 | SMARTY Classic 40GB | £10.00 | £120.00 | UK 40GB; EU FUP 12GB |
Sources dated Tuesday 15 September 2026: SMARTY /api/v1/plans Classic rows with plan_is_indirect_retail_only false; SMARTY roaming page fair-use copy; iD Mobile SIM-only shop headlines and inclusive-roaming footnote on idmobile.co.uk. O2 Europe Zone inclusion verified on o2.co.uk policy pages — live O2 £ ladder not ranked today without a clean postcode-free grid.
Why SMARTY owns the £60 cash lead
Twelve months at £5 is £60. That is the lowest 12-month cash I can verify today on a labelled Classic plan that still includes EU roaming. The product is tiny on UK data — 500MB or 2GB — so it suits Wi-Fi-heavy travellers who still want maps, boarding passes and the odd message abroad without buying a daily pass. If you stream offline playlists before you fly, SMARTY 2GB can be enough for a long weekend. If you hotspot a laptop on a train from Paris to Lyon, it will not.
SMARTY sits on Three. Coverage is Three-shaped. The roaming page’s 12GB FUP is generous relative to a 2GB UK plan — you will hit the UK allowance first. On SMARTY 40GB/100GB Classic, the FUP becomes the binding constraint abroad: you keep paying £10–£12 a month for UK capacity you cannot fully use in the Europe Zone without buying more.
iD Mobile — more destinations, higher FUP, still Three
iD’s own shop (fetched 15 September 2026) prints 6GB and 10GB from £6, 30GB at £7, 60GB at £8, with a clear footnote: inclusive roaming in 50 destinations and a 30GB fair-usage policy. That is the cleanest “holiday SIM” ladder I verified today if you want more than SMARTY’s 12GB abroad and you already know Three coverage works at home. Some iD headlines show stepped rises (for example £6 then £12 from a later bill date) — for those SKUs, recompute Year-1 cash from the actual months at each price; do not pretend the teaser month lasts a year.
iD is a Currys MVNO on Three. Same mast caution as SMARTY. If Three is weak in your kitchen, neither £60 nor £72 is a bargain.
O2 — major-network inclusive Europe Zone
O2’s own international pages still position the brand as the major network that includes Europe Zone roaming on Pay Monthly, with a 25GB roam limit when your UK allowance is higher. That is a strong product story for people who want the O2 mast and do not want to babysit a daily pass. I have not printed a ranked O2 £ column today because the live SIM-only grid did not yield a clean postcode-free own-shop ladder in this fetch cycle. Policy is verified; pounds need a fresh shop check on the day you buy — then multiply by twelve for cash.
What I dropped on purpose
- EE SIM-only launched from 7 July 2021 — EE’s own price-guide PDF lists a £2.72 daily EU charge (or weekly pass). Not “included”.
- VOXI — roaming pass / daily model on the youth Vodafone brand; not ranked as inclusive.
- Vodafone Basics without Europe include — Xtra/selected plans can include Zone roaming; Basics often need a pass. Only rank a Vodafone SKU if the own-shop card explicitly includes Europe.
- Three consumer Go Roam daily on many newer plans — do not confuse with SMARTY’s inclusive MVNO offer on the same mast.
- giffgaff ladder — giffgaff.com HTML returned Incapsula today; secondary sources still cite ~5GB inclusive EU, but SwitchSquid policy is own-shop verification.
- Lebara — inclusive EU is widely marketed, but I could not verify a live labelled SIM price grid on lebara.co.uk today.
- Comparison exclusives that never resolve to a brand domain.
Fair use, destinations and how long you can stay
Inclusive roaming is for travel, not for emigrating on a UK SIM. SMARTY’s roaming help references consecutive-day limits alongside the 12GB data FUP — read the live countries list before you assume Switzerland, Turkey or a cruise port is in zone. iD’s 50-destination list is wider than many MVNOs; O2 publishes a Europe Zone list on its international pages. Always open the brand’s destination tool the week you fly — lists move.
A practical trip rule:
- City break, mostly Wi-Fi — SMARTY 2GB/5GB at £5–£6.
- Two-week family trip with maps and social — iD 10–30GB at £6–£7, or SMARTY 12GB at £8 if you want the FUP filled by UK allowance.
- Work trip with hotspot risk — prefer iD’s 30GB FUP or O2’s 25GB Europe Zone, and download offline maps anyway.
eSIM, PAC and dual-SIM travel hacks
SMARTY and iD both support eSIM on compatible handsets. A common pattern in 2026: keep your UK number on the old SIM for banking texts, drop an eSIM with inclusive EU roaming for data abroad. Porting still uses a PAC if you are moving the number itself — do not cancel the old line until the new one is live. Dual-SIM phones make the “holiday SIM” pattern easier than it was five years ago.
How to buy without a roaming surprise
- Open the brand’s own SIM URL in a private window.
- Confirm the plan includes Europe/EU roaming — not “roaming available” with a daily fee.
- Note the fair-use GB and destination list.
- Check mast coverage at home (Three for SMARTY/iD; O2 for O2).
- Multiply monthly £ by 12 for cash; diary any stepped rise months on iD promos.
When you want the wider market — 200GB cash races, family multis, or networks that charge daily — use the SIM-only deals hub and filter carefully rather than stretching this inclusive-roaming page.
FAQ
What is the cheapest EU roaming SIM only deal in the UK on 15 September 2026?
Among own-shop / API plans that include EU roaming, SMARTY Classic 500MB and 2GB at £5 (£60/year) lead on 12-month cash. SMARTY 5GB and iD 6GB/10GB at £6 (£72/year) are the next step for more UK data.
Does SMARTY really include EU roaming?
Yes — SMARTY’s roaming page states inclusive EU use of calls, texts and data subject to a 12GB fair-use data limit from your monthly allowance. Confirm destinations on smarty.co.uk/roaming before you travel.
How much EU data do I get on iD Mobile?
iD’s SIM-only shop states a 30GB fair-usage policy for inclusive roaming in 50 destinations. Your UK plan allowance still applies — the FUP is a ceiling while abroad.
Does O2 charge for Europe Zone roaming?
O2’s own Europe Zone pages say Pay Monthly customers can use allowances in the Europe Zone with a 25GB roam cap when UK data is higher. Always re-check the live tariff card.
Why did you drop EE?
EE’s published SIM price guide for post-7 July 2021 handset/SIM tariffs lists a daily EU roaming charge (£2.72 in the April 2026 guide PDF). That is not inclusive roaming for this ranking.
Is giffgaff in the table?
Not today. giffgaff.com returned an Incapsula bot wall on fetch, so I would not print a £ ladder without own-shop verification.
Three vs O2 for holidays — which should I pick?
Pick the mast that works where you live in the UK first. Abroad, read the FUP: SMARTY 12GB, iD 30GB, O2 25GB are different ceilings.
Will my banking texts still arrive abroad?
Usually yes on inclusive plans, but some banks are fussy about foreign SMS. Keep a dual-SIM UK line if you cannot risk a missed OTP.
I am Switch. Re-check retailer pages on the day you buy — ladders move weekly.
