Good Day!
We are US based, traveling to London for a week, and have T-Mobile which gives us free text and (limited) data while in UK. I'm wondering how functional the data will be, AND if we'll get ourselves in a situation where we need to just make a quick call to solve a problem? I've heard "Airalo" mentioned as an affordable eSim (no phone use, but better data?).
I'm also wondering about data / wifi based VoIP plans? Like Talk360 maybe?
Love to hear some thoughts and perspective!
Posted by
Freedonia
17029 posts
Calls will be fine. Data with T-mobile is slow but works.
I tried Airalo and couldnt' get it to work at all in Scotland. I called their tech department via wifi calling in my hotel and they couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. I got a refund.
I also have an esim from Roamless and it's no better.
If you want to use an esim in the UK, it may be best to get one from a UK company.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
111 posts
We used Airalo November 2024 in Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar (regional plan) with no problems. Worked like a charm.
March 2025 in New Zealand, Airalo worked fine for about two days then stopped working on both our phones, had to switch to a New Zealand-branded phone company (Spark).
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
9034 posts
Here is a thread I posted about cell service on a recent trip to London. If you run into that same problem, there are some potential solutions you could try and a few other ideas that might be helpful. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/mini-trip-report-about-terrible-cell-service-in-london
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
838 posts
You can buy additional service from T-Mobile. I will definitely do this next time, as I often relied on my AT&T friend's data on our recent trip. Here is the info:
https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/international-roaming-plans/unlimited-calling-data-pass?icid=MGPO_TMO_U_TMOTRVLBNF_5ZF01OH0YUMZY4LHD29981
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6017 posts
I’ve got an older T-Mobile plan that only includes slow data. The last 3 years I have bought the add-on international pass to get high speed data (mentioned above). In general, T-Mobile has worked fine, although on one occasion I had some issues in London with data dropping out.
When you arrive and turn on your phone, you will get a welcome message. The welcome message will include a link to upgrade if you decide you need to do that.
Posted by
San Franciso Bay Area, USA
1055 posts
Good Day Ken,
I don't have T-Mobile, so I cannot vouch for quality of the service. However, on Airalo, I have some feedback.
I purchased the Airalo Data/Text/Calls eSim for my unlocked iPhone for my 10 day trip to London/Bath in December 2024. I mainly used it for data, but occasionally needed to make some calls and it came in handy. Data and call quality was good. It cost me $8.50 for the 15 day plan which provides 2 GB data, 20 minutes of calls and 20SMS texts. There is a less expensive option for 7 days for 1GB, but my husband is addicted to his streaming and I always need more data.
If you only use data (which I normally do and use What'sApp for connecting), then you can get a data only package starting at $5.00 for 1GB.
Note, you install Airalo before you arrive in the UK and select it as your primary and when you land and switch off airplane mode, it will automatically connect to the local carrier.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7608 posts
I’ve had no problem with T-mobile overseas. I mostly use data when driving from place to place using Google maps. Websites will load slowly, so I usually visit them when connected to WiFi. I seldom need to make a call overseas (haven’t made one in about 7 years). If I need to make a quick call, the .25 a minute wouldn’t be a budget buster. Again, if the call can wait, I’ll make it when connected to WiFi. I use texts when communicating with those back in the states.