EU roaming is one of the genuinely good things about travelling in Europe. Your home allowance works across the union at no extra cost, and for most trips that is the end of the conversation.
Then you drive from Italy into Switzerland, or take a day trip from Nice to Monaco, and a bill appears. Here is exactly where the rules stop and what to do about it.
The countries inside Europe but outside EU roaming
| Country | In EU roaming? | What happens to your phone |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | No | Full international roaming rates apply |
| Monaco | No | Separate network, charged as non EU in many plans |
| Andorra | No | Own operator, not covered by EU rules |
| United Kingdom | No, since Brexit | Depends entirely on your network |
| Turkey | No | International rates |
| Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein | Yes | Covered, they are in the EEA |
| Moldova, Ukraine | Yes | Now covered by roam like at home |
Norway and Iceland catch people out in the other direction. They are not in the EU but they are in the European Economic Area, and EU roaming rules apply there. So Norway is fine and Switzerland is not, which is the opposite of what most people assume.
Switzerland is the expensive one
Switzerland sits in the middle of the continent, shares borders with four EU countries, and is not covered by any of this.
Drive from Milan to Zurich, from Lyon to Geneva, or take the train through the Alps, and your phone switches to a Swiss network and starts charging international rates. Standard roaming charges outside the EU commonly run several pounds or dollars per megabyte on older tariffs, or a daily fee on newer ones.
The border flipThe Geneva problem is real. Geneva airport straddles the French and Swiss border, and parts of the city sit close enough to France that phones flip between networks on their own. People staying in France near Geneva have been billed Swiss roaming without ever crossing.
Monaco, and why Nice day trips surprise people
Monaco is about twenty minutes from Nice, feels entirely like France, and runs its own mobile network, Monaco Telecom.
Whether you get charged depends on your operator. Some treat Monaco as France, many do not. Few people check before a day trip, so it is an easy way to pick up a small roaming bill on the Riviera.
Andorra, between France and Spain
Same story. Andorra is a separate country with its own operator, Andorra Telecom, and it is not in the EU roaming area. Skiers and shoppers driving up from Toulouse or Barcelona cross without thinking about it.
The UK, after Brexit
The UK left the EU roaming area, and what happens next depends entirely on which network you are with.
- Some UK networks kept free EU roaming voluntarily and their customers travel to Europe as before.
- Others reintroduced daily charges, commonly a few pounds a day.
- EU customers travelling to the UK face the same split, depending on their own operator.
There is no rule to rely on any more, only your specific contract. Check it rather than assume.
How to cross these borders without a bill
Three options, in order of how much thought they require.
- Turn data roaming off before you cross. Free, effective, and leaves you without data exactly when you are finding your way across an unfamiliar border.
- Buy a country eSIM for the one country. Sensible if you are spending real time there rather than passing through.
- Use a regional eSIM that already includes it. Our Europe plan covers 34 countries on one profile, so the border becomes a non event.
Read the country listCheck what your regional plan actually covers before you rely on it. Plenty of Europe plans sold by other companies cover the EU and stop there, which means Switzerland is exactly where they fail. The country list matters more than the name on the plan.
The trips where this matters most
- Italy to Switzerland: Milan, Como and the Alpine passes.
- France to Switzerland: Lyon or Annecy into Geneva, plus the Geneva border flip.
- France to Monaco: the standard Nice day trip.
- Spain or France to Andorra: ski season and shopping runs.
- Greece to Turkey: day trips from Rhodes, Kos and Symi.
- Anywhere to the UK: depends on your contract now.
Schengen, EU roaming and your eSIM are three different lists
People mix these up all the time. The Schengen Area is about border checks, and it has 29 member countries since Bulgaria and Romania joined fully in January 2025. EU roaming, the rule that lets an EU or EEA SIM work at home prices, covers the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and now Moldova and Ukraine too. Neither list decides where a travel eSIM works.
A travel eSIM follows the network deals behind the plan, so always read the plan's own country list. Our Europe plan, for example, includes Switzerland and the UK, which are both outside EU roaming, but it does not include Monaco or Andorra. Ireland is in the EU but outside Schengen, and Switzerland is in Schengen but outside the EU, so neither label tells you whether an eSIM works there.
What to do before you travel
Look at your itinerary and ask one question about each country: is it in the EU or the EEA? If yes, your EU plan covers it. If no, decide in advance whether you are turning roaming off or buying something.
The bills people complain about almost never come from a decision. They come from not realising a border was a border.
Roaming questions for Switzerland, Monaco and the UK
Is Switzerland included in EU roaming?
No. Switzerland is not in the EU or the EEA, so EU roaming rules do not apply and your phone will be charged international rates there. This catches people driving from Italy or France, and around Geneva phones can flip to a Swiss network without you crossing the border at all.
Does EU roaming cover Norway and Iceland?
Yes. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are in the European Economic Area, and EU roaming rules apply there even though they are not EU members. This is the opposite of Switzerland, which is neither, and is why people get the two mixed up.
Will I be charged roaming in Monaco?
It depends on your operator. Monaco runs its own network, Monaco Telecom, and is not in the EU roaming area. Some operators treat it as France and many do not, which makes the standard Nice day trip a common source of small unexpected charges.
Does EU roaming still work in the UK after Brexit?
There is no longer a rule, only your contract. Some UK networks kept free EU roaming voluntarily, others reintroduced daily charges of a few pounds. EU customers travelling to the UK face the same split depending on their own operator. Check your plan rather than assume.
How do I avoid roaming charges in Switzerland?
Either turn data roaming off before you cross, buy a Switzerland eSIM if you are staying, or use a regional plan that genuinely includes Switzerland. Check the country list rather than the plan name, because many Europe plans cover the EU only and fail at exactly that border.
