Best mobile network for three months' travel in Europe?

savingforaholiday

I'm currently with Giffgaff (£10/month for 20GB data, no fixed term contract).  The international roaming is reasonable, but I know that it will stop giving me data internationally if I am outside the UK for too long (from the website it looks like two months, but it's a little vague).

I'm about to go interrailing across Europe for three months (very exciting!), starting in Spain, then France, Germany, Denmark, maybe the Netherlands and onto the Faroe Islands for a couple of days, then Iceland (that last bit is by boat!).

Does anyone know if it's worth me changing to a more generous UK mobile network before I leave so that I can make it the whole three months just paying regular monthly charges?  Or maybe it's better to pick up a SIM card in one of the countries along the way if there's one that is cheap and will let me roam in the EU/EEA?

I don't like to tie myself in to a fixed term contract, but I could be convinced by a bargain.

tightauldgit

I found GiffGaff fairly terrible for roaming now as I think you get 5(?)Gb of data included in your goodybag and when it's gone there's no way to top up or add more so you're stuck on the crazy roaming charges.

I now use a 3 PAYG SIM when I'm travelling to a country covered by their roaming package as you basically get whatever your monthly package is to use with no extra costs - it covers more than just the EU too but you need to check if the countries you are going to are on the list. EU countries certainly will be - are Iceland included in the EU roaming deal? I haven't checked. 

Any SIM card you pick up in the EU will allow you to travel anywhere in the EU and use it as normal but personally I'd probably want to set myself up with a UK Sim that did the job before I left. That way I can be sure it works and I don't have any issues with renewing each month or getting a foreign card rejected or anything like that. 

eDicky

You can see what the best deal currently available to suit your needs is in Spain when you arrive, which will function throughout Europe without additional cost.

Don't worry about the stated limits on inclusive roaming duration by UK networks, in my experience they are not enforced and three months' continuous EU roaming shouldn't be a problem.

Doshwaster

Also remember (assuming you are on a UK passport) that you are limited to 90 days in Schengen in a rolling 180 day period. if you did 3 months in one block you wouldn't be able to go back until those days had expired.

CKhalvashi

Kyivstar (or any other Ukrainian network). I get unlimited EU/UK roaming for less than £5/month. Having a dual sim phone helps.

If you can't get your hands on such a SIM card (this is one I've had since 2021), it may be worth seeing what EU cards are available when you get there. On multiple occasions (including when the above didn't want to work in Armenia for some unknown reason last year) I've just turned up in a local store and walked out with one for not a lot of money.

savingforaholiday

Thanks everyone! 

I decided to go for O2 as they seem to have a reasonable monthly tariff (£10 for 10GB, good roaming countries list).  I'll risk it running out after 63 days as the contract says, but just pick up a new sim if so, and if not, they'll have gained themselves a customer.

tightauldgit - good spot on the 5GB cap for GiffGaff.  I hadn't realised that, so even more reason to shop around. I checked Three, but unfortunately for new customers they have a £2/day roaming charge.  Iceland is EEA - I'm not sure if it's covered by the EU roaming legislation, but it seems to be included in lists of countries when I check.

eDicky - thanks for the tip that roaming day limits are not always / often enforced.  That's reassuring 

Doshwaster - I hadn't realised that!  Fortunately I got myself an Irish passport in 2016, but a good thing to know.

CKhalvashi - your comment and others reassured me that I can pick something up when I'm out there if I need to.