Best ways to get internet abroad

Need to get online while travelling from the UK? Perhaps you just need to check your emails during a week-long holiday, or maybe you’re a digital nomad working while moving between countries.

Whatever your plans, you’ll need to find the cheapest and best way to get internet abroad - wherever you are in the world.

Read on for a handy guide to all of your options, including using public Wi-Fi, roaming with your UK network, getting an international SIM card and buying a Wi-Fi dongle. We’ll give you the lowdown on each, so you can choose the right solution for your trip.

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The best ways to get internet abroad - your options

There are a few different ways you can get online while overseas. Your main options are:

• Use public Wi-Fi
• Roam overseas with your UK provider
• Get a local or international SIM card
• Buy a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, dongle or satellite router kit.

We’ll explore all of these in more detail below.

Use public Wi-Fi

Your first option is to make use of public Wi-Fi, wherever it is available. Your hotel may offer Wi-Fi, or you can find a public library, internet cafe or even an ordinary cafe which offers free Wi-Fi.

However, it can sometimes be hard to find public Wi-Fi when you need it. It may not be free either. Some budget hotels charge extra for internet access, or if you’re in a cafe or restaurant you’ll need to be a paying customer to use the Wi-FI.

There’s also the issue of security. Your phone, data and details can be exposed to hackers or anyone with malicious intent when you connect your device to public Wi-Fi. You risk the theft of your bank details, passwords or even your identity.

One way to protect yourself while using public Wi-Fi in any country is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). You’ll usually need to pay for a subscription (although some VPNs offer a free trial).

But even when using a VPN, you still need to be careful when doing anything sensitive on your device when connected to a public network.

Roam with your UK provider

If you don’t want to have to rely on the limited availability of public Wi-Fi, you can check what your UK network offers in the way of international roaming.

This is where your provider lets you use your mobile data in certain countries, just like you would at home. Sometimes it’s free, while for other destinations you’ll need to purchase a roaming plan.

To give you an idea of what’s available, here are some roaming options with popular UK mobile networks:

It’s also worth bearing in mind that all providers are likely to have fair usage limits, which cap the amount of data you can use before you’re charged extra fees.

If your current network provider doesn’t provide international roaming or it's too expensive, there are alternatives you can look into.

Rather than sign up for a monthly contract with another provider, you could get a short-term SIM-only plan that covers the duration of your trip. For example, providers like Lyca Mobile, Smarty and iD Mobile which have rolling one-month pay as you go and SIM only deals available.

Get a local or international SIM card

Another option is to buy a special international SIM card, just for your trip. There are a few providers out there that sell international SIM cards, such as Airalo, Holafly and EasySIM.

These may be targeted at specific countries or regions (i.e. Europe), or they may work globally.

Best of all, these are often eSIM cards. These are virtual SIM cards that can be installed on your phone, so you don’t need to wait for a physical SIM card to arrive in the post. You simply buy one online - choosing your data amount, time period (i.e. 7 or 14 days) and your destination. And then you can scan a QR code to install it on your phone.

As you’d expect, the price varies depending on the duration of the trip, the amount of data and how many countries or regions the SIM card covers.

So it’ll usually be cheaper to get a 7-day eSIM for the US with 5GB of data compared to a 30-day eSIM which works globally and offers unlimited data.

Another important thing to bear in mind is that not all phones are compatible with eSIM cards. So you’ll need to check whether yours is before buying a digital SIM.

There’s also the option of buying a local SIM card for your phone in the destination itself. This means finding a phone shop or a branch of a local network (such as an AT&T store if you’re travelling to the US) and buying a SIM.

It can sometimes be tricky to do this though, without living in the country and/or signing up to a monthly plan.

Buy a portable wi-fi hotspot, dongle or satellite router kit

The final option to get internet abroad is to buy yourself a new piece of kit. There are a few different devices available such as:

• A portable Wi-Fi hotspot - this is a device which uses a data signal to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal. You’ll need to check before buying one that it’ll work outside the UK.
• A Wi-Fi dongle - this is a small device that plugs into the USB port of your laptop, although some connect wirelessly through Bluetooth. It connects to the internet via a data signal. Internet dongles are a popular choice among people who travel a lot, or who need to work remotely.
• A satellite router kit - these make use of satellite internet, the most well-known provider of which in the UK is the US company Starlink. Kits are often made up of a mini satellite antenna and Wi-Fi router, all in one compact device that should fit in your hand luggage. These kits connect you to satellite internet, which use radio waves to send data between a satellite in space and a receiver on earth.

In all of the above, there will be some costs involved - whether it's a monthly fee or a one-off purchase cost. If you only need internet access on one overseas trip, it may not be worth the expense. But if you’re a regular traveller, it could be a sound investment.

Tips for using the internet abroad

Whatever route you take to get yourself online during your overseas trip, there are some key things to remember.

Here are a few of the most important takeaways from what we’ve looked at in this guide:

• Consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to protect yourself while online
• Be wary of sending or receiving sensitive information while using public networks
• It’s always worth checking whether your UK network provider offers overseas roaming - it may be free, or available for just a few pounds.
• If you’re travelling soon, an eSIM offers a quick and easy way to get online overseas using your phone. Just make sure to check that your phone is compatible with eSIMs.
• If you’re a regular traveller, it could be worth investing in some kit - like a dongle, portable router or satellite internet kit.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 13-Mar-2025