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The roaming caps on your UK plan.
Since Brexit, every major UK network has brought back roaming limits. Every contract now has a Fair Usage Policy, FUP, when you are abroad, including the ones sold as "unlimited" in the UK. Go over your cap and you will either pay a daily charge or get billed per gigabyte at rates that can add up very quickly.
If you are on giffgaff.
At 10p per MB, straying just 1GB over your 5GB cap costs 102.40 GBP. Sort a European SIM or an eSIM before you board the ferry. Doing it after will cost you more than the SIM ever would.
Caps and charges change often. Check your network's roaming page a week or two ahead so you have time to act. Most networks also apply a permanent roaming cut-off somewhere between 60 and 120 days abroad.
European pre-paid SIMs for heavy users.
If you are using more than 25GB a month, a European pre-paid SIM is almost always better value than relying on your UK plan. You drop it into an unlocked phone or a dedicated 4G/5G router and away you go.
- Tiekom, Spain, Vodafone network. Roughly 37 GBP per month for 300GB across Europe. The go-to choice for UK motorhomers who need serious data. Connects to Vodafone roaming networks throughout Europe.
- Orange Holiday Europe. Roughly 51 GBP for 100GB valid for 28 days. Available as a physical SIM or eSIM. Good for shorter trips.
- Vodafone EU Prepago. Local Spanish pre-paid SIMs offer huge data locally, 140GB for 20 EUR, but EU cross-border rules cap roaming data at roughly 14 to 19GB outside Spain.
All three options need either an unlocked phone or a dedicated 4G/5G router. If your phone is locked to your UK network, a European SIM simply will not work in it. A call to your provider usually gets it unlocked for free, so do that before you travel.
Which eSIM for a motorhome trip.
An eSIM lets you add a European data plan without touching a physical SIM card. You set it up through an app in a few minutes. One thing to know before you pick one.
- Airalo, Eurolink plan. 39 European countries, 100 GB for roughly 145 GBP, valid for 180 days. Tethering works. A solid choice for longer trips where you want one data pool shared across several devices.
- Ubigi. 35 or more countries, 50 GB for roughly 38 GBP, valid for 30 days. Tethering works.
- Holafly. Sold as unlimited across Europe for roughly 54 GBP for 30 days. The catch is that Holafly blocks tethering and hotspotting entirely. You cannot use it to run a motorhome Wi-Fi router or share data with a tablet, laptop or any other device.
The Holafly trap.
If anything other than your phone needs a connection, whether that is your partner's tablet, a laptop, or the kids' devices, Holafly will not help you. Hotspotting is blocked, full stop. Go with Airalo or Ubigi instead, or fit a physical European SIM directly into your router.
Starlink Mini, campsite Wi-Fi, and offline.
Starlink Mini has changed the calculation for longer trips. Older Starlink dishes needed a 240V inverter and pulled heavily on your batteries. The Mini has the router built into the dish and runs directly off your 12V leisure batteries at 25 to 40 watts. No inverter needed.
- Hardware. 399 GBP, one-off cost.
- Subscription. 40 GBP per month for 50 GB, or 85 GBP per month for unlimited data. You can pause the subscription in any month you are not on the road.
- Power. 25 to 40 watts average draw on native 12V DC. Works with a standard leisure battery setup and needs no 240V inverter.
- Coverage. Works across Europe. You need a clear view of the sky. It performs well on open campsites and noticeably less well under heavy tree cover or in tight, enclosed spaces.
At 40 GBP a month for 50 GB, with the option to pause whenever you like, the Starlink Mini earns its keep on trips longer than a month. For a fortnight in France, a 37 GBP Tiekom SIM is cheaper and simpler.
Can you rely on campsite Wi-Fi?
Campsite Wi-Fi looks promising right up until everyone on site finishes their evening meal and connects at once. In practice, it lets you down more often than not.
- Speeds typically 2 to 5 Mbps, heavily contended when everyone connects after dinner.
- Captive portal login screens, the "accept terms" page, often block motorhome routers from repeating the signal.
- Open networks are insecure. Without a VPN, other users on the same network can intercept your traffic.
Use campsite Wi-Fi for the occasional email. Do not build your connectivity plan around it.
Offline alternatives
Whatever connectivity you have sorted, download as much as you can before you leave the UK. Google Maps lets you download regions for offline navigation, up to 2 GB each, which expire after a year if not updated over Wi-Fi. Netflix downloads expire between 48 hours and 30 days after you save them depending on the title, so download a fresh batch before each leg. BBC iPlayer downloads last 30 days, but you must save them while still in the UK, as the BBC blocks new downloads from abroad.
The questions people ask most.
Will my UK unlimited data plan work in Europe?
Not quite as the name suggests. Every UK network applies a Fair Usage Policy when you roam, even on unlimited tariffs. The cap typically sits somewhere between 5 GB and 50 GB, depending on your provider. Check your network's roaming page for the exact allowance on your plan.
Can I use a Holafly eSIM in my motorhome Wi-Fi router?
No. Holafly blocks tethering and hotspotting. If you want to share data across more than one device, Ubigi or Airalo are better options. Alternatively, fit a physical European SIM into a dedicated router.
Is campsite Wi-Fi good enough for streaming?
Rarely. Speeds typically run at 2 to 5 Mbps and drop further in the evenings when everyone connects. Captive portal login screens often prevent motorhome routers from sharing the signal around the van. The networks are also open and insecure unless you use a VPN.
Is Starlink worth it for a motorhome?
For trips of more than 30 days, it can be. The Starlink Mini costs 399 GBP for the hardware, then 40 GBP per month for 50 GB or 85 GBP per month for unlimited data. It draws 25 to 40 watts and runs off 12V leisure batteries with no inverter required. You can pause the subscription in any month you are not travelling.
What is the cheapest way to get lots of data in Europe?
A European pre-paid SIM usually gives the best value. Tiekom in Spain offers 300 GB across Europe for roughly 37 GBP per month on the Vodafone network. Orange Holiday Europe offers 100 GB for roughly 51 GBP, valid for 28 days. Both need an unlocked phone or a dedicated router.