Don’t assume your UK allowance or European roaming benefit follows you to Las Vegas. Many plans charge extra in the USA, while some include it. Check your exact tariff, contract date and any roaming passes before buying anything.
A daily fee can add up over a week, especially for several people. But if USA roaming is already included and gives you enough data, an extra eSIM may be unnecessary. Your normal UK monthly bill continues whichever option you choose.
What do Vodafone, O2, Three and EE charge in the USA?
These are roaming options, not a quote for every customer. Pay As You Go, business, legacy and promotional plans may differ. Charges outside a bundle—including premium numbers, MMS and other countries—need checking separately.
VODAFONE
£8 per chargeable day
For Pay Monthly plans started on or after 11 August 2021 without inclusive Zone C roaming. Qualifying earlier plans cost £6 a day. Global Roam includes the USA; Euro Roam alone does not.
Data
Use your allowance, subject to Vodafone’s 25GB roaming fair-use limit.
Calls & texts
The daily fee unlocks eligible plan usage. Check the destination of a call: calling another country is not necessarily included.
The O2 Travel Bolt On covers the USA. Eligible Volt and Plus plans can include the USA through O2 Travel Inclusive Zone—check it is on your account.
Data
Unlimited with O2 Travel, with speed limited to 2Mbps.
Calls & texts
Unlimited eligible minutes and texts in the visited destination and back to the UK. Premium numbers and MMS are excluded.
Using data, making a call or sending a text triggers the daily fee. Receiving calls and texts does not trigger it. Without the bolt-on, standard roaming rates apply.
Go Roam Around the World pricing depends on your plan and join/upgrade date. Many plans from 18 December 2025 cost £8 daily from April 2026; older qualifying plans and specified Lite SIM-only exceptions remain £5. Included passes may reduce the cost to £0.
Data
Up to 12GB from your UK allowance, subject to fair use.
Calls & texts
Eligible UK calls and texts use Go Roam. US numbers are different: Three lists £1.40/minute and 2p/text to Go Roam Around the World numbers.
Published passes: £12.50 for 3 days, £30 for 7 days or £60 for 14 days. Check your allowance and eligibility in My3.
The USA is in EE’s Rest of World Zone 1. Current passes let you use your UK calls, texts and data allowances. Eligible inclusive roaming benefits can remove the additional pass cost.
Data
Your UK allowance, subject to your plan and roaming fair-use conditions.
Calls & texts
Eligible UK allowance usage through the pass. Check the rules for the numbers you intend to call and any out-of-allowance charges.
Choose the correct pass for your plan; don’t rely on an old article quoting a discontinued monthly add-on.
Illustrations for one phone using the stated option throughout seven days, with no inclusive roaming and no extra charges. These are our calculations from the rates above—not personalised bills.
Additional roaming spend for a seven-day trip
Option
Example total
Vodafone £8 daily
£56
Vodafone qualifying £6 daily
£42
O2 Travel £7 daily
£49
Three £5 / £8 daily
£35 / £56
Three eligible 7-day pass
£30
EE seven 24-hour passes / 7-day pass
£42 / £30
Qualifying inclusive USA roaming
£0 extra within its limits
Seven nights can mean eight days of phone use. Check whether your provider uses calendar days or a rolling period. Compare an eSIM’s checkout price and validity against the cheapest eligible option—not just the highest daily rate.
What is a travel eSIM?
An eSIM is a digital SIM profile installed on a compatible phone. You buy a destination package online and connect through its supported networks in the USA, without collecting a plastic SIM at the airport. Your phone must support eSIM and be network-unlocked.
Great for your Vegas essentials
Mobile data keeps maps, rideshare apps, email, tickets and Vegas Bible available away from Wi-Fi. Internet calling and messaging apps can use that data too. Connection quality still depends on coverage, the building you are in and network conditions.
Data isn’t the same as minutes
Many travel eSIMs are data-only. They do not include ordinary phone calls or SMS, and won’t turn calls from your UK SIM into free calls. Choose a plan explicitly including voice and texts if you need them; check which countries you can call.
Confirm the exact model and regional version supports eSIM and that the phone is unlocked. Check whether it can keep your UK line and travel eSIM active together.
Choose coverage, data and days
Select USA coverage for Las Vegas. Compare the full price, validity, supported networks, hotspot rules, top-ups and any speed limits. A US-only package may not cover a connection or side trip in another country.
Read when the package starts
Installation and activation are not always the same event. Some packages start on connection to a supported network; others start when installed. Follow the purchased package’s instructions so it does not expire too early.
Install on reliable Wi-Fi
Use the provider’s app, QR code or manual details as instructed. Label the new line “USA travel” so you can distinguish it from your UK line. Save the instructions somewhere accessible offline.
Choose the right data line
Select the travel eSIM for mobile data. Turn off data roaming on your UK SIM and disable automatic mobile-data switching. Turn roaming on for the travel eSIM only if its instructions require it.
Decide what to do with your UK number
Leaving your UK line active can still incur call, voicemail or SMS charges. Turning that line off avoids using it abroad, but you won’t receive its normal calls or verification texts. Arrange access to essential accounts before departure.
Choose a package that fits your stay and how you use your phone. Check today’s price, data allowance, validity and whether calls and texts are included before paying.
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Before you land at Harry Reid Airport
Download your tickets, hotel details and maps while on Wi-Fi.
Set up messaging apps before travelling; don’t assume you can receive a UK verification text with that SIM turned off.
Keep app updates and large photo backups on Wi-Fi to stretch your data.
Check account spending controls and your network’s welcome text. Avoid assuming a data-roaming toggle also blocks calls.
Need to ring a restaurant’s US number? Check the cost on your active calling line first. App-to-app calls need the other person to use that app; they do not automatically replace a normal call to a business.