The TL;DR
Three things reliably go wrong when you first work abroad. This edition covers all three and the kit that fixes each one.
Unexpected roaming charges — what Brexit changed, what your network actually costs, and when an eSIM saves you money
Getting locked out of your bank — how to keep your UK number working so 2FA codes keep arriving
Wi-Fi that can't handle a working day — how to test it properly, and our picks for the best eSIMs, portable dongles, and VPNs
Covered in this article
1. 📍 Start Here: How Long Is Your Trip?
👜 Up to 1 week
Best option: UK roaming may well be fine, but check before you assume
The key question: does your plan include roaming for your destination, or charge a daily add-on?
In Europe, many current contracts include roaming free. Outside Europe, most networks charge £5 to £10/day by zone.
Log into your provider app, search your destination, confirm the rate. Takes two minutes.
Wi-Fi: your phone hotspot is enough as a backup. No dongle needed at this length.
🎒1 week to 3 months
Best option: Travel eSIM alongside your existing UK SIM
Buy online, activate with a QR code, done before you land. No chip swapping
eSIM handles data; UK SIM stays active for calls, texts, and banking codes
Wi-Fi : test your connection on arrival. If it’s unreliable, a portable dongle gives you a dependable backup, see our picks in the internet section below.
🧳 3 to 12 months
Best option: Local SIM for data, UK SIM kept alive on a low-cost plan
Local SIM gives the best per-GB rates and local coverage
Keep your UK SIM on a SIM-only deal (around £5 to £10/month) for banking and HMRC access
At this length, check whether you're crossing into tax residency territory in your destination
Wi-Fi : a portable dongle earns its cost at this length. The TP-Link M7450 with a local data SIM is the most cost–effective setup
📦 12 months or more / permanent move
Best option: Local contract SIM, port your UK number to a VoIP service
Port your +44 number to a VoIP app so it stays reachable without a physical SIM. Search “UK number porting VoIP” and check recent reviews as this market moves quickly
Paying £5 to £10/month indefinitely to keep a SIM alive is a poor long-term fix
Some UK banks have residency clauses. Investigate before you move, not after
Wi-Fi : a local fixed-line broadband contract is usually the right answer. Keep a portable dongle for travel within your country.
💡Check your phone supports eSIM before you do anything else
The quickest check: dial *#06# on your phone. If an EID number appears, your phone supports eSIM. You can also check via Settings > General > About on iPhone. Most iPhones from 2018 and Android flagships from 2020 onwards qualify.
TODAY: Identify your scenario above and dial *#06# to confirm eSIM compatibility.
2.📱 Your SIM: What Brexit Changed and What It Costs Now
Until December 2020, EU roaming was included for UK travellers as standard. Brexit ended that. It’s now entirely down to each provider, and plenty of people only find out which camp they’re in when the bill arrives.
⚠️ The £45 data roaming cap is a safety net, not a plan
It covers mobile data only, not calls or texts. And £45 disappears fast on a per-day plan. Know your rates before you rely on it.
📡 What to expect from your provider
O2: Europe often included. Outside Europe, daily Travel Bolt-Ons by zone. Check your specific plan.
EE: Europe included on most pay monthly. Worldwide charged daily by zone. Check if your contract is over two years ago.
Three: Go Roam covers Europe and some worldwide destinations. Check if Go Road World applies to where you are heading.
Vodafone: Europe free on most plans. Worldwide daily by zone. Rates updating April 2026
Source: Provider websites, March 2026. Rates are plan-dependent. Always confirm yours directly before travelling.
⚠️ PAYG roaming: the expensive trap
Older or basic tariffs can charge a significant amount per MB with no warning beyond the £45 cap.
Fix: disable mobile data on your UK SIM the moment you land until you’ve confirmed your set up.
TODAY: Log into your provider account and check the exact roaming policy for your destination.
3. 🔐 Your UK Number: Keeping 2FA and Banking Access Alive
This is the one that catches more first-time nomads than anything else. Your bank, HMRC, and most work systems send verification codes by SMS to your UK number. Swap out your SIM or leave it at home and those codes stop arriving, usually on the same day you're trying to find your accommodation.
Some services now support authenticator apps instead of SMS, but this varies. Check each critical account before you travel and keep your UK SIM active regardless.
The Immediate Fix
Keep your UK SIM in your phone at all times, paired with a travel eSIM for data
On longer trips with a local SIM, keep your UK SIM in a second slot on a low-cost monthly plan
The Longer-Term Fix: Authenticator Apps
Authenticator apps generate codes on your device with no SMS or signal needed. Migrate your most critical accounts before you travel. Not all UK banks and government services support this yet.
Google Authenticator: free, widely supported, works offline
Authy: free, supports multi-device backup
Microsoft Authenticator: free, integrates with Microsoft 365 accounts
TODAY: Check the 2FA method on your five most critical accounts: bank, HMRC, email, work systems.
THIS WEEK: Download an authenticator app and migrate any account that supports it.
BEFORE YOU FLY: Confirm your UK SIM will stay active and receive SMS messages abroad.
🛰 ESIM Picks
For most trips, an eSIM is the simplest data solution. Buy before you land, activate with a QR code, and your UK SIM stays in your phone for banking codes. Compare current prices at esimcompare.com before purchasing.
Premium eSIM pick
Best for: Nomads who want simplicity and plenty of data, especially in Europe, and would rather pay a little more to avoid worrying about topping up.
What it does: Travel eSIMs with unlimited-data-style plans across a wide range of countries and regions. Duration-based pricing rather than data caps, easy QR setup, and 24/7 support.
Cost: Europe plans from around £8.85 for 3 days, £27.90 for 10 days, £56.65 for 30 days. Better value the longer the plan.
Watch out for: Usually more expensive than capped-data rivals. “Unlimited” does not always mean identical performance in every destination or network partnership.
User views: Real users consistently praise easy installation, stable data, and peace of mind. Negatives are mostly price and occasional region-specific performance concerns.
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 4.6/5 from 82,000+ reviews.
Techradar: Named best for customisable unlimited-style plans in TechRadar eSIM guide 2026
Budget eSIM pick. Independent. Founded 2019, the first dedicated eSIM marketplace.
Best for: Nomads who want cheap, flexible data across a large number of countries and are comfortable with a data-only setup.
What it does: eSIM marketplace covering 200+ countries with local, regional, and global plans. Global eSIMs from £6.50. Loyalty cashback programme of up to 10%.
Cost: Global plans from £6.50. One of the most competitively priced options for multi-country travel.
Watch out for: Data only — not a replacement for a UK SIM if you need SMS verification or calls. Setup is usually straightforward but can be fiddly when something goes wrong.
User views: Good value, generally reliable, but not flawless. People like the price and convenience; complaints cluster around setup friction and occasional network inconsistency.
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 3.9/5 from 21,000+ reviews.
Techradar: Recommended for international travel and broad country coverage
⚠️ Worth knowing across both: e-SIMs are data only, they do not replace your UK SIM for calls, texts or banking codes. Holafly’s unlimited plans are subject to fair use throttling after heavy daily use. Airalo’s lower Trustpilot score reflects recurring complaints about eSIMs failing on arrival and credits offered instead of cash refunds, check recent reviews before purchasing.
Compare current eSIM prices across all providers before you buy for latest prices: esimcompare.com
4. 💻 Your Internet: Testing Connection Quality and Having a Backup
Advertised speeds and actual working conditions are regularly two different things. We've heard from readers who arrived at a gorgeous villa with "superfast Wi-Fi" and spent their first morning in a cafe because the connection couldn't handle a video call.
Run this test in your first 48 hours
Fast.com: quick test, shows download and upload. Expand results to see latency
Speedtest.net: more detailed, useful for comparing servers
Upload matters more than download for video calls and screen sharing. Aim for 5Mbps+ upload; below that, find an alternative before your first meeting
Test at your actual working hours, as connections often degrade during local peak times
Your backup options
Mobile hotspot: most eSIMs support it but confirm before purchasing
Portable Wi-Fi dongle: useful for longer stays or unreliable locations
Coworker.com: find coworking spaces globally. Bookmark a day pass option before arriving in each city
WITHIN 48 HOURS: Run a speed test. If upload is below 5Mbps, find an alternative before your first meeting. Bookmark a coworking space before you arrive as a fallback.
📡 Portable Wi-Fi Dongles
If accommodation Wi-Fi lets you down, a portable dongle gives you your own independent connection. Useful for longer stays, heavy users, and anyone who’s been burned by a listing that turned out to be fiction.
Premium portable Wi-Fi pick
Best for: Nomads who want an all-in-one travel hotspot with built-in global data options, no contract, and less SIM-swapping hassle.
What it does: 4G portable hotspot with a 5-inch touchscreen, support for up to 10 devices, CloudSIM global data across 200+ countries, 12+ hours battery life, and app control.
Cost: Around £155 to £180 for the device. Data via CloudSIM bundles; a convenience-first product rather than the cheapest long-stay option.
Watch out for: CloudSIM convenience is useful, but data can feel expensive compared to a local SIM for longer stays. Some users report variable speeds in certain locations.
User views: People like the easy setup, portability, and multi-device reliability, especially for short trips. Complaints cluster around data costs and occasional regional performance.
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 4.0/5 from 1,953 reviews.
Budget portable Wi-Fi pick
Best for: Nomads who want a cheap, unlocked, reliable hotspot and are happy to use their own local SIM or travel data SIM.
What it does: 4G LTE Cat 6 hotspot with up to 300Mbps download, dual-band Wi-Fi, support for up to 32 devices, 15-hour battery life, and TP-Link app control. Bring your own SIM.
Cost: Around £100 in the UK. Bring your own data SIM for ongoing costs.
Watch out for: 4G only, not 5G. Requires your own SIM and data plan — better for value-conscious nomads than those who want everything in one box.
User views: Generally strong: users praise battery life, portability, and price. Reddit users described reception and battery as “great, especially for the price.” Some note they’d now use a budget 5G phone as a hotspot instead.
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 4.7/5 from 7,200+ reviews.
⚠️ Worth knowing across both: The GlocalMe’s CloudSIM data is convenient but can feel expensive compared to a local SIM for longer stays, it’s a convenience-first product. The TP-Link is 4G only (not 5G) and requires you to source your own data SIM, which makes it better value but needs a little more setup.
5. 🔒 Your Security: Staying Safe on Public Networks
Public Wi-Fi exposes your traffic to anyone on the same network, a risk the NCSC flags specifically for remote workers. The fixes are simple.
Three things to do
Watch for evil twin networks: fake Wi-Fi with names similar to the hotel or cafe. If you see two near-identical names, ask staff which is correct
Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi, switched on before you connect. Check if your employer provides one first. If not, our VPN picks are in the kit reviews section below
Turn off auto-join Wi-Fi. For banking or sensitive work, use your mobile hotspot instead of public Wi-Fi
THIS WEEK: Confirm whether your employer provides a VPN. If not, set one up before you travel.
🔒 VPNS
A VPN encrypts your connection on public networks and lets you access UK services, BBC iPlayer, work systems, as if you were at home. Check whether your employer already provides one before buying independently.
Premium VPN pick
Best for: UK nomads who want the strongest all-round mix of speed, security, UK streaming access, and easy day-to-day use.
What it does: Large global server network with up to 10 simultaneous devices. Strong encryption, Threat Protection on higher tiers, and independently assessed no-logs claims. Very fast speeds via NordLynx protocol.
Cost: Around $2.91 to $3.39/month on longer-term plans.
Watch out for: More expensive than budget alternatives. A number of negative Trustpilot reviews relate to auto-renewal pricing rather than connection quality — worth reading the small print before committing.
User views: Strongly positive on speed, reliability, and server choice. Complaints concentrate around billing and renewal rather than core VPN performance.
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 4.2/5 from 47,000+ reviews.
Techradar: Ranked #1 VPN overall
Budget VPN pick
Best for: Nomads who want a cheaper VPN with unlimited device connections and strong everyday usability.
What it does: 4,500+ servers across 100 countries. Unlimited simultaneous connections, 30-day money-back guarantee, and additional tiers with antivirus and identity tools. No-logs policy independently audited by Deloitte.
Cost: From $1.99/month on a long-term plan.
Watch out for: Like NordVPN, renewal pricing can be higher than the introductory rate. Some users report occasional speed inconsistency on certain servers.
User views: Consistently praised for value, ease of use, and unlimited devices. Common negatives are renewal surprises and occasional speed variation.
Reviews:
Trustpilot: 4.3/5 from 29,000+ reviews..
Techradar: Best budget-friendly VPN.
⚠️ Worth knowing across both: Both NordVPN and Surfshark use introductory pricing that rises sharply at renewal, read the small print before committing. NordVPN’s interface is described as slightly dated by some users. Surfshark’s advanced security features are slightly less comprehensive than Nord’s at top tier.
6. Resources 📎
Post-Brexit roaming rules: gov.uk/roaming-after-brexit
Ofcom roaming guidance: ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/tips-for-consumers/before-you-go-abroad
NCSC working securely abroad: ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/home-working
Compare eSIM prices: esimcompare.com
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Street Food: Asia
If you've ever eaten something from a plastic stool on a pavement and thought "this is the best meal I've ever had," this series will speak to you. Netflix's documentary takes you through the street food cultures of Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.
But it's about far more than food. Each episode tells the story of a vendor, their family history, and how a single dish connects to something much deeper. You learn about a place through what people eat, how they cook it, and why it matters to them. It's the approach Anthony Bourdain championed, and this series carries that spirit beautifully.
A reminder to be bold when you travel. Skip the hotel restaurant. Find the queue of locals. Some of the best meals you'll ever eat will cost you less than a couple of quid.
DISCLAIMER
This newsletter provides general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa requirements and tax rules change frequently. Always verify current requirements with official government sources and consult qualified professionals for advice specific to your situation.