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Travel data · Ireland

Irish Mobile Roaming vs eSIM Calculator

A daily roaming pass can be good value for a short trip and unexpectedly expensive for a fortnight. Choose the Irish plan you use, where you are going and how much data you expect to need, then compare the current published roaming route with the eSIM package you are actually considering. Each network's day passes, per-megabyte rates and fair-use allowances are held in a source-attributed table and rechecked monthly, and the result also gives the eSIM price at which the two routes cost the same, so any quote you are shown can be judged against it without running the tool again.

Interactive tool

Enter your details

A like-for-like trip cost, the cheaper usable route, the saving, the eSIM price at which the two routes break even, and the practical checks to complete before departure.

Step 1 of 3Your Irish SIM
  1. Your Irish SIM, step 1
  2. Your trip, step 2
  3. Your eSIM quote, step 3

Your Irish SIM

Pick the closest exact profile. A total quote from your provider can override the built-in rate below.

Optional for a listed plan. Enter the total shown by your provider or app and it replaces the built-in tariff. Required for an unlisted plan or route.

Nothing is saved. Your inputs are used only to calculate this result.

Personalised answer

Your result stays in view

Complete 3 short steps and this panel fills with your answer.

  • A direct answer to the question, in one line
  • The figures behind it, broken down
  • Practical next steps and the assumptions used

Evidence

The figures this tool uses

Roam Like Home
EU/EEA use at domestic rates, subject to fair use
Inside the EU and EEA the roaming question is usually about fair-use limits rather than price. Outside it, published per-day or per-MB rates apply.
EU roaming and fair-use rules · checked 14 August 2026
35 GB
Three bill-pay EU/EEA fair-use data allowance
Published allowances are held in a source-attributed table per network, separate from the formulas, so a rate change is a data edit.
Three Ireland June 2026 bill-pay price guide · checked 14 August 2026
Break-even price
The eSIM price at which the two routes cost the same
Derived from the Irish network cost for the same trip, so an eSIM quote can be judged without re-running the tool.
Verdanyx modelling assumption · checked 14 August 2026

Before you begin

What you need to compare roaming and eSIM

  • Choose the exact current plan where it is listed. Published allowances for the named Three, 48 and GoMo plans are applied automatically; use the another-plan route if the label does not match your contract.

  • A provider quote is the strongest input. It replaces the built-in rate and lets the tool handle an unlisted plan or destination without guessing.

  • Use the final price, data allowance and activation validity of one eSIM package that is available for your destination.

  • Estimate data for the whole trip, not per day. Video and hotspot use can move the answer quickly.

Reading the answer

Understanding which option is cheaper for your trip

The cheaper route is recommended only when it supplies enough data for enough days and the phone can actually use it.

The break-even eSIM price is the most you could pay before the modelled Irish-network route becomes cheaper.

A small saving may not justify changing SIM settings if your Irish plan also includes calls and texts that the eSIM does not.

Boundaries

Assumptions and limitations

Working assumptions

  • You use mobile data on every trip day entered; provider day passes often reset at midnight Irish time.
  • Whole-trip data is spread evenly enough not to breach a daily allowance early. A provider quote overrides this assumption.
  • The eSIM price is entered in euro and already includes any card or currency-conversion cost.
  • EU/EEA and UK calculations use a maintained published allowance for an exact supported plan; otherwise they use the remaining allowance entered by the visitor.

Where to be careful

  • Calls, SMS, voicemail and premium-number charges are not added; the comparison is for mobile data.
  • Roaming promotions, account-specific discounts, spend caps and network availability can change the amount actually charged.
  • The UK is not covered by the EU roaming regulation; continued inclusion is a provider choice and should be confirmed.
  • Maritime, in-flight, satellite and border-network roaming are excluded.
  • An eSIM can have speed, tethering, network and activation restrictions that price alone does not show.

Worked example

The same question, answered end to end

A week in the United States on a Three bill-pay SIM-only plan, needing 5 GB, against a €12 eSIM offering 5 GB over 30 days.

What was entered

  • Three bill-pay SIM-only, travelling to the United States for 7 days.
  • 5 GB of data needed, with no included roaming data for that destination.
  • An eSIM quoted at €12 for 5 GB, valid 30 days.
  • The phone is unlocked and eSIM-compatible; no ordinary calls or SMS needed.

How it is worked out

  1. The United States is outside the EU and EEA, so Roam Like Home does not apply and the network's published roaming pricing does.

  2. Every published combination that would cover both the 7 days and the 5 GB is priced, and the cheapest is taken — here seven daily passes.

  3. The eSIM is checked against the trip rather than assumed to fit: 5 GB covers the data, and 30 days covers the 7-day trip.

  4. The eSIM's €12 is subtracted from the network cost to give the saving.

  5. The break-even price is the network cost itself — below it, a suitable eSIM is cheaper; above it, it is not.

What the tool returns

Recommended data route
Travel eSIM
Irish-network data cost
€27.93
Quoted eSIM package
€12.00
Difference
€15.93
Trip data modelled
5.0 GB

Common questions

Questions about this tool

Is mobile roaming free in the EU?

Your normal allowance generally works in the EU/EEA at no extra charge, subject to fair-use limits. If you exceed the roaming allowance, a regulated surcharge may apply; the calculator uses the allowance you enter rather than assuming every plan is the same.

Is the UK still included in Irish mobile roaming plans?

Many Irish providers continue to include the UK commercially, but EU law no longer requires it. Check the current allowance shown by your provider before travelling.

Will a travel eSIM keep my Irish phone number?

On a compatible dual-SIM phone, you can normally keep the Irish line active for calls and SMS while selecting the travel eSIM for data. Incoming calls on the Irish line can still incur roaming charges outside included zones.

Are travel eSIMs data-only?

Most destination eSIMs are data-only, although some global packages include calls and texts. WhatsApp, Signal, FaceTime and other internet calling work over a data-only package.

Why do I enter the eSIM price myself?

eSIM prices and packages change frequently and can be shown in another currency. Using the live final price and allowance you can buy now is more accurate than a stale price table and keeps the recommendation independent of any affiliate relationship.

Does an affiliate relationship change the result?

No. The calculator compares the published Irish tariff or your own provider quote with the eSIM quote you enter. A future commercial link can appear only after the result and cannot alter the calculation or recommendation.

Maintenance

What has changed in this tool

  1. 14 August 2026

    Version 2026-08-14.2

    Maintained roaming allowances are now derived from the source-attributed provider table rather than restated in the result wording, and result labels name the exact plan chosen.