Black Friday 2026 Travel Deals: How to Avoid Roaming Charges on Your Winter Trip

Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to book winter sun, a city break or a long-haul trip for the new year. Flights, hotels and package holidays all go on sale. The headline price is not always what the trip really costs, though. Using your UK phone abroad can add a roaming charge to every day of the holiday, for every phone in the family.

Last checked: 13 November 2026

This guide covers what to check before you book in the sales, what mobile data costs in eight popular winter destinations, and how to set up a travel eSIM before you fly. For this year's eSIM offers in one place, see our Black Friday page.

1. Booking winter sun in the Black Friday sales

A sale price is only a good deal if the whole trip adds up. Before you pay, check:

• The total cost: bags, seats, transfers and resort fees can turn a low fare into an average one.
• Arrival times: a late landing means finding a taxi or transfer in the dark, which is much easier with maps and messages working.
• Entry rules: the USA needs an ESTA (see our US ESTA 2026 guide) and Australia needs an ETA before you travel. Some countries also ask for months of validity left on your passport. Check the GOV.UK travel advice for your destination.
• Your phone costs: look up your network's roaming terms for the country you are booking, not just for Europe.

2. What roaming can add to a winter trip

On UK plans that charge for roaming in Europe, the fee is typically around £2 to £3 a day. Outside Europe, in places such as Egypt, Turkey, Thailand or the USA, roaming usually costs more, and some plans charge by the megabyte. Our guide to UK roaming charges in 2026 explains how it works.

An illustration, not a quote from any network: a couple spend 10 days in Tenerife on plans that charge £2.50 a day each for European roaming.

• Roaming: 2 phones x 10 days x £2.50 = £50
• Travel eSIM: 2 x Spain 10GB for 30 days at £10.89 = £21.78

Your own figure depends on your plan, your network and how many days each phone is charged. Further from home, the gap is usually bigger.

3. Mobile data for eight winter destinations

These are some of the most popular places UK travellers book in the Black Friday sales. Prices are for our single-country plans, checked on 13 November 2026, and can change.

Egypt, Turkey and Morocco

All three are short-haul winter favourites outside the EU, so European roaming deals do not cover them. In Egypt, a travel eSIM also keeps you clear of the phone registration rules for local SIMs: see our guide to Egypt's Telephony app. Combining Morocco with mainland Spain? Our Europe (40+ areas) and Morocco plan covers both, with 10GB for 30 days at £16.99.

Thailand and Australia

Long-haul trips mean long days on the move, with transfers, island ferries and road trips. A 10GB or 20GB plan suits most two-week holidays. In Thailand, some of our plans support TikTok and ChatGPT and say so in the plan name, so pick one of those if you need them.

Dubai

Data works as normal on a travel eSIM, but voice and video calls in some apps are restricted in the UAE. Read what works for WhatsApp and FaceTime in Dubai before you go.

The Canary Islands

The Canaries are part of Spain, so a Spain eSIM works on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Island hopping by ferry is covered by the same plan.

New York for Black Friday shopping

Black Friday in the US falls on Friday 27 November 2026, the day after Thanksgiving. If you are flying out for the shopping, you will lean on your phone for store apps, maps between neighbourhoods and tapping a contactless card or phone at the subway gates. Our USA plans use the Verizon and AT&T networks, with 10GB for 30 days at £9.69.

4. How to use BLACK15

Our Black Friday code BLACK15 gives you 15% off any eSIM.

• Starts: Saturday 14 November 2026 at 00:00 UK time
• Ends: Sunday 29 November 2026 at 23:59 UK time
• How: choose your plan and enter BLACK15 at checkout

Your plan starts when you first connect to a network at your destination, not when you buy or install it. So you can buy during the sale for a trip in January or February and the days will not start counting until you land.

As an example, the USA 10GB for 30 days plan at £9.69 comes to about £8.24 with BLACK15. Read the full BLACK15 promotion terms before you buy.

5. Install your eSIM before you fly

Setting up at home takes a few minutes and saves a stressful search for Wi-Fi at the airport.

• Check your phone on our device compatibility page and make sure it is network-unlocked.
• Buy your plan and look out for the QR code in your email.
• Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you travel. Our guide on when to install a travel eSIM explains the timing.
• Give the eSIM a clear label, such as "Travel", so it is easy to spot in settings.
• When you land, set the eSIM as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for it.
• Turn off data roaming on your UK SIM, but leave the line on so bank texts still arrive. Our dual SIM settings guide walks through each step.
• Do not delete the eSIM after installing it. If you have no data when you land, try our troubleshooting checklist.

Not sure how much data you need? Use the travel data calculator, or browse every country on our destinations page.

FAQs

When is Black Friday 2026?

Black Friday is on Friday 27 November 2026. Our BLACK15 code runs for longer, from Saturday 14 November to Sunday 29 November 2026 at 23:59 UK time.

Can I buy an eSIM in the sale for a trip next year?

Yes. Your plan starts when you first connect to a network at your destination, not when you buy or install it.

Does a Spain eSIM work in the Canary Islands?

Yes. The Canary Islands are part of Spain, so a Spain eSIM works on all the main islands.

Will I still get texts from my bank abroad?

Yes. Keep your UK SIM switched on for calls and texts, and use the travel eSIM for data. Turn off data roaming on your UK SIM to avoid charges.

Does a travel eSIM come with a local phone number?

No. SimplySIM eSIMs are data-only. WhatsApp and other messaging apps keep working on your usual number over data.