O2 SIM only deals: what the plans include, and what they cost abroad

What O2 SIM only deals were listed on 10 November 2026?

Three O2 SIM only deals were showing on O2's SIM only page when we read it, all on 24-month contracts. Two were Black Friday offers ending 2 December. O2 prices step up every April, and it prints the future price beside each plan, so the table includes those too.

O2's footnote says the monthly price of an airtime plan goes up by £2.50 each April (75p for data-only and smartwatch plans), and that out-of-bundle charges rise 5 percent every 1 April. Unlimited plans carry a fair usage note. The page's filter also counted 14 plans on 24 months, 12 on 12 months and 4 on 30 days, though only the three above were displayed. We could not read the prices of the 12-month and 30-day O2 SIM only deals.

This is desk research from O2's own pages. We have not bought or tested an O2 plan.

Classic, Plus or Ultimate: what changes for a traveller?

The O2 SIM only contract you pick decides where your allowance works abroad. O2's tariff page sets it out by tier:

Classic

Europe roaming at no extra cost in 48 countries, up to 25GB

Plus

the Europe Zone plus O2 Travel Inclusive Zone. The page's plan card says 75 countries; its footnote says the Europe Zone plus 27 destinations outside Europe. Those two figures don't agree

Ultimate

O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate, which the card puts at 123 destinations worldwide and the footnote at the Europe Zone plus 75 outside Europe

O2's Travel Inclusive Zone page clears part of this up. The standard zone covers 27 destinations outside Europe, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The Ultimate version covers 75, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Thailand. Data in both has no upper limit, but O2 caps speeds at 2Mbps, which is fine for maps and messages and slow for video.

One exclusion matters if you want a short commitment. O2 says the inclusive zone is not available on 30-day SIM only tariffs, even if you later move to a higher tariff.

Outside those zones, a Pay Monthly O2 SIM only plan can use the O2 Travel Bolt On: £7 a day in 75 destinations, charged only on days you use it. More on that in our O2 roaming guide.

Does O2 SIM only work in Europe?

Yes. O2's SIM only page says it doesn't charge extra for EU roaming up to 25GB, and its EU roaming page lists 48 destinations, Switzerland among them. Turkey is not on that list. If your UK allowance is under 25GB, your UK allowance is what you get abroad.

For a UK resident on any O2 SIM only plan, that settles Europe: you would not buy a travel eSIM for a fortnight in Spain. The arithmetic only changes past 25GB, or outside the zone.

Can you get an O2 SIM only plan as an eSIM?

Yes. O2's eSIM help page says eSIM is available for Pay Monthly, SIM Only and Pay As You Go customers on compatible devices. For a new SIM only customer you choose eSIM when ordering and O2 puts a QR code in your My O2 account. Most activations take a few minutes; O2 says some take up to 24 hours.

Is an O2 SIM only contract any use to a visitor?

Mostly not. O2 SIM only deals run 12 or 24 months, or 30 days rolling, and are billed monthly. The SIM only page we read does not say what a non-resident would need to sign up. A visitor is better served by O2's pay as you go range, which O2 sells online and in stores with an eSIM option; our O2 UK SIM card guide covers that route. If you want no UK contract at all, see the UK SIM card comparison.

When does a travel eSIM beat your O2 plan abroad?

Inside the Europe Zone, rarely. Outside it, it depends on your tier and where you go.

Take a week in the United States on a Classic plan, which has no inclusive zone beyond Europe. Seven days of the O2 Travel Bolt On is £49. Our verified prices for a US travel eSIM, read on each seller's own site in August 2026, were $21.50 for Airalo's 10GB over 7 days, $22.99 for Saily's 10GB over 30 days and $25 for Nomad's 10GB over 30 days. Even before converting dollars to pounds, every one is under half the bolt-on.

Japan is outside both inclusive zones. Airalo's 10GB over 7 days was $17 there and Nomad's 10GB over 30 days $16.

Where the bolt-on wins: you need your UK number for calls, or you're on a Plus plan that includes the Travel Inclusive Zone and you're going to the United States, which is in it. O2 says free O2 Travel in the zone comes with selected Plus plans, so check yours. On those trips, leave your O2 plan alone.

If you do add an eSIM, keep the O2 line on for calls but switch its data roaming off. Our data roaming guide shows where the setting is. The cheapest eSIM table ranks plans by cost per gigabyte, and the Three SIM only and Vodafone pay as you go pages compare the other networks.

Which O2 SIM only deal would we pick for travel?

For Europe-only trips, Classic is enough: the 25GB EU allowance is the same. If you go to North America or Australia more than a few days a year, Plus is worth the extra £1.99 a month on the current offer, provided your Plus plan carries the inclusive zone, since a single week on the bolt-on costs £49. Ultimate earns its premium only if Turkey, Thailand or the Gulf are regular destinations, and the 2Mbps cap applies there too.