Sun, Sea and Scrolling: Britain’s Biggest Roamers Revealed

• New research reveals the nation’s top travel habits ahead of the summer
• Brighton crowned as the UK’s most travel-obsessed city, followed by Reading and Liverpool in list of the UK’s most well-travelled cities
• Brits are packing their bags and their data plans, with 79% admitting they would struggle to travel abroad without mobile data
• From streaming to swiping, Brits’ digital habits follow them abroad

With summer on the horizon, the UK’s most travel-obsessed city has been revealed - and it’s not London or Manchester!

According to the new Roaming League Table from iD Mobile, the mobile network with more inclusive Roaming destinations than any other UK provider¹, Brighton claims the title, with residents taking more holidays per year, visiting more countries, and planning more trips than anywhere else in the UK.

In fact, Brighton residents travel almost 14% more than the national average, with nearly half (47%) travelling abroad three or more times a year - making the seaside city the champion of wanderlust.

Close behind, Reading and Liverpool rank as the second and third most well-travelled cities in the UK, showing that it’s not just seaside dwellers who crave adventure.

The Top 10 Roamers Revealed

Where does your city rank? iD Mobile’s study uncovered the UK’s top travel-loving locations:

1. Brighton
2. Reading
3. Liverpool
4. Leicester
5. Nottingham
6. Manchester
7. Leeds
8. Coventry
9. Plymouth
10. Derby

On the opposite end of the scale, Northampton ranks as the UK’s least-travelled city, followed by Sheffield and Belfast, with residents taking fewer holidays, visiting fewer countries, and having the lowest number of destinations on their bucket lists:

1. Northampton
2. Sheffield
3. Belfast
4. Glasgow
5. Cardiff

Brits Refuse to Switch Off – Even on Holiday

And it’s not just where people travel that’s changing, but how they travel. The study highlighted an ever-growing reliance on mobile data abroad. Gone are the days when going away meant switching off - with 79% of Brits admitting they’d struggle to travel without the use of their data, relying on it for everything from maps and translations to entertainment and social posting.

The research revealed Brits are relying heavily on data roaming whilst abroad more than ever to navigate new cities (37%), post holiday selfies on social (36%), book restaurants (27%), stream their favourite shows (13%), and even admit to sending photos to their friends at home to spark jealousy (13%) or swiping on dating apps (3%)!

While Brighton holds the trophy for the UK’s most travelled city, it’s Bradford that claims the title of the biggest data roamers, with residents burning through 5.5 GB of data on a typical week-long holiday. Whether they’re poolside posting to Instagram (54%) or streaming their favourite Netflix series on the beach (16%), Bradford tops the charts for international data usage - proving that sun, sea and scrolling go hand in hand.

The (Data) Roaming Revolution

As staying connected becomes a key part of the travel experience, roaming is no longer just a perk, it’s a priority. 34% of Brits now consider inclusive roaming a key factor when choosing a mobile phone contract, a sharp rise from just 21% in 2022², with 64% admitting that it is a more important factor to them now than previously. And over half (52%) also say that access to data enhanced their travel experiences by helping them discover hidden gems and communicate more easily with locals.

Why Do Brits Travel?

The research also revealed fascinating insights into Brits’ love affair with travel:

• The average Brit takes 2 trips a year
• The average Brit has visited seven countries
• Spain (57%), France (44%) and Italy (32%) are the UK’s most popular destinations
• The biggest motivators were experiencing new cultures (63%) and escaping the British weather (57%) and visiting bucket-list destinations (33%)
• Some travellers are even booking trips completely at random, with more than 1 in 3 of Brits (36%) choosing a spontaneous destination just for the adventure!
• Adventurers from Portsmouth were the most daring, with 10% having travelled to long-haul locations like Japan, Australia and Brazil

Celebrating the UK’s Top Roamers

To honour the UK’s most adventurous roamers, iD Mobile has launched a new campaign, taking over the top roaming cities with eye-catching billboards emblazoned with localised messages championing those who refuse to stay put.

“Whether it’s navigating a new city, sharing memories instantly, or relaxing with their favourite shows, travellers are relying on mobile data like never before,” says Lewis Henry, Customer and Marketing Director at iD Mobile.

“Whether it’s navigating a new city, sharing memories instantly, or relaxing with their favourite shows, travellers are relying on mobile data like never before”

Lewis Henry Customer and Marketing Director at iD Mobile

“That’s why iD Mobile offers inclusive Roaming in 50 destinations worldwide at no extra cost, ensuring our customers stay connected - with plenty of data to explore, stream and share their experiences with friends at home - wherever they roam.”

iD Mobile offers inclusive Roaming as standard across all plans. For more information, visit www.idmobile.co.uk. 

_{¹iD Mobile offers inclusive data roaming in more destinations than any other network across all plans, up to 30GB. Visit https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/eu-roaming for more information. 
²Independent survey conducted by Atomik Research with 2,004 UK adults, August 2022.}

Notes to editors

Research commissioned by iD Mobile was conducted with 2,000 representative participants via 3Gem Research & Insights, April 2025

For more information, please contact [email protected]