Using iPad abroad

[IanJRob]

I'm trying to get a definitive answer on how I can use my iPad Pro when I go abroad.  I have a Pay monthly contract with 25Gb data per month.  

I have spent 4 hours today between the online chat and on the phone to O2.

I have had 3 different answers:

1. You can never use an iPad with data abroad - this is simply not possible.

2. You need to pay off your device plan first and then you can change to a new tariff and get data abroad.

3. You can use data abroad and it will be fine!

I'm going away in Europe on Saturday and need to use my iPad with data.

Are there any experts or fellow iPad users that can give me some clear advice on this.

O2 customer support has been absolutely useless.

Thanks in advance

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@IanJRob 

iPad sims are data only and do not work outside of the UK. Period.

You will need to get a local sim or use wifi when abroad.

[IanJRob]

I'm starting to realise that this seems to be the correct answer.

I'm just annoyed that O2 wasted so much of my time today telling me otherwise.

Also, I signed a new iPad contract in December and read the section about usage and it doesnt mention this anywhere.  I read back through my contract and it doesnt say this anywhere either.  On the iPad section on the O2 website it says "When travelling within our Europe Zone, if your UK monthly data allowance is over 25GB you’ll have a Roaming Limit of 25GB. After this you’ll be charged £3.50 per GB until you use up your monthly UK data allowance, you return to the UK or you reach your next bill cycle.  Nowhere does it say that this doesnt apply to iPads.

On another note, what happens if I take my sim out of my iPhone and put it in iPad? same problem?

[MI5]

@IanJRob 

You may get away with using your phone sim for a shirt period of time, but if the system catches it, you will be restricted until the sim is back in the phone.

[gmarkj]

Or what you could do is leave your phone sim in the phone and turn on the hot spot feature?