Three golden rules for cutting your holiday mobile phone costs

We’ve all read horror stories about someone who, after using their mobile phone abroad, came home to an expensive bill for international calls, text messages and mobile internet.

So, if you’re about to jet off on holiday, follow our three golden rules for using your mobile abroad to ensure it won’t cost you the earth when staying in touch with friends and family.

1. Speak to your mobile network

If you’re planning to use your mobile abroad, speaking to your mobile network provider should be your first port of call for saving on costs while you’re away.

Most networks offer special one-off international bundles to pay-as-you-go and contract customers, such as O2’s “International Favourites” package. These give you a specific number of talk minutes and text messages to use while you’re holiday, in return for a set fee.

It’s also worth noting that some mobile networks apply international phone blocks as standard. So by speaking with yours before you jet off, you can avoid the nightmare scenario of arriving at your destination and discovering that your phone won’t work at all.

If you’re still unsure about the costs associated with using you mobile phone from abroad then an answer may be available from your mobile network’s website.

• Vodafone - (www.vodafone.co.uk)
• Orange - (www.orange.co.uk)
• O2 - (www.o2.co.uk)
• T-Mobile - (www.t-mobile.co.uk)
• Three - (www.three.co.uk)

2. Check mobile internet allowances

Using 3G mobile internet from abroad in the same way you do while out-and-about in the UK will definitely contribute towards a hefty mobile internet bill landing on your doormat when you return.

Thankfully, new EU legislation means that your mobile provider is duty bound to cut-off your phone’s internet connection if you spend more than €50 (around £44) within one month while surfing the web from another European country - you will receive a warning message first, though. If you aren’t travelling to an EU country the rule doesn’t apply.

To limit your mobile internet costs while abroad try switching off your phone’s data roaming capability - a service that lets your phone hop across networks until it finds a signal, but which is also a notorious cause of expensive holiday mobile phone bills.

Data roaming can usually be switched off via your phone’s “Settings” menu.

3. Quick mobile fixes for trips abroad

• Switch off completely - Try a week or two without the constant nag of a mobile phone
• Find free wi-fi - Cafes such as Starbucks are a haven for free wi-fi connections
• Text don’t call - Sending text messages is often cheaper than calling
• Buy a local SIM - Using a pay-as-you-go SIM card bought in the country you’re visiting could give you access to cheaper call and text rates
• Landline voicemail - Most networks let you check your voicemail through a special landline phone number. Speak to your mobile network for more information.

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