A rapidly-increasing number of people are now returning to international travel, and the double bank holiday at the beginning of June is expected to create a spike in the numbers going abroad.
Whether you’re travelling for holidays or on business, it is really important not to overlook the charges that you might incur when using your mobile phone.
Some points to bear in mind:
- Many networks have reintroduced charges for UK phones being used in EU countries. Usually this will be a fixed daily charge, but it is a good idea to make sure you understand when charges will apply, and how much they will be.
- If you’re travelling further afield – outside the EU – you can add a world traveller bolt-on for calls, data and texts, subject to a small daily charge.
- A world travel bundle, though, does not cover every country in the world – each of the networks has a list of which countries are included. If you’re travelling to somewhere not on their list, then to avoid excessive charges you should switch off data roaming and use WiFi wherever possible. It may be beneficial to buy a local SIM card in the country that you’re visiting.
- Remember that any bolt-on (EU or worldwide) will only include data up to your usual UK monthly allowance. If you have, for example, a 5GB monthly data allowance, you will be charged extra if you use more. If you think you might need more whilst you’re away, it is worth increasing the monthly limit before you travel. This can be done on a temporary basis.
- Premium number calls won’t be included in international bolt-ons and will be charged at international rates.
- Texts to short codes are usually also charged at international rates.
- Be particularly careful when travelling between countries, including when cruising in international waters. Even if you are sailing between two EU countries, when you’re at sea you are unlikely to be covered by the bolt-on, and therefore are at risk of running up high charges. Again, the advice is to switch off data roaming and use WiFi.
The key message here is check with your provider before you travel and put the appropriate package in place ahead of your trip. If you wait until you’re abroad, it may too late to avoid running up some unexpected and unwelcome costs!
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