How to avoid roaming charges on holiday

If you’ve spent months saving up for your summer holiday, the last thing you want when you get home is a nasty surprise in your phone bill.

But that’s exactly what’s happened to some unfortunate British holidaymakers who recently visited the Greek island of Corfu.

Their phones picked up mobile networks from the neighbouring country Albania.

And because Albania’s not in the European Union (EU), it doesn’t benefit from the same roaming caps that you can get in member states like Greece.

As a result, they were hit with bills of up to £300.

So how can you avoid the chances of something similar happening to you this summer?

What are roaming charges?

Firstly, let’s look at exactly what this term means.

Roaming charges are the extra costs you might face when using your phone abroad for calls, texts or mobile data. 

Since we left the EU, UK mobile networks no longer have to offer free EU roaming, and some have brought back fees, especially outside of Europe.

And even if you're staying in the EU, terms vary depending on your provider, so it’s essential to check before you travel.

5 ways to avoid roaming charges on holiday

If you’re heading overseas this summer, there are five simple ways to avoid being hit with a massive phone bill.

1. Turn off data roaming

Go to your phone settings and turn off data roaming before you land.

This stops your phone from connecting to foreign networks without you knowing, and means you control when and how you connect to the internet.

Otherwise, your device might automatically latch onto a local signal and start downloading emails, app updates or syncing your cloud storage - and that could cost you money.

2. Use Wi-Fi whenever possible

Many hotels, cafes, restaurants and tourist attractions will offer free Wi-Fi, so you can call home, send WhatsApp messages, browse the internet and keep up with your socials at no extra cost.

Just be careful when using public Wi-Fi - if the network isn’t secure, you should avoid entering sensitive information like passwords or banking details.

3. Download as much as you can in advance

If you’re going to need maps of your destination, tickets to attractions you’ve booked and timetables for public transport, then download them all before you leave home.

And if you’re going to want some entertainment while travelling, download films, TV shows, eBooks, podcasts and playlists at home as well.

4. Check your mobile plan

Each mobile provider will have their own arrangements for using data abroad.

Some will offer roaming bundles that let you use your phone in certain countries for free or a fixed daily rate.

And others will have “roam like at home” deals that cover EU nations.

But some will charge you for using data overseas.

So it’s important to find out exactly what’s included in your plan before you go away.

This information should be available on your provider’s website, but if you’re not sure, just give them a ring ahead of your holiday to confirm.

5. Set a data cap

Many networks let you cap your roaming fees so you won’t accidentally be charged too much.

Get in touch with your provider and ask them to turn this on, so you know you have a safety net in place before you jet off.

If you start getting close to your data limit, your provider will send you an alert, so you’ll know in advance if you need to use less data or switch it off entirely.