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How can you avoid mobile roaming charges when you’re travelling abroad this year, whether on holiday or for business?
After all, there are countless horror stories of less-than-savvy travellers facing thousands of pounds in charges on their return to the UK.
But there are a number of ways you can avoid them.
Use the Wifi
Most booking sites will now give you the option to select ‘free Wifi’ as a must-have for your hotel.
However, it might be painfully slow, or it might be restricted to the common areas, with a heavy tariff for the high-speed service in your room.
If in doubt, check. But if it’s an option, it’s going to be the cheapest. Don’t forget though, whatever you do, make sure you’ve turned ‘data roaming’ off in your settings because most apps use data even when they’re in your pocket.
COST: FREE
DETAILS: Contact the hotel
Three Feel At Home
Three’s deals with 42 countries give the widest free-roaming support of any of the main networks.
With the US, Australia and Sri Lanka on the list, on top of the whole of the EU and some other random ones, it’s a no-brainer: just take your phone and use it as normal. You’ll often only get 3G data instead of 4G, but it’s better than nowt or being mercilessly rinsed.
If you’re not a Three customer, check out its range of pre-paid SIMs that might be worth investing in if you’re a frequent traveller, especially as most deals include some level of tethering.
COST: Varies (but free to most existing customers)
DETAILS: Three
Local SIM Card
Buying a local SIM card at the other end is a good chance to test your language skills, but it’s also the guaranteed cheapest way to get mobile while you’re away.
