Don’t Pay For Mobile Roaming
Fed up with being ripped off by roaming fees? Jonathan Parkyn explains how to use your mobile phone abroad without letting your bill roam wild
Using your mobile phone abroad just got even more confusing this summer, after EU members rejected the UK’s bid to drop roaming charges for British holidaymakers during recent Brexit ‘reset’ talks.
Roaming fees are imposed by your mobile-network provider to cover the cost of using international mobile networks while you’re abroad. They were abolished for UK visitors to European countries in 2017 but were subsequently reintroduced in 2021 when Britain left the EU.
The current status is muddled, with some UK mobile providers charging fees and others offering free or capped services for travellers within the EU. And if you’re travelling beyond Europe, roaming costs can vary wildly. It’s easy to get caught out and incur roaming fees without realising, only to discover you’ve been hit with a hefty bill upon your return. But there are ways to save money or even avoid these costs altogether.
Check existing charges and look for cheaper deals
Before you do anything else, find out your current mobile provider’s roaming policy. It should offer a clear explanation of how its fees work. A good example is Vodafone’s Roaming Charge Checker (www.snipca.com/55005), which lets you input your destination, device and plan to see how much you’ll be charged for using your mobile on your trip.