A convenient feature of the modern mobile phone is the ability to remain in contact whilst abroad. Mobile operators refer to this service as international roaming. However, this convenience comes at a cost and if you don’t pay attention to how much you use your mobile you could be paying your phone bill off long after your tan has faded.

This article has been written to help you avoid extortionate mobile roaming charges however the potential to reduce costs greatly depends on your usage pattern.

Important differences to note;

• You will have a choice of different networks to use. However, the call charges will vary dependent on the network you select.
• You will pay for receiving calls
• Your call charges will be different to those when using your mobile at home. Expect an increase of 300-1000%.
• The peak and off peak times of the foreign operator may differ from your UK operator.
• You may be billed in different increments i.e. per minute instead of per second.
• There will be a surcharge for calling free phone numbers and customer care lines.

Considerations before travelling
Check the cost of calling with your mobile operator and the network coverage whilst abroad. Many people do not realise that they are charged to receive calls (OFTEL 2001). The easiest and quickest way to check your costs is to visit the GSM World website.

Let potential callers know that you will be abroad
In order to avoid receiving unnecessary and costly call, advise potential callers that you will be abroad. If you have a standard contract you may be paying as much as 90ppmin to receive a call.

If you travel frequently to different destinations ask about special roaming tariffs
Your mobile operator may offer an International Traveller Service (ITS). In general this is offered if you roam on a partner network whilst abroad and typically in return you will receive flat rate calls. The savings can be as much as 80% however there may be an additional subscription fee, so make sure your usage justifies the extra charge.

Considerations when travelling
There are several steps that you can take to use your mobile in the most cost effective way.

Send TXT messages instead of calling
A typical text message will cost 40p+ while abroad however a voice call will cost in excess of 60p. And remember whilst roaming you are charged per minute so if your call only lasts twenty seconds you will still get charged the price of a full minute.

Bar incoming calls or set up a UK divert
If you are confident that no one will want to speak to you then you can bar incoming calls. Alternatively, divert all calls to a UK number and ask people to contact you via SMS or call if it is urgent.

Use your voicemail service
You can divert all incoming calls directly to your voicemail so that you do not need to pay to receive that call. You can then make one call to your voice mail and decide what calls require your attention. However, please note that conditional diverts such as diverting calls to voicemail when you are on the phone can be extremely costly. This is because you often pay to receive the call and then send it back to your voicemail in the UK.

Manually select the cheapest network to roam on
When arriving at your destination your mobile phone should automatically select the cheapest network (partner network) to roam on. However, to avoid any costly mistakes, it is worth discovering the correct network before roaming and then manually selecting that network once you arrive.

Phoning Home
All phone numbers in your mobile’s address book need to be preceded with the correct international dialling code. For UK numbers it is +44 followed by the national code minus the first 0. If you do not plan on using your mobile phone to call home we would suggest that you consider purchasing a global phone card. For information regarding our global phone card please click here. Our global phone card will allow you to make calls back to the UK from just 5p/min.

Foreign SIM cards
For longer or repeat visits to the same country we would suggest that you purchase a foreign Pay-as-you-go SIM card. The SIM is an electronic chip that ties you to a particular network. By changing the SIM, you are no longer roaming, you are considered to be a local number on a particular network. This brings considerable advantages; you are no longer charged to receive calls and you can make calls at a fraction of the roaming cost.

We are the UK’s largest retailer of foreign SIM cards and stock country specific (local) SIM cards for 20 of the world’s most popular destinations. You can buy foreign SIM cards through this website from £14.99 and have them delivered in the UK or internationally. This has the added benefit of providing you with your new number before you travel and a set of English instructions. However, please be aware that your handset may need to be unlocked before it will accept a SIM card from another network, often this will cost around £10. Thankfully we provide a free Nokia unlock with the purchase of a SIM card.

Tips for saving money
Depending on how often you travel and where you go you could save money by following these simple guidelines.

Annual Holiday Maker – Holiday phone bill is less than £20
If you head overseas once a year and take your mobile with you please try the following;;

• Subscribe to an international saver scheme and you could benefit form significant savings if you intend to use the phone for more than just emergencies.
• Whenever possible TXT rather than phone but be aware it will cost around 30p/txt
• Use our global phone card to call home. For more info please click here.

The business traveller / jet setter – Monthly phone bill exceeds £200
If you visit several destinations a year and roaming is second nature;

• Purchase our international SIM card.
• This will provide you with FREE incoming calls in 40 countries and a UK mobile number.

A home in the sun / spending more than 3 weeks abroad.
If you are lucky enough to have brought a home in the sun, regularly visit the same country every year or are intending to spend more than 3 weeks abroad;

• Purchase a foreign SIM card for a local network. You should quickly recuperate the costs even if you have to pay for an unlock. You will be able to receive calls for free and make call at local rates.

To find a solution for your destination please click here.