You have packed and double checked you have your tickets but what else do you need to consider when travelling abroad? Common problems that many holidaymakers still face are issues with their mobile phone.
Mobile phones are your lifeline to the modern world and are a convenient way to keep in touch with your family and friends whilst you travel. However, beware as international calls can be expensive. And there are other issues that many forget to ask their service provider. Here we highlight 5 common issues that you should be aware of:
- Double Check Your Text and Phone Call Charges
Before you set off on your holiday, especially if you are travelling to another continent, ensure you have checked what the phone charged will be. More often than not you will often be charged at least twice your normal rate for text messages and calls that are made whilst you are abroad.
One good thing that works in favour of phone users is that in March 2010, a law was passed to enforce a cut off limit for European mobile phone operators. This often stops people who weren’t aware of the additional charges going over a certain amount, most commonly £45. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the US so make sure you check your rates.
- Look out for Hidden Rates
There is always a lack of information regarding foreign charges on mobile phones and when you do it find it is commonly found in the small print on the network providers website. Make sure you don’t fall into this trap of hidden charges and speak to a customer service provider before you go. If you use your mobile whilst travelling abroad then you could be subjected to additional charges which could be very high.
Most importantly check if you are going to be charged when people text you as some mobile phone providers also charge you a small fee for receiving text messages and in particular for downloading images whilst on your holidays.
- Beware of Roaming too Far
Are you aware of the costs of data roaming when you are abroad? No? Well don’t worry as you are not alone. The majority of mobile phone users do not know how much data their smartphone uses on a monthly basis and a higher percentage don’t check their phone bill to find out this information.
On average, smartphone users use about 200MB of data per month. If you then think that the average smartphone usage charge is between $6/MB and $11/MB for data roaming abroad it adds up to a staggering sum.
Make sure you turn off your data roaming by following the guidelines below:
- iPhone: Scroll to Settings > General > Network > Data Roaming – then touch the button Off.
- Android: Click on Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile networks and uncheck ‘Data roaming’.
- Local SIM Cards
A local SIM card is merely a regular pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM for the specific country you’re travelling to. Depending on how long you are travelling for it could always be worth asking your network provider if they recommend a SIM card for the country you are travelling to. Alternatively, when you get to your destination you can look for a cheap local SIM card. If you want to keep your phone on your existing network you should consider phone cards, as these are usually reasonable and you can speak to friends and family without the worry of coming home to a large bill.
- Call Baring or Call Forwarding
Everyone receives phone calls whilst they are away and as mentioned previously it is likely that you will be charged to receive these incoming calls. So as well as making sure you are aware of hidden charges you should know what to do in order to stop these charges. The main options are:
- Barring calls to your phone
- Forwarding all incoming calls to your voicemail service
If you would like to give callers the option of leaving messages setting up a forwarding service is the best choice as you can retrieve them on your return. Either way, you’re the customer service department of your network provider will be able to assist you.
This article was written in association with My Phone Deals who provide a wide range of iPhone, Blackberries and Android phones for 2011. They have a wide variety of choices, ranging from the latest phone releases to classic and reliable Nokia’s. Image by epSos.de
Thanks for your information the last thing you think of go on a holiday is comunication but we still need to keep in touch with loved ones and you information has been so helpful