Cheap Data Roaming Avoid shock bills & slash costs

If you're not careful, using the web abroad could rack up a bill of £100s or even £1,000s. Looking at just 10 "made for mobile" web pages can cost as much as 70p/MB in EU countries, and up to £10/MB around the rest of the world.

The most sensible plan is to keep your phone turned off. But if this isn't possible, there are ways to cut costs. This guide shows you how to get the cheapest data access wherever you are.

Quick tips before you go

If you do nothing else before you go, these quick tips should help to keep costs to a minimum:

Get it wrong, and it could cost you large

If you don't take precautions before travelling, you could arrive home to a nasty bill shock.

Forumite motbofres really suffered: "Went to India and US, got back and Orange was taking £3,000 for data. I wasn't heavily using the web - email checks & maps. I left data roaming on for 50% of the time."

Use free wi-fi hotspots abroad

If you'll only occasionally need to access the 'net while travelling, and your laptop, mobile or tablet has built-in wi-fi, using wireless hotspots is the cheapest way to get online.

How to find a free wi-fi hotspot

1. Be prepared. Set aside a few minutes at home before you go, ask your hotel and check the host of sites that list wireless hotspots around the world.

2. Local hotspots. JiWire allows you to type in a place name and search for local spots among the 824,000 or so on its database. It's also worth checking Free Hotspot and Hotspot Locations.

3. Try Google Maps. You can also use Google Maps to find places which offer free wireless access. To find them, type in the name of the area you're going to, click on the marker, then "Search nearby" and type in "free wi-fi". The map will show all locations with free wi-fi. Alternatively, type into the search box on the Google Maps home page: Free wi-fi loc: PLACE NAME, eg, Free wi-fi loc: Calas de Mallorca.

Boost wireless potential abroad by sharing your wi-fi at home

WARNING! Beware cyber hacking and thieves

Mobile data roaming add-ons

EU regulations mean the price of using the web abroad is falling, but it's possible to cut the costs further. If you're a monthly contract customer and you're only likely to use a few megabytes of data, get an overseas data bundle from your network. Below are the major mobile providers' offerings.

WARNING! Opting out of the €50 EU cut-off limit

Data roaming add-ons for within the EU

Orange mobile internet/data bundle£3/day for 30MB/day

• What: 30MB daily allowance
• Cost: £3/day for up to 30MB
• How: Apply for the add-on once, 24 hours before you travel - Orange will apply it as soon as you're in an EU country. To get it, text TRAVEL for free to 1139 from your Orange phone.
• Countries not included: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus (north), Faroe Islands, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
• Out of bundle charges: Once you've used your bundle allowance, you'll be charged 69.66p/MB. If you sign up to this bundle you automatically opt out of getting the EU €50 data cap.

If you're with Orange*, there's a range of data bundles. For short trips within Europe, the cheapest option is Orange's daily 30MB for £3. This should be enough for you to browse the web for about 1½ hours, or send 30 emails with attachments, in one day.

You’ll only be charged for the add-on each day you use data. Any unused data in a day won't be carried over. If you need more data or are going away for longer however, Orange does offer other data deals, including 150MB data for £50, which can be used over a month. See website for more information.

O2 Travel£1.99/day for 15MB/day

• What: O2 Travel
• Cost: £1.99/day for up to 15MB
• How: The add-on is applied automatically unless you opt out.
  
  
  
• Countries not included: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, West Bank.
• Out of bundle charges: While it won't charge you if you occasionally exceed your 15MB/day package slightly, O2 says " If you keep doing this, we'll move you back to our standard pricing."

The O2 Travel* service costs £1.99 a day for 15MB, and is applied automatically - so you don't have to worry about opting in before you go. O2 says 15MB a day is enough "to keep up with friends on Facebook and send some emails on your mobile, but it's not enough to watch YouTube videos or download music".

Vodafone EuroTraveller £3/day to use your UK price plan while in Europe

• What: Vodafone EuroTraveller
• Cost: £3/day to use UK price plan
• How: To opt in to Vodafone EuroTraveller, call 5555 from your Vodafone phone before you go.
  
  
• Countries not included: Belarus, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, West Bank.
• Out of bundle charges: EuroTraveller uses your UK price plan's inclusive allowances. If you exceed your inclusive UK allowances, you will be charged as if you are still at home.

Vodafone's EuroTraveller* costs £3/day (midnight to 11.59pm, local time) and lets you use your minutes, texts and mobile internet with the same freedom as in the UK.

You'll only be charged on the days you use your phone, and there's no charge for receiving calls.

By opting in to Vodafone EuroTraveller, you'll automatically opt out of the monthly spend limit for internet in its Europe zone, because you'll be using your UK price plan.

T-Mobile Internet Travel Booster£1 for 3MB, to be used over 30 days

• What: T-Mobile Internet Travel Booster
  
  
  
• How: Get them from the Euro Internet Booster page when you first access the web abroad; the cost will be added to your bill.
• Cost: Boosters are valid for 30 days (UK time), or until you've used up your allowance. choose from:
  • 3MB for £1
  • 10MB for £2.50
  • 50MB for £10.
• Countries not included: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus (North), Faroe Islands, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, West Bank.
  
• Out of bundle charges: Because you can't use mobile web abroad without a Booster, you will never incur any extra charges that you don't know about. You'll be prompted to buy another Booster when either the time expires or you reach the Booster allowance.

Within T-Mobile's Euro travel zone, customers aren't able to access the internet without first purchasing an Internet Travel Booster*. Boosters start from £1/3MB.

Unfortunately these bundles don't work for BlackBerry customers. If you're using a BlackBerry in Europe it will cost £1.50/MB, up to a maximum of £4/day. This is also capped at a maximum amount of £48 in any month.

Three Euro Internet PassUnlimited EU data for £5/day

• What: Unlimited daily allowance
• Cost: £5/day
• How: Buy the pass before you travel - or Three will send a text prompt to buy when you first turn on your phone in an EU country. To get it, visit the Three* mobile site.
• Countries not included: Can't be used in a number of European countries, incl Turkey, Croatia. See full list.
• Out of bundle charges: Standard EU roaming charges of 69.6p/MB apply if you don’t buy a pass every day. Before your Euro Internet Pass expires, you'll receive a text with the option to buy another pass for the following day. You won’t be charged after your pass expires until you re-purchase a pass or accept standard EU roaming charges.

If you're on Three, its Euro Internet Pass* gives you unlimited access to mobile web for just £5/day.

You can't use it for video streaming or tethering, and streamed music may not play as well as in the UK. If you have an active Euro Internet Pass and you travel to a country where the pass isn’t valid, you’ll be charged for data at standard EU roaming rates.

Three allows you to have one of each add-on per month, which means you can use the Euro Internet Pass alongside the International Saver, for example.

Add-ons for outside the EU

Orange global mobile data bundleFrom £6/day for 30MB

• What: Orange global mobile data bundle
  
  
• Out of bundle charges: Once you've used your bundle allowance, you'ill be charged £8/MB.
• Cost: Bundle costs will depend on the country you're visiting, so check with Orange before travelling. Prices start from £6/day for 30MB.
  
• How: The bundle activates when you use data abroad, so you'll only be charged the bundle fee each day you use data.

Orange customers travelling outside Europe can sign up for a global mobile data bundle*, starting from £6/day for 30MB. There are also larger bundles that work on a 30-day or monthly recurring basis.

Vodafone's Data Traveller£5/day for 25MB

• What: Vodafone Data Traveller
• Cost: £5/day for 25MB
• How: Contact customer services before you go to opt in.
  
  
• Out of bundle charges: Once you've used your allowance you'll pay standard data rates - £3/MB up to 5MB, then £15 for every 5MB thereafter.

Vodafone's Data Traveller* add-on can be used outside Europe. The cut-off limit is £41.47 - if you want to use more data than this, you'll have to arrange it with Vodafone.

Can you use these data add-ons with tablets?

Switch Sim for cheaper rates

If you're a frequent traveller, a heavy data user or going away for a bit longer than usual, you may be better off getting a cheap data Sim deal specifically for the country you're travelling to - especially if your mobile provider's data add-on offering isn't that hot.

It's likely to be the most cost-effective way to get online (if you haven't got free wi-fi access). The per-MB savings here can be huge, as you'll sidestep roaming rates entirely and only pay local costs.

But it can be a fiddly process, and there's no easy solution to finding the best deal. With most Sims, you'll also need an unlocked mobile (or mobile device).

Finding the right Sim

There are three types of Sim card you can buy to help cut your roaming costs while abroad:

1. PAYG local Sim (bought on arrival). If you regularly visit the same country, the cheapest way to get online (if you don't have wi-fi) is to buy a local Sim when you arrive at your destination. Though this is the very cheapest way, it is a bit of a faff, and you may prefer to have something set up before you go. More info.

2. Pre-paid local and global Sims. The alternative (which is a lot less hassle) for those who regularly visit one country or go for quite a while, is to buy a local Sim for the country you're visiting before you go, and load it with credit so you don't have to worry about topping up while abroad. If you travel to numerous countries, a global Sim would be more suitable. More info.

PAYG local Sim (bought on arrival)

This growing Wiki Resource has users' recommendations on PAYG overseas data Sim cards, though it's accuracy depends on how up-to-date people have kept the info. Use the list on the left-hand side to pick a country, and it'll show you available PAYG data Sim options, where to buy them when you arrive, and how to get connected once you get the Sim.

Try PrepaidGSM for a more comprehensive list of overseas networks, but you'll have to check each separately to find relevant deals.

Alternatively if you're willing to do a little more legwork yourself, Wikipedia lists the mobile networks available in every country.

• France
• Spain
• Germany
• Poland
• Greece
• Turkey
• Australia
• USA

Once you know which providers operate in the country you're travelling to, it's possible to compare deals on their sites before you go, and buy a PAYG Sim card when you get there.

Pre-paid data Sims

There's a whole load of providers offering pre-paid data Sim deals, so if your mobile provider's data add-on deal doesn't meet your needs, consider getting one of these. The best for you will depend on your usage and the country you are visiting. Here are our top picks:

DataroamBest for light/medium users, 40 countries from 6p/MB

• What: Dataroam International Pre-paid SIM Card
  
• Upfront cost: £14.99
• Free credit: No free credit
  
• Cost/MB: from 6p/MB

The Dataroam International Pre-Paid* Sim offers rates from just 6p/MB, and can be used in 40 countries, including most of Europe and the US. Check the country you're visiting is included in the low rates before buying. More...

How big is the saving? As an example, using 50MB of data while in Spain will cost £12.50 (plus the one-off upfront cost), compared to £34.80 using a Three mobile (no data add-ons) to roam while abroad.

Anything else? The data Sim card will work in unlocked mobile dongles, tablets, smartphones, or MiFi devices. The global data Sim will not operate outside the destinations included. The credit will not expire providing you make at least one call or send one text every six months.

This is a relatively new provider, and we don't have much feedback, so if you've used Dataroam, please share your experiences.

RoamlineCheapest upfront cost, 34 countries for 34p/MB

• What: Roamline SIM Card
  
• Upfront cost: €9.95 (£8.38)
• Free credit: None
  
• Cost/MB: from €0.39 (34p)/MB

With Roamline's Global Data Sim you'll pay €9.95 (£8.38) upfront and then get charged €0.39/MB (34p) for data roaming in Europe, the US and Canada. Go outside these areas and you'll pay €0.89/MB (77p).

Unlike the other Sims here, you pay through your credit card at the end of each month, so you don't have to top up before you go. If you use more than €50 on mobile data you will be charged and informed by email in between. More...

How big is the saving? As an example, using 50MB of data while in Spain will cost about £17 (not including the upfront cost of the Sim), compared to £34.80 using a Three mobile (no data add-ons) to roam while abroad.

Anything else? Roamline Sim cards can be put in any unlocked 3G enabled device, including iPads, mobile dongles, MiFi devices and smartphones. The Roamline Sim is data-only, with no calls or texts. You'll only be charged on the data you use, and if you don't use it for an extended period, it doesn't expire.

This is a new provider, and we don't have much feedback, so if you've used Roamline, please share your experiences.

Mobile data add-on or Sim card - which is best?

Depending on where you're going and what you'll be doing when you're abroad, it may be worth getting a Sim card deal - especially if your mobile provider's data add-on doesn't offer any real savings.

In the table below, total costs have been calculated including any initial upfront costs and subtracting any free call time offered. As you only have to pay the upfront cost of the Sim once, this could be a better investment if you plan to use it frequently.

What to do if you receive a BIG bill

If you arrive home from holiday to a mammoth mobile bill and you've been charged incorrectly, you should be able to get some money back.

Step 1: Complain to your provider

Contact your provider straight away. Send it a copy of your bill, highlighting the relevant charges and the reasons why you are disputing them.

Below are the contact details of some of the main mobile providers:

Step 2: After eight weeks, complain to the Ombudsman

If after eight weeks you've not resolved the problem or are unhappy with your supplier's decision, you can submit your complaint to one of the two independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes. The schemes are impartial and free.

The two to go to are CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications. Use the ADR checker on Ofcom's website to check which one your provider's signed up to.