Your right to roam needn’t cost the earth
ROAMING. The word suggests travelling with a worry-free, devil-may-care attitude.
But in the world of mobile phones, where roaming means using your device abroad, that approach is unwise. Making calls, downloading emails and browsing the internet when in another country can result in very large bills. So how can you keep roaming costs down?
The best option is to be with mobile operator Three. Its customers can call and text UK numbers, and use data, in some countries at no extra cost to their UK price plans. Three is the only operator to offer this arrangement, which it calls Feel At Home.
In September 2013, when Three introduced Feel At Home, it covered seven destinations. I said then that to be a game-changer it needed to expand the service to more countries – and it has.
With Spain and New Zealand added earlier this month, it now applies in 18 countries. In Europe, the deal also covers France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Elsewhere, it covers Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Israel.
Given that Spain, France, Italy and the US are among the most popular destinations for Britons, Three claims that about two-thirds of its customers’ overseas trips are now covered by Feel At Home.
A word of warning. Three publicises Feel At Home by saying that it enables you to ‘use your phone abroad at no extra cost’. But to call or text non-UK numbers – imagine you are in Spain and you phone a restaurant in Barcelona – you will be charged extra, at roaming rates. However, these are much lower than other operators’ standard rates in some countries – for example, 15.6p per minute to call local numbers in the US, Australia and New Zealand.
There are some other caveats, too – one being you can’t ‘tether’ (use your phone to connect another device to the internet). Check all details on three.co.uk/feelathome.
Nonetheless, if you’re travelling to a Feel At Home country, using Three is the most preferable option.
Take roaming in New Zealand. On their standard rates for paymonthly customers, rival operators charge up to £1.50 a minute for making and receiving calls, 35p to 50p for sending a text, and up to £8 per megabyte of data usage.
In EU countries, roaming charges are much lower as they are capped. On operators’ standard rates, you’ll pay about 18p or 19p per minute to make a call, 5p per minute to receive a call, 5p to 6p to send a text and 20p per megabyte of data.
If you’re not with Three and are heading to a Feel At Home destination, operators’ bundles/ add-ons usually offer better value than their standard rates – though it depends on your usage levels.
To give one example, Vodafone lets you use your UK’s plan allowance for calls, texts and data for £3 a day in Europe, and £5 a day in some countries further afield. However, you will need to actively sign up to get this deal.
OTHER OPTIONS TO KEEP ROAMING COSTS DOWN
If you have an unlocked handset, you might consider investing in a local, countryspecific SIM card: see 0044.co.uk, uk2abroad.com or dataroam.co.uk for details. Otherwise, stick to using free wi-fi in, for example, hotels and cafes, which will also enable you to chat for free if you have a Skype or Viber account.