Cut the cost of calling from abroad

Off on your summer holiday soon? Here's how to cut the cost of using your mobile while you're away...

If you're planning to go abroad for your summer holiday this year, chances are you'll use your mobile phone at some stage.

Unfortunately, this can work out to be very expensive - meaning what had been an enjoyable holiday can quickly turn into a nightmare when your phone bill lands on your doormat.

However, thanks to a European Parliament ruling, calling and messaging costs have started to come down. From 1 July, charges for sending a text were capped at a maximum of 11 euro cents (around 10p), while caps on UK voice calls were lowered to 43 cents (around 37p), and the cost of receiving a call was capped at 19 cents (around 17p).

So how do the major networks compare now that these rules have come into play?

Battle of the networks

Let's say I'm going to Italy for the summer, while my friend Alex is off to the USA. Here's what an ordinary one minute call would cost us on a pay monthly plan with one of the five big providers, plus the cost of sending a text. Click on the links to find out about other locations.

*You can use inclusive texts if you have any remaining in your home rate.

Orange operates slightly differently to the other networks - to phone Italy, it charges a 30 second set up fee (18.6p) and then charges on a per second basis using the rate of 37.2p a minute.

It's worth noting that the exact costs you pay for any of these networks may vary depending on the contract you're on, and in some cases, you may have to pay a little more if you're a pay-as-you-go customer (for outside the EU anyway).

But if you don't want to pay the above rates, is there another way you can save on making calls when you're on holiday?

Calls from the EU

Earlier this year, Vodafone announced it was temporarily abolishing its normal 75p roaming charge in more than 35 European countries, plus Australia and New Zealand. This means you can now call, text or send picture messages from abroad and pay the same price you would at home - and you won't be charged the normal 75p connection charge.

You'll need to opt into the Vodafone Passport scheme to do this, but this is completely free. Just be warned that this offer only runs until 31 August, so after that you will have to pay the connection fee again.

If you're not a Vodafone customer, several networks offer 'bolt-on' options. For example, O2 offers My Europe Extra for just £10 a month. So this means that calls to the UK and most European countries will cost 25p per minute and you won't have to pay to receive calls from within any of these countries.

However, in my opinion, this is only worth it if you're planning to do a lot of calling while you're away - a £10 monthly fee is pretty hefty. What's more, if you can cope with only texting while you're abroad, O2 pay monthly and Simplicity plans include texts sent from abroad within your standard allowance. One roaming text or media message is the equivalent of four messages sent in the UK. So this works out to be much more cost-effective.

Orange also offers a Favourite Countries bundle for a lower price of £4.89 a month. This will allow you to receive 60 minutes of calls for free or make 60 minutes of calls at 28.3p per minute - from France, Spain, Greece, Belgium and Ireland. Again, however, I think you'll need to do a significant amount of calling for this to be worth it. And the country selection is very limited.

Calls from outside the EU

Unfortunately, if you're calling from outside the EU, you're going to be paying even more. That said, you can still take advantage of bolt-on options.

For example, O2 offers an International Traveller Service, that give you discounts on making and receiving calls while abroad. If your tariff has more than 600 free minutes you can benefit from this service for free, but if your tariff has less than that, you will need to pay £2.99 a month. And for this, you could save up to 80% on your calls abroad. Again, however, you could just simply text instead.

Orange also offers a World Traveller package for just £1.96 a month which will give you up to 50% off calls you make and receive. However, in most cases, the savings will be significantly smaller. So you need to weigh up whether you think paying this fee is worth it.

Super SIMs

Another option is to buy an international SIM card.

You might need to get your phone unlocked to be able to use these SIM cards - but you can usually do this pretty cheaply through websites such as Unique Phones.

Once you've done this, you'll then need to buy a global SIM card to replace your UK one when you go abroad. These usually cost between £15-35 and should also include some phone credit. Although this might seem a lot to pay out upfront, buying an international SIM will allow you to make discounted calls all over the world. And in some cases, you won't be charged for any calls you receive while you're away. All you have to do is pop the SIM into your phone and top it up online.

Good places to check out include GeoSim, WorldSIM and Sim4Travel. Again, the amount you actually save will largely depend on where you're going and what you will be using your phone for. So your best bet is to take a look at these sites and what they offer and see if one of them is right for you - in some cases, you may find that what your current network provider is offering is ok, while in other cases, an international SIM could save you a lot of money.

The great thing about these cards is that you only need to buy them once and you get to keep the same number wherever you travel. So if you're a frequent traveller they're a good bet.

If you're not a frequent traveller, you could simply buy a local SIM card when you arrive at your destination as this can work out cheaper.

Final notes...

It's worth noting that if someone leaves a message on your voicemail while you're away, you will be charged the overseas rate to receive a call - whether your phone is on or off. And if you phone your voicemail to hear the message, you'll be charged the overseas rate again. So it's a good idea to ask your network provider to switch off your voicemail before you go.

And finally, if you're the one stuck at home and you're looking for a cheap way to text someone who lives overseas, you can use the fabulous website sendsmsnow.com. This website allows you to send texts to 33 countries absolutely free!

Happy travelling!

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