Using mobiles abroadPlanning ahead for using a mobile abroad
Before you go, ask about your network's roaming charges
Before you leave, always find out what your mobile service provider charges for using your mobile in the country you're travelling to.
Once abroad, mobile calls to customer services are expensive, costing as much as £2 a minute, so sorting any issues out before you leave will save you hassle and money.
Some mobile operators charge flat rates for mobile roaming calls and text messages to the UK from a given country, no matter what time of day it is or what foreign mobile network you use. In this case you can simply turn on your mobile phone when you arrive and use the mobile network it defaults to automatically.
There are exceptions. Vodafone charges different rates for international calls depending on which foreign mobile network you use (it has details of preferred, cheaper networks for each country on the Vodafone website).
In these instances, it’s worth finding out which mobile network is cheapest for making international calls and sending roaming texts before you leave, so that you can manually select it when you arrive (see your mobile handbook for instructions on how to do this).
Check your mobile will work abroad
Contact your mobile service provider well in advance to make sure you can use your mobile phone in the country you’re travelling to. Not all mobile networks allow you to roam everywhere.
Check whether your mobile service provider has to activate your mobile phone for use abroad.
Check whether your mobile handset will be able to send texts and make calls abroad in the country you're travelling to. Mobile networks in the US and Canada use different radio frequencies from the rest of the world. The dual-band phones sometimes used in the UK won't work in these countries – you'll need a tri-band phone.
Your mobile may not work in some countries
Most new mobile phones these days are tri-band, but if you've got an older or less hi-spec handset you may be unlucky. You may also experience mobile compatibility issues when travelling to Japan and some Caribbean islands.
The Which? mobile phones review highlights which handsets have tri-band capabilities and rates the latest handsets.
If there's a mobile roaming compatibility problem with your handset, you can hire a suitable mobile handset from your mobile provider or via a third party before you go abroad. You can also hire mobile phones once you're overseas.
Mobile network coverage abroad
Check network coverage of the mobile network in the country you're visiting. It can be patchy, particularly in rural areas of some foreign countries.
If you need to access voicemail messages while overseas, ask your UK provider if you need to set up a new access code to do so.
Travel adaptor
Don’t forget to take a travel adaptor plug so that you can plug in your mobile phone charger.
Paying too much for your energy?
Take advantage of the recent energy price decreases by switching to a cheaper tariff today.
Which? Switch