If you're heading abroad this summer and plan on using your mobile phone to surf the internet while sunbathing, share snaps on social media or stay in touch with family and friends - you might want to consider switching mobile phone network or face heavy roaming charges.
That's because some of the most popular phone networks across the UK have recently reinstated EU roaming charges - adding extra costs onto the holidays of hardworking Britons looking for some cheap and cheerful fun in the sun. Most of the extra charges apply to those on 4G and 5G networks, with consumers forced to fork out on more data than they typically need.
However, most networks charge a premium for the extra data add-ons, and they don't come in cheap. New research from GiffGaff shows that their customers use an average of 2.3BG in roaming data while on holiday.
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The Mirror reports that countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and the Netherlands are in the top ten places where data roaming is incredibly common, and not known to rack up a hefty bill so long as it fits with users 'fair use' terms. Vodafone, EE, O2 and Sky Mobile all charge customers for using their phones abroad, usually within a limit of 25GB fair usage each year.
EE and Vodafone charge an average of £2 per day, while Sky Mobile charge £2 a day through a roaming passport. However, GiffGaff is setting itself apart by offering punters 5GB of inclusive roaming data - so customers don't have to spend a penny extra to make the most of their mobiles while abroad.
CEO at GiffGaff, Ash Schofield, said: "We understand the importance of a worry-free holiday experience so we continue to include up to 5GB of inclusive roaming data across our plans to cover the essential holiday searches."
All GiffGaff plans include a 5GB EU roaming allowance, as well as unlimited calls and data. Should a customer need more data while away, they can refresh a monthly plan early via the official GiffGaff app to get another 5GB of data for as little as £8.
Users can additionally pay for any extra data needed from credit.
The free 5GB roaming data is only available to those who take out a plan with 5GB or more, so customers can expect to pay an extra £8 a month at minimum, £35 per month maximum for unlimited UK data, calls and texts. Those in need of more than 5GB EU roaming data will be charged an extra 10p per MB.
O2 also offer customers access to 25GB of mobile data to use at no extra cost while travelling in Europe.
