Tips for Travelling With a Mobile Phone

The memory of your holiday or overseas trip could be ruined by an unexpected and exorbitant phone bill on your return home. However, taking a few precautions before you leave could potentially save you a bundle.

These days many people opt to take their mobile phone along when travelling. It could be a literal life-saver in an emergency but also very costly if, for example, you forget to switch off data roaming.

Before you travel

Check with your mobile provider to ensure that international roaming is available in the countries you plan to visit and that roaming is activated on your device
If you are unsure, check your contract so that you know the allowances for minutes, texts, and data
Find out the costs for surfing the net, checking emails and downloading data in your destination as it can be extremely costly - especially outside the European Union (within the EU customers have some protection from excessive charges)
Ask your mobile provider for any special packages or deals (add-ons) to save money
Consider contacting your provider to block or forward (costly and often unnecessary) incoming calls
Research purchasing a Pay As You Go Sim in your destination country or rent a mobile phone
Programme emergency contact numbers into your phone (consulate, emergency services, travel insurance claims number, etc).
Purchase a travel adapter to charge your phone while travelling

Security

Lock your mobile phone or device and change the default password settingMake a note of the serial numberConsider taking the user guide or manual with youKeep a written note of your needed phone numbers - especially the number to contact your mobile provider in the event of theftAvoid displaying your phone and other valuables in public

If your device is lost or stolen
Report the loss to your mobile provider immediately to avoid being held responsible for any calls madeReport the loss to the police and obtain a written report (you will need this in order to claim if you have insurance)

Ask friends and family to text if they need to contact you, rather than call, as texting is normally free. If you need to access the web try to find a free Wi-Fi hotspot or use an internet cafe. When checking your social media sites and emails avoid downloading any attachments. Never use your device to watch or download TV programmes or watch films unless you are prepared to pay the price! Skype is a cheap way to stay in touch, but use free Wi-Fi.

This article is by no means intended to provide comprehensive advice, but a reminder to do your research well before you leave home. Some forward planning could save a lot of unnecessary expense if you decide to take your mobile phone overseas.

Jean Andrews is an employee of Travel Insurance Agencies Ltd. and she regularly contributes informative articles about travel insurance. To find out more and to obtain a quote for quality and affordable travel insurance from this well-established company visit their UK website at Travel Insurance Direct or Travel Insurance Direct-Ireland for residents of Ireland.

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