Calling from London (C: Visit London).
Alongside cost-free roaming in the EU, travellers with O2, Three and GiffGaff can also use minutes, texts and data from their monthly allowance at no additional cost in destinations outside of the EU.
Following a ruling by the European Union, British holidaymakers travelling in the EU are now free to use their mobile phone for calls, texts and data at the same price they pay back at home*. For travellers heading further afield, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has put together a guide comparing international roaming costs for destinations outside of Europe, to help travellers avoid any unexpected bills during their holiday.
The research compares the five leading mobile providers including O2, EE and Vodafone and looks at the international roaming costs for sending a text, making and receiving calls, and using data. The guide also compares cost-free roaming offerings such as Three’s Feel At Home service.
For travellers who wish to keep in touch with friends and family back home, the cost per text sent varies from 30p for GiffGaff customers travelling in any country, to £1.00 per text for EE customers texting from Zone 8 destinations, such as the Bahamas, Cuba and the Maldives. The cost for making and receiving calls also varies, from 80p per minute for Pay Monthly customers making or receiving calls in O2’s Asia Pacific zone, to £3 per minute for Three customers making a call in Band 3 and 4 destinations, such as Malaysia and Russia.
For those keen to share selfies through social media or keep up-to-date with news back home, the cost for data varies from 20p per MB for GiffGaff customers browsing in Zone A destinations, such as Australia and the US, to £6 per MB for all destinations with O2 and destinations located in Data Band 3 with Three. Travellers with EE should keep in mind that an add-on must be purchased to access the internet and likewise O2 and Three will block data access once international usage reaches a charge of £40 and £39 respectively.
Alongside cost-free roaming in the EU, travellers with O2, Three and GiffGaff can also use minutes, texts and data from their monthly allowance at no additional cost in destinations outside of the EU. This includes 48 destinations within Europe for customers with O2 and 60 destinations worldwide, including the US, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, for those with Three. Similarly, Pay Monthly customers with Vodafone can use data, minutes and texts from their monthly allowance in 40 Roam-Free destinations at no extra cost and in 60 Roam-Further destinations, including China and South Africa, for an extra £5 per day.
* According to BBC News in June 2017, available at www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40281013.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
