Thursday, 16 October 2008
Cutting your mobile phone costs when travelling abroad
Have you ever been horrified at the cost of using your mobile phone abroad and the fact that you have to pay to receive calls as well as make them! With a bit of planning you may be able to cut down your mobile phone costs. This blog tells you how*.
Plan ahead
It is like a lot of things in life, ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’, so if you are planning to use your mobile phone on holiday make sure you are fully equipped with the facts to ensure you don’t face a hefty bill!
Call charges
Before departing on your holiday, make sure you know what your mobile phone provider charges for roaming in the country you are visiting. Some mobile phone operators charge flat rates for text messages and calls to the UK no matter what time of day it is or what foreign network you use. So when you arrive at your destination you can simply turn on your mobile phone on and use the network it automatically defaults to. Simple!
Certain networks however (Vodafone, Virgin and Three) charge different call rates depending on which foreign network you use. It is therefore worthwhile finding out which foreign network is cheapest before you leave the UK so that you can select it manually when you arrive at your destination.
Price comparison
Getting an overview of what prices each mobile phone company charge is a good place to start and save money. The Internet is ideal for this and websites such as www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk are a great source of information. Moneysavingexpert.com has an International Callchecker which compares daily the different prices of calling abroad from each provider.
Another good way of keeping costs to a minimum is by using payphones for local calls and then buying an international card for calls back to the UK.
Text messaging
It is best to try and limit the amount of text messages you send as the costs can mount up very quickly. The European Commission is proposing to reduce the cost of text messaging which may come into force next summer after it has been approved by Governments and the European Parliament. For more information on this click here
SIM cards
If you are going away for an extended period in one country, e.g. a Gap year, it might be worth considering buying a SIM card. You can buy an International one in the UK before you go or one at your destination. For further information visit these websites www.0044.co.uk and www.uk2abroad.co.uk.
Check your mobile phone works abroad
The last thing you need is your phone not to work when you arrive at your destination. So well in advance of your departure date there are a few things you need to do. Firstly, check whether your mobile phone will work at your destination – if you are visiting the USA and Canada, for example, you will need a tri-band phone. Secondly, check with your mobile phone provider to make sure you can use your phone in the country you are visiting – not all networks allow you to roam anywhere. Thirdly, ask your mobile phone provider whether or not they have to activate your phone for use abroad. Finally, check the network coverage in the country you are visiting.
Travel adaptor and phone charger
These are vital items to pack in your rucksack or suitcase before you go, so you are not left in the middle of nowhere with a mobile phone with a flat battery!
Don’t forget your holiday insurance!
You can also cut down your holiday insurance costs by buying cover online. For great value holiday insurance why not check out 247 travel insurance which offers cover from as little as £4.38*.
* Source: http://www.which.co.uk/advice/using-your-mobile-abroad/index.jsp
** Premium £4.38 includes Insurance Premium Tax based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a ‘standard’ single trip policy for 3 days to Europe, travelling within 14 days of departure date, excluding personal possessions cover. Cover details and prices are correct at the time of going to press (October 2008) and are subject to change.
Plan ahead
It is like a lot of things in life, ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’, so if you are planning to use your mobile phone on holiday make sure you are fully equipped with the facts to ensure you don’t face a hefty bill!
Call charges
Before departing on your holiday, make sure you know what your mobile phone provider charges for roaming in the country you are visiting. Some mobile phone operators charge flat rates for text messages and calls to the UK no matter what time of day it is or what foreign network you use. So when you arrive at your destination you can simply turn on your mobile phone on and use the network it automatically defaults to. Simple!
Certain networks however (Vodafone, Virgin and Three) charge different call rates depending on which foreign network you use. It is therefore worthwhile finding out which foreign network is cheapest before you leave the UK so that you can select it manually when you arrive at your destination.
Price comparison
Getting an overview of what prices each mobile phone company charge is a good place to start and save money. The Internet is ideal for this and websites such as www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk are a great source of information. Moneysavingexpert.com has an International Callchecker which compares daily the different prices of calling abroad from each provider.
Another good way of keeping costs to a minimum is by using payphones for local calls and then buying an international card for calls back to the UK.
Text messaging
It is best to try and limit the amount of text messages you send as the costs can mount up very quickly. The European Commission is proposing to reduce the cost of text messaging which may come into force next summer after it has been approved by Governments and the European Parliament. For more information on this click here
SIM cards
If you are going away for an extended period in one country, e.g. a Gap year, it might be worth considering buying a SIM card. You can buy an International one in the UK before you go or one at your destination. For further information visit these websites www.0044.co.uk and www.uk2abroad.co.uk.
Check your mobile phone works abroad
The last thing you need is your phone not to work when you arrive at your destination. So well in advance of your departure date there are a few things you need to do. Firstly, check whether your mobile phone will work at your destination – if you are visiting the USA and Canada, for example, you will need a tri-band phone. Secondly, check with your mobile phone provider to make sure you can use your phone in the country you are visiting – not all networks allow you to roam anywhere. Thirdly, ask your mobile phone provider whether or not they have to activate your phone for use abroad. Finally, check the network coverage in the country you are visiting.
Travel adaptor and phone charger
These are vital items to pack in your rucksack or suitcase before you go, so you are not left in the middle of nowhere with a mobile phone with a flat battery!
Don’t forget your holiday insurance!
You can also cut down your holiday insurance costs by buying cover online. For great value holiday insurance why not check out 247 travel insurance which offers cover from as little as £4.38*.
* Source: http://www.which.co.uk/advice/using-your-mobile-abroad/index.jsp
** Premium £4.38 includes Insurance Premium Tax based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a ‘standard’ single trip policy for 3 days to Europe, travelling within 14 days of departure date, excluding personal possessions cover. Cover details and prices are correct at the time of going to press (October 2008) and are subject to change.
Labels: Mobile-phones
// posted by 24/7 Travel Insurance @ 10:55
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Mobile phones on planes – good or bad?
Plans were recently announced by Ofcom to allow mobile phones on flights in EU airspace thanks to new developments in technology which eliminate the danger to navigational systems. The airlines were delighted – here was a new attraction to passengers which didn’t cost them much money to implement. They were most probably very surprised when the news was received to a chorus of disapproval.
We are used to not using laptops and mp3 players during take-off and landing, but mobile phones were banned on planes altogether because of two reasons: radiowaves emitted by handsets can interfere with the two-way radio used by pilots, and they can skew the avionics (the on-board systems which control the plane).
However, airliners can now carry a hub (rather like a wireless broadband router) which makes the use of mobile phones safe. But the news was not well received. Why could this be?
After all, long-haul flights are tedious. Being able to chat or text a friend is great for relieving the boredom. Not to mention being able to make contact with people if your flight is stuck in the Heathrow holding pattern. Perhaps you could also play some games on your phone or surf the net while the hours fly by.
On the other hand, planes are a confined space. Everyone has sat next to someone on the train who natters all the way home, usually shouting, and giving far too much information about certain things. Train journeys are already made miserable enough thanks to mobile phones, but if things get really bad you can at least move carriage or get off and walk around until the next train – but the thought of similar happening all the way through a flight is enough to make most people look into the costs of parachutes!
Also, just as you’re settling down to sleep, imagine how you would feel when your neighbour’s phone serenades us with it’s very witty (to the owner) ringtone, and he searches all his pockets looking for it while jabbing you with his sharp elbows.
Ofcom has left it to the airlines to sort out these issues. How they do this remains to be seen. Maybe the airlines will accept this as a good excuse for an upgrade...
If you are taking your mobile phone on a trip – whether you are using it on a plane or not – make sure it is sufficiently insured. http://www.247travelinsurance.co.uk/ offers valuables cover of up to £150 on their Standard policy, and £300 on their Premier travel insurance policies* and cover starts from under a fiver**. But don’t put it in your hold baggage as you will not be able to claim for losses arising from that!
*Single Trip and Annual Multi-trip policies only
**Premium £4.86 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a ‘standard’ Single Trip policy for 3 days in Europe and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.
We are used to not using laptops and mp3 players during take-off and landing, but mobile phones were banned on planes altogether because of two reasons: radiowaves emitted by handsets can interfere with the two-way radio used by pilots, and they can skew the avionics (the on-board systems which control the plane).
However, airliners can now carry a hub (rather like a wireless broadband router) which makes the use of mobile phones safe. But the news was not well received. Why could this be?
After all, long-haul flights are tedious. Being able to chat or text a friend is great for relieving the boredom. Not to mention being able to make contact with people if your flight is stuck in the Heathrow holding pattern. Perhaps you could also play some games on your phone or surf the net while the hours fly by.
On the other hand, planes are a confined space. Everyone has sat next to someone on the train who natters all the way home, usually shouting, and giving far too much information about certain things. Train journeys are already made miserable enough thanks to mobile phones, but if things get really bad you can at least move carriage or get off and walk around until the next train – but the thought of similar happening all the way through a flight is enough to make most people look into the costs of parachutes!
Also, just as you’re settling down to sleep, imagine how you would feel when your neighbour’s phone serenades us with it’s very witty (to the owner) ringtone, and he searches all his pockets looking for it while jabbing you with his sharp elbows.
Ofcom has left it to the airlines to sort out these issues. How they do this remains to be seen. Maybe the airlines will accept this as a good excuse for an upgrade...
If you are taking your mobile phone on a trip – whether you are using it on a plane or not – make sure it is sufficiently insured. http://www.247travelinsurance.co.uk/ offers valuables cover of up to £150 on their Standard policy, and £300 on their Premier travel insurance policies* and cover starts from under a fiver**. But don’t put it in your hold baggage as you will not be able to claim for losses arising from that!
*Single Trip and Annual Multi-trip policies only
**Premium £4.86 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a ‘standard’ Single Trip policy for 3 days in Europe and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.
Labels: Mobile-phones
// posted by 24/7 Travel Insurance @ 09:38
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