Tips to slash your mobile phone bill when abroad

Tip 1: Check your, and your family's, mobile phone bills for international roaming charges

Seems obvious we know, but many of us have our mobile phones paid on direct debit and it's a chore to go though the bills. After being overseas, look for words such as international roaming, mobile roaming charges, roamed usage. These charges for when you roam with your mobile phone will be quite high so be prepared for a shock!

Tip 2: Understand mobile phone roaming charges

When a mobile phone is used abroad it uses "Mobile Roaming". This connects it to an overseas network and calls are routed via that overseas network provider instead of its home network. This causes a dramatically increased cost, as home network charges have to be paid as well as the visited network charges. These expensive roaming charges are incurred when receiving a call, making one, or even listening to a voice mail.

Tip 3: Get free mobile calls while abroad

Use an international or global roaming SIM abroad. If you put a Traveltalk SIM into your mobile phone before you go abroad you can receive calls free in 64 popular countries. Contrast that with one UK mobile provider who will charge you 90p a minute to receive a call in the US whereas Traveltalk SIM would charge you only p a minute.

Tip 4: Slash international outgoing mobile phone call costs while abroad

Calling from your mobile while in the EU can cost up to £4 for a 10-minute call, or £15 for a 10-minute call outside the EU. So it's vital you use a cheaper way to call when possible. With a Traveltalk SIM you only pay super-saver rates. For example a call to a UK landline from the US costs just p a minute. A call to a UK mobile would cost just p a minute. To find the Traveltalk rates from all countries click here.

Tip 5: Keep one mobile number for people to reach you on

Some people buy a local SIM for every country they visit to avoid roaming charges. While this is also cost effective, it's not very convenient for those trying to call you as they will often waste money calling the wrong number. A global or international roaming SIM like Traveltalk will enable you to always have the same number while abroad and when making international travel arrangements.

Tip 6: People can text you while abroad for free

If you do not have one of these international roaming SIMs, then the best way to avoid mobile roaming charges is to turn your phone off and use text as much as possible. Receiving a text is free anywhere in the world so you could ask people to text you when they need to talk to you. You then find a cheap way to call them back.

With a global SIM or international roaming SIM like Traveltalk you will not need this strategy because incoming calls are free in 64 popular countries and you can make super-saver outgoing calls from over 170 countries.

Tip 7: Use your Traveltalk SIM call credit from your hotel phone

Only use Hotel room phones in countries with Toll free access numbers in conjunction with your traveltalk sim. In countries with toll Free access numbers you can save more money by using your Traveltalk sim from your hotel phone.

You simply dial the toll free access number we provide and then follow the prompts to make your call using Traveltalk's super low rates.

Just be sure that the hotel is not going to charge you for a toll free call.

Tip 8: Get people to call your hotel room

Ask people to call you! By using a specialist cheap call provider, calls can be made from the UK to anywhere in the world for less than a penny a minute. With Auracall T-Talk and Auracall Classic you are able to call internationally from the UK at a fraction of the cost of a UK mobile or landline provider. For example you can phone a landline in Poland from your mobile from 5.9 pence per minute, or just 1/2p a minute from a landline.

So, people needing to get hold of you while abroad can phone your hotel phone using this Auracall International service.