Travel warning on how to cut mobile costs outside the EU

Holidaymakers have been issued a stark warning about the potential for sky-high mobile charges when venturing outside the EU. The latest Money Saving Expert newsletter has sounded the alarm, revealing that some providers are slapping customers with fees of up to £8 per day for minimal data usage.

Moreover, unsuspecting travellers could find themselves incurring additional costs by using their add-ons, such as streaming TV on their data plans while abroad. To avoid these hefty mobile bills, consumers are being advised to opt for an economical international eSim instead.

These digital sims offer all the usual perks of a traditional physical sim card and work by temporarily adjusting your phone's settings to connect you to a foreign provider, thus providing a separate data allowance. The renowned personal finance expert Martin Lewis has even shared his own positive experiences with eSims during his travels across Europe.

He commented: "As I was going out of Europe for just under 10 days, I picked a one-month 10GB eSim for £18. My own network charges well over £6 a day for a 500MB daily data limit.

"I was a touch trepidatious about whether it would work, if the signal would be good (as it could only connect to two networks rather than all) and how it would work with messaging," reports the Mirror. Yet he was pleasantly surprised by the ease of setting up an eSim at the airport, noting it took a mere six minutes following the provided instructions.

He elaborated on his experience to say: "Once I was abroad, after a little confusion that there was no homepage indication that a different Sim was being used (I found myself flipping to the eSim app, waiting to see if it was using up megabytes - after a couple of minutes it started to register), it was easy.

"I got a strong 4G signal virtually everywhere, and used the internet with the freedom and speed of home. The 10GB limit lasting my whole time away smacks the bottom of a 500MB daily limit, as you don't need to worry about busting it with one download."

He described the overall process as "very simple" and highlighted the convenience of being able to switch back to his regular sim card in seconds. For those considering an eSim, it's important to check compatibility with your specific iPhone or Android device by consulting your phone manufacturer or eSim provider before making a purchase.