There is no way to keep that vacation feeling after receiving a sky-high data roaming bill.
Stories like this keep repeating in the media.
Received unbelievable bills
Briton John Nisill told the media that he almost fainted after finding out he had made nearly £200,000 worth of data roaming bills during a four-day family holiday in Turkey.
Mr Nisill said he had sent several emails and spoken on the phone for just 16 minutes during the holiday.
However, a couple of days later he received a call from his boss. He asked Mr Nisill to switch off his phone because "the bill seems a bit high".
BT billed £192 000 for the 46 GB of data roaming used. However, after the story was reported in the media, the operator made a goodwill gesture and cancelled the bill.
A family living in Lancashire, UK, is probably still shuddering at the memory of their 3-week holiday in the Philippines. After the trip with his wife and a 14-year-old daughter the father received a bill of almost £10,000 (£9226 to be exact) from the operator EE.
The teenager, allegedly unaware of what she was doing, during the family stay in the Philippines had bought 164 data roaming packages.
This came as a surprise to the family, as the father had put a £5 monthly limit on the teenager's mobile plan.
After the media intervened in the story, the British company made a goodwill gesture and reduced the bill by £8500.
Data roaming is expensive abroad
Both stories must have been nerve-wracking for all parties included. But they have also taught them and all of us many lessons. For example, always take a closer look at your mobile operators' contract and rates before you go on a trip abroad.
So what can we do to avoid a huge mobile data bill when we get back from vacation?
There are several ways to save money on data roaming with their own pros and cons.
Obviously, the cheapest way is to keep your phone switched off or on an airplane mode while abroad. But we all understand that times are not the same anymore - the smartphone is part of our lives.
Maps, films, music, nearby restaurants and addresses could be taken care of before we go abroad. But there is always something unplanned or unfinished that requires further browsing while travelling.
Public Wi-Fi is often slow and insecure
Public Wi-Fi is available in hotels and restaurants. But it's often so slow that it eats up a good chunk of our rest time and ruins the mood. And it keeps you tied to one place for a long time. For example, on a sofa at the hotel reception.
More importantly, public Wi-Fi needs to be handled with care because it's not secure. It is not advisable to conduct serious business or use online banking while connected to public Wi-Fi.
There is a lot of private and important information on your smartphone - passwords or password apps stored in your browser, banking apps, personal photos, private notes, contacts, etc. Hackers can intercept the information on your smartphone over unsecured public Wi-Fi.
It's inconvenient to change your SIM card
You can buy a local data SIM card when travelling abroad. However, you will have to sacrifice some of your precious trip time to find a store that sells prepaid cards.
Then you will have to analyse the local operator's rules (usually in the local language, which can be a problem). Then to change your primary (home) SIM card to a local one.
The most stressful part in this situation is the thought that haunts you every day: 'Have I lost my home SIM card yet?!'.
Not everyone knows about eSIM data
Not all travellers are aware of the fact that mobile internet of a particular country can be arranged before trip. If your device - computer, tablet, smartphone - is of a new model, it probably already has eSIM technology.
To put it simply, eSIM is a microchip that allows you to use the services of operators in different countries without a physical SIM card. eSIM services can be purchased and activated online.
eSIM data is installed according to instructions given by the seller. It can be used for browsing, calling and messaging over the Internet.
eSIM data is cheaper than data roaming. It is also faster and more secure than public Wi-Fi.
Prepaid eSIM data for travel
As holiday time is limited, travellers need to look for prepaid (pay as you go) eSIM data providers. The advantage of a prepaid service is that you won't exceed your data limit.
Get what you paid for and don't be afraid of a huge bill after your holiday.
There is a number of eSIM data providers. One of them is MoreMins. This company offers eSIM data of 150 countries.
MoreMins representatives note that the number of eSIM devices grows, so does the usage of eSIM mobile data. MoreMins eSIM Internet can be used with a device of your choice - tablet, computer, smartphone (via the MoreMins app).
It is possible to make calls and send texts to local or international phone numbers (landlines and mobiles) via the MoreMins app using MoreMins eSIM data.
MoreMins provides eSIM data of more than 150 countries.
For example, 1GB of internet in England (UK) costs 3.99 ($£€), 1GB of internet in Turkey costs 3.99 ($£€), 1GB of internet in Germany costs 3.99 ($£€), 1GB of internet in Norway costs 3.99 ($£€), 1GB of internet in the US (America) costs 4.99 ($£€), 1GB of internet in Thailand costs 4.99 ($ £ €), 1GB internet in the United Arab Emirates (UAE, Dubai, Emirates) costs 5.99 ($ £ €), 1GB internet in Egypt costs 10.99 ($ £ €). Vodafone Global eSIM costs 29.99 (£).
Order eSIM data on MoreMins website e-shop. Use MoreMins data with Moremins app on smartphone, computer or tablet.
Download MoreMins app for Android.
Download MoreMins eSIM app for iPhone.