With the UK summer holidays just around the corner, many Brits will be preparing to jet off to tropical locations across the globe. But what does this mean for mobile users wanting to stay connected overseas?
To help you stay connected on a budget, Uswitch.com Mobile experts have revealed how to save on data roaming charges and where in the world you can save the most.
The study analysed data roaming charges from Three, O2, Vodafone and EE in the most popular travel destinations, to reveal the countries with the biggest eSIM savings across the world.
The top 10 countries with the biggest eSIM savings
|
|
Maximum Cost
|
Cheapest Cost
|
Rank
|
Country
|
Big four providers
|
eSIM 30-day deals
|
Maximum eSIM deal savings
|
1
|
Dominican Republic
|
£600.00
|
£31.43
|
£568.57
|
2
|
United Arab Emirates
|
£225.00
|
£28.95
|
£196.05
|
3
|
India
|
£205.50
|
£10.75
|
£194.75
|
4
|
Turkey
|
£205.50
|
£14.89
|
£190.61
|
5
|
Brazil
|
£205.50
|
£17.00
|
£188.50
|
5
|
Colombia
|
£205.50
|
£17.00
|
£188.50
|
5
|
Singapore
|
£205.50
|
£17.00
|
£188.50
|
8
|
Philippines
|
£205.50
|
£17.37
|
£188.13
|
9
|
Indonesia
|
£205.50
|
£20.47
|
£185.03
|
10
|
Malaysia
|
£205.50
|
£20.68
|
£184.82
|
The Dominican Republic is the country with the biggest eSIM savings. Holidaymakers could save a whopping £568.57 on roaming here by using an eSIM. EE subscribers would be charged £20 a day to use their UK allowance in the Dominican Republic, totalling £600 for a 30-day stay. But, Airalo offers a 30-day eSIM deal for £31.69, which comes with 4GB of data.
The country with the second biggest eSIM savings is the United Arab Emirates. Travellers to the UAE could save up to £196 on roaming by switching to an eSIM. EE users would be charged £225 to use their network in the UAE, while O2 and Vodafone each charge £180. But a 30-day eSIM with Airalo would cost you just £28.95 for 5GB of data.
India is the country with the third biggest eSIM savings of over £190. EE charges the most for data roaming in India, where customers are set back a huge £205.50 for a month of data roaming. To save you over £190, switch to an eSIM from Airalo at just £10.75 for 3GB of data.
How to save money on your mobile bill while travelling
See what eSIMs can offer you – eSIMs are well worth considering. A local eSIM bundle is typically cheaper than data roaming bundles from the big four networks, or when paying per MB when in foreign countries. Check out the above to see where you can save the most money on mobile roaming by using an eSIM.
Keep your eye out for free Wi-Fi – Free Wi-Fi is everywhere these days, from hotels, restaurants and bars to cafes and public transport. Some areas, such as airports, may charge you a small fee for a Wi-Fi connection. But this will often be cheaper than paying for additional mobile data.
For data-intensive tasks, such as uploading your holiday pictures to social media or video calling home, it’s a good idea to find free Wi-Fi if you can. But remember to make sure any network you join is safe and secure.
If you want some additional security, you could also consider purchasing a VPN. This will provide a private connection between your device and the websites you visit and add an extra layer of security that encrypts your data.
Turn off auto updates – Many phones have settings that auto-update your phone’s software and apps. This can be especially data-heavy, particularly if you are travelling for a while and you have multiple updates to action. Turning off auto-updates can help you to save a lot of data and minimise your roaming expenses. Alternatively, you can set your phone settings so that auto updates only take place when you are connected to Wi-Fi.
Download content before you travel – Before travelling, download any films, TV shows, e-books or music you might want to access while you’re away. This can help to save you a lot of data should you want to consume your favourite media on the go.
