While holidays are undoubtedly enjoyable, they can also be costly.

If the mere thought of airfare, accommodation and meal expenses is enough to deter you, then brace yourself, as your mobile phone bill might just skyrocket too. In December, it was revealed that EE, the UK’s largest mobile network, made a significant alteration to its roaming charges, leading to heftier bills for some customers using their phones overseas.

The company has scrapped a £25 monthly pass that allowed users to utilise additional data while on holiday. These passes, if you’re unfamiliar, enabled customers without inclusive roaming contracts to use their calls, texts and data in 47 European destinations, as well as countries like the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Without such a pass, customers will now have to shell out £2.47 per day to use data in Europe. Simply put, this amounts to £75 for a 30-day trip, which is £50 more than what it would have cost with the Roam Abroad pass.

If you’re planning a 14-day holiday, you’ll need to fork out £34.58 to use data in the EU, marking a £9.58 increase from the previous cost. Following this announcement, experts at eSIM travel company, Airalo, issued a warning and provided tips on how holidaymakers can avoid hidden charges when travelling.

UK travellers could face hefty roaming charges when visiting the United States, with a one-month stay costing £100 using traditional mobile network providers. However, savvy globetrotters now have a cost-effective alternative.

Airalo’s eSIM offers 20GB data for just £34.50 for 30 days or a seven-day pass at a mere £4. These offerings represent substantial savings, slashing travel costs and sidestepping bill shock.

Airalo experts cautioned: “Travellers should be wary of add-ons and extra fees when travelling. If customers aren’t aware costs can significantly stack up and create an extravagant bill.

“Downloading an eSIM for travelling, and turning off your primary SIM can significantly reduce fees when travelling which makes for efficient roaming when abroad. Customers have been left shocked at the new costs implemented by their network provider, so it’s recommended to avoid staggering bills and extra charges abroad to download an eSIM for cheaper and effective roaming.”

Social media money-saving gurus agree with this advice, hailing the eSIM as a stellar budget travel tip. Meanwhile, Uswitch always advocates for pre-travel preparation, advising visitors to check roaming allowances and disable “data roaming” before they land anywhere outside the UK. 

They also suggest investing in a travel eSIM as a preemptive measure against unexpected expenses – a tip that is gaining traction on various social media platforms.