On vacation, you carry your phone behind you wherever you go, whether it’s to the beach, the mountains, or a road trip. How to control your phone and internet bills when calling overseas is covered.
Consult the supplier before leaving
Before leaving on vacation, everyone who directly inquires with their provider is clearly in the driver’s seat. Do your research before your international trip. Tariffs for roaming have decreased recently. However, you shouldn’t disregard the price of international calls and internet access.
Look over your data packets
Many plans offer a bundle of overseas data, which is sometimes even limitless. In many circumstances, you are not required to pay roaming charges if you visit any of the European nations.
Plans for mobile phones with roaming in Europe
There are several new vendors and contracting methods available right now. It may be worthwhile to switch your mobilabbonement because carriers attract attention with better performance and reduced charges, especially for new clients. It’s crucial to review the small print and contrast various services.
Purchase a data plan
Purchase an additional data package if your cell plan does not cover data use overseas. The majority of vendors make it simple to accomplish this using a phone call, mobile app, or online. You may purchase your data plan in the “cockpit” at Swisscom and Sunrise. Regardless of where you are in the world, access is free.
Good to know
Service providers are required to set roaming cost caps so that consumers won’t rack up massive data bills. The typical restrictions range from 100 to 250 francs depending on the supplier. You should let your supplier know if you prefer a lesser cap.
Disable data use
By switching off data consumption in your smartphone’s settings, you can take charge and be secure. Wherever there is Wi-Fi, that is typically accessible in hotels, cafés, and airports, anyone who has disconnected their cellphones can still access the internet.
No push alerts or automatic updates
Disable push alerts, background updates, and automatic updates on your phone. Some applications update themselves automatically without your knowledge.
This uses a significant quantity of data. Make sure that only when you have a connection to Wi-Fi will your applications update.
Customer advice
The widely used WhatsApp app often uses a lot of bandwidth. The automatic download of images and movies can be turned off in the settings.
Utilize applications rather than the browser
Many internet services, like Facebook, Google, or 20 Minutes online, are also accessible as applications. Before the holidays, download these on the phone so you are able to use them when you’re away. Comparatively speaking, this uses less data than using a browser.
Take a break
Some programs can even be used without a link to the web. You have this choice with Spotify and Google Maps. When you’re traveling, this is incredibly useful. Before your travel, download the route planners or audio playlists you’d want to utilize and use those offline when necessary.
Make calls online with a phone
When you’re gone, do you use the internet more frequently than calls? If yes, make your calls using Internet telephony. There are currently several programs accessible for the following: Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, and others that are practical and easy to access on any mobile phone.
Invest in a local disposable SIM card
Typically, only the EU (https://op.europa.eu/webpub/com/eu-what-it-is/en/) as well as Western Europe are eligible for low-cost data packages. With a regional SIM card, tourists will fare better abroad.
It’s preferable to purchase a SIM card that is prepaid overseas if you can’t use the internet when traveling but still want to stream your favorite program on your smartphone. You may obtain 10 GB for only a few euros, depending on the supplier and your location.
Disconnect from your phone
The purpose of vacations is to relax and have fun. Why should not your phone be set to relax as well? Put your phone away every now and again and recharge using a smaller phone and a longer life. It feels surprisingly pleasant, which will surprise you.
Holidaymakers can purchase a SIM card with a local number visiting another nation if they wish to avoid the steep data roaming fees charged by cell carriers. It costs money to use a mobile phone to access the internet in another nation. Customers of Sunrise and Orange in particular continue to pay exorbitant rates for data roaming regardless of their packages.
In another nation, buying a regional SIM card is far less expensive. Get your hotel’s address beforehand before buying a prepaid card. Additionally, you need to show some form of identity. Providers want an address, which occasionally needed to be domestic. Generally speaking, acquiring this address shouldn’t be an issue, however occasionally one needs to ask.
The grocery stores Lidl (Lidl Mobile Classic-Tarif) as well as Edeka (Edeka Mobil) provide reasonable prepaid rates for visitors from around the EU, and these rates are provided in-store only.
Both companies provide SIM cards that cost around 10 euros and come with a 10-euro telephone credit. It is advised to include a data bundle as well. The price difference between Lidl and Edeka for 500 MB is 6.95 euros and 9.95 euros, respectively.
Calls to European nations cost 29 cents for a mobile phone and 9 cents from a fixed network number. Here are a few examples of charges related to calling and internet surfing within some European countries:
Austrian discounters’ “yesss”
Tourists may get an inexpensive prepaid card at Hofer, the Austrian Aldi, for less than 5 euros. Included is a credit of 5 euros. The cost of using the internet is only 1 cent per MB, regardless of whether you have a data package.
A 1 GB package for heavy users is available for the startlingly cheap price of just 4 euros.
Calls cost 49 cents per minute as a result.
Italy: low-cost data packages
The majority of mobile phone SIM cards are offered through establishments that sell cell phones. Each Vodafone and TIM SIM card costs 20 euros and comes with a 15 euro credit.
