When you've forked out hard-earned money for a holiday abroad, the last thing you want is to be landed with an expensive phone bill at the end of it.
Brexit brought an end to the guarantee of free roaming for UK residents who visit countries inside the EU – but the good news is some providers still offer free services up to a certain point for travellers in Europe.
Here, we take a look at the UK's major phone providers and what they're offering customers when it comes to roaming across the globe...
Vodafone
Vodafone splits its roaming charges into four different "zones".
For pay monthly customers who took out their contract on or after 11 August 2021, how much you pay depends on which zone you're headed to:
Zone A - Ireland, the Isle of Man, Iceland and Norway - no extra charge
Zone B - Europe and EU member states (49 destinations) - £2.42 a day for customers without the Xtra Euro Roam plan
Zone C - 32 destinations including the US, Australia, Barbados and South Africa - £7.39 a day for customers without theXtra Global Roam plan
Zone D - 75 destinations from Argentina to Uzbekistan and Vietnam - £7.39 a day
All charges are dependent on customers adhering to the 25GB fair usage limit.
Countries outside zones A-D are deemed "rest of world zones" by Vodafone - these include destinations such as Belize, Nepal and Angola. Data is charged for each megabyte (MB) used, with charges typically £1.20 per MB.
Those with contracts before 11 August 2021 pay nothing for Zones A and B, and £6 a day for Zones C and D.
O2
Unlike some other major providers, O2 hasn't brought back EU roaming charges for customers using up to 25GB data abroad.
That means both pay monthly and pay-as-you-go customers heading to its Europe Zone (more than 40 destinations) are free to call, text and use data as they would in the UK.
For anyone travelling further afield, the charges depend on what plan you're on.
Customers whose contract includes the O2 Travel Inclusive Zone can roam in 27 destinations outside Europe, including Australia, New Zealand, the US and southern American countries.
If it's not part of your plan, you can purchase a travel bolt-on for £6 a day which allows for data roaming in 63 destinations.
Contract holders with O2 Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate can roam freely in 75 destinations outside Europe.
Three
Three's Go Roam Europe service lets pay monthly customers use their data allowance in 49 destinations at a cost of £2 a day.
Those using the Go Roam Global service (22 destinations outside Europe) pay £5 a day while Go Roam Global Extra (92 destinations outside Europe) comes at a cost of £7 a day.
The charges apply to customers who took their contracts out on or after 1 October 2021 - there are no charges for customers who were with Three before that.
Three imposes a 12GB fair usage cap for all customers on a monthly contract when roaming abroad and 9GB for those on pay-as-you-go.
EE
Anyone with an EE plan that began before 7 July 2021 will have EU data roaming included.
For newer customers, it costs £2.47 a day to use data roaming while travelling in its European zone, up to the 50GB fair usage limit.
For customers heading abroad to Europe for 11 days or more, it's cheaper to add on EE's Roam Abroad Pass which costs £25 a month (it can be cancelled at anytime, meaning you can scrap it after your holiday if you want to).
Customers heading to Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the US and wanting to use their data can select the Roam Abroad Pass as an add-on.
Alternatively, they can pay £6.74 a day for 500MB of data only in Canada and the US, £8.45 a day for 500MB in nine countries including Australia, India and China, or use 150MB of data for £8.45 a day in 45 other destinations including Brazil, Japan and Jamaica.
BT Mobile
Customers can use their phones abroad in 47 destinations without paying extra roaming charges with BT Mobile's Roam Like Home scheme.
If travelling outside Europe, BT mobile customers can use still use their phones but will need to buy a Mobile Travel Data Pass to access their data.
It costs £6 for 500MB that must be used within 24 hours. It covers 12 countries, including the UAE, US, Australia and Canada.
Giffgaff
Giffgaff lets customers roam for no extra charge within the EU and other selected locations, with a 5GB fair usage cap. If this is exceeded, roaming is charged at 10p per MB.
Anyone travelling outside the 37 locations in the EU and beyond will have to add credit to their account to use their phones as normal.
They'll also be charged a rate per minute, text or MB, which varies depending on where you go.
Tesco Mobile
Until 2026, anyone travelling to one of Tesco's 48 Home from Home destinations can use their phone as normal with no extra charge.
Roaming charges apply for travel outside these countries - but Tesco will cap data usage at £40 for anyone who hasn't already put in a safety buffer, to avoid anyone coming home to a shockingly high bill.
Generally, data costs around £5 per MB and texts 40p, but costs for calls can vary.
Sky
Sky's Roaming Passport Plus lets customers access their UK allowances for £2 a day in more than 55 popular holiday destinations, including EU countries, the US, Australia and more.
The pass is valid for 24 hours. Unused data can be carried over but the £2 charge still applies.
Anyone heading to other far-away destinations will see out-of-tariff roaming charges apply.
iD Mobile
If you've got a phone or SIM-only contract with iD Mobile you can use your UK monthly allowances in 50 destinations worldwide, up to 30GB.
Roaming has to be activated beforehand through your online account or the iD Mobile app.
Lyca Mobile
Anyone with a Lyca Mobile SIM can roam in the EU or use data in India as normal up to the 12GB fair usage limit.
What about e-SIMS?
Standing for "embedded SIM", e-SIMS are virtual SIMS that have been built into most newer devices like phones, tablets and smartwatches.
While perhaps not so useful inside the UK and for short EU trips, they could be a way to avoid those hefty out-of-tariff fees for travel further afield.
As they can be activated without a physical card, it makes them particularly useful for overseas trips as you can easily switch between several different carriers if you need to.
To use one, you'll need to purchase an e-SIM for the country you're heading to and adjust the settings on your phone to allow it to be used.
There are many different providers offering e-SIM services at varying prices for different destinations, making them difficult to compare.
