Beware roaming data charges!

[swee'pea99]

Just got back from Morocco - wonderful, thanks - and thought I'd mention for the unwary....

Don't use the phone outside Europe - too expensive - but at one point we got a bit lost and were very tired so I decided to switch on data to get google map directions, even tho' I knew it would be costly. But when I say 'costly', I was thinking a fiver maybe. Three minutes later I got two texts from Three telling me that my entire existing credit (I'm on PAYG), amounting to a bit over £35, was gone.

I'll be more careful next time.

 

[Paulus]

Just got back from Morocco - wonderful, thanks - and thought I'd mention for the unwary....

Don't use the phone outside Europe - too expensive - but at one point we got a bit lost and were very tired so I decided to switch on data to get google map directions, even tho' I knew it would be costly. But when I say 'costly', I was thinking a fiver maybe. Three minutes later I got two texts from Three telling me that my entire existing credit (I'm on PAYG), amounting to a bit over £35, was gone.

I'll be more careful next time.

I was in Cape Verde Islands a few weeks back. I left the roaming by mistake on and used the internet a few times, thinking I was on the WIFI from the Hotel. I got a text from Virgin telling me that I had reached my limit. £52.70

 

[nickyboy]

When travelling outside "free roaming" areas you should download the google map of the area you are visiting to your phone before you leave. Then you can use this static map (it's stored on your phone for a month or so I think). GPS is free, so this will use zero data.

The only downside is that you can't ask google maps to plot the route from A to B using this. It will show you where you are on the map (you can have preloaded "places of interest" such as your hotel onto it first) and the blue dot of your location. It's up to you to navigate thereafter

 

[HobbesOnTour]

When travelling outside "free roaming" areas you should download the google map of the area you are visiting to your phone before you leave. Then you can use this static map (it's stored on your phone for a month or so I think). GPS is free, so this will use zero data.

The only downside is that you can't ask google maps to plot the route from A to B using this. It will show you where you are on the map (you can have preloaded "places of interest" such as your hotel onto it first) and the blue dot of your location. It's up to you to navigate thereafter

I think you can still use the routing for cars option. Handy in a pinch.

However, for the ultimate offline route mapping option, Osmand is the way to go. Totally offline routing for bike and with the right cable the ability to send the route from your phone directly to your Garmin/Wahoo unit.

 

[nickyboy]

I think you can still use the routing for cars option. Handy in a pinch.

.

You're quite right and I hadn't realised that. So at least you can get an idea of how far you may have to walk using the "routing for cars" option. Just have to remember to switch off the data roaming to force google maps to use the offline downloaded map. Otherwise its £6/MB or similar

 

[postman]

Ouch,i never put my phone on while i am away.With us travelling as a family,and i love being with my 22 and 21 year old kids,they have theirs on all the time,and i'm a numpty anyway when it comes to modern gadgets.

 

[GilesM]

However, for the ultimate offline route mapping option, Osmand is the way to go. Totally offline routing for bike and with the right cable the ability to send the route from your phone directly to your Garmin/Wahoo unit.

I will have a wee look at that, Here We Go maps also offer a complete off line option, totally free.

 

[Profpointy]

I did 3 or 4 days in Bangalore a few days back, including some heavy data and long conference calls.
Bill was £2k !

 

[tamiya]

Don't you folks believe in buying a local SIM with data as soon as you land?

 

[gbb]

Don't you folks believe in buying a local SIM with data as soon as you land?

I used to do that all the time when I was travelling frequently, Malta, Uraguay and Egypt notably. Cost a fraction of the normal charges.
Never got hit in Cape Verde, obviously didnt lose the wifi connection.
Did get hit once using a PC based text messaging service, Egypt to the UK...well, I didnt, the recipient did..£10 .
Call and data charges are notoriously high via your own networks in N Africa, Tunisia was on a par with Egypt I seem to remember.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I will have a wee look at that, Here We Go maps also offer a complete off line option, totally free.

Thanks for the tip. One advantage of Osmand is that you can create a gpx file to use on a gps device. I don't think Here We Go does that? But still a handy app to have.

 

[GilesM]

Thanks for the tip. One advantage of Osmand is that you can create a gpx file to use on a gps device. I don't think Here We Go does that? But still a handy app to have.

Will have a go, that could be useful.

 

[steveindenmark]

I am not savvy when it comes to roaming.

Is it cheaper to buy a sim card in the country I am visiting?

 

[nickyboy]

I am not savvy when it comes to roaming.

Is it cheaper to buy a sim card in the country I am visiting?

Unless you are visiting a country that your current provider regards as "free to roam" the answer is "yes". Given roaming costs from UK network providers can be in the region of £6/MB, it is always cheaper to get some local sim data deal

In countries not free to roam, if I'm staying more than a couple of days I usually buy a local sim. The only issue with that is that nobody can contact me by phone or text on my usual number (email, WhatsApp etc work as normal) and as these are often business trips, this can be a problem

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

I messed up with that, on a Cruise ship going past the coast of Morocco. I haven't a clue what my mobile phone was doing, I think I was looking at Facebook (not on that crap anymore), I got a text message stating that I had went over my data allowance, it was something like £112. I'm crap at geography and didn't realise that the country wasn't part of what's classed the same as Britain for data charges, I didn't even know I was sailing past Morocco.

I phoned up and explained it to Talk Mobile and they waived it, as it was a genuine mistake, but it certainly made me check these things..