Smartphone abroad - how i beat data roaming charges and still stayed online :)

Richard_T_

Theres loads of negative posts on here regarding data roaming charges and how people have returned from their holidays with huge bills for data roaming, so i though i would share my rather more positive recent experiences.

First of all my phone ( Motorola defy ) is unlocked - meaning that i can put ( almost ) any sim from any network inside, my home network is three ( 30 day sim only deal)

But three charge £1.28/mb of data abroad, so in the months before i went away i researched how much data i use on average each day, using an android home screen widget ( data counter widget ) this was/is typically 35-50mb per day 9 web browsing/emails/youtube/video streaming etc etc), on three that would cost £64 per day.

So then it was time to look at ways to reduce my usage, i was aware of a browser called opera mini, this connects via a proxy ( i think) and you can set it to reduce image sizes amongst other things, using this and cutting back on streaming i managed to get my data down to 20 to 25mb.
On three that would still cost £32 per day for 25mb.

Thats when vodafones pay as you go passport deal caught my eye, they charge £2 to access to web in Europe on a phone - but for that you get 25mb a day ( outside their Europe area its £5 per day) plus with it being pay as you go, you can only spend what you've put into it.
So I bought a Vodafone pay as you go sim, put £30 credit on, and put my three sim card into my old non internet dumb phone, for receiving texts and the odd call.

To further beat the system, i told people my new voda number, and replied to texts as e-mail, plus i made use of wifi when available, as im also on the Fon network ( fon spot/fonero) i was able to use that abroad when available.


all in all for two weeks i paid less than £30, its not cheap, but the piece of mind that going onto pay as you go in order to avoid horrific data roaming charges was worth it.

Guys_Dad

Now that's what I call research into how the phone works, data charges, data use, and sensible planning.

Well done and a lesson to others. :beer:

tooting_jane

Iwent to Spain in May and bought a Spanish Vodafone PAYG sim on ebay. Vodafone in Spain have good data plans on payg. I put my UK sim into an old phone. 3.5 Euros per week for unlimited data (speed slows a bit after you use so much data per day). Ker-ching!

http://www.vodafone.es/particulares/es/moviles-y-fijo/tarifas/movil-tarjeta/solo-navegar/

It's always worth researching local sim cards.

PNEfan

I used my Kindle 3G for browsing and emails. Wouldn't suit everyone I know - not as easy as a smartphone or as portable, but I think it's brilliant as it costs nothing in many countries.

Would highly recommend for those (like me) who get twitchy without Internet access.