There’s nothing worse than returning from a trip abroad and being slapped with an extortionate phone bill.
Between expensive daily roaming passes and hidden charges from automatic updates, travellers can waste money staying connected.
But “dramatic” savings can be achieved with a few simple hacks that require little time or effort, according to Lee Dobson, founder of All Things eSIM, a global eSIM comparison website.
From setting a spending cap to enabling Wi-Fi calling, Dobson breaks down his top tips to cut back on your phone bill while abroad.
1. Check your network’s roaming policy
Log in to your network’s app and search for “roaming” to see if you’re getting a good deal. You want to check three things: whether EU roaming is included, the daily charge if it isn’t, and the fair use data cap.
Dobson says: “In 2026, O2 is the only major UK network still offering free EU roaming for most customers, with a 25GB cap. EE, Three and Vodafone charge a daily fee to unlock your allowance in Europe, roughly £2 to £2.75 a day. Outside Europe, it climbs fast. For example, Three charges £8 a day for worldwide destinations from April 2026.”
2. Set a spending cap
By law, UK networks have a cap of £45 for mobile data usage while abroad per monthly billing period and must send you alerts at 80% and 100% data usage. But you can set an even lower spending cap in your network’s app or on its website to slash your phone bill further.
Dobson says: “If you want to be really strict, that can be zero pounds, so you don’t spend anything. Or, you might want to set your limit to a couple of pounds in case of emergencies.”
3. Compare your network’s roaming charges to a travel eSIM
Look at how much your network charges for a daily pass, then compare it with an eSIM provider by searching online or using a comparison website. These eSIMs are digital SIM cards that are downloaded straight to your phone or tablet before you head off.
When you arrive at your destination, it will automatically connect to a local network.
Dobson advises calculating the total cost of daily passes for the length of your trip when deciding between your network and an eSIM.
“A £2.50 daily pass with your network is fine for a long weekend; on a two-week trip, that is £35 before you have used a single extra megabyte,” he explains.
“A travel eSIM often costs £5 to £20 for a week or more of data, and it keeps your UK number live for calls and texts while your data runs on the cheaper plan.”
4. Shop around for an eSIM
There are plenty of eSIM providers out there, but they aren’t all equal.