3 Ways To Save On Network Roaming Charges While In Europe
While planning a trip out of India, we generally are prepared for everything. Be it clothes for the hot weather as well as cold, or checking our passports and tickets for the millionth time. But, the one thing we should prepare for, but generally don’t, is cutting back on roaming charges. According to an article published by MailOnline, the highest roaming cost recorded was a whopping sum of $570,000 that was debited to an Aussie traveller returning from an European holiday (MailOnline, 2016). This is the classic example of a mobile bill amounting to more than the cost of the entire trip!
So, it is very important to properly plan and use different ways to save on network roaming charges. Keeping this in mind, here are a few techniques you can use, if you are planning a trip to Europe:
Out With Automatic, In With Manual
One task that you absolutely cannot forget doing before your flight departs, is prepare you mobile for the trip. Yes, that is possible! Firstly, you need to set your mail settings to ‘fetch’ rather than ‘push’. Basically, this means that your mobile will download a mail only when you ask it to, as compared to mails that are not necessary, being downloaded automatically. This is extremely important as a report by Verizon says that, a 1MB mail can cost upto $20 to download (Verizon, 2015). Once that is sorted, you need to disable automatic downloads and app updates. Imagine the horror when you realise you have been charged $100 for a funny video on WhatsApp that you didn't even like! And lastly, one of the most important precautions you should take is to reset your cellular data statistics to keep track of your cellular usage while in Europe. Also, never stream videos or music while roaming internationally. You have Wi-Fi for that!
Wi-Fi Is Free
Yes, Wi-Fi is free. Make sure to use this to the optimum. And, the only way to ensure this is to plan in advance. While Wi-Fi is available in most places, it isn't available everywhere. Especially while travelling. A simple solution to this is making use of Google’s ‘Pre-Load Map Data’ that lets you load the details of where you want to go while you are connected to the internet, which can be used while you are offline as well. Just remember that Google Maps or Apple Maps is one of the largest data consumers of all apps!
While the aforementioned points are surely helpful, they aren't always applicable. There will be times when you need to download and important mail, or when Wi-Fi isn't available. The best and most reliable solution to cut back on roaming charges while travelling, is buying a Europe SIM card. These prepaid cards help travellers greatly reduce the cost of using a mobile while travelling internationally. You can choose from various plans that are made available to you, and select one that suits your need. What’s more? A few companies also provide benefits like free roaming, high speed internet connection, and low tariffs. Purchasing a Europe travel sim will ensure that you don't exceed your budget for mobile bills and enjoy your vacation without worrying.
While there are more techniques that will help you save roaming charges, these are definitely the most reliable and effective from the list. So, for this European trip, don’t forget to change your mobile settings, remain connected to the Wi-Fi, and buy a Europe international SIM card before you are whisked away by the beauty of the country.
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