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| If you are taking your mobile phone abroad with you, consider the following tips before you leave. |
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- Contact your mobile phone provider to make sure that your phone is enabled for 'international roaming'. Remember to do this well in advance as it can take up to 14 days for your mobile phone service provider to enable international roaming for you.
- Check that your existing handset will work in the country that you are going to. For example, if you are travelling to America you will need a tri-band handset.
- Check with your network provider how much international roaming will cost you as charges vary greatly from those within the UK. Confirm current charges before you leave as they can change at short notice.
- Check with your network provider to see if there are any deals available to you for overseas travel with your mobile. Some mobile phone companies offer very good deals to their loyal customers.
- Ask your network provider what the cheapest foreign network for you to connect to is at your destination.
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| Use the UK mobile phone network providers customer services numbers below to do your research on who does the best deals: |
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UK Network Providers |
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O2 |
0870 225 7879 |
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Orange |
0800 079 0006 |
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T-Mobile |
0845 412 5000 |
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Three |
08707 330 333 |
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Virgin |
0845 6000 789 |
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Vodafone |
08700 700 191 |
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Tesco Mobile |
0845 301 44 55 |
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If you intend to use your mobile a lot when abroad... |
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| Some mobile services offer international traveller tariffs, offering cheaper calls abroad for a monthly fee. Check with your service provider how much this would cost and how long you would have to be committed for. |
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It is sometimes cheaper to use an alternative SIM card in your phone if you are planning on using your mobile frequently while you are away. The SIM card is a small card that slots into your phone and allows you to receive network service to make and receive calls.
You can buy SIM cards for foreign networks at international airports and some UK retailers. Remember to check if your international SIM card expires after a certain amount of time. |
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You can buy international SIM cards to take and use abroad with your handset at SIM for Travel, click this link: |
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| Remember to take an electrical adapter for your mobile phone charger if you are taking your handset with you. |
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When you arrive at your destination and switch your phone on you will be locked onto a local phone transmitter which will route your calls on to the phone company which your service provider has got the best deal with.
So you may be in France but your phone still 'behaves' as if you are in Britain. For example if you are in France and are given a mobile number by a friend who is also in France and promise to call them back it will cost a fortune because it's routed via the UK!
That's a massive 1,800 mile round trip just for a distance of a couple of hundred yards between calls! On top of that if your friend has a British mobile they will also be paying for receiving the call.
Because taking your mobile phone abroad with you can cost you dearly, it is well worth doing your homework before you leave to find out what the best and cheapest way is to use your mobile phone while you are away. Whether that be using a temporary SIM card which works on a foreign network or doing a deal with your network provider in the UK. |
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| If you are taking your mobile phone abroad with you remember to input these important numbers into your mobile's phonebook before you leave: |
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- Telephone number of your Hotel / Tour Operator
- Telephone number of the nearest British Embassy to where you are going to be staying
- Your travel insurance provider's contact numbers
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Important Numbers - Government Offices and Agencies |
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Foreign & Commonwealth Office Enquiries |
+44 (0) 207 008 1500 |
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Services for Briton’s overseas |
+44 (0) 207 008 0210 |
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Travel Advice |
+44 (0) 845 850 2829 |
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Security and Your Mobile Phone Abroad ... |
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Make a note of your mobile's serial number (also known as the IMEI number), your mobile telephone number and the telephone number of your network provider's customer services (including UK dialing code). Keep them with you in a safe place separate from your mobile.
If your phone is stolen you will be able to contact your network operator in the UK and request that they block your phone and/or SIM card. You may need to provide additional information in order to get the phone blocked, such as a password.
Contact your network provider for details of how they deal with stolen phones before you leave to ensure that you take sufficient information abroad to enable you to block the phone if it is stolen. |
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You may also want to consider taking out travel insurance which will cover your mobile phone if it is lost, stolen or damaged while you are away.
To find out more visit our Travel Insurance Page. |
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