How to avoid Bill Shock while travelling abroad?

Every time you travel abroad, your phone connects to the local network enabling you to receive calls, messages and use data. But postpaid international roaming services are extremely costly and you will experience a bill shock when you get your bill. 

Let this not shock you for there are ways to mitigate the bill shock! 

Here are a few:

-> Use Only Wi-Fi Hotspots

The cheapest way to avoid a high postpaid international roaming cost is to not use the roaming services at all. Switch off your mobile data and only access data when you are at a hotel, restaurant or cafe that offers free Wi-Fi. You also need to switch off data roaming on your phone. This way, your phone will not attempt to access data services while on roaming. 

Your phone will have a lot of apps that run in the background and access data. Make sure to turn off all these apps. Remove auto-sync from your email accounts. Your phone often uses mobile data in addition to the GPS to increase the accuracy of the location services. You can either turn off location services altogether or choose the option that uses only GPS and not mobile data to determine your location. 

While this may be a cheap option, you will be left without access to any data while travelling. This can severely affect your travel if you are in a totally new place and are reliant on online maps and routes. Moreover, you still can not make or receive any calls that aren’t expensive. 

-> Buy a Local SIM

You can buy a local SIM card when you land at the airport or from any other shops outside. These SIMs are usually cheap and you can enjoy using data while you travel. However, the prices of many of these are marked up to fool tourists. You have to be sure that you are buying one from a reputable seller. You also need to check the validity of the SIM before buying it. 

Another issue with this method is that you will need to inform all your contacts about the new number. This in itself is a tiresome task. 

-> Get the i-RoamFREE Pack from Vodafone

If you would like to continue using your own number and continue making calls and accessing internet while travelling, then the i-RoamFREE Pack from Vodafone is the perfect fit for you. This pack eliminates the need to search for a free Wi-Fi hotspot or changing the SIM. The price of the postpaid international roaming packs range from INR 215 to INR 599 per day. The price varies depending on the country you visit. You can use this facility in around 20 countries and access free international roaming in 46 countries.   

So what then are you waiting for? Pack your bags and fly off to your dream destinations!