You know that lovely feeling when you land somewhere warm, drop your bags in the hotel, breathe in the air, hear the waves? Holidays feel freeing. Until your phone bill arrives.

Roaming charges are one of those things you don’t think about until it’s too late. You take a few photos, maybe map your way to a beach, the kids stream something for five minutes, and suddenly you’re paying extra just for being on holiday.

I had a moment like this recently in Rhodes. We were relaxing by a beach, the sea stretched wide and calm, and Turkey was sitting just across the water. I didn’t open any apps. I wasn’t streaming or posting photos. I simply had my phone with me. Within minutes a message popped up: welcome to the Turkish network.

I was still in Greece.

My phone had connected automatically to a Turkish mobile tower over the water, and Turkey wasn’t included in my roaming plan. I barely touched the phone, yet each minute ticking by meant money draining out. In less than five minutes I received three texts in a row: one welcoming me to Turkey, one telling me I was about to reach my bill limit, and one confirming I’d hit it.

Luckily, I had a safety buffer set so I could only go £5 over my usual phone bill. Otherwise that tiny moment at the beach could have turned into a frighteningly large and unexpected bill. And honestly, that was a wake-up call. Roaming charges don’t just happen when you use your phone. Sometimes they happen simply because your phone is near a border and apps are using the internet in the background!

And that’s why planning ahead really matters.

Why families are often hit with high roaming charges

Sometimes roaming charges are intentional, like when we decide to look up directions or upload a sunset photo. Most of the time they’re accidental.

A quick moment on Instagram. A GPS ping. A cloud backup you didn’t even know was happening. Children open a game or a YouTube clip without realising it needs data. It’s tiny moments like this that leave families confused when the bill comes through.

The most common culprits include:

• Streaming video or music without noticing data is roaming rather than Wi-Fi.
  
• Maps constantly updating location when exploring.
  
• Cloud photo backups uploading in real time.
  
• Background app updates and software downloads.
  
• Automatic connection to foreign networks near borders or coastlines.

Nobody wants a surprise like that. And while you can set safety caps and alerts, sometimes the best answer is preventing the charges before they even start.

What is an eSIM, and why does it help so much when travelling?

An eSIM is a digital SIM that’s built inside your phone. There’s no tiny plastic card to buy abroad. No queue at an airport kiosk. You just choose a plan, download it, and activate it.

It works like a physical SIM, just without the swapping, losing, or fiddling. Many travellers now use eSIMs because they let you connect instantly in different countries and control your spending more confidently. You can even keep your normal number active if your phone supports dual SIM. 

Once you try one and learn what an eSIM is, you understand why they’re becoming the easiest way to stay online abroad without worrying about bill shock.

Benefits of using an eSIM on family holidays abroad

Easy activation

You can set it up at home before you fly. When you land, it connects automatically, no shops or airport queues.

Keep your normal number active

You don’t have to lose access to your UK number. Many devices let you run both side by side, one for calls, one for data.

No risk of losing physical SIMs

When you’re swapping tiny SIM trays in hotel rooms or taxis, it’s easy to drop something. An eSIM removes that possibility completely.

Share data with family devices

One plan can often cover everyone by tethering through hotspot, so you don’t need multiple separate SIMs for children or tablets.

Flexible plans for different countries

If you’re travelling to more than one destination, you can switch data plans as needed. You only pay for what you actually use.

How to set up an eSIM before travelling abroad

A little prep means everything runs smoothly when you arrive.

• Check whether your phone model supports eSIM.
  
• Pick a trusted provider with coverage for your destination.
  
• Buy and activate the plan before leaving the UK if possible.
  
• Follow the on-screen setup steps to install the eSIM profile.
  
• Switch your mobile data to the eSIM instead of your home SIM.

Once it’s done once, it becomes second nature.

Extra ways to prevent roaming charges while travelling

Even with an eSIM, a few settings can save money, stress, and late-night bill checking.

• Turn off auto updates, cloud backups, and background refresh.
  
• Download films, series, music, and maps over Wi-Fi first.
  
• Use secure hotel or café Wi-Fi for heavy downloads, but avoid logging into banking or private accounts on open networks.
  
• Set data caps for children so streaming doesn’t run wild.
  
• Switch off roaming completely when near borders, coastlines, or other countries close enough for a phone to connect automatically.

A single toggle could prevent a repeat of what happened to me in Rhodes. Five minutes of my phone automatically connecting to a country I wasn’t even in cost me £5, and that was with a spending limit in place. Without it? I don’t even want to imagine the number. The relief was real.

Final thoughts

Roaming charges don’t need to follow you home like unwanted holiday souvenirs! With an eSIM and a few travel-smart habits, you can enjoy beach days, city exploring, and family downtime without worrying about how much your phone is costing in the background.

You stay connected. You share photos. You navigate new streets. And you go home to a calm, predictable phone bill rather than a shock.

Staying connected abroad is easy when you set up an eSIM before travelling, limit background data, and download offline tools so your device only uses mobile internet when you choose to.