Dial Abroad: Where Roaming Is Expensive

Cost trap roaming: If you use your mobile phone abroad, you may be surprised how high the bill afterwards. These tips will help you avoid needlessly straining your vacation budget.

• Where roaming charges apply in Europe

• A special case of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• What should mobile phone users in border areas consider

Since 2017, mobile phone companies have been allowed to charge for cell phone use in Europe Union It no longer charges roaming fees. However, in some important European travel countries, telephony is still very expensive.

Roaming means using a mobile phone contract Abroad. The home network is no longer available there and the cell phone connects to a mobile phone network in the respective country.

To use the foreign network, the provider must pay the money, which is usually by the so-called Roaming charges to customers. This is generally the case in all countries outside Europe.

Roaming: There are no charges in other EU countries

The EU Roaming Regulation states that to use a mobile phone in other EU countries, the Nationally Agreed Tariffs They must apply and may not be charged additional fees. This means that vacationers and other travelers can send messages, make phone calls or surf the Internet under the same terms and costs as in Germany.

This rule applies to everyone 27 countries in the European Union and in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which align with the European Union through the European Economic Area (EEA).

Good to know: in small countries Andorra, Monaco, San Marino And the Vatican City, Completely surrounded by the territory of the European Union, as you find The EU roaming regulation does not apply. However, some providers still treat these areas as EU countries. So those traveling there should check the terms of the contract before the trip.

Use of cell phones in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland left the European Union in early 2020. The transition period during which EU regulation continued to apply also expired on 1 January 2021. As a result, travelers have to bear roaming charges again.

However, at the moment, many mobile operators waive the corresponding surcharge. So travelers to the UK should check with their service provider about Present cases or current states to know. This also applies to Gibraltar, the autonomous Channel Islands jersey And the Guernsey as well as Isle of Man.

Roaming charges in Switzerland and Turkey

There is no escape from roaming charges for travelers in other European countries that do not belong to the European Union or the European Economic Area. This also includes important holiday countries such as Switzerland and the Turkey. This is where mobile phone use definitely falls Additional cost at.

It can be expensive in most countries Western Balkans Such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo. This is also suitable for travelers who eg b. Driving to Greece with your own car.

So anyone who travels to these countries and wants to use their mobile phone must have their mobile phone in advance Terms of the contract Check. Whenever possible, free Wi-Fi is recommended on site. This stands for z. B. Available in many accommodations. If you are in a country outside the European Union or in an area close to the border and want to be on the safe side, you should also deselect the “mobile data” offer. This way, it will be an occasional and costly trip later to Internet to avoid.

Dial abroad: Here’s what ADAC lawyers say

Do you get one? very high bill And if you don’t agree, ADAC lawyers think you’re in bad shape. In order to take legal action against this, one will have to deal with the mobile network operator as per the relevant national law.