A major travel warning has been issued as Brits have been hit with a £187 ‘hidden’ charge in a winter sun hotspot.
As UK travellers are seeking warmer temperatures while ours plumet, plenty of sunnier destinations are becoming popular.
But those heading overseas should be careful – no one wants a nasty surprise when they arrive back home.
Turkey is a popular destination among Brits – in fact, it is predicted to welcome a record 4.8 million UK visitors this year.
But new data has revealed 63 per cent of Brits do not know that Turkey isn’t in the EU – which risks them being caught out by hefty data roaming charges.
Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) had been hit by unexpected data roaming charges when travelling abroad, research involving 2,000 Brits found.
These unplanned bills for visiting destinations such as Turkey now stand at a whopping £187.30 for the average Brit, driving up the cost of visiting places outside the EU.
Jenna Banks, spokesperson for Slice Mobile, which commissioned the research, said: ‘It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of your trip and before you know it, you’ve clocked up big bills for international roaming.
A major travel warning has been issued as Brits have been hit with a £187 ‘hidden’ charge in Turkey
‘A picture here, a scroll on TikTok there – it’s all big data and when you’re outside the EU, big data costs.’
Jenna added that it is an easy mistake to make.
She went on to say: ‘It’s easy to think you’re not using your data when you’re on holiday and using the hotel Wi-Fi but step too far away from the signal and your phone will quickly switch to your data plan to provide you with the best user experience.
‘Just loading up maps to find that perfect restaurant or posting a picture on Instagram can have big implications for your bill back home.
However, Jenna has shared an easy method to avoid Turkey’s hidden charges.
She explains: ‘There is an easy hack though: before you jump on your flight, make sure you’re with a provider like Slice Mobile, which offers great value international roaming add ons for countries outside the EU, such as Turkey and America.
‘It means instead of paying by the day while you’re out there, you could bring your international roaming charges down from £187 to as little as £4 (for 1GB of data) for your trip and still be able to go online on the go.
‘So, whether you’re heading out to get a fresh new look or just going for a relaxing holiday, always check you have the right data plan in place for your trip and get an international roaming package before you travel.’
New data has revealed 63 per cent of Brits do not know that Turkey isn’t in the EU – which risks them being caught out by hefty data roaming charges
It’s not the first time travellers have been warned of phone-related factors racking up holiday costs.
Georgia Brivida, of international SIM provider Sim Local, in June urged Brits to switch off the ‘autoplay’ feature on their phones before boarding their next flight.
The setting, she says, could quietly drain data and rack up a significant phone bill – often without users even realising it.
She explained: ‘Autoplay is a feature that automatically plays videos as you scroll through apps like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, often without you even tapping play.’
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Major travel warning as Brits hit with £187 ‘hidden’ charge in Turkey
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