Brits could face a phone bill of £787 for a week’s holiday in certain destinations when roaming abroad, according to Uswitch.com.
Roaming fees for the EU usually equate to around £14 a month and are free for O2 and Virgin Media customers, but outside of the EU fees are considerably more.
Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and UAE are the most expensive destinations for roaming across seven days on the Virgin Media network, as it will set you back £787.
These countries are excluded from overseas data, call or text bundles and customers can face charges of £7.20 per MB on data, £5 per minute to make calls, and 60p to send texts.
Vodafone offers the cheapest roaming packages for a seven day trip, costing £42 for a whole week or just £6 a day outside the EU.
Many Brits are confused about charges, as 24 per cent say they have no idea how much it will cost to use their phone abroad, 24 pc said they will use their phone less on holiday because of fees, and 16 pc said they are concerned about big bills when they return.
The government imposed a worldwide roaming data cap of £45 a month, but this does not cover calls and texts which can be expensive outside of the EU.
Uswitch.com telecoms expert Ernest Doku said: “There’s a huge difference in costs between countries, so it’s worth checking with your provider how much you will pay to make calls, send texts and use data in your destination, and if there are any passes or add-ons that could help you use your data abroad for a minimal cost.
“With a quarter of mobile users unaware of what roaming costs they face, providers must do more to guide customers through these changes and offer cheaper options, particularly on popular non-EU destinations not covered in their travel bundles.
“If you regularly travel abroad, it may be worth considering switching to a provider without EU roaming fees, or looking at a 30-day SIM-only deal to reduce your charges while you’re away.”
You can read Uswitch.com’s guide to roaming here.