Following a ruling by the European Union, British holidaymakers travelling in the EU are now free to use their mobile phone for calls, texts and data at the same price they pay back at home*. For travellers heading further afield, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has put together a guide comparing international roaming costs for destinations outside of Europe, to help travellers avoid any unexpected bills during their holiday. The research can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at www.aph.com/dataroaming.

The research compares the five leading mobile providers including O2, EE and Vodafone and looks at the international roaming costs for sending a text, making and receiving calls, and using data. The guide also compares cost-free roaming offerings such as Three's Feel At Home service.

For travellers who wish to keep in touch with friends and family back home, the cost per text sent varies from 30p for GiffGaff customers travelling in any country, to £1.00 per text for EE customers texting from Zone 8 destinations, such as the Bahamas, Cuba and the Maldives. The cost for making and receiving calls also varies, from 80p per minute for Pay Monthly customers making or receiving calls in O2's Asia Pacific zone, to £3 per minute for Three customers making a call in Band 3 and 4 destinations, such as Malaysia and Russia.

For those keen to share selfies through social media or keep up-to-date with news back home, the cost for data varies from 20p per MB for GiffGaff customers browsing in Zone A destinations, such as Australia and the US, to £6 per MB for all destinations with O2 and destinations located in Data Band 3 with Three. Travellers with EE should keep in mind that an add-on must be purchased to access the internet and likewise O2 and Three will block data access once international usage reaches a charge of £40 and £39 respectively. 

Alongside cost-free roaming in the EU, travellers with O2, Three and GiffGaff can also use minutes, texts and data from their monthly allowance at no additional cost in destinations outside of the EU. This includes 48 destinations within Europe for customers with O2 and 60 destinations worldwide, including the US, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, for those with Three. Similarly, Pay Monthly customers with Vodafone can use data, minutes and texts from their monthly allowance in 40 Roam-Free destinations at no extra cost and in 60 Roam-Further destinations, including China and South Africa, for an extra £5 per day.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH),
Visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS
* According to BBC News in June 2017, available at www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40281013.

About Airport Parking and Hotels (APH)
Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is an award winning airport parking operator and retailer, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a seventh year running at British Travel Awards 2016. This year APH also celebrated its 36th year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels and airport lounges. As well as supporting the World Land Trust through the purchase of more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest, APH is also a proud corporate sponsor of the University of Southampton Centre for Cancer Immunology, where the world's most eminent experts come together in the quest to find new and innovative treatments.

Media Enquiries
Sarah Salord / Jennifer Jones / GEC PR / jennifer@gecpr.co.uk