Holidaygoers can download one simple app to avoid exorbitant data costs abroad, according to Newstalk Tech Correspondent Jess Kelly. 

As people book annual leave, pack their bags and head abroad, they should remain wary of the roaming costs you might generate on holidays. 

Jess told Newstalk Breakfast data roaming costs have ‘definitely gotten better’ in the EU in recent years. 

“But people still have the fear of going off for two weeks, coming back and being faced with a massive bill,” she said. 

“I definitely have stories of that happening back in the day – it's very scary.” 

The EU ‘Roam-like-at-home' regulations introduced in 2022 banned roaming charges, allowing people to use whatever amount of data on their regular data plan. 

Jess warned, however, there is a ‘caveat’ to this rule – and people should always read the ‘small print’. 

“If you're paying €20 a month for all-you-can-eat data, unlimited data – it may actually say in the fine print it’s capped at 60GB,” she said. 

“60GB is an awful lot of data, you’d want to be streaming 4K movies every single second of your two weeks away - but again, be eyes wide open.” 

Data roaming outside the EU

Roaming charges become more complicated outside the EU, Jess warned. 

Presenter Shane Coleman said recently, his own son was travelling to France. 

“Literally for about five minutes, he was on the Swiss side [of the border],” he said. “And he got hammered.” 

Shane’s son was charged €100 by his phone company for his stint in Switzerland – and even though he got his money back, Jess warned this is a common problem for travellers. 

“When you’re crossing over the border, even if it’s for a matter of minutes... that eats a huge amount of data,” she said. 

“Say, for example, if someone sends you a WhatsApp video and it downloads... be mindful of when you’re moving around borders.” 

eSIM cards

Jess recommended anyone travelling outside the EU – even if you’re still on the continent of Europe – to get an eSIM. 

An eSIM allows users to activate a different mobile plan from a network without changing their physical SIM card. 

GoMoWorld, Jess said, allows users to buy 1GB of data for €3.99 - which is ideal for a week abroad. 

“Select where you're going and how much data you want,” Jess explained. 

“That way you’re using that second eSIM for all your data, but your WhatsApp with your current number is the same. 

“You don’t have to faff around with second sim cards and it’s incredibly affordable.” 

Other mobile companies such as Three also offer eSIM services.