Here's how to potentially slash your phone bill on holiday08:23, 30 May 2026Brits on holiday could save up to £15 a day on holiday with a simple trick. According to experts, you don’t need to pay expensive roaming fees.‌Going abroad can be costly for many reasons. Not only do you need to consider the price of the travel, accommodation, and food, but you might also have to take into account your mobile phone bill. This is because your contract might not include using data in other countries. This is even more likely if you’re venturing outside of the EU, as many providers don’t include those areas in their contracts.‌As part of Money Saving Expert’s (MSE) weekly update, the team warned that some networks charge up to £15 when you leave the EU. To avoid this, they recommended trying an eSIM.‌MSE said: “Roaming outside the EU? There's an eSIMple way to cut costs. Your home network could charge up to £15 a day just to use your data allowance. Instead, buy a cheap international eSIM online (eg, £11 for 10GB of USA data that lasts 30 days). There's no physical change to your handset - it just adjusts your phone's settings and temporarily routes it via another provider to give you a data allowance overseas.”An eSIM is essentially a virtual version of a SIM card you usually have in your phone. On the MSE website, it explained: “It controls our calls, texts and data, but it's all digital.”‌It continued: “eSIMs aren't that popular in the UK right now (see which providers offer them), but top international eSIMs can reduce roaming fees outside the EU – and you don't need to change your UK number.”You can buy one online and activate it by scanning a QR code, and it starts working right away. Most Google Pixels and Apple iPhones have been compatible since around 2018, while Samsung's flagship phones launched since 2020 can use them.MSE said: “You can easily check if your phone supports eSIM technology by dialling *#06# on your phone's keypad – if you see a pop-up which includes an Embedded Identity Document (EID) number on the screen, then your device should be compatible.”‌MSE founder Martin Lewis recalled how he personally used an eSIM while on holiday. He said: “As I was going out of Europe for just under 10 days, I picked a one-month 10GB eSim for £18. My own network charges well over £6 a day for a 500MB daily data limit.”He found it easy to use and added: “I got a strong 4G signal virtually everywhere, and used the internet with the freedom and speed of home. The 10GB limit lasting my whole time away smacks the bottom of a 500MB daily limit, as you don't need to worry about busting it with one download.”Article continues belowHowever, it’s worth noting that if you’re travelling within Europe it might be cheaper to pay for roaming with your current provider. MSE said: “If you're going to Europe for a week or less, for most pay-monthly customers, an eSIM is unlikely to be cheaper, because many UK providers still allow you to use your UK allowance of minutes and data within the EU for a nominal daily fee – and some don't charge you anything extra at all.”For more information, including the different eSIM providers, visit the MSE website here.