Whether Spain, Italy or another country: Your own smartphone is an indispensable companion for travelers. 76 percent of people in Germany take the device on vacation – and therefore almost everyone who owns a smartphone.  phone bill at travelling

This is the result of a representative survey on behalf of the digital association Bitkom among 1,003 people in Germany aged 16 and over. It is important for many how they keep the costs as low as possible, especially for internet use via smartphone when abroad.

The good news: calls, surfing and services such as Whatsapp, Facetime or Zoom cost just as much within the EU – the home tariff booked applies. It is different outside the EU, where fees vary depending on the country.

A good third of holidaymakers (31 percent) use free WiFi in hotels or cafes, for example, to surf the Internet, check e-mails or use messenger services. One in four (24 percent) books data packets for abroad before leaving. Only 6 percent are willing to accept the surcharge for data use in the respective country. 4 percent get a travel SIM card or a SIM card from their target country.

Outside the EU, 5 percent completely do without the use of mobile data. “Whether excursion tips, Finding routes or good restaurants – it’s much easier with a smartphone, even on vacation. So that there are no unpleasant surprises at the end of the trip, everyone should find out in advance about the costs of data roaming. The mobile operators often have data packets on offer that you can book, ”says Bitkom general manager Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. 

“You can also download apps that you can use offline before you leave. You can save fees, especially with map and navigation apps. ” that you can book, ”says Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. “You can also download apps that you can use offline before you leave. You can save fees, especially with map and navigation apps. ” that you can book, ”says Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. “You can also download apps that you can use offline before you leave. You can save fees, especially with map and navigation apps. ”

76 percent of Internet users use apps on vacation, according to the Bitkom study. 61 percent use an app to check the weather, 40 percent use a translation app to understand signs or menus, for example. One in three (34 percent) has loaded a navigation app for their travel destination onto their cell phones, and one in five (20 percent) has a travel guide app for sightseeing. 12 percent book accommodations on the go using the app. Every tenth uses the app to take care of transportation, i.e. taxis or tickets for local transport.

Tips to keep your roaming charges low: phone bill at travelling

• Traveling within the EU: The EU Roaming Regulation has been in force since June 15, 2017, according to which calls can be made within the EU at normal home tariffs and surfed on the Internet – regardless of whether it is a prepaid or a postpaid contract acts. Incoming calls and SMS are free of charge. Bitkom still advises to check your own contract before going abroad. When using data flat rates abroad, there may be restrictions, depending on the contractual conditions.
• Travel outside the EU: The EU Roaming Regulation also applies in Liechtenstein, Norway and Cyprus. Despite Brexit, calls and surfing can still be made in the UK at no extra charge. There is a transition period here that expires at the end of 2020. The EU roaming regulation does not apply in Turkey and Switzerland, nor on airplanes or on cruise ships, if it is a separate satellite network. Abroad outside the EU, mobile phone customers can book data passports for their respective target country. You can find out the tariffs from the provider.
• Avoid roaming: If you do not want to use data abroad and absolutely want to avoid costs, you can manually deactivate the “Data roaming” option on your smartphone.

Methodological note : The information is based on a survey carried out by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. In January and February 2020, 1,003 people in Germany aged 16 and over were interviewed by telephone. The survey is representative. The questions were: “Do you usually take your smartphone with you on a vacation trip?”; “Which statement about internet use via smartphone abroad applies to you outside the EU?”, “Which of these apps have you already used on vacation?”. phone bill at travelling