Data roaming charges have now been stopped

Well that is A LOT off our minds

data roaming charges

Well that is A LOT off our minds

Data roaming charges have been the bane of our lives for too long, ruining far too many holidays over the years.

We have all experienced the pain of coming home from a trip to a hefty phone bill, informing us that we have racked up a fee of hundreds from uploading Instagrams abroad. It’s enough to make us regret going on the holiday in the first place – and to make sure we never make the mistake again.

While most of us have learnt from our mistakes, now turning our data roaming off while we travel, we’d be lying if we said it didn’t still affect our holidays.

Sure, you can access Wifi in most hotels and restaurants, but if you want to use Google Maps to find a specific tourist attraction or post a picture of your ice cream to Instagram while you're out and about, you can forget it.

Instagram pods

Gossip Girl
(Image credit: Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Luckily for, well, everyone, it looks like times have changed. It's about time - now that we know how much holiday time Brits spend editing Instagram photos, it's definitely necessary.

As of today, data roaming charges in the EU are no more – that’s right, they have officially been stopped.

The new ‘ban’ on EU data roaming means that if you have a UK mobile number, you shouldn’t be additionally charged for making calls, sending texts and using mobile data when roaming about Europe.

While that sounds great in theory, the ‘ban’ is less exciting in the small print, with certain contracts apparently not being eligible.

Either way, it’s a step in the right direction and with a Brexit looming, be it hard or soft, we’re definitely going to be taking advantage of this while we can.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.