Avoid the heat of high mobile bills this summer

moneysupermarket.com, advises travellers how to avoid costly mobile bills this summer.

Mike Wilson, mobiles and broadband manager at moneysupermarket.com, said: "It's important to remember that the mobile deal you have with your operator goes out of the window when you leave UK soil. Inclusive minutes and texts are invalid and calls, messages and data are charged at a much higher rate when you are abroad.

"The best advice to get a better understanding of how your tariff differs when you are abroad is to speak to your network provider before you escape the country to be sure how much calls, texts and internet use will set you back when you're away. I would also advise checking whether there is a cheaper international tariff available if you want to use your phone without worrying about an expensive bill when you get home.

"One of the best deals for travellers is Vodafone Passport; it is free for all customers and allows you to make calls charged at the normal network rate, plus a 75p connection charge, in over 35 European countries as well as New Zealand and Australia. Orange and O2 also offer good traveller services offering flat rate costs for calls and texts, again for a small monthly fee."

With roaming caps in place on the cost of calls and texts in Europe, mobile users are finally getting a better deal. For those worried about high mobile bills from data usage while travelling in Europe, new rules from the EU are now in effect to set a cut-off point for the cost of data use. The default is €50, which is generally enough to handle a dozen emails with attachments, keep up with Twitter and do some browsing, but you can speak to your provider before you leave to set an alternative amount (whether higher or lower) that will suit your usage. But, this only applies to EU destinations; anyone travelling elsewhere will have to keep a close eye on costs and charges for using data roaming.

Mike Wilson continued: "Smartphones such as iPhones and BlackBerrys have never been more poplar and many people may be heading off abroad for the first time with their new gadget. It is vital to be aware of the cost of using the data function on these devices before you jet off and even more crucial to understand how to turn this function off if you want to avoid these charges. Many smartphones automatically update using data roaming so turning it off altogether should prevent you racking up a hefty bill unawares.

"Holiday makers also need to be wary about using mobile internet abroad. The general rule is that downloading should be kept to a minimum to avoid big costs but if you really need internet access, bear in mind the costs that come with it. Typical cost for mobile internet from.3 is £1.25 per MB and Orange offers ‘Travel Data Daily' rates of £2 for 2MB."

moneysupermarket.com's top tips for using your phone abroad:

Check with your network that you are on its roaming tariff - this can save a significant amount of money on your mobile bill

If you do need to use the internet on holiday, check the price per MB before you go and avoid any heavy downloading or streaming

Turn your phone off when you are not using it to avoid being charged to receive calls

Turn the data roaming/internet services option of your phone off when you are away to avoid charges for automatic downloads/updates

Remember that a quick call can be cheaper than a series of texts

If you regularly visit the same place consider getting a local SIM card