While staying in your holiday villa this summer use your mobile phone abroad with care

Taking your mobile phone abroad can work out rather expensive unless you follow the tips below. Last year a holiday maker stating in a villa in Portugal was sent a bill for £31,000 from his mobile provider after downloading an episode of Prison Break.

Take a look at our tip below and see how you can save on mobile phone charges while abroad this year:

1. Skype
Many mobile handsets will now allow you to download Skype so you can call other Skype users free of charge BUT ALWAYS make sure you're on a free wifi connection or you'll be charged huge amounts for the 3G data.

2. International SIM card
Buying a local SIM card can be the cheapest way of using your mobile if you are renting a villa in Spain or anywhere in Europe.

3. Text
It's free to receive texts abroad.

4. Find an internet cafe
Browsing the internet on your phone on holiday is always a bad idea - find an internet cafe and get your fix here!

5. Answer phone messages
Accessing your voicemail while staying in your holiday villa can cost as much as £1 per minute. TURN OFF your voicemail before going away and tell people to text you if they need you.