Greece holiday warning as UK tourists face surprise £300 'welcome' text

Daily Record

2 days ago

Travellers heading to the Greek island of Corfu might have received an unexpected 'welcome to Albania' text message.
Holidaymakers travelling to Greece could face a nasty shock that might leave them hundreds of pounds out of pocket this summer. Some British tourists visiting the Greek island of Corfu have been receiving 'welcome to Albania' text messages, only to discover eye-watering phone bills afterwards.
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This travel mishap is known as inadvertent roaming or network drift, and it can cost holidaymakers up to £300. A spokesperson from eSIM travel company Airalo has explained why this happens and offered tips on avoiding the charge.
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Whilst Corfu is part of Greece, it sits geographically closer to Albania, reports the Mirror. The island's north-eastern tip lies just kilometres from Ksamil, one of Albania's most stunning coastal resorts.
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Due to this close proximity, Albanian mobile signals can be picked up by visitors' phones whilst in Corfu, causing this costly confusion. The Airalo representative said: "This cross-border signal interference isn't new, especially where countries are separated by just a few miles of water or land.
"It usually happens because holidaymakers' phones accidentally connect to the networks of nearby nations, which are not part of the EU's Roam Like at Home (RLAH) regulation. Tourists can avoid accidental connections to the wrong provider by manually selecting a Greek network or using a Europe eSIM."
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Experts have highlighted the benefits of an eSIM for travellers wanting to keep a handle on their mobile data abroad. "By activating a Europe eSIM before travelling, you can significantly reduce roaming charges," they pointed out. "In some cases, you can avoid and start using your data as soon as you land, even if your phone briefly connects to the wrong network."
Be wary at these tourist hotspots:
The team at Airalo has spotted that tourists often fall foul of this travel mishap in various places, not just in Greece. They recommend being vigilant in these popular destinations:
In Corfu, mobiles can inadvertently connect to Albanian networks, even if you haven't left Greece, leading to non-EU roaming charges.
In Dubrovnik, some users report connecting to Bosnian networks, which are outside the EU roaming zone.
Unintentional roaming is possible in border areas like Germany/Switzerland or France/Monaco. Switzerland and Monaco aren't covered by Roam Like at Home, so roaming fees may apply depending on your provider.
When island-hopping in the Eastern Aegean, mobiles may latch onto Turkish networks, especially on islands like Kos, Chios, Lesvos, or Samos. It's safest to manually select a Greek network.
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What exactly is an eSIM?
An eSIM (embedded SIM) is essentially a digital SIM that allows you to activate a mobile plan from your provider without needing a physical SIM card. You can snag an eSIM designed for Europe from various suppliers, ensuring you have data coverage across multiple countries and sidestepping those pesky roaming fees.
eSIMs are a savvy and economical choice for staying online while you're jet-setting, doing away with the fuss of tangible SIM cards and unexpected roaming costs. Take Vodafone, for instance, which offers a Travel eSIM for Greece that you can buy and activate either before you set off or once you've arrived.
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How can you dodge this issue?
When you're out and about travelling, your mobile usually just latches onto the strongest network it can find. But if you're chilling in certain border spots, you might end up accidentally connected to a network from the next country over (like finding yourself on a Turkish network while lounging on a Greek island).
To dodge this little hiccup, just pop into your phone's settings, have a look under "Connections" or "Mobile Networks", and flick the switch from automatic to manual when it comes to network selection. Then you'll get a list of local Greek networks like Cosmote, Vodafone, or Nova (that's the new name for Wind, by the way).
By picking a Greek network yourself, you're making sure you stick with a provider based in Greece, which means you won't get hit with any sneaky charges from abroad – something EE has been keen to point out.