As EU roaming fees fall, follow our Crafty tips for using your mobile phone abroad

An even greater threat to your finances these days comes in the form of 'data roaming' - that is, using a smartphone such as an iPhone or Black-Berry to access the internet while you're abroad.

Mobile phone networks charge by the amount of data you download, which they measure in megabytes (MB). Rates vary widely according to your network, tariff and location, but by just checking your emails, sending out some holiday snaps and using a few 'apps' that require an internet connection, it's all to easy to inadvertently rack up a bill of hundreds of pounds during a fortnight abroad.

The European Commission has been concerned about travellers facing 'bill shocks' - it gives an example of a German downloading a TV programme while roaming in France, and ending up with a bill of £40,000. So along with the lower rates for making phone calls, next Thursday sees new legislation come into force that caps mobile data roaming within the EU to around £43 a month, unless you have agreed a different limit with your provider.

Nick Hutton, telecommunications expert for Consumer Focus, says: 'The underlying problem is that many consumers simply don't understand the vocabulary of megabytes, and what they mean in terms of cost.' He adds that there is little prospect of seeing price caps for data roaming imposed outside the EU.