It's holiday time! Over the next few months many of us will be venturing overseas and will be taking our mobile phones with us. For some it will be for "emergencies" only, for others they will want to work in exactly the same way as they do in the UK.

Although roaming rates have started to come down, they remain incredibly expensive when compared to UK rates, even in developed countries like the US where local rates are lower than here.

Modern SmartPhones rely upon data for their services. Many apps are downloading data when you don't even realise it. Therefore it's essential to think about adding a roaming package before you set off to cover your likely usage.

Data packages for overseas use are considerably smaller than you would expect. It could be that you are only offered 50MB of data in your package. What can you do with 50MB?

It might be enough for collecting your emails (headers only, no attachments) and a little bit of website browsing (but not much). It's an incredibly small amount and once used up you are going to be charged standard data roaming rates at ££ per MB. Be careful!

If you are able to view your current monthly data usage, either on your handset or your online billing platform with the network, or if your network can tell you how much you use in an average month then you can find a suitable package that allows you to use your phone normally.

If no packages exist that are large enough (or affordable enough!) the only options are either to curb your usage (switching off data networks and updates and trying to find wi-fi wherever possible) or opt for a local sim card (providing your handset is unlocked).

You will then be paying a similar rate for data as you are charged here and can use your phone more often, although you will have a new number for talk and text purposes.

If data is not required and you are only looking for roaming voice bundles these are much more suitable. You can find bundles offering cheap rates or even offering to take overseas minutes out of your standard bundle.

Don't leave it too late to get your overseas bundles added. Trying to sort it out at the airport is too late! Call your network/dealer a week ahead to make sure you can get the right bundles activated in time for your trip.

For business mobile users overseas calls and usage can make up a large part of the bill, particularly if you deal with companies abroad and have employees taking regular business trips. In this instance it is wise to get the best underlying tariff to meet your requirements rather than rely upon bolt-ons which can be forgotten and lead to very large bills!