THE holiday season has arrived, and as much as we may like getting away from it all, some of us may need to keep in touch while we are away.

This is not so difficult if you are staying in the UK, although remember to check the call charges levied before you lift the telephone in your hotel room or you might be in for a shock.

However, if you are going abroad and dread the thought and hassle of trying to phone home you might think this is one situation where your mobile phone comes into its own.

Mobile phones are convenient, but City of York Trading Standards advises that using your mobile to call when abroad could end up costing you as much as a good night out or in extreme cases another holiday.

Phoning home from abroad is expensive and, depending on your network, there can be a lot of add-ons to the basic cost per minute of your call.

Exchange rates, time of day and the country you are calling from can all make a difference.

Most countries have a number of networks your call can go through, with charges varying greatly between networks. If you want to use the cheapest network available in the country you are visiting you may need to set your phone to that network. If you don't, most phones will automatically tune to the strongest network signal available. This may not be the cheapest.

To find out how much using your phone abroad is going to cost, check with your mobile phone company. It is usually much cheaper to send a text message, so check these charges too.

Don't forget that most network providers also charge you to receive calls on your phone when you are abroad, and that includes calls made from landlines to your mobile.

Make sure you find out about all the charges involved in using your mobile phone overseas.

Once armed with the true cost of using your mobile phone abroad you can work out whether it is worth using it at all. It may be simpler and cheaper to purchase phone cards to use in local public phones.

You may even find that the phone in the hotel room is cheaper. Don't forget to check how much it will cost to use the hotel's phones.

There is no doubt that in an emergency your mobile phone may be the best option. In all other situations it may be the biggest drain on your bank balance.

For further information on this or any other consumer matter phone City of York Trading Standards Consumer Advice Service on 01904 551562. The fax number is 01904 551590.

You can also call at reception at 9 St Leonard's Place, York, or email Trading Standards at trading.standards@york.gov.uk

Updated: 09:12 Thursday, June 17, 2004