--- title: "Calling from abroad: your options and what avoids the surcharge" description: "Calling over data is almost free, and calling on your usual line may not be. What to use in each case, local numbers included." url: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/calling-from-abroad markdown: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/calling-from-abroad.md lang: en site: Gigapass generated: 2026-10-24 languages: es: https://getgigapass.com/blog/llamar-desde-el-extranjero de: https://getgigapass.com/de/blog/aus-dem-ausland-telefonieren it: https://getgigapass.com/it/blog/telefonare-dall-estero fr: https://getgigapass.com/fr/blog/appeler-depuis-l-etranger pt: https://getgigapass.com/pt/blog/telefonar-do-estrangeiro nl: https://getgigapass.com/nl/blog/bellen-vanuit-het-buitenland ja: https://getgigapass.com/ja/blog/kaigai-kara-denwa ko: https://getgigapass.com/ko/blog/haeoe-eseo-jeonhwa zh-hans: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hans/blog/zai-guowai-dadianhua pl: https://getgigapass.com/pl/blog/dzwonic-z-zagranicy sv: https://getgigapass.com/sv/blogg/ringa-fran-utlandet no: https://getgigapass.com/no/blogg/ringe-fra-utlandet da: https://getgigapass.com/da/blog/ringe-fra-udlandet tr: https://getgigapass.com/tr/blog/yurt-disindan-arama ru: https://getgigapass.com/ru/blog/zvonit-iz-za-granicy zh-hant: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hant/blog/zai-guowai-dadianhua ar: https://getgigapass.com/ar/mudawana/alittisal-min-alkharij he: https://getgigapass.com/he/blog/letalpen-mechul index: https://getgigapass.com/llms/en.txt --- # How to call from abroad without it costing a fortune > Calling over data is almost free, and calling on your usual line may not be. What to use in each case, local numbers included. [Home](https://getgigapass.com/en) › [Blog](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog) › How to call from abroad without it costing a fortune On the road Calling over data is almost free, and calling on your usual line may not be. What to use in each case, local numbers included. **Nerea Aguilar** 10 Aug 2026 6 min Photo by Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash In this article › The three situations › Talking to home: always over data › Calling a number in the country you are in › Receiving calls on your own number › Call forwarding, with care › And emergency calls With data sorted, the other half of the problem is left: calls. And there it pays to keep three situations apart, because they are constantly confused and each one is billed differently. ## The three situations | What you want to do | How it works out best | | --- | --- | | Talk to someone back home | A call over a messaging app, which runs on data | | Call a local number in the country | With plan minutes if it has them, or through the internet alternative | | Be reachable on your own number | Your usual line, switched on and with data off | ## Talking to home: always over data A voice call over WhatsApp, Telegram or similar uses between 0.3 and 0.5 MB per minute, so around 20 or 30 MB per hour of conversation. With any data plan that is negligible. A video call goes up to 3 or 5 MB per minute, so half an hour is more than 100 MB. Still manageable, but worth counting if your plan is small. ## Calling a number in the country you are in This is the awkward one: booking a restaurant with no website, calling a taxi, warning the flat you will be late. There are three ways out. 1. If your travel plan includes minutes, use them. Not every destination has plans with voice, so check the sheet before you buy. 2. See whether the business is on WhatsApp. In many countries that is the usual customer channel, more so than the phone. 3. Ask your accommodation to call for you. Most places are happy to, and it solves the language problem at the same time. ## Receiving calls on your own number Within the European Union, receiving calls costs nothing extra. Outside it, it may cost depending on your tariff, and it is your operator who charges it, nothing to do with the eSIM you are carrying. If you want to avoid it entirely, the way out is to ask whoever needs to reach you to write over a messaging app, and keep the line for what matters. How to check exactly what your operator charges is in [what your operator charges outside the EU](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/how-much-does-roaming-cost). ## Call forwarding, with care Forwarding your number to another one can look like a good idea and usually works out expensive: forwarding is paid by whoever sets it up, and from abroad it is billed as an international call. If you are going to use it, check the terms with your operator first. ## And emergency calls They always work, from any phone with coverage, active line or not, wherever you are. In the European Union the number is 112, and in many other countries it works too or forwards to the local service. That is why switching your usual line off entirely during a trip is not a good idea. Before you leave, save the numbers you might need with no data in your contacts: accommodation, travel insurance, car rental and your country's mission. Calls work even when the data plan does not. Know where you're going? Pick your destination, days and data. Install it before you leave and pay once. [See destinations](https://getgigapass.com/en#destinos) Nerea AguilarTravelling connected She has spent eight years writing about travelling without running out of data. What happens after you land interests her more than the spec sheet. ## Frequently asked questions **How do I call home from abroad without overpaying?** Over a messaging app, which runs on data: a voice call uses 20 to 30 MB per hour, so with any data plan it is negligible. **Am I charged for receiving calls abroad?** Within the European Union, no. Outside it may cost depending on your tariff, and it is your usual operator who charges it, not the eSIM. **Can I call a local number with a data eSIM?** Only if the plan includes minutes, and not every destination offers them. As an alternative, many businesses answer on WhatsApp, or your accommodation can call for you. **How much does a video call use?** Between 3 and 5 MB per minute, so around 100 to 150 MB in half an hour. **Does 112 work abroad?** Yes, from any phone with coverage and even without an active line. In the European Union it is the common emergency number. ## Keep reading - [On the road](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/slow-hotel-wi-fi) | Hotel wi-fi: why it is bad and what you can do | 5 min - [On the road](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/internet-on-long-train-journeys) | Long trains and coaches: how to get through with your phone | 5 min - [On the road](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/internet-in-rural-areas) | Internet in the countryside and the mountains: what to expect | 5 min