Smartphone and mobile phone users who miss a call while abroad may need to think twice before using their voicemail to retrieve a message.

Roaming fees mean phone users who want to catch up with news from home could find themselves charged £5 just for a one minute call.

Airalo, an eSIM phone specialist said major UK network providers charge around £2.34 to receive a voicemail and then a further £2.34 a minute to listen to a voicemail.

Those who want to use their mobile abroad and need to pick up voicemails, but avoid high costs, are being urged to disable their voicemail while abroad.

An Airalo expert said: “Travellers should be mindful of background data usage on their devices, as it can quickly lead to costly charges."

If turning off your voicemail is not an option you can download an eSIM and turning off your primary SIM. This allows you to use a local network and not pay your UK providers roaming fees.

The expert said: “Travellers should be wary of add-ons and extra fees when travelling. If customers aren’t aware costs can significantly stack up and create an extravagant bill. 

"Downloading an eSIM for travelling, and turning off your primary SIM can significantly reduce fees when travelling which makes for efficient roaming when abroad.

"Customers have been left shocked at the new costs implemented by their network provider, so it’s recommended to avoid staggering bills and extra charges abroad to download an eSIM for cheaper and effective roaming.”

What is an eSIM and how does it work?

An eSIM allows you to use a mobile network without having to use a physical SIM card as they come embedded in a phone.