That's great - thanks!

O2 offer a really good deal if you text from abroad. it just takes 4 texts from your inclusve allowance. Unlimited text tariffs from O2 include 125 texts from abroad.

As for texting from the UK to abroad, i suggest you get an unlimited internet bundle on your contract and use facebook to send messages

Try Lebara PAYG sim:

International texts:10p

Free Lebara to Lebara calls up to 10min/call

International calls from 4p/min

T-mobile were only charging me 11p per text to Arizona amd that was Feb - April this year. But I know that y ou can get a calling bundle with them, I think it cost me £20 for 500 mins, but it differers to where you friends are.

Don't know if this is of any help, but I've got a monthly contract with O2 from CarPhoneWarehouse and when I'm abroad I can text using my monthly text allowance, 'paying' 4 texts for each one send. Quite useful if you have surplus text allowance and don't use many of them before you go away.

Try FishText.com. UK texts cost 2p and international text messages cost on average less than 2p. It is a java application that you can download to your phone which sends messages over the phones GPRS rather than SMS and therefore cuts out the extra costs. It has worked out well for me so far, but you get 20p free credit when you download it so you can see what you think about it! :D

Getting a local PAYG SIM when abroad is the obvious comment for when you travel.

Also suggest providing friends overseas with a UK PAYG SIMCard that you can text to at 10p may be another option?

Hi

T Mobile told me today that it costs 40p per text from europe but only 20p per picture message, not sure if this is the same for all providers but worth looking into. Hope this helps.

Ally

Hi!

I'm paying a small fortune texting my friends abroad. I pay 10p for UK texts; 20p for UK to overseas; and 25p for texting when I am abroad. Does anyone know whether there's a way of bringing the cost down? Perhaps with a bundle of some sort?

Thanks, Laura