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We’ve all been there — touching down back at home after a magical experience of travel and exploration and settling back into daily life — only to be confronted with a massive phone bill full of excess data roaming and text message charges!
It's still one of the most significant pain points of international travel. Most countries we travel to have comparable 3G/4G networks with reasonable access fees on a local SIM, yet travelers using a U.S.-based carrier's roaming plan can still be whacked with fees in excess of $50/GB. That's a lot!
In this post, we'll explore ways to save money when using your phone abroad. Here's an overview of the best voice and data plans for international travel.
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Evolution of International Data Plans
Ten years ago, it was pretty rare to find a carrier that had good rates for calls, texts, and data abroad. Things have evolved quite a lot in technological terms. There are many more options today than ever before. Today's phones contain eSIMs and are compatible with local carriers, making finding the perfect option for your trip much easier.
Options range from buying a cheap pre-paid SIM in your destination country to signing up for a Universal SIM, adding a data pack to your current domestic plan, or racking up massive excess data bills and dealing with them when you get home (ugh, no thanks!).
With players like Airalo and Google in the playing field with Google Fi, the big U.S.-based carriers are in catch-up mode. Overseas data-roaming plans from domestic carriers are getting better. But, if you want high-speed data, you are still better off looking into carriers in your destination country. The minimal cost of data and voice/text overseas can be much more cost-effective than a U.S.-based data-roaming plan.
Considerations When Choosing Whether to Get an International Data Plan
Our lives are more digitized than ever. We rely heavily on our mobile devices for travel — everything from ordering a driver (Uber or Lyft) to boarding a plane (with electronic boarding passes). All of this requires internet connectivity.
Other things to consider are:
- Do you need to tether to other devices?
- Will you be using your phone as a hotspot for work?
- Will you be making video calls back home?
- Will you need GPS?
- Will you be posting pictures online?
- Do you use data-based messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Signal, etc?
With all that in mind, below you'll find the current offerings from the major U.S.-based carriers and how they stack up. If we missed anything (or you have an experience you’d like to add), let us know in the comments! We'll do our best to update this list as new products come to market.
T-Mobile International Pass
Offering one of the better international plans from U.S. wireless providers, T-Mobile customers on eligible plans (Go5G Next, Go5G Plus, Go5G, ONE, or Plus Plan) will already receive up to 5GB of high-speed data and unlimited texting in select countries and destinations.
Voice calls (even over Wi-Fi) are $0.25/minute, but there's no charge for Wi-Fi calls to the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Get up to 5GB of high-speed data in select Central European countries.
If you need more than what is offered under T-Mobile's regular plans, you can purchase 24-hour, 10-day, and 30-day International Pass packages as well. These provide high-speed data packs for a flat rate of $5 per day, $35 for 10 days, and $50 for 30 days.
Each package contains the following:
- Voice — Unlimited calling.
- Text — Unlimited texting.
- Data — Up to 512MB, 5GB, or 15GB of data (that can be used as a mobile hotspot).
“Customers should also note, traveling to a country outside of 215+ countries and destinations will incur text charges at $0.50 per text and will have the option to use Wi-Fi only for data purposes. Voice and data charges vary by country.”
T-Mobile pros and cons
- Pros — Unlimited international text and data included with T-Mobile plans; no data caps means no roaming charges for covered countries.
- Cons — International Pass options can be pricey depending on how long you're traveling.
See the T-Mobile roaming FAQs for more details.
Related: Get 10,000 Bonus Delta SkyMiles for Switching to T-Mobile
Verizon TravelPass℠
TravelPass℠ from Verizon is based on a simple daily charge for every day you use your phone, with the option of signing up for a monthly package while overseas. These TravelPass℠ packages include unlimited calls, texts, and data for each day you use the phone abroad (you won't be charged for days the phone is unused).
There are two options:
- $5/day for Mexico and Canada.
- $10/day that can be used in 210+ countries and destinations.
If you are only surfing the web briefly or receiving a few texts, $10 per day can add up quickly. However, having a set price for every day you use your device gives you peace of mind and allows you to budget your costs.
Access to 5G Ultra Wideband overseas is also fantastic if you need data for work purposes. But it's important to read the fine print — as the first 2GB of data are at this 5G level, and everything after that will drop to 3G.
If you happen to be traveling to an obscure location that isn't covered in the 210+ countries list Verizon provides, you can also “Pay As You Go.” These rates are also quite expensive but can also be useful if you only need to make one call, shoot off a few texts, and/or go online for a quick moment. These prices break down as follows:
Verizon also has a Trip Planner option, which is a tool you can use to build your itinerary and figure out the cost for each destination. You'll end up paying close to the same (if not more in some cases) than just $5 or $10 per day, but it's worth looking into depending on your situation.
The Verizon International Monthly Plan on offer might seem steep at first glance — costing $100/month per line. But if you plan to be abroad (other than Canada & Mexico) for at least 10 or more days, you would actually save money by going this route! At $10/day, 10 days abroad would cost you $100. So, for anything more than this amount of time, you'd be better off going with the International Monthly Plan. If you extrapolate out the $10/day over 30 days, you'd be looking at $300! So it's a no-brainer for any trip you take outside of Mexico and Canada that is longer than 10 days.
Having options is good, but sometimes it's better to simplify. For travel of less than 10 days, you'll want to go the TravelPass route. Anything longer than this, the International Monthly Plan is the way to go. Both options include:
- Unlimited calls.
- Unlimited texts.
- Unlimited data (5G speeds for the first 2GB — 3G speed for everything over that).
Verizon pros and cons
- Pros — Access to your domestic allowance over 5G Ultra Wideband network speeds means you can work, stream media, and communicate at high speed and with a defined budget; $100 International Monthly Plan lets you save for any trips that are 11 days or more.
- Cons — $10 per day can add up fast if you only use your device once or twice a day, PAYG rates are prohibitively expensive if not signed up for TravelPass℠.
AT&T International
AT&T offers a few international roaming plans — with the best value coming from the $12 per day International Day Pass. For the base North America plan, customers receive unlimited talk and text within North America, plus access to the same data plan you run at home with no roaming charges added.
The International Day Pass lets you take your talk, text, and data plan to over 210 destinations worldwide for a flat daily fee of just $12. While slightly more expensive than the Verizon TravelPass, you receive more from that extra $2. The International Day Pass from AT&T allows unlimited high-speed 5G data — whereas Verizon drops your speed to 3G after the first 2GB. This extra $2 could be extremely valuable for some if you plan on working and/or using a hot spot for yourself and others.
AT&T Passport is another option, but this is astronomically expensive. There are two options for the AT&T Passport plan — 2GB and 6GB, neither that are worth it for a short trip abroad. Even if you were considering spending 30 or more days abroad, there are far better options out there than this:
Outside of the International Day Pass and Passport options, AT&T’s rates are high compared to Verizon and T-Mobile — and it's difficult to see a scenario where they would provide better value except in very specific countries where other services are unavailable.
- Voice — Unlimited talk in North America and within the countries listed for the $11 Daily Pass, Passport $0.35/minute.
- Text — Unlimited across all plans.
- Data — Take your plan with you in North America and on the $12 Daily Pass, Passport 2-6GB – Overage: $30/GB.
AT&T pros and cons
- Pros — The $12 Daily Pass and North America plans allow you to take your plan with you, receive unlimited high-speed 5G data.
- Cons — High costs; very little flexibility.
Google Fi Wireless
Google changed the game (yet again) when it launched its mobile service: Google Fi Wireless. While originally only available on select Android phones, they have since evolved to include iPhones and other devices. With Google Fi Wireless, you can make calls to 200+ destinations at little to no additional cost — and you can also receive texting internationally from the U.S. for free.
All plans include data, calls, and texts within the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Flexible and Unlimited Plus plans come with international data in 200+ countries, and 5G coverage is available in select countries and destinations.
Google Fi Wireless is an excellent all-round package when it comes to using data overseas. By far the least expensive, Google Fi Wireless offers a single plan with an $18 base fee plus $10/GB of data. The plan will work in 200+ countries, has no annual contract, cheap $0.10 per minute voice calls when traveling in a foreign country, and you can add up to 5 additional people to your account to share data for just $15/month per person.
Google Fi is certainly the best route to go if you want to have multiple lines for 2+ people — both friends and family alike. The combination of deals on offer from Google makes traveling with friends and family abroad a very solid deal.
Another great thing about Google Fi, is the ability to have a 7-day free trial. There is an eSim option with iPhone 15 — so you can try this option and test out the Google Fi Wireless plan to see if it's the right fit for you!
- Voice — Call rates depend on the country you are in, but most sit around the $0.20/min rate over cell coverage.
- Text — Unlimited.
- Data — $10/GB whether you are in the U.S. or any one of the 200+ countries supported by Google Fi Wireless.
Google Fi pros and cons
- Pros — The simplest way to access data while traveling overseas all on one account. A flat $18/month fee is fantastic and data can be used as a personal hotspot for tethering laptops for work, etc.
- Cons — If you want to go the eSim route with an iPhone, you must have an iPhone 15. $10/GB is pricier than the data you can get through most domestic plan or eSIMs.
eSim Options
Airalo
I first heard about an eSim option from a company called Airalo when my colleague — AwardWallet Director of Marketing Erik Paquet — recommended it to me. Of all the options, this can be the most convenient. You can buy packages for voice, text, and data while you're in your departure city. That quells any anxiety or fear you might have about landing at your destination and not being connected.
And the beautiful part… it's also cheap! And on top of competitive rates on eSIMs year-round, Airalo is offering new customers an additional 15% discount with the code NEWTOAIRALO15. Existing customers can save 10% with the code AIRALOESIM10.
There are specific plans for each country or region, allowing you to connect with multiple carriers for whatever voice, text, and data package suits your needs. You'll need to pay per gigabyte, number of minutes, and/or number of texts. But this option can be great whether your trip that lasts a week or a month.
You can download the app on your Android or iPhone and follow the directions. However, you'll also need an eSim-compatible phone, or this option won't work.
FlexiRoam
Another solid eSim option I learned about recently is called FlexiRoam. FlexiRoam offers nine different options for buying allotments of gigabytes — starting at 1 GB and going all the way up to 70 GB. The validity of the GBs you buy can range from 7-365 days.
If you decide to buy 70 GB, this will cost you $149, which comes out to roughly $2.13 per GB. This is a solid rate for an easy-to-use service that works in 150+ countries.
Buying in bulk will allow you to receive quite a price break — as 1 GB on its own will run you $9. So make sure to keep this in mind when deciding how much you will need throughout your travels.
Unlocked Phone + Local SIM
For long trips, the best option may be to bring an unlocked phone and purchase a local SIM at the airport or in town on arrival. While the unknown factor can be a bit nerve-racking, in 2024, it's almost guaranteed that your destination airport will have a booth or store where you can grab a cheap, local SIM card.
If you are planning on traveling to only one country or spending more than a week in that country, this is my go-to strategy. On average, I would spend $10/week on voice, text, and data using this method — even with my very data-intensive profession!
Final Thoughts
T-Mobile is often touted as the best of the “big four” U.S. telecom companies for traveling internationally. But frequent international travelers shouldn't overlook offerings like Google Fi Wireless, as it is by far the easiest plan to understand with its flat rates and extensive coverage.
If you don't mind a little hassle, the cheapest option is to grab a local SIM and connect it to your unlocked phone. But if you prefer peace of mind before landing at your destination, it's hard to beat an eSIM service like Airalo. Airalo balances ease and price while letting you purchase specific data, voice, and text plans and bundles for your specific country or region.
What are your go-to strategies for phone and data when traveling overseas? Let us know in the comments below!
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