Whether you’re going on a work trip or a vacation, being able to use data on your phone makes things easier.
Many premium phone plans include international use, but may not offer enough data or be too expensive.
If your phone plan doesn’t support international data in the country you’re visiting, consider purchasing a short-term eSIM to stay connected.
Consider all your options to get the best deal, but have a travel SIM ready or know how to get one.
Your carrier might offer international support
Check your plan’s features for international roaming
It’s common for carriers to include usage in Mexico or Canada. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and many prepaid options offer coverage in Mexico and Canada. However, the quality of that coverage can vary.
For example, AT&T offers usage in Mexico on all its plans, but it may come with 2G speeds. Verizon and T-Mobile offer a chunk of high-speed data followed by slower data.
If you frequently travel abroad, international data usage could be a compelling reason to opt for a postpaid carrier.
If your plan doesn’t include international data, it may be available as an add-on. Plan add-ons give your phone plan new features for an extra fee and could be a cheap international solution.
Some of the best value phone plans from carriers like Boost Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile offer $10 add-ons with 5GB of data while roaming in Mexico and Canada.
There’s more to the world than North America, and some premium plans support a range of countries. If not supported, you may be able to get a day pass.
Day passes can be expensive for an extended stay. Still, if you’re only in a country for a few days, they can be a convenient solution offered by your carrier.
AT&T’s new International Day Pass makes cruise travel a breeze
Stay connected both on land and at sea
International eSIMs are easy to install and fairly cheap
You can buy and download an eSIM from an app
If your carrier’s offers don’t cut it for your trip, an international SIM card is a perfect short-term choice, with vending machines in airports and stores in tourist destinations offering them.
But a physical SIM card can be finicky to use.
Since you need to insert the card into your phone, you’ll need to take your normal SIM card out and try not to lose it. Given that these cards are smaller than a thumbnail, it’s far from the best solution.
eSIMs, on the other hand, are a better solution. You don’t need to find the right physical SIM card, eject your primary card, or worry about losing it.
Instead, you download an app like Roamless and pick the country you’re in. Data costs will vary by location, but it’s easy to pay with options that may not be available at a vending machine, like Google Wallet and PayPal.
In addition, with more phones ditching physical SIM cards in general, using an eSIM makes more sense—your smartphone may not even have a slot for a physical one.
The type of service packages you get can depend on the carrier, but in general, you can either buy prepaid data or decide on a plan that lasts a particular number of days.
Some may offer day or multi-day passes, and others can sometimes provide an entire month’s worth of data at once, which is great if you’re on an extended trip.
Still, you need an internet connection or data to set up your international eSIM, so make sure to get set up before you leave on your trip.
If you don’t have a dual SIM phone, you’ll also need to switch your eSIM to the correct one before using data.
Don’t forget that calling and texting plans are separate
If you want to message people back home, use a messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram, which doesn’t rely on standard calling and SMS.
While some eSIMs include calling and texting capabilities, using these features to call and text home may incur additional charges. Messengers are different because they only use data and don’t count toward your calling minutes or texts.
Heading to a new country can be fun, but you don’t need to waste money on expensive roaming charges, international calls, and overpriced international add-ons.
While some carriers offer in-house solutions that may be a better value, having an eSIM ready to go avoids headaches when your plane touches down.
- 5G
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Yes
- Data cap
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None
- International calling
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Available as part of all plans
- International texting
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Available as part of all plans
- Hotspot data
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All data can be used as hotspot data
- Taxes and fees
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$0.35 for top-ups under $20
Roamless is an eSIM that works in over 200 countries. You can easily call and text your family, no matter where you are. Either choose a pay-as-you-go plan (with data that never expires), or sign up for RoamlessFix for your extended data needs.
