How To Use Your Cell Phone Internationally | Travel Tips & Advice 

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This is like asking my wife where do you want to go to dinner. End up with a bunch of talking with no solution.

I travel full-time, and have 2 mid-range unlocked phones. One is a US model, the other is an international model. When I get to a new country, I buy a local sim card. I ported my US number to an online service. It's helpful to choose a service provider by if there a service provider store (not just street sim card vendors) in the area you plan to stay. You just need to unlock the phone, and hand it to the store's employee. They'll take care of everything else. I travel with 2 phones, in case my primary phone gets lost or stolen. It's simple to buy a sim card for the spare phone in that case. If the primary phone is broken, then you can take both phones to the store and have them set up your spare phone.

Link to the Solis Wi-Fi Hotspot: bit.ly/SkyRoam (my referral link) Do you have any other international phone and Wi-Fi tips or questions? Comment below!

I went to Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway for 17 days total. Using Verizon’s international plan was the same cost per day as ATT’s, $10. I don’t know if this is different or not, but with Verizon I only paid for the days I actually used the cell service. Most times I used Wi-Fi from everywhere to make calls and download maps. The only time I was charged the $10 was for the days I got lost, or forgot to find a Wi-Fi. I only paid $70 for the trip. Also, you get charged for the 24 hours, not a date. So, you use data starting at 2pm, you have until <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="119">1:59</a>pm the next day before being charged again. Verizon texts you to let you know when you are about done with the 24 hours- makes a great reminder.

Glad to see new videos from Kristin! 🤩💪

Most newer phones have dual sims or simply turn on your “esim” option on the iPhone and get a local SIM card while your regular US number stays on so you can receive calls as you normally would. Use the local SIM card for all data, those local cards are approx. $30$ and provide fast connection in the regions (such as all of Western Europe, mainland china/Hong Kong/Taiwan, etc…)

I think the info for Tmobile has changed since you made your video. I spoke to them yesterday (Jan 26 2023) and they told me i can get the international pass, which costs $50 for 30 days and includes 15gb of high speed data (or whatever the max speed of the provider i am connected to when travelling). After the high speed15gb is used up, i would drop down to the standard 256kbps with no data limit. 256kbps, as we all know is painful when you are trying to load google maps (assuming you didnt download the maps needed beforehand) or search a destination. Texting is free and calls are 25 cents per minute. Im going to be visiting Asia for 15 days, so this comes out to just over $3 per day while i am away, which to me is a great deal!

Actually, for AT&E, you only pay for 10 days per month, so it maxes out at $100 per month. Which is very affordable to me.

I’ve been using the AT&T international plan for 5 years now. I have a Thai AIS sim card and only use the AT&T 1-2x/year. I turn it off unless I need it. This is my way of maintaining a US phone number while living abroad. I look at the $60/month as just part of the cost of living abroad.

ATT International plan is $10 per day with a charge cap of 10 days. A second phone on your account is only $5 per day if used on same day as primary line. We are going to Europe for 20 days and if we both use our phones every day it will cost $150.

My wife and I traveled to Japan (from the U.S. in fall 2019) and found that a pocket wifi did the trick (wasn't expensive, either) for Internet access for both of us. So long as my wife didn't wander out of wifi range (kept the unit in my pocket!), we were connected all over Japan. I added the AT&T international plan for "emergency" calls but never used it. Ditto for our upcoming trip this late fall (2023).

Nice video. I was kind of stressed about this when I traveled to Japan a few years ago. I was concerned about coming back to a big phone bill doing something inadvertently because I didn't know how to go about this. Unfortunately, I have found the customer service employees at most US cell companies to not be very well informed on this subject when you inquire about it.

Just buy a $10 SIM card in each country. Not complicated. Cheapest option

I am in the state of Massachusetts, with an AT & T phone at present, going to SE Asia soon. I just want to let people know that AT & T provides terrible service now. I would have paid about U$100.00 for a conversation that lasted almost an hour to Malaysia, but we used Whatsapp and I guess it was a free call. AT & T has so many departments and they do not seem to communicate with each other - so you tell one person the changes you want to make to the account and then you find out the other departments did not get the message. And when you have a problem AT & T does not answer when you call them.

I really enjoyed this one as well as the podcast version you came out with this past week! I pretty much use the T-Mobile plan when I leave the country. The slow speeds can be quite inconvenient, but having the unlimited texting and some form of data is very helpful. I'll have to keep these other ideas in mind if I decide to go abroad for a long period of time!

The att actually stops charging after 10 days (within one billing cycle). Not as convenient if your trip is split between two separate billing cycles, then the 10 days starts over.

When I traveled to China and Taiwan, I used Apple Facetime and was able to see my grandkids as well as talk to them,

Thanks for the post Kristen.. my wife is traveling from Orlando, Florida to Athens, Greece tomorrow and we really needed to find out how to set up our phones for the next 10 days with her being abroad. I think this info will help. Again thanks so much.. cheers🎉

International roaming for me. Can keep my own phone number and get plenty of data. For me - totally worth it. 💰

Clear as mud!

The problem with Google Fi is that if you travel full time or just more than you will use it in the US they will cut off your data as the data must primarily be used in the US.

This has always confused me. Thanks for shedding some light on lots of options. Very very helpful.

I got sick of my past phone plan when I had a phone go to sleep and not wake up. I bought an unlocked Google Pixal and got a Google Fi sim card. I am not a heavy data user so usually have my phone data shut off. I recently was in Scotland and Ireland. In both places my phone automatically set the phone up to use voice at .20 per minute, free texting, and data at 10.00 per gig. My Internet worked fine wherever there was WiFi and that was almost everywhere. Calls and messages came to me. Since I was in Scotland to hike, I had little use for non-wifi data. I am retired and on vacation, so my needs were entirely met with those basic features automatically.

I also recommend if you have internet on your phone you can call people free through Facebook they have on their app I can't remember the name what Facebook have a app where you can call people for free..

Very helpful, Welcome Back!

No. Buy an unlocked phone and get a SIM card in each country. I never use a contract with a service provider. In Asia a SIM card is usually about for $10 for a month

Tmobile Magenta Max plan just added 5GB/month high speed international for free.

There is also the T-mobile unlimited talk and text plan for 20 dollars comes with international roaming. Text are free calls are 25 cents Wi-Fi calling is free. It is a in store plan only. Yes taxes are included unlike Google fi.

Att is capped at 10 days so you can stay a month but still only pay for 10 days which is $100... Not a bad deal

T-Mobile also has a 15GB high-speed add on that is good for 30 days.

Here is the problem I don't see anyone talk about. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all have time limits on how long you can be out of the USA before they will drop you. That is, if you don't make calls from the USA within 3 to 6 months, your service will be dropped. We plan on being out of the US for 6 months maximum at a time for 2 to 3 years, coming back to US for about 2 weeks in between. What is best way to deal with that situation??? We would prefer to keep our current numbers.

Well, since you brought it up, could you do a video talking about the need, or lack there of, for using a travel hotspot as opposed to using your phone as a hotspot, and how the glocal type plans that some of them offer compare to just buying local sims.

Great info but at&t will only charge you for the first 10 days in a billing cycle so you'll pay up to $100 for one person and if you're traveling with family it will only cost an extra $5 per day

Thanks for this video. I will just call AT&T

Mate of mine did that many years back on a trip to Spain, ended up with a phone bill for around $460!

At&t is $10 a day up to 10 days per billing period. After the 10 days or $100 you don’t get charged any extra

Unfortunately, the Galaxy S23 devices sold in the US only work with SIM cards in three countries, in an attempt to enforce the region locking and curb gray market selling. Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list of carriers. MVNOs may be supported. (I don't always use data roaming, you know.) UNITED STATES • AT&T • Metro by T-Mobile • T-Mobile USA • US Cellular • Verizon • Xfinity Mobile GERMANY • Telekom Deutschland SWEDEN • Telia

Great info! I use travel data which has been great. Going international is a challenge, but you did the research for me! 😄

I have an Unlocked phone outside of my carrier of choice (Asus ROG Phone 3; T-Mobile). My phone has the advantage of having a dual SIM slot. Not only can I use T-Mobile's roaming plan, but I also have the option of using a local SIM card for use within my host country.

Kristen...thank you!!! My mother is going to sicily!!! I'm worried about mom!!!

I've been hearing that some of the carriers like Google Fi and T Mobile have been suspending service for people that are are gone for months at a time and not accessing a US cell phone tower in months. Are there any workarounds for this?

In AT&T there’s a 10 day cap. Beyond 10 days is free so technically only extra $100 per month

Sweet! I have AT&T and be going to Paris for a week. Will try this International Day Pass. Keep safe all! 🙏

i love google fi so much for traveling! it's seamless. my phone figures out where i am a few minutes after stepping off the plane and we're in business for the same prices as i would pay at home! even though i know it would be cheaper to get a local sim card it is worth it for the convenience for me. i would note that for those that use a lot of data, may be better to get local sim card because 10 per GB is a lot, but i don't use more than a 1-3 GB typically so works for me.

Great topic. What are the best phones for unlocking for SIM card swaps when traveling internationally?

You don’t need a second phone anymore. Most of the newer phones have double SIM, eSIM and you have both on the same phone.

I have the orange holiday eSIM, but I registered it with the French government so I can keep the number as long as I top it up every 6 months. When you top-up you can get 30gb for 32 euros that lasts a month. And it works in all of Europe and the UK.

Got the answer: T-Mobile international pass 1 month for 50 dollars. It’s the best plan , period!

AT&T international plan will charge no more than 10 days of usage in a billing period. So if you used it on day 11 onwards when abroad, it is free until the end of your billing cycle.

Google Fi only works abroad for about a month, if you read the fine print they say you need to "mostly" use it in the United States.

I recommend what you could also do is get a phone card phone cards in different countries is good because it's free well you got to pay for the phone card but it's the calls are free after that depending on what country you're in.

I did exactly this back in May when my wife and i were in francd for the French Open in paris. Great advicd on using an unlocked phone.

One useful tip: buy a local SIM. In Europe there is one market. In Asia it depends. But prices are always much lower than those US based plans. Also stay away from eSIM providers with regional plans. Local sims are cheaper!

Hello, I listened to your video and wanted tom make sure that I understood your suggestion: Have an international plan with your cell phone carrier, and then also get a local sim card?

I have been using Tmobile Magenta for the past 18 months. I pay $ 110(taxes and all fees incl.) so far good.

International phone plans for Canadian phone plans are expensive so I never use them. I usually travel for several months at a time. I mostly need data rather than making phone calls. I usually buy a local plan for the given country I am travelling in, its much cheaper.

AT&T cabs the charge at $100 so if you are going to use more than 10 days of mobile data and 30 day. You won’t pay $300, you won’t only pay $100 for 10 days but get 30 days data

If you are going to use local internet hotspots when you travel make sure you have a vpn on you electronic devices

Current iPhones can handle 2 SIM cards. One physical and one digital SIM. This way you can use 2 phone numbers and their plans….

How do you handle accessing apps or accounts that use 2-factor authentication when using international SIMs or eSiMs? Will I receive the text?

Lots of options -thank you.

Thank for all your information. How does it work if you have a phone service account like Cricket or Metro by T mobile?

Thank you for this information. I live in the US and I'm traveling to Australia and New Zealand for a total of 15 days. Normally I try to use WhatsApp for text and calls but I'm limited to using only with WiFi. I'm concerned that while traveling by car thru NZ, I won't have wifi very accessible so I'm thinking of getting a sim card. I'm on the Sprint/TMobile network. Do you have a better recommendation?

AT&T international plan at $10 a day used to cap at $100/month but you did not mention it. You said it could be up to $300 which I believe is not true.

Never works when buy sim card always uses up double fast just the data, wanted esim but doesnt work with my phones

Uk SIM card international, unlimited Internet and calling £35 a a month travel around the world

Thanks!

Heading to Japan. This was a very useful video. Thank you.

You actually have it wrong with T-Mobile. If you have a Magenta Max plan the first 5 gb of data on international roaming are high speed (already included in the plan without buying anything extra) and then it drops to the slower 512 bps rate for remaining unlimited data per month. You can buy the extra international plans you mention for additional high speed data as well as free calling (it's otherwise 25 cents per minute).

Well done ! Thanks. Nice smile ! 🤠🍉🍓

I plan on moving to Thailand I have a extra Samsung galaxy to guess I should just get a esim card just for Thailand to my USA plan is with metro pcs to so

We do have the T-Mobile international plan and the same iPhone 12 pro. However, My husband's iPhone works internationally but mine never worked. Any help/suggestions? Much appreciated.

I'm not clear as to using US phone carriers .. .. in retirement which I plan to do .. I won't be a tourist. (And, yes I also plan go get a Portuguese phone/plan.) I'm retired and want to make sure I'll have contact with my pensions, Social Security, bank, Vanguard, etc. I went to Verizon and asked and the person there told me that an international plan for seniors was only good for 1 month? Maybe he, I misunderstood? nway, can I permanently use my American phone/carrier plan while there and not worry about some time period before Portugal/EU 'cuts' me off due to some law that EU forbids that, or whatever?

Ok... I'm totally confused. 😒

Without looking at all the comments, and I apologize if I missed it - I have the ATT unlimited premium plan - works out to about 140 a month, but no extra charges in something like 19 Latin countries. I was in Panama and Costa Rica, and used my phone same as in the US, no limits, no extra charges. So if you travel in Latin countries as I do, I can conduct business as usual.

Hey there, glad I caught this vid. I begin my adventure starting in a few short weeks and I didn't do anything to address the phone situation! Hope all is well!

Thank you for your video. May I ask 1 question, so let's say you get the eSim, I'm with Verizon, when you turn your Airplane mode off to accept eSim, will Verizon charge you their fees too? I heard sometimes when Airplane mode is off, some juice can get by and Verizon will charge you. Thank you

I am looking for a plan similar to the one I just mentioned but that does not deactivate international roaming after 90 days of consecutive activity outside of the US.

I bought a SIM in Italy for a fraction of AT&T fee, with more data

Traveling! Lkie it,amazing shots! 😍

pre paid sim cards dont work for the new Iphone 15 we dont use sim cards anymore

Great tips! I usually tend to use Google Fi and it works well so far in many countries I have visited.

You have just solved all my questions. Thank you very much

Did you can you do a show defining and usingi HOTSPOTS ??

Good to see you back.

And what a lot of people having prepaid plans this video is not for those who have prepaid this videos only for those web postpaid mean that prepaid does not work international it might work in the USA Canada Mexico and he was Virgin Islands in the US territories but that's about it with prepaid service

Hi Kristen! Do the international carriers have esims yet? If you own an iPhone such as the iPhone SE 2nd or 3rd edition you can have both a physical sim and an estimate so your phone can have 2 numbers and access to 2 data networks. Have a wonderful week and i love your videos and enjoyed nomads for dummies (audible version)

If I have an overseas sim, how about a cheap home with hotspot

Having tried the T Mobile Magenta plan, I found it did not work for simple text and data in Albania. Since I was there for an extended period I opted for a new Sim in ALB and then again in Bulgaria when I was in Bansko. I don't work online so I used the wifi in the apartments I was renting or local restaurants for contact via email or messenger,, now since I have changed numbers frequently WhatsApp has dropped me, and I am unable to unlock because that app was on a sim card, I no longer have active (but I don't really care). The best suggestion I think is the two-phone option or 2 sim cards in one phone. Keep your "home" plan active for when you get back and just get sim cards for data while traveling. Sometimes you can get a short term roaming plan for a few days and sometimes you cant...Thank you for this video!

I love your content, you are the travelling monk!

My cell company told me to use WiFi calling and leave the phone on airplane mode.

Actually, the ATT plan is capped at $100 per month.

Great review and information. Really enjoyed your video. Aloha.

thanks for explaining all of this!!

I love your low cut tops.

I used to have a T-Mobile 5GB data plan. when I traveled to South America or Europe, to my surprise, my phone would automatically connect with a local carrier at 128KB. I have a Google Voice number so this was sufficient for email and text if I downloaded data intensive things such as maps and travel information ahead of time. does anyone know ithis low speed roaming is still available for just any old T-Mobile plan?

Amazing video 🤩

Im in France, coming from canada, i bought a sim card with 10GB, no problems right? Im always freaking over this stuff

Kristen, thanks for posting this. Trying to figure out my phone situation for my upcoming travel overseas. The dual SIM seems popular -- eSIM + physical SIM. Evidently you can select which SIM you want sending/receiving each time you use and app. Have you tried this?