The Best International Cell Phone Plans for Travelers [Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, Google Fi]

Your phone is your map, source of information, and translator while traveling. These modern conveniences have made international travel easier and safer. Whether you’re leaving for a year abroad, becoming an expat, or are just heading for a long weekend in Mexico, you’ll need to sort out choices for an international cell phone plan.

Make sure you understand your plan carefully and know what it will cost to use your data, minutes, and texts — and what happens when you go over.

What Phones Can You Use Internationally?

In the early days of mobile phones, some phones used different network standards such as CDMA or GSM, but most modern 4G/5G phones have global, multimode capabilities.

The following types of phones are the most likely not to work internationally:

• Locked carrier phones: Many phones you get for free or at a discount in exchange for signing a service contract are locked to the network the contract is with. Your cell phone provider prevents your phone from using other networks, and it may not work internationally.
• Older CDMA devices: Phones that rely solely on CDMA (rare now but common in older U.S., Chinese, or Indian models) may not work in countries that use GSM/LTE.
• Region-locked devices: Some Samsung phones are region-locked to specific carriers or areas, and functionality can only be used in the home market

Hot Tip: If your phone is locked, try asking your cell phone provider to unlock it.

Consider an eSIM When Traveling Internationally

Before we look at some of the best international cell phone plans, it’s a good idea to understand eSIMs. An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital, programmable SIM card built directly into a cell phone. This eliminates the need for a physical, removable plastic card. An eSIM is very convenient for international travel because it lets you activate new cellular plans and manage multiple SIM profiles.

Many modern smartphones released since 2020 support eSIMs. This includes most iPhones since the XR, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later phones, Google Pixel 3 and later, Motorola Razr and Edge phones, and Huawei phones, including the P40 and Mate 40.

Best eSIM Providers

There are a number of eSIM providers, and they usually offer similar services at comparable prices. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Airalo: Airalo is a cell service marketplace where travelers can find, purchase, and download an eSIM. They also offer regional eSIMs that cover multiple countries.
• GigSky: GigSky is a data-only eSIM provider with coverage in more than 190 countries and offers free plans of up to 500MB to new customers, with no credit card required.
• Voye: Voye Global offers coverage in more than 130 countries with 24/7 customer support.
• Jetpac: Jetpac is an eSIM company that offers coverage in over 150 destinations with data packages starting at just $1.

Buy a Local SIM at Your Destination

Another option if you don’t want to get an eSIM or use your phone carrier’s plan is to buy a local SIM card at your destination. This works best if you’re only traveling to one specific country. Many convenience or electronics stores sell local SIM cards that work in that particular country.

While some local SIM cards are data only, it’s much more common for a local SIM to give you a local phone number. That can be useful if you need to contact others in the country, but it might make things complicated to call your friends or family back home.

Best International Cell Phone Plans

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all option for international cell phone plans. Below, you’ll find information on all the major carriers and their plans, along with the pros and cons of each.

Verizon

Verizon’s main international offering is the TravelPass plan, which lets you use your normal talk, text, and data while traveling abroad. You are charged only on days when you use your phone outside the U.S. Current pricing is $6 per day per line in Mexico and Canada and $12 per day per line in more than 210 other countries. The pass activates automatically when your phone connects to a foreign network and lasts for 24 hours from the first use (not a calendar day). TravelPass includes unlimited talk and text and 5GB of high-speed data per day, after which speeds are reduced to slower 3G speeds for the rest of that 24-hour session.

If you don’t add TravelPass or another international plan, Verizon charges pay-as-you-go roaming rates, which can be very expensive at about 99 cents per minute for calls in Canada and Mexico, $1.79 or more per minute in many other countries, 50 cents per text sent, 5 cents per text received, and about $2.05 per MB of data. Because data is billed per megabyte, simple tasks like downloading an app or using maps can quickly cost hundreds of dollars. For most travelers, TravelPass or another international plan is the easiest and safest way to avoid these high roaming charges

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is great for international travel because its plans make things simple. T-Mobile’s international plans offer automatic, pay-no-extra-fee texting and low-speed data in over 215 countries. The best part of T-Mobile’s plan is that it works automatically.

T-Mobile also offers international passes for faster data while you’re abroad. Its 5GB plan gives you high-speed data for 10 days and unlimited calling for $35. It also offers 15GB for 30 full days at $50.

AT&T

On AT&T Unlimited Premium, Unlimited Extra, and Unlimited Value plans, you can travel to Mexico and Canada with all your talk, data, and text already included.

AT&T offers an International Day Pass for $10 a day that includes unlimited talk, text, and data already included in your regular plan in more than 200 destinations and 400 cruise ships.

This charge can add up quickly when you’re on longer trips, though. The AT&T Passport plan lets you use your normal within-U.S. plan for 30 days while you’re out of the country.

The Passport plan costs $70 for 30 days and offers 2GB of data and unlimited texting. You can raise this to 6GB of data for $140. At that point, you should never go any further if you value your budget, because it charges $30 per GB over your allowance. Phone calls are not included, and you will be charged 35 cents per minute.

Google Fi

Google Fi works internationally by automatically connecting to local networks in over 200 countries, offering the same data rates as in the U.S.

Internationally, your calls cost 20 cents, unless you are on Wi-Fi, which is free. You still have unlimited text messages while traveling internationally.

On Google Fi’s Flexible plan, data costs $10 per GB (the same as in the U.S.). On Unlimited Premium, international data is included.

Saving Money Without an International Phone Plan

There’s no doubt that using your phone outside of the U.S. can be pricey — most major plans cost more than you pay for your domestic service. To save on these costs while outside of the country, there are a few things you can do:

• Connect to Wi-Fi: Many hotels and other public places offer free Wi-Fi, which you can use to access the Internet and make Wi-Fi calls.
• Use a hot spot: Consider buying, renting, or borrowing a hot spot. If someone in your party gets a local SIM, they might be able to share their phone’s data connection with everyone else.
• Turn off cellular data when you aren’t using it: If you don’t need data, shut off your cell signal or put it in airplane mode, especially if your plan charges per day.

Final Thoughts

The best international cell phone plan depends on what your individual needs are. Consider your travel plans, including where you are going and how often, what you use at home, and whether voice, data, or texting is most important to you. When you know what you need, it’s easier to make a decision about whether it’s best to get an international phone plan, buy a local SIM, or use an eSIM.