Using Your Cell Phone Abroad

If you’re going to use your phone mostly to post pictures of your meals on Instagram, I won’t judge. I can send you a picture of a mustard macaron that a French restaurant served me as an amuse-bouche last summer. It was a MUSTARD. MACARON. Like, they told me what it was when they sat it in front of me, but my brain didn’t comprehend it until I tasted it. Just like you can’t unsee things, you can’t untaste them, either.

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Using Your Cell Phone Abroad

Anyhoo, back to the topic at hand. Using your cell phone abroad. I wish I could simply tell you that x solution is the way to go, but the fact is… it’s complicated. The best option for you this summer might not be the best option for you in a year. And the best option for you for a two-day business trip probably isn’t the best option for your month-long stay in Tuscany. And if that weren’t enough, technology and data options are in a constant flux. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction depending on your situation.

Disclaimers:

• This information is based the Apple ecosystem. Androids have similar settings; you just have to find where they are in the Settings menu of your phone.
• This information is constantly changing with new technology, new cell provider policies, etc. It’s not a bad idea for you to reach out to your cell phone provider and make sure the option you’re considering will work for you!
• There are a few affiliate links at the bottom of the post. You don’t need to click them if you don’t want to. If you do purchase, I get a few cents per purchase and I use it to help pay my webhosting fees and your cost is the same whether you use my link or not. In January 2024, I earned $1.26 from affiliate links 😂

So, this is a long blog post. Feel free to skip ahead to what interests you:

• Important info you need
  • Set it and DON’T forget it (Settings)
• Cell phone options
  • The budget option
  • The easy option
  • Local SIM
  • eSIM
  • Hot spot
• Cell phones while cruising
• Minimizing data use

Important Information You Need to Know

When it comes to evaluating your options for using your cell phone abroad, there is some information that you need to gather. I’ll tell you how to find the information yourself.

Note: you can possibly get all of these answers more quickly by calling your cell phone provider. Like, with the same phone we’re talking about using while abroad! For me, holding on the line for a cell phone service agent is its own circle of hell. But you do you!

Locked/Unlocked

Your cell phone company is a jealous lover. When they sell you a cell phone, they don’t want it cozying up to other carriers. If you are still paying your phone off through your cell phone provider, you’re in an exclusive dating relationship. Your phone is locked to prevent carrier infidelity. If you have paid off your cell phone, however, you can request that the carrier unlock your phone.

Not sure if your phone is locked or unlocked? Here’s an article that shows you how to figure it out.

And here is how to unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier.

NOTE: If you bought an iPhone through Apple (or an Android directly from its manufacturer), it usually arrives unlocked whether you’ve paid it off with them or not.

eSIM?

Since time immemorial the 1990s, cell phones have a little card with a chip in them that contains the information for your phone line. Whenever you got a new phone, you would pop out the old SIM and put it in the new phone. Today’s phones still mostly have these tiny cards.

Recently, though, phones are being built with a form of SIM card that’s embedded into the phone called an eSIM. You need to know if your phone has eSIM capabilities. This article has a handy list to tell you.

You also need to know if your phone has “Dual SIM capabilities.” (This means: can it have two SIMs at the same time?) Does one SIM need to be physical (the little card), or can it handle two eSIMs? My phone is an iPhone 12 Pro Max, and it has dual SIM with one needing to be a physical SIM. iPhone 13s and newer can use two eSIMs simultaneously. Just google your phone model and “dual SIM.”

(An aside: it feels like I just bought this phone! In fact, I still feel the shock of shelling out over $1k for it. How is it that we’re on iPhone 15 now???)

Set it and DON’T Forget it!

Here are some general guidelines for avoiding US carrier charges while using your cellphone abroad. These settings could vary for you depending on your scenario. But have a look at them and see what suits you.

DO:

• Turn off Data Roaming for your US carrier. Go to Settings > Cellular. There is option to select your current number (mine is found by scrolling down to the SIMs section). Select it, then towards the bottom, you’ll see Data Roaming. Turn it off. Do it before you depart the US. (Unless you’re buying an international data package from your cell carrier. We’ll get to that in a bit.)
• Turn on WiFi calling. This needs to be done BEFORE you leave. This is on the same screen as the Data Roaming setting. With this turned on, you can make calls to the US for the same rate as you normally pay, which I think is free most of us at this point. In other words, you’ll pay whatever you normally would to call that number if you were at home. This means that if you call your hotel in Frankfurt from the hotel lobby, you will be charged for an international call. Even though you can hear the other phone ringing at the reception desk!
• There is an option as well to completely turn off Cellular Data. You can find this option in Settings > Cellular at the very top. Select “Cellular Data.” and on the next screen, select “Off.”
• Still completely paranoid about getting charged by your cell phone provider while abroad (raises hand!)? You can put your phone into Airplane Mode, and then in Settings, you can turn WiFi and Bluetooth back on. Cellular will remain off.

DO NOT:

• Turn off WiFi calling while you’re overseas. At least, not unless you’re completely sure you don’t want to have it! You won’t be able to turn it back on without your phone connecting to your cellular carrier.

Cell Phone Options

The Budget Option

If you are really looking to save money when using your cell phone abroad, this is the ultimate solution—it will cost you zero dollars. You keep your phone in Airplane Mode the entire trip, making sure that WiFi and Bluetooth are turned on.

People vary in terms of how attached they are to their phones, of course. If you think you might be fine with this option, I encourage you to go two days with your phone in full Airplane Mode (WiFi and cellular off), making sure to include a grocery trip and a waiting room experience. Allow yourself 15 minutes of WiFi a day. This is a pretty fair replication of what you could face abroad because I’ve found hotel WiFi to be reliably unreliable (lol-see what I did there?).

Of course, you should have more access to WiFi than that while using your cell phone abroad. I’ve read that most metropolitan cities in Asia have great access to WiFi. At the same time, you can’t always believe what you read. I had better WiFi in Bogotá, Colombia, than I did in France.

The Easy Option

The easiest option for using your cellphone abroad is just to leave everything on your phone just the way it is and add an international travel plan offered by your cellular carriers. Here is what they’re offering as of January 2024:

• Verizon: You can sign up for an international plan at $10 per line per day ($5 in Canada and Mexico). Note: you get unlimited call/text. For data, you get 2GB at high speed data, and then it slows to unlimited 3G data. They also have an international monthly plan for $100/month per line which has 20GB of high speed data and then it throttles to 3G data. Includes unlimited texts and 250 minutes of talk time. If you don’t sign up for either of those options, they’ll charge you a pay-as-you-go rate, which if I’m mathing correctly, would cost you $2,000 for 1GB of data ($2.05/mb). Yikes.
• T-Mobile: It’s a little bit complicated here. For international with T-Mobile, you need to change your phone plan rather than just adding an international component to it. So, you get a plan that qualifies, and then you decide if you need unlimited data (normal or super fast for streaming) or unlimited calling or any variation thereof. Price ranges from $60 – $100 (with AutoPay required), and the plan may not be used for extended international use.
• AT&T: They offer an international day pass for $10/day if you already are on an unlimited plan. You are charged only for days when your phone hits the tower, so make sure you don’t have cellular roaming on for even a moment during that 24-hour period. If you don’t sign up for this plan, it’ll be automatically added for you the moment your phone connects internationally.

Local SIM

The local SIM option can be a great money-saver when using your cell phone abroad, if you have an unlocked phone. Once you land in your destination, you need to purchase a local SIM card. This will give you a local phone number and local data. (Or, you can buy a SIM with only data if you don’t need a local number. With the data SIM, you can use your WiFi calling.)

This is a great option if you’re going to be in the country for two weeks or more and want to save money. I wouldn’t recommend them for short trips because of the hassle involved.

If you’re good with cell phone and plan options, you can pick a SIM card up at most stores or even on street kiosks. If you feel like you need assistance choosing the correct one and setting it up, you can go to the store of a cellular provider and ask for help.

A similar option would be to buy a second, pre-paid (cheap) phone at your location. You can pretend it’s your “burner phone” and that you’re on a counterintelligence mission with Tom Cruise.

Before you head to your destination, do this quick Google search: “largest cell provider in (destination).” Get one of their SIM cards after you land.

International eSIM

This is a “best of both worlds” type of option for using your cell phone abroad while saving money and still keeping your home phone number via WiFi calling if your phone allows Dual eSIMs or if your phone has a Dual SIM physical/eSIM option, and your home carrier is using a physical SIM.

You can download and activate your eSIM before you leave home so that when your plane lands, you’re all set for connectivity. There is an option to suit just about every type of traveler, from multi-day use packages to data packages that don’t expire.

If you buy a larger data package, you can get your price as low as $1.85/GB! But even short packages are still reasonable at $5/GB for a European 7-day package of 1GB.

These options are from Airalo. They’re the original eSIM carrier, and they are rated the most reliable. So, I’m taking my examples from their packages. Feel free to Google other options, though. There are a lot of them! Do a Google Search for coupon codes before buying. You can frequently find 10 to 15% off. You can buy their packages any time and they won’t start until they are activated.

WiFi Hotspot

Our last option for using your cell phone abroad, and one of our more expensive ones, is a dedicated WiFi hotspot. In this scenario, you purchase a device to provide your connectivity. The cost for this ranges from $129 – $700 or more. On top of this, you will need to purchase service, either through the device manufacturer, or you can even purchase a local sim to insert (note: this is for most hotspots, but not for the Keepgo).

Prices for coverage with the WiFi hotspots will be more expensive than the eSIMs, but still reasonable compared to what you’d probably pay with your provider back at home.

Who does this make sense for?

• Digital nomads (people who work remotely from all over the planet)
• Frequent business travelers or other individuals who need a more secure and reliable connection than hotel WiFi
• International travelers who want to save money by getting a plan that they can share with their family, saving a lot of money
• Parents who want their kids to be able to connect their tablets while traveling, including on road trips in the USA
• People with an unlocked phone who can’t use other options
• People who work from home and would like a backup option in case their home WiFi goes down (like when our lawn guy accidentally cut our data cable, throwing my husband and I into a complete panic)

There are a lot of options here (sensing a theme?), but here are a few products and who I’d recommend them for:

Solis

Solis SIMO Lite 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot, current price: ~$160

Solis SIMO 5G Mobile Hotspot, current price: ~$400

The less expensive one is great! You would only need the more expensive one if you need a faster connection (say, if it is your work backup), if you need a longer lasting battery (24 hours), or you need to connect up to 16 devices at a time. (The more inexpensive one can connect 10 devices simultaneously and doesn’t have 5G, so it’s slower.)

What I like about Solis is that they give you 1 free GB of data every month for the life of the device. Pretty cool. I bought the 5G Solis because I take it on my trips with me so that my guests can all have easy connectivity while we travel (like to France and Germany this summer!). Also, I am now using it as a WiFi backup in case our lawn guy mows our data cable again, so my connection needs to be fast, and it needs to allow many devices simultaneously.

I also like the flexibility of their plans. You can buy coverage in multi-day packs, monthly data packages, or non-expiring data packages. To give an example, if you get coverage for USA and buy 20GB of data, that’ll be $4/GB and $9/GB for global coverage.

You can also find these devices on Amazon.

GlocalMe

GlocalMe hotspots are very similar to Solis and have similar price points as well. Their coverage plans are slightly more expensive than Solis at the time of this writing, but they’re still a solid choice.

Keepgo

Looking for the most inexpensive hotspot option for Europe? It’s Keepgo. Their device currently costs $129 and holds 11 hours of charge. Your balance with them remains valid as long as you refill at least $3 once per year. Their rates for Europe are the best: just $6/GB. If you’re just going to Europe, this cost is a steal.

Who is this NOT for? It’s not for people who want to use it in the US (you have to use their world plan, which is $10/GB). It’s also not for people who want to use a local SIM in their hotspot.

Netgear Nighthawk M6

Last on the list is the Netgear Nighthawk M6. Its price hovers around $700, so it’s by far the priciest option I’m listing. This is the hotspot most recommended by digital nomads. If you’re going to take your profession on the road, traveling around the world doing consulting work, for example, this is your best choice if it’s in your budget. It uses 5G and it connects up to 32 devices.

Cell Phones While Cruising

So, how about using your cell phone abroad if you’re cruising? Is there an alternative to the crazy ship internet fees? The answer is a solid maybe.

There are satellite phones that you can buy from $500-800, plus the cost of calling plans that you have to add to them to be able to text and call. Inmarsat and Iridium are the most well-rated of the bunch. If you use them, make sure you’re at the farthest point away from the ship’s antenna and are on a top deck with a clear line of sight to the sky.

What about for data? Sadly, no. Although there are satellite hotspots, you would need to place an antenna at the top of the ship for one to work, and the cruise lines aren’t going to let you do that. In fact, from what I read, you can’t even bring one on board.

What about the other options we were talking about? Like the eSIM? All of the other options we’ve gone over work off of connections to cell towers. As there are no cell towers in the sea, those options won’t work.

Your best options are to either wait and use your phone when you’re near land (keeping in mind the options we’ve discussed above if the land you’re near isn’t included in your normal cell plan) or bite down hard and swallow the pricing they offer on the ship. You can also check with your US cell carrier and see if they offer a plan. Some do, some don’t.

Minimizing Data Use

When we look at all the options for using your cell phone abroad, the first thing that jumps out is just how expensive the data is. Even plans that offer unlimited data will “throttle” (slow down) your internet speed once you get past a certain amount of gigabytes.

How can you make sure that you stay under your GB budget? First of all, make sure you know how many GB you’re able to have on your plan. If you only have 3GB for the month, you’ll need to be more ruthless in cutting down your usage than if you have 20GB, for example.

Nuclear option

Earlier we mentioned settings that halt data use. You can always toggle your data on and off to conserve it.

À la carte option

For most, when you’re using your cellphone abroad, you do need to use cellular data, say, for Maps or for Google Translate. Here’s a “fun” little task that you can do while you’re either waiting at the airport for your flight or experiencing insomnia on your overnight flight:

• Go into Settings > Cellular
• Scroll down to “Cellular Data For Primary” (yours might just be called “Cellular Data”)
• You’ll see a list of all of your apps and whether or not they can use data. If you toggle these apps off, they won’t be able to eat up your data!

So, you’ll want to go through your entire list of apps and leave on only the ones you need to use when WiFi is not available.

Suggestions for apps to turn off:

• Apps with streaming content (YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Netflix). They eat up data like a child eats Halloween candy.
• Email. Check it only when you have WiFi unless you’re expecting something important.
• Games. So many games have ads. Don’t use your precious GB on ads!
• Be fairly ruthless. If you have an app turned off for cellular data and you change your mind, it’s really easy to turn it back on to use cellular.

Conclusion

I hope this tutorial has been helpful to explore your options and get your settings ready for using your cell phone abroad. Bon voyage!

Have any tips I didn’t mention? Put them in a comment!