The Best International Cell Phone Plans for 2024 - NerdWallet

You come home from vacation. You’re relaxed. You’re refreshed. Then you check your cell phone bill and find that you owe $800.

International roaming rates are nothing to mess around with, so it’s important to know what you’re on the hook for before you travel abroad.

We surveyed the mobile landscape to find cell phone plans and add-on options that are friendly to out-of-country travelers. Pick a plan that’s right for you and you can save money.

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Frequent travelers may prefer a cell phone plan that includes international features in the monthly price. Google Fi’s Unlimited Plus, T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus and Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plans are worth checking out. We highlighted the international features most important to those traveling outside North America below.

Good for: Frequent international travelers who stay away for less than 90 days at a time.

Price: $65 for a single line, with reduced pricing per line when you add more lines.

International features at a glance: Unlimited data and texting included in over 200 destinations. Calls cost 20 cents per minute when abroad. Data speed is reduced after 50GB of use per month.

Things to know: This plan is not intended for international use over 90 consecutive days. After that, Google will suspend your international data.

Good for: International travelers who want connectivity on the plane too.

Price: $90 per month (with $5 autopay discount) with reduced pricing per line when you add more lines.

International features at a glance: Unlimited text and up to 5GB of high-speed data in more than 215 countries and destinations. Calls cost 25 cents per minute when abroad.

Things to know: This plan also includes in-flight texting and Wi-Fi where available. T-Mobile’s cheaper Go5G plan offers unlimited text and 5GB of data in 11 European countries.

Good for: International travelers who want to talk to friends and family in the States while away.

Price: $90 per month (with $10 autopay discount) with reduced pricing per line when you add more lines.

International features at a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in more than 210 countries and destinations. Data speed will be slowed after 10GB of use in a month.

Things to know: Unlike the other plans, this plan includes unlimited talk from abroad. However, Verizon’s fine print notes that use of services may be removed if more than 50% of your talk, text or data usage in a 60-day period occurs in countries other than the U.S.

» Paying too much for cell phone service? Here’s a guide to the best cheap plans

If you like your existing cell phone plan or don’t travel often enough to change it, you can explore temporary add-ons from your wireless provider. These options from AT&T and Verizon are examples.

Best for: AT&T customers who leave the country for short trips here and there.

Price: $12 per day when added to an existing AT&T unlimited plan.

At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in over 210 destinations outside the U.S. AT&T’s fine print says data is drawn from your domestic plan allowance, with speeds slowing once you go over the designated amount.

Things to know: Once you have signed up, Day Pass activates automatically when you travel.

Best for: Verizon customers who leave the country for short trips here and there.

Price: $12 per day for customers on Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome plans.

At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in over 210 countries and destinations outside the U.S., with data speeds slowing after 5GB of high-speed use.

Things to know: The TravelPass feature is automatically added to your line (if you have an Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Welcome plan) when you use your device in a TravelPass country.

Other ways to use your phone when traveling abroad include buying a local SIM card when you arrive or an eSIM on a site like Airalo before you go.

We surveyed major international roaming cell phone plans, checking the price of the international roaming option, data costs, and the price of international calls and texts.