Cell Phones Overseas

[vafoodie]

I’ve posted previously abt an ongoing problem I I am having with Verizon when using them overseas for cell phone coverage. How does everyone else handle overseas cell phone coverage? I don’t remember having this problem or paying as much as we did on any previous trip. I’m not sure what changed with Verizon, but I know I am going to be changing from Verizon!

 

[audreyh1]

T-Mobile has been really handy for Europe, and now even includes 5G high speed data per month overseas. Free overseas texting too.

 

[trirod]

I recently changed to Spectrum (which uses Verizon’s network) because they have good overseas rates. It worked well when I was in the UK in January this year - only ran up a few dollars of charges in a week.

 

[TheWizard]

My android phone with Google Fi should work fine on most of my trip next week to Turkey and South Africa. But not in Zimbabwe.
Very few cell plans work in Zimbabwe as I understand it...

 

[HarveyS]

I use an eSIM on my iphone11 and google voice. THe eSIM gets me very inexpensive data plans in countries or regions I visit. And it worked in Zimbabwe!
Lots of info on you tube.
Drawback- you won’t get calls on your cell number.

 

[COcheesehead]

We use the free WhatsApp for text. Wi-Fi for internet. Don’t make calls when on vacation abroad. Screen capture anything we need to reference.

 

[RetireBy90]

I use an eSIM on my iphone11 and google voice. THe eSIM gets me very inexpensive data plans in countries or regions I visit. And it worked in Zimbabwe!
Lots of info on you tube.
Drawback- you won’t get calls on your cell number.

We used a SIM card with android in Ireland several years ago with no issues. About $30 for a month of text and talk.

We recently used iPhone with a Verizon plan, text and talk in Austrians NZ without problems except texts were delayed sometimes. $100:for a month but no cell data. We used Wi-Fi for data mostly except when needing directions or a quick bing search when out and about. Lot of $$ but it was a once in a lifetime trip so sucked it up.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I research a solution for each of my trips.

Generally, I buy a (relatively) local eSIM for my iPhone. That gives me a local telephone number so I can call hotels and other things in emergencies. That also gives me data to surf the internet. I don’t feel the need to maintain my USA number while abroad. People can reach me via multiple messenger apps if needed.

In September, my eSIM was from GiffGaff, a UK company. It worked well at all stops during my UK and Ireland cruise. In May I plan on buying the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM. It will have a French phone number and 20GB of data. It will work in all but one country of my upcoming Mediterranean cruise.

If I like it, I may use the Orange solution again in September for my Switzerland trip.

I usually pay $30-$50 per trip.

 

[savory]

T-Mobile has been really handy for Europe, and now even includes 5G high speed data per month overseas. Free overseas texting too.

+1. Seamless service in countries we have visited to date. And if memory serves voice calls are 20 cents per minute.

Their international program is one of the reasons I stick with them.

 

[sengsational]

In my upcoming trip (Iceland, Norway, UK), I plan to use Google Fi. My last trip, I bought international credit from Mint Mobile that didn't work. Even after wasting hours with their tech support. And they wouldn't issue a refund.

My phone is supposed to be dual SIM, but it's one eSIM and one real SIM. So I'm hoping to get Fi on the eSIM and so have the flexibility to get a localish SIM if Fi is a problem.

 

[Trailwalker]

I used an Airalo esim for my Peru trip last year. I installed it at home on wifi and then had data when I landed. $15 for 3 gig for 30 days. For voice calls we used whatsapp.

 

[Drake3287]

Not sure what your issue with Verizon is. I use their international plan for probably two vacations a year and it's great. Besides the well known $10. a day plan, they also offer a flat $100. rate for an entire month which I now use.

For some reason on our last trip they even discounted it another 20% for a total of $80. Well worth it compared to dealing with getting a new SIM card and new phone numbers.

 

[COcheesehead]

Not sure what your issue with Verizon is. I use their international plan for probably two vacations a year and it's great. Besides the well known $10. a day plan, they also offer a flat $100. rate for an entire month which I now use.

For some reason on our last trip they even discounted it another 20% for a total of $80. Well worth it compared to dealing with getting a new SIM card and new phone numbers.

https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f46/verizon-travel-snafu-help-117640.html#post2919315

 

[marko]

We have ATT at home. IIRC, it works throughout Europe and the Caribbean for about $10 a day extra. Talk, data and text. The daily charge is only if you actually use it that day. You don't have to do anything but turn on your phone.

 

[donheff]

I don't like VZ's $10/day charge but I put up with it. I recently got charged for two days I shouldn't have (data was off and I strictly used hotel wifi). It seemed pretty easy to get those days dropped from my bill.

 

[Aerides]

Google FI works almost everywhere and makes it very easy.

 

[sengsational]

Google FI works almost everywhere and makes it very easy.

And you pay by the GB, so no worry about paying $10 for a day when you didn't use it

 

[Music Lover]

Not sure what your issue with Verizon is. I use their international plan for probably two vacations a year and it's great. Besides the well known $10. a day plan, they also offer a flat $100. rate for an entire month which I now use.

For some reason on our last trip they even discounted it another 20% for a total of $80. Well worth it compared to dealing with getting a new SIM card and new phone numbers.

Our phone plan (Canada) charges $15 a day for international calls and I refuse to pay that much. I got a SIM card and new ph# in Mexico, it cost less than $20 for 30 days and included unlimited international phone calls and texting, plus more data than we needed. We just gave people our new number, even my wife's aging and technologically challenged mother didn't have a problem.

 

[Cobra9777]

I used an Airalo esim for my Peru trip last year. I installed it at home on wifi and then had data when I landed. $15 for 3 gig for 30 days. For voice calls we used whatsapp.

+1

If you have a phone with eSIM capability, this is really easy and cheap nowadays. We made a recent 2-week trip to the Dominican Republic. A week before we left the US, I bought an eSIM on Airalo which gave me 1GB on Claro for $9. As soon as our plane landed, I turned on my phone and had a very fast data connection.

The 1GB lasted about a week, so I used the Airalo app to top-up another 1GB for the 2nd week. You don't get a local phone number, so no traditional voice calls or texting. But with the vast array of messaging apps, that was never a problem. Whatsapp is the de facto standard outside the US. For friends/family in the US, we mainly use Google Chat.

 

[sengsational]

Whatsapp is the de facto standard outside the US. For friends/family in the US, we mainly use Google Chat.

Taxi and hotels do often have a WhatsApp connection, which is handy.

In years past, I had a cheap 2nd phone with a European cell radio (before the cell radio frequencies/protocols converged). It worked OK, but there was the visit to the cell phone kiosk in the baggage claim of the country I was visiting, and having to trust the seller to sell me something that was going to work. Usually it did, but it was something I didn't look forward to. Hopefully I'll land with Google Fi, and it will "just work".

 

[HarveyS]

I use an eSIM on my iphone11 and google voice. THe eSIM gets me very inexpensive data plans in countries or regions I visit. And it worked in Zimbabwe!
Lots of info on you tube.
Drawback- you won’t get calls on your cell number.

I've used Airalo in Chile, Ubigi in Netherlands/France. A different Ubigi when in Switzerland. Ubigi again for Africa. Plans are cheap, around $10/mo 1GB data. No local phone number, but I use WhatsApp with my US #. Having a data plan allows me to connect away from wifi, and I think that's worth ~$10/month.

 

[Sunset]

And you pay by the GB, so no worry about paying $10 for a day when you didn't use it

When in Canada, I used google FI, and had the $50 per month plan and hotspotted it for DW to get her emails. I used up all the allotment, so upgraded to the $65 plan (all done on my phone) and only charged the price difference.

The $65 plan allowed unlimited hot-spotting. To me it was cheap at just over $2/day.

They didn't like my use of the phone in another country for 2 solid months, so that might be an issue for long trips. Don't know how to avoid that part.

 

[Aerides]

They didn't like my use of the phone in another country for 2 solid months, so that might be an issue for long trips. Don't know how to avoid that part.

What do you mean "didn't like"? did it not work or were there high fees?

 

[Sunset]

What do you mean "didn't like"? did it not work or were there high fees?

I used it on the "Simply Unlimited" plan and after a few weeks the hotspot didn't work anymore as DW had used up all the 5GB included.
So for a $15 more per month I upgraded instantly to the Unlimited Plus plan.
Nicely they only charged me ~$4 for the remaining time that month.

After being in Canada for around 6 weeks, I got a message that I was using the phone a lot outside the USA and the intention was it should be used mainly in the USA.

I'll admit, I signed up only about 2 weeks before our trip as I wanted to test it in the USA and mainly wanted it for the trip.

I ignored the text and continued to use the phone and it worked fine for the next ~10 days until we returned to the USA. No extra fees.

I did make a call as soon as were were in the States, to show I'm using it in the USA.

Then 3 weeks later I cancelled the service as I have my regular prepaid service still.

My good experience with google Fi does tempt me to drop my super cheap but no data plan that costs ~$3/mo on avg and upgrade to google Fi.

 

[bltkmt]

We have ATT at home. IIRC, it works throughout Europe and the Caribbean for about $10 a day extra. Talk, data and text. The daily charge is only if you actually use it that day. You don't have to do anything but turn on your phone.

This. Their International Day Pass works great for us. $10/day for the first line and $5/day for any others.