How To Use Your Cell Phone Internationally | Travel Tips & Advice
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- What's the best cell phone plan for international travel? Which SIM cards should you buy? How to get the fastest 4G and 5G data speeds when traveling abroad? Find out in this video.
Try the Solis International Wi-Fi Hotspot: bit.ly/SkyRoam (Wi-Fi in 130+ countries) 📡
00:00 Intro
00:15 What not to do
00:28 International cell phone plans
00:44 AT&T International Pass
1:41 T-Mobile International Plan
2:10 Traveling with two phones
2:49 High-speed Data prices
3:11 Pre-paid tourist SIM cards
4:00 Google Fi
4:15 Do you need to change your number?
4:35 Call forwarding and keeping your number
5:37 International data roaming
6:08 Finding free Wi-FI
6:42 Wi-Fi Hotspots
International Cell Phone and Data Providers and Resources:
AT&T: www.att.com/international/day...
Google Fi: fi.google.com/about/internati...
Orange Tourist SIM (Europe): travel.orange.com/en/
Skype-In Number: secure.skype.com/en/skype-num...
Solis Hot Spot: bit.ly/SkyRoam
T-Mobile: www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-p...
Wi-Fi Finder: www.wifimap.io/
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👱🏼♀️About: Kristin Wilson is a digital nomad travel blogger, writer, public speaker, podcaster, and travel host who has been featured on The Today Show, HGTV's House Hunters International, Huffpost, Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, Business Insider, ESPN, and more.
► Contact Email: Hello[at]TravelingwithKristin.com
🎧 Weekly Travel Podcast: www.badassdigitalnomads.com
✈️ Travel Tips Newsletter: www.travelingwithkristin.com/...
NOTE: This video is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not individual consulting or advice. Please seek professional guidance before traveling or moving abroad. Video descriptions may include affiliate links.
#cellphone #simcard #traveltips - Věda a technologie
New! Get 5% off an international eSIM with Holafly: bit.ly/holafly_esim 📲
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!
Right on Que. You are very beautiful.
Your right eye looks a little sore.
Hey I ordered your book 😊
Glad to see new videos from Kristin! 🤩💪
Thank you! 😊
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).
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🎉
So glad it helps, James! Enjoy your trip and stay safe 😊🙏
This has always confused me. Thanks for shedding some light on lots of options. Very very helpful.
Glad it was helpful, Laura! You are always welcome 🙌😊
Just buy a $10 SIM card in each country. Not complicated. Cheapest option
Thanks for sharing your insights, Julie.
I thought about doing this too Julie but when landing in a foreign country I might need to use my phone to call hotel or something.
@@leoluv822 most times you can’t order an Uber at the airport. You can only use a taxi, bus or train to get to your hotel or Airbnb. Write down the address and phone number and take a screen shot of check in instructions. Some airports have SIM cards, some don’t. Find out before arriving where you can get a SIM card and which one is best
Do you keep your US number?
Does it give you a different number?
Very helpful, Welcome Back!
Glad it was helpful, Chris24J! Happy to be back 🙌😊
Sweet! I have AT&T and be going to Paris for a week. Will try this International Day Pass. Keep safe all! 🙏
Awesome, Lenard! Safe travels 💛
Great info! I use travel data which has been great. Going international is a challenge, but you did the research for me! 😄
Glad you enjoyed the video, Jason! Happy to help 😊🙌
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!
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing, @Scottman!
I’ve been to Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Rome with T-Mobile, and the $5 a day high-speed data pass will basically allow you to use google maps for a day when you are walking the city. But, forget about trying to actually bring up a webpage or access an app with any kind of performance. It’s pretty bad
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.
Glad you liked it, Derek! Hope this was helpful 😊
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.
Thanks Douglas! 😊
Lots of options -thank you.
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.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Scott! Very helpful. 😊🙏
Hey @tellmetorun, what example online provider can you recommend?
what example online provider can you recommend?
Good video Kristin. Any recommendations for a good VPN service in Europe or is it needed et all? Thx!
thanks for explaining all of this!!
Glad it was helpful! You're welcome Mariedel 😊
Heading to Japan. This was a very useful video. Thank you.
Great video !
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 1:59pm 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.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Zornan! :)
This is good to know. Thank you!
Thanks so much. This is the kind of info we need, not general statements.
AT&T is the same--they only charge for the days you actually use your phone on a foreign network.
Verizon also have $100 for 30 days.
Good to see you back.
Happy to be back as well, Martin!
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.
Hello Kristin! Thank you for this video, much appreciated. May I ask you a clarifying question? You stated in the beginning of the video that you don’t have to do much when you get the T-Mobile pass other than just turn on your phone and connect to the local network. What does that mean? And how do you connect to the local network? Your help would be so appreciated!
You have just solved all my questions. Thank you very much
You're very welcome, Luz! I'm glad I could help and provide the answers you were looking for. Thank you for your kind words!😊
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.
Thanks for sharing, Martin! 😊
Martin, Couldn’t you save your USA 🇺🇸 phone number while abroad with google voice. Port over the number? So when you come back to the USA 🇺🇸 you can just activate it on AT&T. I have heard of people doing something like this.
I just posted to something like as above ... but retiring to Portugal. I saw another CZcams video 'somewhere', can't remember, which mentioned international plans for seniors at ATT, Verizon and, I believe T-Mobile and was told by someone at Verizon that the plan was allowed only for 1 month? Didn't make since. Need to revist this. So, if you've been using ATT for 5 years then I guess the answer to my question is 'yes'.
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!
Great! Thanks for watching, Miles! Hope this helped and safe travels 🙌
I am going to the Netherlands and France. My current cell phone with Metro PCS does not have an international plan. So I will buy a sim card when I arrive in The Netherlands and France. Do I have to worry about accidental data roaming charge by Metro PCS while I am in Europe?
I love your content, you are the travelling monk!
Thank you, @DamoonRa! :D
Thank you! So helpful!
You're so welcome, @josephhuth! 😊
International roaming for me. Can keep my own phone number and get plenty of data. For me - totally worth it. 💰
Great tips! I usually tend to use Google Fi and it works well so far in many countries I have visited.
That's great! Thanks for watching, Ranjit! 😊
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…)
Thanks for sharing @armin paya!
Do you need to purchase something to do this?
iMessage won’t work
@@roselereau6981 Hi Rose, if the electronic SIM is functioning correctly the iMessages should be working seamlessly. I know the ESIM was flaky on some of my earlier iPhones but since 12 and up to my existing 14, it’s been flawless.
@@Roudaki677 It didn’t work for me in Italy.
Great review and information. Really enjoyed your video. Aloha.
Glad to know you enjoyed the video! Aloha! 😊
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?
I have a Verizon iPhone. What are my best options in traveling from USA to Europe?
I would like to use my tmobile plan to my europe trip and use orange as a back up; can I use t mobile and orange with esim on my phone? how can I switch between companies??? i have an iphone 12 pro
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?
We will be on a European River Cruise in a few weeks with stops in Netherlands, Germany, Austria & Hungary. Would you recommend the AT&T International plan or buying an eSim to use for our iPhones? If eSim, which comapy would you recommend?
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!
There might be changes, Jim. Thanks for sharing this info! 😊
Love your videos Kristin. I'm about to replace my iPhone 7 and shifting life course so I'm thinking to go out of my Verizon service to get a non-American iPhone 15 to be able to get it with both a sim tray and E-sim. I'm concerned about not being able to install a SIM card in countries that don't have E-sim. Wondering if you or anyone chose this option. it will be more expensive to buy the phone this way but I don't want to have a second phone or trust how long it might take countries not having e-sim to catch up. Thank you.
So you would recommend google fi for home country (usa) along with an international plan for internet for budget traveler abroad?
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.
so are you saying I no longer have to get a SIM card when i go to Thailand with international plans I have a iphone with tmobile
Please, what works best for West Africa? Solis service isn't available there.
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 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.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but the ATT International plan, does it cover all the phones in our plan or is it $10.00 per phone?
(We have 3 phones on our AT&T plan, myself, my wife and our son) and are going to the netherlands.
TIA
Great info. Thanks much
You're welcome!
We are renting a car that has a portable wifi plus our airb&bs have free wifi. Will we be able to make calls and send texts via wifi?
I’m using T-Mobile and it’s prepaid I asked them I want to use international and they said they can’t do it. Is there any advice u could give me that can help.?? Please
I've been wondering about Mint....if anyone has abroad experience with its plans?
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?
Kristen...thank you!!! My mother is going to sicily!!! I'm worried about mom!!!
thanks for this video kristin! If I port my number to google voice, will I still be able to get text messages from my US number forwarded to me after i pop in a local sim card when over seas? I only have one sim port, so I'll have to take my US sim card out. Thanks!
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?
I think it's a feature of the phone 😊
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.
Thanks Richie! Will add in a video about hotspots
Thank you for sharing 👍
You're welcome! 😊
Thanks for this video. I will just call AT&T
how do I know if a sim card for my cell phone Galaxy S20 will work? you mentioned unlocked phone, what does it mean??
Mate of mine did that many years back on a trip to Spain, ended up with a phone bill for around $460!
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 have a US phone with T-Mobile but need an Irish phone number to do some local business in Ireland. can I gat a eSim to have a 2nd number on my phone? saw a tip on having this 2nd number forwarded to my local number. only need for next 2 months until I move there permanently
Well done ! Thanks. Nice smile ! 🤠🍉🍓
Thank you, Phil! 😊🙌
Never works when buy sim card always uses up double fast just the data, wanted esim but doesnt work with my phones
Traveling! Lkie it,amazing shots! 😍
Glad you liked it! Thanks 🙌😊
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.
Thank for sharing this, Jess! 🙌😊
Hi Kristin, please help me SOS. I just got a international 1 day pass ($5/day) on T-mobile and its really not working in Vietnam, so im wondering if it'll automatically continue to reset new pass or not (i really dont want to spend another $5 on something useless), and if it's automatic, then how can I cancel that international pass, plz helpppppp :((((((((((((((((
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.
Thanks!
My pleasure! So glad this video was helpful and thank you so much for the support 💛
Q: I am American. I am with AT&T and plan to got to Serbia. I haven't deal with international data yet. What if you get free WiFi spot in other country? You can use it.
Also, I got a old phone. I think of make it unlock phone for international and buy sim card for it. Still good thing?
Hi Kristin - Thank you for your informative video... I however must not be the brightest penny in the bunch because I'm still a little confused. I'm with AT&T. I know i can purchase their international plan for 1$10/day. they even s aid i don't have to do anything until i get off the plane and then when i turn on my phone i will be prompted to join... which i don't necessarily trust or believe. I'm going to London and Paris for about 14 days. My current plan with AT&T only gives me 6gb data so if i'm on the international plan that's all i'm able to get. What is exactly considered data? is using What's App or Telegram using data? Or is using data only confined to downloading content or sending photos and emails and using the map apps like Bonjour Ratp? And i'm paying for phone calls on an internation plan right? unless i'm using What's App to make those calls right? Thank you.
Hi Kristin, I'm going to be traveling internationally for 6-12 months. I am planning to port my US number with Google Voice so as not to lose it. Was considering Google Fi but I hear that they will deactivate my account if I dont return to the US within 2-3 months. Should I just plan on using eSims (ie Airalo) and will that suffice for maintaining my WhatsApp?
pre paid sim cards dont work for the new Iphone 15 we dont use sim cards anymore
Have you ever used to e SIM card apps like Airalo
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
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.
Yes that’s great news!
Great, is that per line, we have 2 lines on at&t
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 love your low cut tops.
Thanks!
Amazing video 🤩
Thanks Jose!
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
Clear as mud!
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.
Im in France, coming from canada, i bought a sim card with 10GB, no problems right? Im always freaking over this stuff
Would definitely recommend and it’s all e sim as well
Thanks, Timothy! 😊
I enjoy your info keep it up babe 😘😘❤️❤️❤️
Glad you enjoyed the video, Albert! Thanks for watching 😊
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
Yes they can I got charge alot on my daughter phone when she was switching from airplane mode to Wi-Fi. Sadly got a big bill when I came back I have verzion.
Great info
Glad it was helpful!
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?
Hey Kristin! I will be headed to Canada for two weeks to ski. My concern is being out on the mountain needing GPS data for the Epic Trail Map and also having the ability to call if there is an emergency. What would you suggest? Right now I do not have a phone plan that allows for international use. Considering switching to T-Mobile. Also have you heard of eSim cards, what are your thoughts on those? Thank you!!!!
I have Verizon North America Plan pay as you go. Its 53 a month and no roaming in Canada or Mexico. I went to Canada and had no issues after I notified them that I was there.
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.
What about an e-sims card ?
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?
It’s available for 2gb of data
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.
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)
Hi Roy! Nice to meet you and so glad you’re enjoying the videos and Digital Nomads For Dummies book! Im a fan of Audible, myself. International carriers do have esims, now. If you have an iPhone, you can follow these instructions: support.apple.com/en-gb/HT209044
@@TravelingwithKristin hi Kristen! Thanks so much for getting back to me on this! Hope all is well with you! Have a great rest of week and a wonderful, safe and restful weekend! Best, Roy
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
If I have an overseas sim, how about a cheap home with hotspot
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, Toy Cox!
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.
Thanks for sharing this Brian! 😊
Im on Mint Mobile (Ryan Reynolds) unprioritized t-mobile. Will be going to Belize in May for a 9 day upper level bio elective class Any travel videos-advice on Belize?
Safe trip! I haven't done a video yet on Belize 😊
Hi Kristen, I loved your video and wanted to know how to use my sim card. I am travelling to Europe soon and need a sim card for my USA phone. Please guide me which one would be appropriate for calls, text and data. Thanks a lot
I have shared some tips and some options in this video, Abu Zafar :)
You could use WhatsApp . You need access to wifi and have your friends at home on it also, but it is free. It works similar to Facebook messenger.