How to save on your phone bill when traveling abroad

I didn’t think much of my daily cell phone use during a vacation to Paris in May.

But by the end of the five-day trip, I’d amassed almost $50 in extra charges — for fairly routine tasks like checking restaurant hours and menus, or researching neighborhood attractions after long, meandering walks.

While not a bank-breaking sum of money, it was high enough to frustrate this personal finance reporter and make me rethink phone use (and the value of better pre-planning) for my next excursion.

Luckily, there are many ways to potentially reduce or eliminate extra cell phone costs when traveling outside the U.S., experts said.

“There’s no one single way to save money using your smartphone when you’re overseas,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy group.

The best strategy depends on how travelers plan to use their phone during a trip, he said.

My additional charges resulted from my provider’s international phone package. My carrier, AT&T, charges a flat, daily rate of $12 per day for international cell use, similar to other providers. I incurred that daily charge each day I opted to use the international cell network instead of Wi-Fi to look up directions or restaurant hours.

While many carriers typically charge a per-day fee or a “hefty surcharge,” some T-Mobile plans cover international roaming, said Tim Leffel, author of “The World’s Cheapest Destinations” and “A Better Life for Half the Price.”

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As such, switching to T-Mobile as your cell provider may make financial sense for those who travel abroad often — especially those who don’t rely on their phones for more than the occasional text or data usage during trips, he said.

“If this is your plan, awesome,” Leffel said. “You’re ready to travel the world without missing a beat.”

There are limitations, though.

Not all T-Mobile plans cover international roaming charges. One longtime T-Mobile customer reportedly racked up $143,000 of charges during a 2023 trip to Switzerland because of international data roaming. (The company later reportedly withdrew those costs.)

While its international plans generally include unlimited texts and an allotment of high-speed data when overseas, phone calls may come with an additional price tag. (One workaround: All calls made over Wi-Fi to the U.S., Mexico and Canada are free, according to T-Mobile’s site.)

T-Mobile plans also don’t work in every country, so customers should be wary to avoid extra fees in such places, experts said.

Additionally, such plans may not be well-suited for digital nomads (they’re not intended for extended use abroad, according to T-Mobile), or for heavy data users, Leffel said.

Check what your cell plan already offers, and compare costs and services before making any changes, Breyault said.

People who intend to use a lot of data away from Wi-Fi networks may be better off buying a SIM card, Breyault said.

Replacing your phone’s current SIM with an international one essentially turns your device into a local phone, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Many people can use a digital eSIM service today instead of replacing their phone’s physical SIM card, experts said.

It’s generally a cheaper option compared to many carriers’ international phone packages, experts said. Pre-paid SIMs let travelers more easily manage their budgets, they said.

“Now you can just download an app and buy as much data as you need, generally $1 or less per day for usage spread out over a week or a month,” Leffel said. “If you run out of data, you just buy more instantly.”

He recommends sticking with more established providers like Saily, GigSky or Airalo to be safe. They generally work anywhere in the world, he said.

Many people opt for data-only SIM plans and save any calls or texts for Wi-Fi, he said.

One caveat: Travelers may need to “unlock” their phone for an eSIM to work, Breyault said. This would ensure the phone isn’t locked to a particular carrier. In such cases, customers should reach out to their provider before traveling to ask if they can unlock the phone, he said.

Also, be aware that your phone number may temporarily switch to a local number when using a new SIM, experts said.

OK, yes, this may sound obvious.

But there’s no denying that leveraging free Wi-Fi — perhaps at a hotel, restaurant or otherwise — can save you money.

You can use Wi-Fi even when your phone is on Airplane mode, which ensures you won’t get dinged with international roaming charges.

Experts have some hacks to help limit your need for cellular data when away from Wi-Fi.

Among the top tips: Download an offline map on Google Maps before traveling. This will allow you to navigate an area via GPS even without internet. There are some drawbacks: It may be difficult to find details like the nearest museum or restaurant and their respective hours on the fly without internet, for example.

Download any helpful article PDFs or guidebooks ahead of time to limit your need for the internet while on the go, Leffel said.

Connecting to public Wi-Fi networks may pose a digital security threat, so avoid conducting sensitive transactions like banking over Wi-Fi, Breyault said. In such cases, consider sticking with a cellular network, which is more secure, he said.

I returned from another trip last week, to Namibia and Botswana, during which I adopted a strict policy of putting my phone on Airplane mode and, if necessary, occasionally using public Wi-Fi.

My extra cell fees? $0.