The EU last month got rid of roaming within EU countries. That means a SIM from one EU country (lets say Italy) wouldn't cost you extra for roaming in Sweden. No need to buy SIMs for each country. Even though you might find USB ports in airplanes, airports, etc., bring your regular adapter too. I find many of those USB ports are extremely low amperage. It could take you all day to charge your phone. When traveling outside the country, I usually leave my phone on airplane mode. That way it's on to take pictures, the battery charge lasts longer, and I'm not charged for any junk calls or excess data. When I get back to my hotel, or a WiFi hotspot (better to save data), I turn off airplane mode to do quick email checking, Facebook, etc.
I was very lucky last month when I went to Europe. A family friend in the UK gave me a cheap SIM card and let me top it up with inexpensive data plans that lasted me most of my 3-week trip across 6 countries. Before, I planned to use Verizon's $10/day international charge.
Before I moved to Berlin, I switched to T-mobile to keep my US number, and it's free data/text internationally. Of course I have a German SIM, but I've used the T-mobile SIM in times of emergency and didn't cost me any extra.
just use the free Wi-Fi in your hotel and in malls, cafes or restaurants. I turn my data and service off every time I go overseas. No unexpected bills and I can still use Facebook. no worries.
Another way I helped my fiance when he visited the US, is that I bought him a tracfone from a store, and loaded minutes on it, set it up and gave it to him when he arrived. He used that to call or text myself (or my family). We had wi-fi so he just communicated with friends and family overseas that way.
For citizens of the European Union Roaming fees will be abolished by June 2017. That means if you're traveling to other countries of the EU you will be able to call, text and use your data just as if you were at home, no additional costs whatsoever.
Will this work for travellers with who put in a sim card? For example, if you start your trip in Portugal, will this work as well in Spain, France, Italy, etc.?
Data is useful just in case we get lost! It definitely helped me when I accidentally went outside of Paris. This is really helpful thank you! Much more than the teacher I had that went to the trip with me.
I have at&t and I chose the International Day Pass for $10 per day. I basically get to use my plan (unlimited talk/text/data). I’m going to be in Paris for one week so I thought this was my best option. Not too expensive. Talked to phone company twice so it should activate when I land in France
I'm from the UK and roaming is free in Europe so I've never had to pay extra, and my company Three has great greats so you pay the same as home. But when I go abroad outside Europe, I usually just get a prepaid sim. I rented a portable wifi pod when I was in Japan so I didn't need to use data.
I don't live in an American state or territory, although anyone living in Canada will be pleased to know that Telus and Rogers allow customers to roam (in some countries, among them a lot of European ones) as if they were in Canada, for a small daily fee. Bell has gotten in on the action (sort of), but not yet for data.
I went on a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean, Tmobile had me covered everywhere I went as part of my regular plan. Even in the middle of the ocean, with all my data! Love tmob!
Great video. We learned the hard way on the international data plan. A few years ago we were on a cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas and we forgot to turn off the phone data. Later on, we received a message from our cell phone provider saying that we had a balance of $640.00 dollars. My wife managed to call the phone company and was able to get $80.00 deducted from the phone bill. Don't hesitate to call your phone company before you travel and get some type of international plan.
fiz fizmal yeah, I got into it with ATT last year and the lady kept saying "on October 14th we changed our policy" there was no other answer. it was quite frustrating.
So if I’m looking to save money it essentially would be best to stay in North America (USA, Canada, & Mexico) assuming I’m an American as I note that you said in your visiting Mexico video (released in 2017) that many US carriers have Mexico plans. You said you have AT&T, so it was free to get your coverage in Mexico without any problems. If I’m not mistaken, cricket is that way now in 2023. Love your videos btw Mark Wolters! Your travel videos are the best out there! Honest travel advice is always the best policy and btw I’ve only been to the International Boundary with Canada as far as international travels go, so I have limited exposure to countries outside the U.S. I turned around right at the border ‘cause no passport on me but did get to listen to a Canadian country station out of Lethbridge, Alberta while in the area in and surrounding Glacier National Park in Montana!
two more points, disable data to none essential apps manually and you can save/preload all the maps where you are travelling in google maps and where it will not use the data plan to load the maps because it is pre loaded
Basically, if your provider doesn't have international services, make sure your device is unlocked, so that you can put in a SIM card, and even if your provider did have international services, you should still buy your phone unlocked because no carrier has LTE speeds in all countries
Just don't use the cellular services abroad, but use free WiFi networks. We really don't need to be every single minute online do we? Also you can make free phone calls over the internet!
Kurosaki0Ichigo Sometimes you need to book a hotel or find directions or look up closing times or buy tickets online. But Yeah I suppose you can do all that before hand while on wifi.
Regarding "Free WiFi" be careful not to login to sensitive accounts on public WiFi networks. People setup WiFi pineapples and sniffer devices to man-in-the -middle attack you. Among other types of pen attacks. Just be careful, this goes for hotel WiFi too. Plus it's always a good idea to have a VPN.
When I went to Italy last summer, I was able to use the exact same plan I have with Verizon in the states for $10 a day. It was definitely worth it for me!
JAN BERÁNEK from what I know, US law made companies remove this. They're still "locked" to a company, but all you have to do to unlock, is a simple call to a toll free number when you switch. I think iPhones are made to accept many sims for international use.
Locked phones are mostly locked to a company till phone is paid off. Here in America you can pay a little bit a month till your new phone is paid off, once it’s paid you can take it anywhere as you own the phone now.
in Poland we don't have lock phones for many years. what is the purpose to have lock phone for one company, US providers stay in the past. Now 70% phones are dual sim maybe not Apple phones good lack and buy iPhone
In the U.S. Cell Phones are locked until they are paid off. Most people don't buy their phones outright so they are put on a monthly payment plan (usually up to 2 years) Once the phone is paid off they can be unlocked. EDIT: Oh and I forgot to mention that in the U.S. you can lease the phone so they are locked to the company the phone is being leased from. Some people choose the lease option because it's a cheaper way to get a new phone every 1 to 2 years.
Can you make a step-by-step updated video for 2022. Maybe compare some plans like Metro PCS and T-Mobile for going from USA to Great Britain. I am concerned with calling the people in my travel party, uber and directions to sightseeing spots. Thank you!
t- mobile when I went to tokyo and singapore for 2 weeks I took a smart phone and a tablet. no extra charges of any kind on my bill. thanks t-mobile. did use wi-fi for the tablet now and then
I see these videos made by “professional travelers” who use Verizon and AT&T talking about how much they “save” by buying their carriers’ international roaming plans and I just cringe. If you understand how T-Mobile’s international roaming works, it is not necessary to spend one red cent extra to roam overseas. Yes, it is possible to pay more for free calls and a high-speed data bucket but it is not necessary. I find it quite easy to get by with the free low-speed roaming data.
Google Fi works in 130+ countries. No crazy fees. If on wifi, no charge for data or calls. Calling back to the US 10-20 cents a minute. I pay $35-$40 a month, depending on my data usage. I purchased this plan for international travel and to lower my cell bill. I had Verizon.
The EU just put a law into action that means that if you get a SIM card with a data plan anywhere in the EU that you don't pay extra for data roaming within the the EU.
Getting your phone set up with a global plan is serious because when I worked for Verizon as a customer service representative I would handle the issues when people would travel without these plans and one day I remember a co-worker of mine had a customer who had a $4,000 bill because he traveled around Europe for six months with no global plan. He was responsible for those charges because he made no effort to get a global plan.
Go to your Google Maps app, type in the city where you're going, and then click 'More info". You can download a whole city map to your phone there for offline use. Also, you can put in directions to a place and download the map offline so you don't have to use your data. :)
Michelle Henderson do directions work for public transit, walking , biking routes? I just finished downloading the map of the city I am visiting and it only shows me directions with a car :/
I unlocked my phone buy cards everywhere I go ... when I'm traveling I make no phone calls, I don't know anyone there, but I buy for the data to use as a hotspot for my laptop in my hotel room, which often has terrible Wi-Fi speeds, (i.e. Prague; a magnificent city, a nightmare for Wi-Fi speed) using data for Skype to home or just researching my next days activities. In Poland I highly recommend PLAY as a provider. Lots of data for a very reasonable price. Great knowledgeable staff.
Similar thing happened to me when I went to Mexico. I called and set up an international plan, but apparently it hadn't taken effect. Luckily I called to verify before I left and then they turned it on and I was good to go.
I use mobal SIM card for my Verizon phone. 56/mth, free incoming, 1gb data each additional is 10$/go charged to your cc on file. You get a U.K. Phone number. VZW plans suck. Once you remove your USA sim your carrier does not now what you are doing and no surprise charges. Found out about mobal after reading tons of backpacking blogs. Love it.
AT&T now offers a daily international pass. They charge $10/day ONLY when you use it. Texting and calling is unlimited and your data is what your home plan is. If you're going on a short trip, this is a good option.
My wife's IPhone received a message for that service when she turned her phone on when we landed in Costa Rica. We used that service in Costa Rica and it worked fine for the week we were there. Going to Europe for 2 weeks is a different story. Called AT&T and got the code to unlock both our phones but, at this time of writing, you have to install a chip from another carrier to use the code to unlock it. Using prepaid sim cards in Europe. Much cheaper than 10 a day. Best to call your provider on your options as things have changed since this video was made and probably will continue to change.
Thanks for your great tips, they are spot on!!!! I tend to use a lot of data wherever I go so I usually keep an old Verizon iPhone 5S to re-chip wherever I go. When Verizon came out with their new travel pass plans about a year ago I decided to start using their daily plan for trips that last a week or less. it kicks on automatically when I use the phone abroad, and costs $2 per 24 hours in Canada and Mexico, and $10 per 24 hour everywhere else and you get to use your regular plans data, text, and minutes to call and text to and from anywhere in the US, and anywhere in the country you are in. It sounds expensive but on short business trips to Europe, I found that the cost was worth it for the convenience. Chris
Thank you for this great video. I am lucky to live in Europe and roaming costs are limited in the EU. So although it is more expensive then in my home country, it is affordable to use your phone for a quick phone call home. I am traveling quite a lot, so I have plan that gives me 200 minutes to call from my home country to other countries in the EU (and a few more in Europe) and to call home or any number in the country I am currently in, while I am traveling within the EU. Same goes for text messages. Unfortunately data is not in this package, but my provider has extra packages for traveling. They offer a few different ones (a combination of phone minutes, messages and data, only texts, only calls or only data). They are quite affordable and only last for a couple of days. Therefore they are quite for occasional traveling. I do have two other sim cards (Germany and the UK), because I am there more often and I can reuse them. I mostly use them for data.
Thanks for the informative video. For topics like this, you should make updated videos every few years since phone plans and technology in general changes.
I love your videos. Simple, helpful and positive! I did the same thing but the reverse: I live in Italy and I activated a weekly gigabyte package before I went to the USA. It was a good idea and cheaper than getting a temporary number with ATT.
I am late to the party, buy I used Instagram to call my family (when I had free wifi) while in London. I got a sim card at the airport and still had minutes left when I got back after using it for 10 days .
Google Fi service... $20 per month +$10 per GB of data. You only pay for the data you use, and anything over 6GB is free. Works in most of the countries I have visited and can use various carriers. Data and calls on Wifi are free, two weeks in Ireland cost me (really for the month) less than $40 and I did not have to bother with swapping sim cards
Since 2017, there are no Roaming changes inside the European Economic Area (EEA), which is EU and some other countries. You now can buy a SIM card in one and use it in any other. You have to research a little which those countries are. For instance, Andorra is a tiny country between two big EU states (France and Spain), but it's not in EEA, so the roaming charges are "normal". My carrier blocked my Roaming few minutes in after reaching €50 in charges. I couldn't use it for the remaining of my trip and had to buy a local SIM in Barcelona. Also, Switzerland is not in the EEA, and some other Eastern countries.
Not sure about Europe but was just in New Zealand and Australia. Verizon charged $10 for days you use your phone only. Pretty much unlimited calls to US and texts. I only used internet when we had wifi and really used my Chromebook for that. I had to call the US in the middle of the night from Australia and amazingly, it didn't seem any different from a local call in the US. I also have an unlocked flip phone I take to Aruba. For 20 or 30 dollars you get something like 35 minutes calling to the US plus a local phone number and unlimited local phone calls. You can also add to it via the internet.
Sprint global roaming includes free text messaging (stateside & local), free reduced (2G) data & calls 25 cents per minute (both stateside and local). Faster 3G/4G data available for $5/day or $25/week. Lots of wifi available in Europe and free calls with wifi calling.
One tip that I would suggest is also looking into renting pocket WiFi wherever you are traveling to. When I went to Japan for 10 days I used japanwireless to rent a pocket WiFi. It only cost me a total of like $55 (6,100 yen). I simply went on their website and ordered it then they give you the option to have it delivered to your hotel, airport post office, or a residence. I had mine delivered to my hotel but I would suggest the airport post office. The reason I say this is I arrived in Japan and had no idea where I was going and it took me longer than I would have liked to get to my first hotel since I couldn't use google maps without data haha. Anyway, had I had it delivered to the airport post office there would have been no issue at all. Lesson learned. That price got me unlimited data for 10 days at 75mbps. With that WiFi I could use all my apps, get online with my browser, send text messages, and even make phone calls. I don't know the options in other countries but in Japan I know this is very common. Hope this helps someone :)
When I was in UK and Eire, just bought a local T-Mobile chip (worked in both). Ppl in the store set it up for free. Mnimal costs. BTW, phones much cheaper over there. You do need a 3-4 band phone. And, if someone calls you, it doesn't come off your minutes. No one over there could believe we have to pay for incoming and outgoing. Send blast text to the ppl who need to call you with your local number. Also, it's good for 2 years. 30 minutes on a call from LA, no charge or mins deducted to me. Just copy your contacts to your phone, then copy back to new chip, plus the chip will add great local info numbers.
I just use a mobile WiFi device that automatically works (an internal smart SIM handles everything) in just about any country I will be traveling to. I turn off my phone's data and cellular service and make/receive all calls, use data, etc through the mobile WiFi device. I have unlimited up to 4g data for up to 5 simultaneous devices for $100/month. If I want to use the WiFi device less frequently, I can buy 'day passes' for $9/day or buy a preset amount of data as needed. To me, it's definitely easier to handle everything this way - and definitely cheaper. There are several mobile WiFi devices to choose from. I use one from SkyRoam.
If you have a spare phone from an expired contract lying around see if you can get it unlocked to run on any network. Then get a pay as you go sim from wherever you're going. Here in UK you can buy text, talk and data bundles and pay by credit card.
A few years back I got a $400 bill from Sprint and I almost had a heart attack. I went on a trip in April of this year and I paid at most $20. Make sure to ask a day before to make sure you are covered, that was my mistake a few years back because I didn’t tell them I was going to be in a little town in the middle of nowhere.
I will be in Buda Pest for 3 months. I have an unlocked ATT Iphone. I expect to buy a chip and service and switch back when I return. Cheaper than paying for ATT's international service.
If you own your phone you can easily contact ur carrier to get ur phone unlocked... At&t for example will email u w/a code like less than few hrs... adding a sim card is easier than ppl think.. just keep ur original sim in a safe place 😅 Tip... save $ and have ur family/friends use u as a wifi hotspot
For short trips, I have the AT&T $10 a day plan, that is only charged when I'm out of the country. Making calls back to the U.S., to the country you're in are no additional charge. Data and text are the same as if I never left the U.S. It may not be the cheapest possible, but simple enough.
I'm traveling to Amsterdam soon and I've enjoyed your videos. I know this video is a little old but Verizon 4G phones have been unlocked since they acquired 4G LTE.
Renting a portable hotspot may be one of your cheaper data options, especially if you're traveling in a group. You can get them from many cell carriers, but I like the ones from TEP Wireless. The connection isn't terribly fast, but for $10 per day (plus a setup fee) you get your own protected network with unlimited data and up to five simultaneous users. Of course, before you do that, consider whether you really need a data package. Unplugging might be better for your overall vacation enjoyment.
You always have great videos! I have downloaded Viber and also had my husband, my family in the US to do the same. I turn off my data before I step off the plane and Aldo change my email so that it doesn't automatically push new emails.
The last time I was in The UK I opted to lease a cellphone because my cell provider in the states (Sprint) had compatibility issues. The cost was reasonable enough. Regretfully the service was unacceptable. A day before I departed for London I received an E Mail from the provider stating that for whatever reason the phone would not be available for pick up at Heathrow Airport. They offered to deliver the phone to my hotel at Canary Wharf. Upon arrival there was no phone sent. I finally got the phone the phone the next day and experienced nothing but problems from the moment it was in my hands. Contacting customer service was a nightmare (Thursday) and since Friday was a bank holiday I did not get any assistance until the following Monday because there offices were closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I think the concept of leasing a cellphone is a good option but the level of service from this provider was seriously lacking. I got nothing but attitude from upper management and they offered nothing to try to make things. right other than a refund for my service plan in addition to a reimbursement for the numerous phone calls I had to make from my hotel room to customer service. it is called TEP wireless. A voice them.
sprint isn't the best network domestically but they have a spectacular international plan included with just about every plan i believe. anytime you travel internationally, you get free texts, pay $0.25 per minute for calls, and free 2g data. if you want high speed data, you either pay $5/day or $25/week. it's worked pretty well while i've traveled in london and paris, and i never had to worry about data limits. sometimes phones don't connect well to networks but that's more to do with which bands your phone supports than any problem on their end.
Effective recently, Bell Mobility in Canada has started to offer the possibility of using data the same way abroad for a small daily fee. Rogers and Telus did (and still do) offer data roaming that is similar to what Bell now offers, although Bell use to only offer data travel passes with puny allowances. That said, not all mobile phone carriers will offer data packages that are generous enough to be used abroad.
The T-Mobile One Plus plan is worth looking into for international travel. It also includes free WiFi and texting on GoGo flights. Worked well for my trip last month, drove all around Western Europe.
ATT will allow you to unlock your phone to accept other sims from other providers most of the time. I have been doing this for years on trips to rue top and Asia. There is criteria they want you to meet for them to allow you to do this, but I have been with them for years and it's never been a problem no matter what phone i had. They walk you through the unlock sequence and boom you can buy a prepaid sim in another country for your phone
in Canada the crtc basically the regulatory body for Television Internet and phones basically made a rule that all cell phones have to be unlocked and any old ones they cannot charge you for it to unlock
In Australia I get $5 a day international roaming with Vodafone. You can use the phone overseas just like you do at home. All phones on a plan are unlocked.
If you are going to travel within the EU, best to get an unlocked phone, but put a ridiculous amount of money (like 70$ worth of coupons) on the phone. The EU recently scraped roaming charges so you can go to any of the countries using one number without added tarrifs. Also if you go at high season, some providers will offer you a fantastic deal, like 10GB of data for 20$.
I have tried it both ways. I bought a cheap unlocked mobile and pick up a Vodafone or 02 simm when in another country. On average, I pay $.28 a minute to call back to the states. It's a lot cheaper than paying $1 with AT&T. Thanks for the tips. :)
Cheapest option I've found: Unlocked Blu Jenny from Walmart. $30 dual sim. Take it wherever and get a local prepaid sim card when you arrive at the airport.
I'm pretty sure that iPhone 5s and 6s are unlocked for At&t and Verizon. At least that is what I have read all over the internet. Also if you are on a plan in the US for awhile, often you can ask them to unlock the phone before going abroad so you can get a sim card for when you are overseas.
In EU countries either pre order a Giffgaff card (they deliver world wide) and activate buy buying a 'goodybag' and/or topup. Same goes for buying a pre-loaded SIM card (data in Bulgaria, which isn't EU was $3-$5 for 20 GB data only ) . The downside is that your number change. If you need an unlock phone- you can get a genric smartphone for $60 or so. If you forget and adapter - until you buy one- you can use your USB cable to charge phone from the TV panel in your hotel room (if there aren't any wall USB sockets).
3:00 You can also call your cell provider and get your phone unlocked that way. I know Verizon 4G LTE phones are unlocked out of the box and att has an online portal where you can put in your imei
Prepperjon you don’t have to pay extra! If you own your phone, meaning your not on a payment plan, you service carrier will unlock the phone for free, or just buy the phone directly from the manufacturer and it comes unlocked.
What I did in England is that I called home to have my phone unlocked, and then just swapped the SIM cards, was the cheapest option as buying the plan from home (I’m from Canada where our rates are already insane) was way cheaper
This info is still relevant today. Thanks for the tips. I was concerned that I wouldnt have a phone. Think I might just buy a phone and buy a chip for each country I go to.
You must make a new video about Europe. We don't have such thing anymore within the EU. All calls are at the same rates as at home, whenever a person is calling from in the EU.
i took two phones with me to Europe in 2017......one was a travel phone and the other was my ever day phone in which i used only for taking photos....id get back to the hotel where free wifi was availible,,,,,,.....i could still use my everyday phone for updates on Facebook and i wasnt charged.......if you bring your everyday phone with you always use the wifi at the hotel and you will be fine
I've got my phone for here in North America. I've also got a OnePlus 7 pro for use overseas. With a dual SIM so I can get a Eurozone simcard and already have a euro plan which covers me for the entire EU and Russia with TONS of data. And it's far cheaper than the plan I'm paying for here in Canada
I ended up using a lot of internet on my phone looking for routes to get around it would have been so much cheaper to take a taxi everywhere in berlin and faster
What? I have Verizon and for the last few years when I went to Europe I switched out my SIM card and put in one I got there and it was fine, can at&t not do that?
The EU last month got rid of roaming within EU countries. That means a SIM from one EU country (lets say Italy) wouldn't cost you extra for roaming in Sweden. No need to buy SIMs for each country. Even though you might find USB ports in airplanes, airports, etc., bring your regular adapter too. I find many of those USB ports are extremely low amperage. It could take you all day to charge your phone. When traveling outside the country, I usually leave my phone on airplane mode. That way it's on to take pictures, the battery charge lasts longer, and I'm not charged for any junk calls or excess data. When I get back to my hotel, or a WiFi hotspot (better to save data), I turn off airplane mode to do quick email checking, Facebook, etc.
You should be able to use wifi with airplane mode on.
G-sco804 switch airplane mode on and then reactivate the WiFi.
I'm getting a SIN card from my host parents.
I mean SIM. Stupid spell check.
I was very lucky last month when I went to Europe. A family friend in the UK gave me a cheap SIM card and let me top it up with inexpensive data plans that lasted me most of my 3-week trip across 6 countries. Before, I planned to use Verizon's $10/day international charge.
Before I moved to Berlin, I switched to T-mobile to keep my US number, and it's free data/text internationally. Of course I have a German SIM, but I've used the T-mobile SIM in times of emergency and didn't cost me any extra.
I will. Also use. To continue my Google. Fi. Plan in Germany.
just use the free Wi-Fi in your hotel and in malls, cafes or restaurants. I turn my data and service off every time I go overseas. No unexpected bills and I can still use Facebook. no worries.
Another way I helped my fiance when he visited the US, is that I bought him a tracfone from a store, and loaded minutes on it, set it up and gave it to him when he arrived. He used that to call or text myself (or my family). We had wi-fi so he just communicated with friends and family overseas that way.
For citizens of the European Union Roaming fees will be abolished by June 2017. That means if you're traveling to other countries of the EU you will be able to call, text and use your data just as if you were at home, no additional costs whatsoever.
Will this work for travellers with who put in a sim card? For example, if you start your trip in Portugal, will this work as well in Spain, France, Italy, etc.?
@@jinjysbro Yes it will work in EU states
@@dee74raz But not Albania, right, since they are not EU?
@@Lacronh That’s correct
Data is useful just in case we get lost! It definitely helped me when I accidentally went outside of Paris. This is really helpful thank you! Much more than the teacher I had that went to the trip with me.
I have at&t and I chose the International Day Pass for $10 per day. I basically get to use my plan (unlimited talk/text/data). I’m going to be in Paris for one week so I thought this was my best option. Not too expensive. Talked to phone company twice so it should activate when I land in France
I'm from the UK and roaming is free in Europe so I've never had to pay extra, and my company Three has great greats so you pay the same as home. But when I go abroad outside Europe, I usually just get a prepaid sim. I rented a portable wifi pod when I was in Japan so I didn't need to use data.
Tmobile, switch to tmobile, 140 plus countries all FREE NO CHARGE! Free international connection, no need to unlock, switch sim. Do it!
ptinio2 hmmm...I'll have to look into that.
I don't live in an American state or territory, although anyone living in Canada will be pleased to know that Telus and Rogers allow customers to roam (in some countries, among them a lot of European ones) as if they were in Canada, for a small daily fee. Bell has gotten in on the action (sort of), but not yet for data.
I went on a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean, Tmobile had me covered everywhere I went as part of my regular plan. Even in the middle of the ocean, with all my data! Love tmob!
Great video. We learned the hard way on the international data plan. A few years ago we were on a cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas and we forgot to turn off the phone data. Later on, we received a message from our cell phone provider saying that we had a balance of $640.00 dollars. My wife managed to call the phone company and was able to get $80.00 deducted from the phone bill. Don't hesitate to call your phone company before you travel and get some type of international plan.
fiz fizmal yeah, I got into it with ATT last year and the lady kept saying "on October 14th we changed our policy" there was no other answer. it was quite frustrating.
So if I’m looking to save money it essentially would be best to stay in North America (USA, Canada, & Mexico) assuming I’m an American as I note that you said in your visiting Mexico video (released in 2017) that many US carriers have Mexico plans. You said you have AT&T, so it was free to get your coverage in Mexico without any problems. If I’m not mistaken, cricket is that way now in 2023. Love your videos btw Mark Wolters! Your travel videos are the best out there! Honest travel advice is always the best policy and btw I’ve only been to the International Boundary with Canada as far as international travels go, so I have limited exposure to countries outside the U.S. I turned around right at the border ‘cause no passport on me but did get to listen to a Canadian country station out of Lethbridge, Alberta while in the area in and surrounding Glacier National Park in Montana!
two more points, disable data to none essential apps manually and you can save/preload all the maps where you are travelling in google maps and where it will not use the data plan to load the maps because it is pre loaded
Basically, if your provider doesn't have international services, make sure your device is unlocked, so that you can put in a SIM card, and even if your provider did have international services, you should still buy your phone unlocked because no carrier has LTE speeds in all countries
Do you have an updated video regarding internationally sim cards for year 2023?
Just don't use the cellular services abroad, but use free WiFi networks. We really don't need to be every single minute online do we? Also you can make free phone calls over the internet!
Kurosaki0Ichigo
Sometimes you need to book a hotel or find directions or look up closing times or buy tickets online.
But Yeah I suppose you can do all that before hand while on wifi.
WiFi can work, but it depends on where. I often use cellphone data (even if there's WiFi) because I don't know how reliable WiFi is.
Most Asian countries offer unlimited Data packages. I never use WIFI in Asia.
I use mine a lot for maps and directions 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
the roaming fees will be worth it when some little cunt decides to steal your phone and you can track it because you didnt disable cellular data
This topic is invaluable for travelers. I am glad you covered it, but I am sorry I missed this video for so long. Thanks
Very informative and helpful video. Thank you for this.
Learn German with Herr Antrim you are very welcome
Learned this the hard way. When not needing/using you phone, put it on airplane mode. Saves $$$.
Yikes. I can imagine
Regarding "Free WiFi" be careful not to login to sensitive accounts on public WiFi networks. People setup WiFi pineapples and sniffer devices to man-in-the -middle attack you. Among other types of pen attacks. Just be careful, this goes for hotel WiFi too. Plus it's always a good idea to have a VPN.
When I went to Italy last summer, I was able to use the exact same plan I have with Verizon in the states for $10 a day. It was definitely worth it for me!
$280 p/month Abby. Wow! No skype or google calls?
You guys still have locked phones in the US? That sound like the 90´s to me :))
JAN BERÁNEK from what I know, US law made companies remove this. They're still "locked" to a company, but all you have to do to unlock, is a simple call to a toll free number when you switch. I think iPhones are made to accept many sims for international use.
Locked phones are mostly locked to a company till phone is paid off. Here in America you can pay a little bit a month till your new phone is paid off, once it’s paid you can take it anywhere as you own the phone now.
in Poland we don't have lock phones for many years. what is the purpose to have lock phone for one company, US providers stay in the past. Now 70% phones are dual sim maybe not Apple phones good lack and buy iPhone
Maciej Dyrkacz we have unlocked phones but if you want unlimited plans than your phone will be to a company.
In the U.S. Cell Phones are locked until they are paid off. Most people don't buy their phones outright so they are put on a monthly payment plan (usually up to 2 years) Once the phone is paid off they can be unlocked.
EDIT: Oh and I forgot to mention that in the U.S. you can lease the phone so they are locked to the company the phone is being leased from. Some people choose the lease option because it's a cheaper way to get a new phone every 1 to 2 years.
Can you make a step-by-step updated video for 2022. Maybe compare some plans like Metro PCS and T-Mobile for going from USA to Great Britain. I am concerned with calling the people in my travel party, uber and directions to sightseeing spots. Thank you!
t- mobile when I went to tokyo and singapore for 2 weeks I took a smart phone and a tablet. no extra charges of any kind on my bill. thanks t-mobile. did use wi-fi for the tablet now and then
I see these videos made by “professional travelers” who use Verizon and AT&T talking about how much they “save” by buying their carriers’ international roaming plans and I just cringe. If you understand how T-Mobile’s international roaming works, it is not necessary to spend one red cent extra to roam overseas. Yes, it is possible to pay more for free calls and a high-speed data bucket but it is not necessary. I find it quite easy to get by with the free low-speed roaming data.
Google Fi works in 130+ countries. No crazy fees. If on wifi, no charge for data or calls. Calling back to the US 10-20 cents a minute. I pay $35-$40 a month, depending on my data usage. I purchased this plan for international travel and to lower my cell bill. I had Verizon.
Turn on and leave on Airplane Mode...Turn Wifi on.
The EU just put a law into action that means that if you get a SIM card with a data plan anywhere in the EU that you don't pay extra for data roaming within the the EU.
if you stay less than 3 months or so
thanks so much for these videos. you cover so many varieties of subjects for travellers. even ones I haven't though of. thanks so much!
Getting your phone set up with a global plan is serious because when I worked for Verizon as a customer service representative I would handle the issues when people would travel without these plans and one day I remember a co-worker of mine had a customer who had a $4,000 bill because he traveled around Europe for six months with no global plan. He was responsible for those charges because he made no effort to get a global plan.
Ouch!
i just can never get enough of "HELLO FELLOW TRAVELLERS"
NO IT LITERALLY GIVES ME A BOOST
@@abiolaadeleye267 it gives you a boost. Or it literally gives you a boost. American english is so confusing
@@Creees i know it is, that just means it gives me a boost of happiness!
@@abiolaadeleye267 oh so if you didnt say literally then i think your not telling the truth.
Being happy is also my favourite mood
I always download the maps of google maps of the city where i trave to
Tecnovlog how do you download the map of the city? I'm going to Paris in the summer for the 1st time and GPS would be ideal.
Go to your Google Maps app, type in the city where you're going, and then click 'More info". You can download a whole city map to your phone there for offline use. Also, you can put in directions to a place and download the map offline so you don't have to use your data. :)
Michelle Henderson do directions work for public transit, walking , biking routes? I just finished downloading the map of the city I am visiting and it only shows me directions with a car :/
I unlocked my phone buy cards everywhere I go ... when I'm traveling I make no phone calls, I don't know anyone there, but I buy for the data to use as a hotspot for my laptop in my hotel room, which often has terrible Wi-Fi speeds, (i.e. Prague; a magnificent city, a nightmare for Wi-Fi speed) using data for Skype to home or just researching my next days activities. In Poland I highly recommend PLAY as a provider. Lots of data for a very reasonable price. Great knowledgeable staff.
Similar thing happened to me when I went to Mexico. I called and set up an international plan, but apparently it hadn't taken effect. Luckily I called to verify before I left and then they turned it on and I was good to go.
I use mobal SIM card for my Verizon phone. 56/mth, free incoming, 1gb data each additional is 10$/go charged to your cc on file. You get a U.K. Phone number. VZW plans suck. Once you remove your USA sim your carrier does not now what you are doing and no surprise charges. Found out about mobal after reading tons of backpacking blogs. Love it.
AT&T now offers a daily international pass. They charge $10/day ONLY when you use it. Texting and calling is unlimited and your data is what your home plan is. If you're going on a short trip, this is a good option.
My wife's IPhone received a message for that service when she turned her phone on when we landed in Costa Rica. We used that service in Costa Rica and it worked fine for the week we were there. Going to Europe for 2 weeks is a different story. Called AT&T and got the code to unlock both our phones but, at this time of writing, you have to install a chip from another carrier to use the code to unlock it. Using prepaid sim cards in Europe. Much cheaper than 10 a day. Best to call your provider on your options as things have changed since this video was made and probably will continue to change.
Thanks for your great tips, they are spot on!!!!
I tend to use a lot of data wherever I go so I usually keep an old Verizon iPhone 5S to re-chip wherever I go. When Verizon came out with their new travel pass plans about a year ago I decided to start using their daily plan for trips that last a week or less. it kicks on automatically when I use the phone abroad, and costs $2 per 24 hours in Canada and Mexico, and $10 per 24 hour everywhere else and you get to use your regular plans data, text, and minutes to call and text to and from anywhere in the US, and anywhere in the country you are in. It sounds expensive but on short business trips to Europe, I found that the cost was worth it for the convenience. Chris
Just get your destination’s local SIM card... it’s way cheaper and handier...
AT&T 611 tech support told me to keep my phone on airplane mode ALL THE TIME unless I'm near Wi-Fi
With T-Mobile, you don't have to.
yes tmobile free international data and texting unlimited!!!
Thank you for this great video. I am lucky to live in Europe and roaming costs are limited in the EU. So although it is more expensive then in my home country, it is affordable to use your phone for a quick phone call home.
I am traveling quite a lot, so I have plan that gives me 200 minutes to call from my home country to other countries in the EU (and a few more in Europe) and to call home or any number in the country I am currently in, while I am traveling within the EU. Same goes for text messages. Unfortunately data is not in this package, but my provider has extra packages for traveling. They offer a few different ones (a combination of phone minutes, messages and data, only texts, only calls or only data). They are quite affordable and only last for a couple of days. Therefore they are quite for occasional traveling.
I do have two other sim cards (Germany and the UK), because I am there more often and I can reuse them. I mostly use them for data.
Thanks for the informative video. For topics like this, you should make updated videos every few years since phone plans and technology in general changes.
I love your videos. Simple, helpful and positive! I did the same thing but the reverse: I live in Italy and I activated a weekly gigabyte package before I went to the USA. It was a good idea and cheaper than getting a temporary number with ATT.
I am late to the party, buy I used Instagram to call my family (when I had free wifi) while in London. I got a sim card at the airport and still had minutes left when I got back after using it for 10 days .
Google Fi service... $20 per month +$10 per GB of data. You only pay for the data you use, and anything over 6GB is free. Works in most of the countries I have visited and can use various carriers. Data and calls on Wifi are free, two weeks in Ireland cost me (really for the month) less than $40 and I did not have to bother with swapping sim cards
Since 2017, there are no Roaming changes inside the European Economic Area (EEA), which is EU and some other countries. You now can buy a SIM card in one and use it in any other.
You have to research a little which those countries are.
For instance, Andorra is a tiny country between two big EU states (France and Spain), but it's not in EEA, so the roaming charges are "normal". My carrier blocked my Roaming few minutes in after reaching €50 in charges. I couldn't use it for the remaining of my trip and had to buy a local SIM in Barcelona.
Also, Switzerland is not in the EEA, and some other Eastern countries.
What I loved in Keflavik Airport, Iceland is that they had USB ports everywhere! Soooo handy!
Tom O'Gorman yeah, I saw that (just was there)
Not sure about Europe but was just in New Zealand and Australia. Verizon charged $10 for days you use your phone only. Pretty much unlimited calls to US and texts. I only used internet when we had wifi and really used my Chromebook for that. I had to call the US in the middle of the night from Australia and amazingly, it didn't seem any different from a local call in the US. I also have an unlocked flip phone I take to Aruba. For 20 or 30 dollars you get something like 35 minutes calling to the US plus a local phone number and unlimited local phone calls. You can also add to it via the internet.
Thank you soooooo much for your videos. I'm traveling to Paris France very soon. You have helped me with preparations... 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Sprint global roaming includes free text messaging (stateside & local), free reduced (2G) data & calls 25 cents per minute (both stateside and local). Faster 3G/4G data available for $5/day or $25/week. Lots of wifi available in Europe and free calls with wifi calling.
One tip that I would suggest is also looking into renting pocket WiFi wherever you are traveling to. When I went to Japan for 10 days I used japanwireless to rent a pocket WiFi. It only cost me a total of like $55 (6,100 yen). I simply went on their website and ordered it then they give you the option to have it delivered to your hotel, airport post office, or a residence. I had mine delivered to my hotel but I would suggest the airport post office. The reason I say this is I arrived in Japan and had no idea where I was going and it took me longer than I would have liked to get to my first hotel since I couldn't use google maps without data haha. Anyway, had I had it delivered to the airport post office there would have been no issue at all. Lesson learned. That price got me unlimited data for 10 days at 75mbps. With that WiFi I could use all my apps, get online with my browser, send text messages, and even make phone calls. I don't know the options in other countries but in Japan I know this is very common. Hope this helps someone :)
How do u send text messages & calls without a phone service?
When I was in UK and Eire, just bought a local T-Mobile chip (worked in both). Ppl in the store set it up for free. Mnimal costs. BTW, phones much cheaper over there. You do need a 3-4 band phone. And, if someone calls you, it doesn't come off your minutes. No one over there could believe we have to pay for incoming and outgoing. Send blast text to the ppl who need to call you with your local number. Also, it's good for 2 years. 30 minutes on a call from LA, no charge or mins deducted to me. Just copy your contacts to your phone, then copy back to new chip, plus the chip will add great local info numbers.
I just use a mobile WiFi device that automatically works (an internal smart SIM handles everything) in just about any country I will be traveling to. I turn off my phone's data and cellular service and make/receive all calls, use data, etc through the mobile WiFi device. I have unlimited up to 4g data for up to 5 simultaneous devices for $100/month. If I want to use the WiFi device less frequently, I can buy 'day passes' for $9/day or buy a preset amount of data as needed. To me, it's definitely easier to handle everything this way - and definitely cheaper. There are several mobile WiFi devices to choose from. I use one from SkyRoam.
If you have a spare phone from an expired contract lying around see if you can get it unlocked to run on any network. Then get a pay as you go sim from wherever you're going. Here in UK you can buy text, talk and data bundles and pay by credit card.
A few years back I got a $400 bill from Sprint and I almost had a heart attack. I went on a trip in April of this year and I paid at most $20. Make sure to ask a day before to make sure you are covered, that was my mistake a few years back because I didn’t tell them I was going to be in a little town in the middle of nowhere.
Malta had free wifi everywhere :)
I have tried Cellomobile for trips abroad, and plan to use that as a backup phone on my next trip abroad.
I will be in Buda Pest for 3 months. I have an unlocked ATT Iphone. I expect to buy a chip and service and switch back when I return. Cheaper than paying for ATT's international service.
For such a period, you're right.
If you own your phone you can easily contact ur carrier to get ur phone unlocked... At&t for example will email u w/a code like less than few hrs... adding a sim card is easier than ppl think.. just keep ur original sim in a safe place 😅
Tip... save $ and have ur family/friends use u as a wifi hotspot
For short trips, I have the AT&T $10 a day plan, that is only charged when I'm out of the country. Making calls back to the U.S., to the country you're in are no additional charge. Data and text are the same as if I never left the U.S. It may not be the cheapest possible, but simple enough.
Great information. Just what I needed. Thanks
I'm traveling to Amsterdam soon and I've enjoyed your videos. I know this video is a little old but Verizon 4G phones have been unlocked since they acquired 4G LTE.
Renting a portable hotspot may be one of your cheaper data options, especially if you're traveling in a group. You can get them from many cell carriers, but I like the ones from TEP Wireless. The connection isn't terribly fast, but for $10 per day (plus a setup fee) you get your own protected network with unlimited data and up to five simultaneous users.
Of course, before you do that, consider whether you really need a data package. Unplugging might be better for your overall vacation enjoyment.
You always have great videos! I have downloaded Viber and also had my husband, my family in the US to do the same. I turn off my data before I step off the plane and Aldo change my email so that it doesn't automatically push new emails.
The last time I was in The UK I opted to lease a cellphone because my cell provider in the states (Sprint) had compatibility issues. The cost was reasonable enough. Regretfully the service was unacceptable. A day before I departed for London I received an E Mail from the provider stating that for whatever reason the phone would not be available for pick up at Heathrow Airport. They offered to deliver the phone to my hotel at Canary Wharf. Upon arrival there was no phone sent. I finally got the phone the phone the next day and experienced nothing but problems from the moment it was in my hands. Contacting customer service was a nightmare (Thursday) and since Friday was a bank holiday I did not get any assistance until the following Monday because there offices were closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I think the concept of leasing a cellphone is a good option but the level of service from this provider was seriously lacking. I got nothing but attitude from upper management and they offered nothing to try to make things. right other than a refund for my service plan in addition to a reimbursement for the numerous phone calls I had to make from my hotel room to customer service. it is called TEP wireless. A voice them.
Get an unlocked phone. Save the hassle.
Free WiFi plus Skype for calls :)
thats relly good.
True but free WiFi is great for hackers
True but you see if your on the corner on the site if your password is safe.
I'm so glad you have Samsung in your hand and not an iPhone
sprint isn't the best network domestically but they have a spectacular international plan included with just about every plan i believe. anytime you travel internationally, you get free texts, pay $0.25 per minute for calls, and free 2g data. if you want high speed data, you either pay $5/day or $25/week. it's worked pretty well while i've traveled in london and paris, and i never had to worry about data limits. sometimes phones don't connect well to networks but that's more to do with which bands your phone supports than any problem on their end.
I'm kind of shocked that you haven't traveled to Australia, man. I think you and your family would love it there!
*Cough* NEW SOUTH WALES *Cough*
Effective recently, Bell Mobility in Canada has started to offer the possibility of using data the same way abroad for a small daily fee. Rogers and Telus did (and still do) offer data roaming that is similar to what Bell now offers, although Bell use to only offer data travel passes with puny allowances. That said, not all mobile phone carriers will offer data packages that are generous enough to be used abroad.
The T-Mobile One Plus plan is worth looking into for international travel. It also includes free WiFi and texting on GoGo flights. Worked well for my trip last month, drove all around Western Europe.
ATT will allow you to unlock your phone to accept other sims from other providers most of the time. I have been doing this for years on trips to rue top and Asia. There is criteria they want you to meet for them to allow you to do this, but I have been with them for years and it's never been a problem no matter what phone i had. They walk you through the unlock sequence and boom you can buy a prepaid sim in another country for your phone
I'm a big fan of you and have been waiting for you in Stockholm. You came, you saw, and then you left. Without meeting me. Not so good :-/
No roaming charges within the EU ;) I used 1.5GB of mobile data in Poland without paying a penny
in Canada the crtc basically the regulatory body for Television Internet and phones basically made a rule that all cell phones have to be unlocked and any old ones they cannot charge you for it to unlock
In Australia I get $5 a day international roaming with Vodafone. You can use the phone overseas just like you do at home. All phones on a plan are unlocked.
If you are going to travel within the EU, best to get an unlocked phone, but put a ridiculous amount of money (like 70$ worth of coupons) on the phone. The EU recently scraped roaming charges so you can go to any of the countries using one number without added tarrifs. Also if you go at high season, some providers will offer you a fantastic deal, like 10GB of data for 20$.
I have tried it both ways. I bought a cheap unlocked mobile and pick up a Vodafone or 02 simm when in another country. On average, I pay $.28 a minute to call back to the states. It's a lot cheaper than paying $1 with AT&T. Thanks for the tips. :)
Jefferson Davis yep. I usually have a side phone, especially when staying in one country,
Cheapest option I've found: Unlocked Blu Jenny from Walmart. $30 dual sim. Take it wherever and get a local prepaid sim card when you arrive at the airport.
WAMcKelroy cool advice. I will look into that one
I'm pretty sure that iPhone 5s and 6s are unlocked for At&t and Verizon. At least that is what I have read all over the internet. Also if you are on a plan in the US for awhile, often you can ask them to unlock the phone before going abroad so you can get a sim card for when you are overseas.
Thanks
In EU countries either pre order a Giffgaff card (they deliver world wide) and activate buy buying a 'goodybag' and/or topup. Same goes for buying a pre-loaded SIM card (data in Bulgaria, which isn't EU was $3-$5 for 20 GB data only ) . The downside is that your number change. If you need an unlock phone- you can get a genric smartphone for $60 or so.
If you forget and adapter - until you buy one- you can use your USB cable to charge phone from the TV panel in your hotel room (if there aren't any wall USB sockets).
T-mobile does international free texts and data and .20/min for calling
Hi Wolters fam! Just a friendly heads up, the videos to click on are missing at the end. Love your channel!
I just bought a SIM card on amazon that works all over europe. I'll let everyone know how it goes. I pre-bought it before me trip so I'd have it.
Update
@@anonymous6594 It did not work. The company was called Orange. Apparently, its well known in Europe. However, I could not get it to work.
3:00 You can also call your cell provider and get your phone unlocked that way. I know Verizon 4G LTE phones are unlocked out of the box and att has an online portal where you can put in your imei
I think you can call AT&T to unlock your phone!! I believe my mom did that with one of our old phones.
I cant believe usa does not have , as a norm, that everyphone has to be unlocked!! In chile is a law!
felipe bascuñan A lot of phones are unlocked now.
We need that here. I hate that iPhones are always locked and you have to pay to get YOUR phone unlocked! Stupid. Stupid. Stupid
Prepperjon you don’t have to pay extra! If you own your phone, meaning your not on a payment plan, you service carrier will unlock the phone for free, or just buy the phone directly from the manufacturer and it comes unlocked.
i just buy an unlocked one from apple
Update - used Tmobile in France and England (from U.S.) for 3 weeks, only issue was data only 3G but no caps or extra fees.
What I did in England is that I called home to have my phone unlocked, and then just swapped the SIM cards, was the cheapest option as buying the plan from home (I’m from Canada where our rates are already insane) was way cheaper
This info is still relevant today. Thanks for the tips. I was concerned that I wouldnt have a phone. Think I might just buy a phone and buy a chip for each country I go to.
It's cool how most of Europe is 220volt electric plugs what are some other plugs from other countries running on would be a cool video
You must make a new video about Europe. We don't have such thing anymore within the EU. All calls are at the same rates as at home, whenever a person is calling from in the EU.
i took two phones with me to Europe in 2017......one was a travel phone and the other was my ever day phone in which i used only for taking photos....id get back to the hotel where free wifi was availible,,,,,,.....i could still use my everyday phone for updates on Facebook and i wasnt charged.......if you bring your everyday phone with you always use the wifi at the hotel and you will be fine
I've got my phone for here in North America. I've also got a OnePlus 7 pro for use overseas. With a dual SIM so I can get a Eurozone simcard and already have a euro plan which covers me for the entire EU and Russia with TONS of data. And it's far cheaper than the plan I'm paying for here in Canada
I ended up using a lot of internet on my phone looking for routes to get around it would have been so much cheaper to take a taxi everywhere in berlin and faster
Really good advice. Thanks for making these videos!
hey man thank you very much for this video I was really wondering about that.
This video is 7 years old. Please consider doing an updated video.
Here in the UK we can get free EU roaming from our carriers and we can use all the minutes, texts and Data we already have all for free
You can call your provider, such as AT &T, T-Mobile, to unlock your phone.
Thanks! For all the information you give. Cool!
Love my UK sim. Saved me so much money
What? I have Verizon and for the last few years when I went to Europe I switched out my SIM card and put in one I got there and it was fine, can at&t not do that?