5 Best Phone Plan for International Travel — Travel Overseas Wisely
No one wants to experience minor inconveniences during international travels. We cannot deny it, we need our smartphones with us during our travels. More so, we need the best phone plan for international travel. For businessmen, it helps them connect with their client. For some, it is an essential thing to communicate with their loved ones back home or get snapshots of their travel.
Some might think it is a hassle to acquire an international phone plan. Little did they know not having one would cost them more when they get home. We do not want you to pay for expensive international fees. We have prepared 5 of the best phone plan for international travel.
Best International Phone Plans Carrier Comparison Table
Verizon Monthly International Plan | T-Mobile OnePlus | Sprint Global Roaming | AT&T International Day Pass | Mint Mobile International Roaming | |
Price | *starts at $70 per month | *add-on $15/month | *starts at $60 per month | $10/day | *starts at 15 per month |
Data | 0.5GB | Unlimited | 4G LTE *starts at $5/day | Varies on plan | 4G LTE at $0.2 per MB |
Text | 100 texts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0.05 per text |
Talk | 100 minutes | $0.20 per minute | $0.25 per minute | Unlimited | $0.25 per minute |
5 Best Phone Plan for International Travel
Individual preference will surely play a major part when it comes to selecting a phone plan. Typically, the consumers’ decision is affected by what they consider as a reliable brand.
Nonetheless, we aim to provide you the best plans from the best carriers. So you can assure that you are spending your money wisely and getting more value for it as well.
1. Verizon Monthly International Plan — *starts at $70 per month
The Verizon TravelPass plan may sound expensive among the best phone plan for international travel. Yet, the price is justifiable when you are likely making a lot of calls and text messages back home. Moreover, it does not only cover international data. You can also enjoy a huge amount of data capacity while you are in the United States.
What’s included in Verizon Monthly International Plan?
- Up to 1000 minutes of call to over 185 countries
- Up to 1000 sent text messages to over 185 countries
- Unlimited received texts
- Up to 2GB data
Monthly International Plan
185+ countries | ||
Monthly cost per line | $70 | $130 |
Talk | 100 minutes | 1000 minutes |
Text | 100 sent | 1000 sent |
Data | 0.5GB | 2GB |
However, if you already have a wireless plan with Verizon and you want a hassle-free international plan. You can have TravelPass as an add-on, you will only be charged on the days you will use international communications. The daily cost per device is $5 for Canada and Mexico and $10 if it involves over 185 countries. It is quite a catch, actually to have an unlimited call, text, and 4G LTE data instantly when you need it the most.
You may want to see other options of the plans Verizon has to offer. Go to the Verizon website for more details.
2. T-Mobile OnePlus — *add-on price of $15 per month
It is fortunate for those who are fond of traveling abroad to have a plan with T-Mobile. International texts and data consumption is already included in your main plan. As one of the highly reputable phone plan in the United States, T-Mobile offers T-Mobile OnePlus at an add-on rate of $15 per month. You can contact your friends and family over 210 locations.
What’s included in T-Mobile OnePlus?
- Unlimited calls to landlines in over 70 countries
- Unlimited calls to mobile lines in over 30 countries
- Unlimited 4G LTE Data in Canada and Mexico
The only thing that is a drawback from T-Mobile OnePlus is their international calls. You can send a message almost anywhere in the world but you have to pay $0.20 for an international call. Also, you might wonder why the data speed is below the standard, this has nothing to do with the network but it talks about the network technology of the country you are in.
If you want to choose a plan from T-Mobile, feel free to visit T-Mobile website for more information.
3. Sprint Global Roaming —*starts at $60 per month
All of the Sprint plans is included with Sprint Global Roaming. You will be able to enjoy unlimited texts, use data, and make calls for $0.25 per minute for more than 200 international locations. Moreover, the basic data is FREE and comes up to 2G. However, if you want the high-speed data Sprint offer is affordable, it ranges from $2 per day to $10 per day or $10 per week to $50 per week depending on the destination.
What’s included in Sprint Global Roaming?
- Unlimited text messages
- Call for $0.25 per minute
- Basic Data Roaming (up to 2GB)
- 4G/LTE Data from $5 per day or $25 per week
There is also another international traveling service that you can have, the Japan Plan. The Japan Plan only costs $5 per month without any additional costs for text, voice calls, and data. For more information about the international plans, Sprint has to offer, visit Sprint website.
4. AT&T International Day Pass — $10 per day
AT&T has two international phone plan offers, the simplest one is International Day Pass. You need to have a basic plan of AT&T in order to avail the International Day Pass. The basic plan of AT&T starts at $35 per month with an additional upfront fee of $34.99 to activate the line. Before you leave for your international travel, you need to add the International Day Pass on your plan. It costs $10 per day to make a call, send a text, or access data during your international travel.
What’s included in AT&T International Day Pass?
- Unlimited calls to the United States
- Unlimited calls up to 100 international locations
- Unlimited texts around the globe
- Data
Basic Plan and International Day Pass
SERVICE | AT&T PLAN (*starts at $35/month) | INTERNATIONAL DAY PASS (+$10/day) |
Calls | None | Unlimited |
Texts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Data | 1GB | Varies |
When you get an International Day Pass add-on, you will have a daily fee of $10 when you use texts, calls, and data in a country covered by IDP. You can enjoy unlimited calls and text messages from the United States to IDP countries and vice versa. Data usage will be drawn from your basic plan.
However, if you are traveling overseas for a longer period, you can have the AT&T Passport Plans. It offers unlimited texts, $0.35 per minute for phone calls, and $60 to $130 per month for 1GB to 3GB of data capacity. If you want to learn more of the phone plans AT&T offers for international coverage, check more information at AT&T website.
5. Mint Mobile International Roaming — *starts at $15 per month
Mint Mobile has a unique approach on their international calls, their basic plan includes low minute rates to Canada and Mexico. When you already have a basic plan with Mint Mobile, you can add an international roaming balance through its UpRoam service. Its international roaming rate covers up to 160 locations.
What’s included in Mint Mobile Plan?
- Wireless service
- Monthly 4G LTE data
- Unlimited calls, texts, and data
- Includes FREE international calls to Mexico and Canada
You can have the basic plan with your preferred period — you can enjoy it for 3 months, 6 months or 12 months. Moreover, you can pick the data speed for your 4G data, it starts from 3GB to 12GB per month.
All of these plans include an international roaming capacity. You can reach anyone around the 160 locations it covers. You only have to add credit to the international roaming balance through UpRoam. Do not worry! The unused credit will never expire, you can carry your balance around every month.
Mint Mobile International Rates
SERVICE | CANADA & MEXICO RATES | INTERNATIONAL RATE |
Calls | $0.06 per minute | $0.25 per minute |
Texts | $0.02 per text message | $0.05 per text message |
Data | $0.06 per MB | $0.20 per MB |
The following are the rates for international calls, texts, and data. When you make calls to Canada and Mexico, it is already included in the basic plan for FREE. However, calls from Canada and Mexico start at $0.06 per minute. Meanwhile, calls from outside the United States start at $0.25 per minute. It can be shown in the table that calls, texts, and data made from Canada and Mexico is cheaper than those made from outside the United States.
You can check the plans, coverage, and other services offered by Mint Mobile through their website. Go to Mint Mobile now.
FAQs
Which phone plan is best for the family?
Sprint Unlimited Plus Family Plan has the best offer for family usage. For only $100 per month, it can accommodate up to 5 lines. You will be able to enjoy unlimited calls, texts, and data on the Sprint network. Moreover, Mexico and Canada is included for international long distance calls and texts. Your family would also enjoy an unlimited access with Hulu and TIDAL. If you live in Atlanta, Houston, Kansas, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Sprint has launched a 5G network in these cities.
Can you cancel a phone plan?
Yes, you can cancel a phone plan. When you cancel phone plans because you are about to migrate to another country, you can keep your android phone. Or, you might want to change to another phone carrier. If you want to cancel your phone plan before the minimum contract ends, you have to pay for a termination fee. However, if you want to cancel the plan after the minimum contract ends, you can do it any time.
Does airplane mode avoid international charges?
No, your local carrier may still charge you for roaming voice calls and text messages. Android phones use more data, you can disable your roaming data entirely to avoid the risk of incurring fees. However, it would be better if you will purchase a roaming plan. You can choose from the best phone plan for international travel mentioned above.
Conclusion
It is a beautiful experience to travel internationally. However, phone charges can stress you out. It would be a hassle to get ridiculous fees just for a text or a brief call. Thus, it is better to have the best phone plan for your international travel. We hope that we have secured your questions regarding what you will need for a phone plan when you travel.
Do you find this article helpful? Share this to your family, friends, and colleagues who are fond of traveling internationally. Moreover, if you want to suggest a phone plan other than the aforementioned ones, you can leave your opinions and suggestions in the comment section below.