Because there are two threads on phone travel, and this is important enough advice, I’m putting it in both. The longer (though probably not better) information is in the other thread.
When talking to the people at immigration DO NOT LIE.
Completely independent of this thread, I actually did just that. Bought a refurbished iPhone SE 3rd Gen.
This is in anticipation of both a trip to Canada in a little over a month and also bike trips I might take across the border into Mexico (I live along the US-Mexico border). I set it up as a new iPhone and have only synced my music onto it. I am debating whether, when I travel, I want to transfer my eSIM from one phone to the other, or just (a) buy a cheap pre-paid “burner” eSIM for the trip to Canada and (b) do without cell coverage on my rides into Mexico. Depending on how easy it is to transfer the eSIM between phones and whether there are limits on how many times it can be done, I may just do that. I already have free roaming to Mexico and Canada as part of my current plan.
Anyway, the passcode on this new (to me) phone isn’t quite 12345, but it’s basically that. I plan to clear browsing data prior to customs. CBP can have at it.
Wow!
My Verizon is $10/day international.
Which isn’t bad but still…$70 on top of the normal plan per week. It’ll do for a vacation for a week with no fuss but still not cheap. (IIRC no data limits…at least none you are likely to run into and I will say most people run through a LOT more data than they think they do in a day.)
$10/month international? Is there some other special circumstances/caveats/small print or should I just move to T-Mobile cuz that is a substantial cost difference.
Google Fi just works internationally. In theory, it could cost a different amount in different countries, but so far i haven’t found any that cost more than at home.
I end up spending more, because I’m mostly on Wi-Fi at home, and use cell service more when i travel. But it’s pennies.
There’s not really a “catch” to T-Mobile or Google Fi (which is just whitelabeled T-Mobile). Verizon is just really expensive abroad. T-Mobile is part of Deutsche Telekom, which both directly operates in many countries and has partnerships with many carriers across the world. Google Fi just uses that network of partners, with Google’s negotiation power, to offer a similar service at a slightly lower price compared to T-Mobile direct.
Either one is a hugely better value than Verizon abroad. But check your coverage at home. Their coverage may or may not be better than Verizon’s. If you get good coverage at home and travel frequently, it’s a great deal.
Google Fi is very WiFi oriented. So if you spend a lot of time on Wi-Fi, it’s a good deal. It’s also a good deal if you travel.
And yes, Verizon is a US-focused carrier and is very expensive to use outside the US.
My brother is on AT&T and (I think) they charge $12/day for international coverage.
Verizon may be expensive but they are not the only ones. The price differences described here are so big I can’t help but think there are differences in service being missed. That small print stuff they are fond of. These are very large price differences…can they really be the same service when walking around in Mongolia?
When i was in rural Italy, my coverage was not as good as the coverage my Italian friend with an Italian carrier had. And it was a little spotty in Jerusalem, too. Coverage was excellent in rural Germany, Toronto, around Paris, and Tokyo. I had good service in Denmark. It’s always worked in every airport I’ve been to.
I dunno, is it the best coverage you can get? Probably not. It’s been completely good enough for my needs.
I dunno about Mongolia, but my Indian boss said it worked great when he visited family in India.
I dunno, it’s just a very saturated market, with multiple big carriers and a ton of MVNOs for each one.
My anecdotal experience with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Google Fi across the US, both rural and urban, is that none of them have a significant advantage over the others. Some places will have better reception or speed with one carrier, others will do better another carrier. My family and friends frequently have different carriers and we compare coverages when we travel (domestically).
Internationally, though, the US carriers just can’t compete with T-Mobile and their MVNOs. Not even close. It’s part of T-Mobile’s brand identity, and not only in other countries, but also offering free wifi on airlines, etc.
Inrernational connectivity just isn’t one of Verizon and AT&T’s strengths (unless you’re on a company paid line). Those guys compete mainly on the strength of their branding and marketing, but their actual coverage isn’t necessarily any better in a given area, and internationally they are just not competitive at all.
T-Mobile probably doesn’t have the most premium service in every country it serves or partners with, but at least you GET service at no additional charge (at least with Fi). No roaming charges, free texts, cheap calls, and enough data to look up directions to the hotel or whatever, even if it’s not the fastest. You can always get a local SIM if you want, but having it “just work” as soon as the plane hits the ground in any country you’re likely to visit is really convenient.
This isn’t some great unknown and unknowable risk, either… you can just try it for a few days for free and see if you like it, and if not, just stop the trial: Try Google Fi Wireless for Free with a 7-Day Trial
Fi is not too good to be true, if that’s what you’re afraid of. There are even cheaper MVNOs, or faster ones, or ones with more data, whatever. But Fi is specifically probably the single best US plan you can get for international travel, and that is due to their partnership with T-Mobile, which is the only major US carrier that has a decent international presence. (Because they’re largely owned by their European parent company.) It’s not a scam, it’s just a different business model and target audience.
Fi piggybacks off T-Mobile networks and partnership agreements around the world, at Google’s negotiated prices, and without any contract, phone locking, or any sort of long term commitment. It’s probably a loss leader for Google, but I doubt they really care or even notice it’s still there compared to the gazillions they’re pouring into AI. Fi is probably like the SDMB is to our owners, just some forgotten line item from long ago. Let’s hope it stays that way…
And for what it’s worth, Fi has been great for me in Japan, Norway, Finland, and Taiwan so far. It’s not as fast as some premium local plans, but still usually 10s to 100s of megabits per second, which is plenty fast for tourist stuff.
We’re going to Italy and Scotland later this summer and will try it there too, and I expect it to be fine.
Just last month they doubled their data allowance for tethering too, which is nice.
(Sorry for the multi posts)
I should point out, though, that Fi has no physical storefronts. All customer service is online (chat or email). I found Fi customer service to be much much better than AT&T’s, and about the same as Verizon’s. Not having to go to a store is actually quite nice, no traffic or queues, and the reps are actually knowledgeable and empowered enough to help you, without having to jump through stupid phone menus like the other carriers.
The app is wonderful and takes care of most plan changes, pauses, cancelations, etc. in just a few seconds.
But if you want that personal touch and physical storefront, you won’t get it with Fi. You can with T-Mobile, but their plans are generally a bit more expensive than Fi’s.
@Whack-a-Mole might want to investigate International Plans | Traveling Abroad without Roaming Fees | T-Mobile and Explore Plans.
Yeah, $12/day, but a maximum purchase of 10 days. After that there is no more cost the rest of the month. Additional lines on the same plan are $6/day.
Canada and Mexico are included for no additional cost with many US plans on AT&T.
It should be noted that if you put your phone into airplane mode for a day you will not be charged for that day. You can still use WiFi and will not incur a charge (find a coffee shop that provides WiFi).
(Edit: Nevermind)
I was wondering if disabling the cellular connection and relying entirely on Wi-Fi connections would work as an alternative to paying for an overseas data plan. I could use texting as much as possible. And if I placed calls on my AT&T service using the Wi-Fi calling feature while overseas could I avoid roaming charges? (I was on a domestic flight earlier this week, with my phone on airplane mode and connected to the airline Wi-Fi but was surprised that a phone call rang through, though I didn’t answer it.) Worst, case, I have a Zoom phone number via work so I might be able to use that.
Lotta people do that and it works as you say; a wifi-based call is not billed.
The gotcha comes in when you’re out and about, need to call somebody to arrange something, and can’t find a wifi to connect to.
My own attitude is “Oh well, sometimes you gotta waste a few bux. Take it out of airplane mode and dial.” Other folks get locked into “OMG that’ll cost at least $10 just to call the uber driver, that’s insane.” So they piss away half an afternoon of an all-to-rare vacation in a place they’ll never visit again chasing a damned wifi signal. My advice: don’t be that person.
One way to not worry about finding wifi is to setup an old phone with a local data plan and have it be a hotspot. Put a local data sim in the old phone and you’ll have a wifi hotspot with you at all times. You may be able to pre-configure the old phone with an international esim before you leave. There are lots of esim companies. I know someone who used the pay-as-you-go data plan from https://roamless.com/ and was happy with it as a wifi hotspot for their main phone.
Years ago I was told by a friend who does a lot of traveling that if I wanted a major carrier that works internationally with no hassle and without major expense, T-mobile is far better than anyone else. Some of their plans come with free international roaming, and even the ones that don’t, it can be added for very cheap.
The great thing about it is that it just works. Whenever I enter a new country, within a few minutes I’ll get a text message like “Welcome to [country]! Your plan includes coverage. . .”
The only issue is that the coverage in the US isn’t quite as good as, say, Verizon, but I find it adequate for my needs.
I did this in Paris once long ago (circa 2000). But, to be fair, it was long before simple international roaming plans and what was on offer was anything but cheap. So, I spent hours trying to find WiFi. There was plenty to be had but, at that time, the WiFi was almost always never free either.
What a mess and unfortunate waste of time for me. I have only myself to blame. Getting WiFi is generally easier these days…still…I think it is best that everyone get some sort of local data plan for their phone (whether it is using their provider or buying a sim/e-sim for where they are…and paying close attention to what they get with that purchase).