Smartphones were practically made for travel. They are devices you can take anywhere that simultaneously keep us connected to almost the entire planet. They can make family and friends feel much closer and help us navigate unknown cities and environments. In some cases, they can be literal lifesavers.
On the other hand, phone plans do not feel like they were made for international travel, at least not most of them. It can feel as though there is a skyrocketing price for everything involving your phone, and without proper preparation, you might not be able to use your phone much or at all on your travels. This can quickly lead to a bad situation.
Therefore, if you travel a lot outside of the country, you will want to find a good cell phone plan for international travel. The good news is they exist, though they can be a bit more pricey than other plans. A budget MVNO plan may not be the best option for frequent travelers. The benefits that make a plan good for travel can come in several forms, and some might be meant for occasional travel, while others are for dedicated digital nomads.
And on top of this, it needs to be a good phone plan. Most people won’t constantly be traveling, and regular services and support need to be good wherever you are. However, many phone service providers have options for everyone if, at a price, it’s a careful balance.
Here is everything you need to know and our recommendations:
General Coverage and Service Quality: You need to be able to trust your phone service and get coverage wherever you are. That includes the United States, where we presume you will spend most of your time. That means you need to consider how well the coverage is at your home and the quality of the signal. You can easily find out about this through online resources, and we encourage you to check.
The number of Supported Countries and Regions: If a plan doesn’t work in a country you plan on traveling to, that’s a problem. Most plans or providers will have a list of countries in that they can provide support or have partnerships. Make sure to check it when considering the plan or provider.
Price: The price of the plan matters to everyone. You want an affordable plan and a plan that you feel provides good value. Also, if it comes down to it, there is the matter of pricing for international cell services. Ideally, international service is treated like anything else, but the effective price of such support must be considered.
With some providers, you’ll be more likely to get a slightly standard plan with a few travel perks and then need to buy something along the lines of a travel pass for normal service. These can get pricey, so we’ll note the expense of such a pass when discussing the provider and factoring that into our recommendations.
Data Allowance: Nearly every phone plan has a data plan attached to it, and the limits and parameters of that data plan are perhaps the most significant difference between phone plans today. Unlimited talk and text in the United States are a given in today’s industry. Unlimited data is not a given. Check how many GB per month you will get with a plan. Additionally, the data allowance might differ when one travels, which we’ll keep an eye on.
Additional Perks and Features: Phone plans often come with additional perks, services, and features at the higher tiers. These could be subscriptions to streaming services, a helpful extra membership, or a few security features and services you wouldn’t otherwise get. They can help and add value to a plan, but nearly all are available otherwise. Don’t let these perks distract you from the fundamentals of the plan.
Customer Service: If you are stuck without service, that is a huge annoyance, and you want the problem solved as quickly as possible without issue. If you are stuck without service or run into an issue while traveling, that only amplifies the need. Cell service providers are not always known for good customer service, but you need to know that they’ll at least be competent and solve your problems.
Additional Factors: Each carrier has quirks and bonuses to pay attention to. There also might be something important to you that might not be as important to most readers. A simple discount for one person could be the tipping point for another. Whatever the case, we recommend you pay attention to all the details.
Note that if you’re in the United States and your primary concern is travel to Canada and Mexico, then you have nothing to worry about. Plenty of plans have unlimited talk, text, and data in these countries, and it will be mostly like you’re in the States. Just shop for a plan like you would typically and ensure there is a perk to that effect. You’ll find it.
Here are the top five phone plans for international travel without further wait. We want to note that these are not in a particular order, as what might be best for one person might not be best for another. Review the options and figure out what is best for your household.
Verizon is one of the biggest names in cell phone service and provides one of the best networks in the country. Yet, because domestic services are great doesn’t mean it has a perfect plan for international travelers. It’s a bit more complicated than that. Fortunately, while it doesn’t have the perfect plan, it does have a great general one in the form of the Verizon 5G Do More plan. It has plenty of premium network access, options for nearby countries, and a few helpful perks.
Yet while the plan is overall a great choice, Verizon is a provider that offers a travel pass for international travelers instead of building something into the plan. While it is not ideal, it is the best option for people who want to still have a Verizon plan in their day-to-day life back in the United States.
Looking at the details and the travel benefits, this plan is better for people who go on a yearly vacation or two internationally and could use almost two weeks a year of free travel passes, minimizing expenses. People who travel more might want to look into another plan or understand that additional travel passes could cost them more. It is not necessarily an easy choice given the excellent service in the United States, but you will know whether this one is for you.
Next is another of the three major providers in the United States, T-Mobile. After their recent merger, they now have one of the country’s largest networks while still offering plans at very affordable prices for families. We consider them the best value of the big three, if not the absolute best network for speed. Though the differences are minute, you’ll be deciding on your cell phone plan for international travel through other criteria.
T-Mobile has a small host of plans available for customers, but none we could find were particularly great for travelers. However, we think the T-Mobile Magenta plan has the most perks for potential travelers and is the best overall option from the carrier for many people, so we recommend it.
If you are interested, pay close attention to the plan’s details and the travel benefits. There is more going on with this plan than most, and we would not want you to get the wrong idea or miss anything after signing up. The difference could be hundreds of dollars in value.
You are looking for a good overall option for your household and daily life, with a couple of travel benefits and cheap international calling.
We also need to mention AT&T in any discussion of carriers, given that they are one of the big three, and many people will feel that they have few other true options than them. And for travelers looking at AT&T, we recommend the AT&T Unlimited Premium plan, which does have some options for those traveling in Latin America.
Yet the Unlimited Premium plan should also be considered by general users because of the great price for unlimited data and the perks it provides. It might not be as flashy a plan as the other major carriers can offer in higher tiers, but nearly any users will find that it is enough and gets the job done for the whole family.
On top of the travel perks and unlimited data, there are a few other nice features and what you would expect from a major carrier. Assuming there are four lines on the plan, the cost is $50 per month per line.
Google Fi isn’t the most well-known provider of cell service, and it isn’t available to everyone. Still, it is a somewhat more experimental option that is great for travelers and affordable on top of that. In particular, their Unlimited Plus plan is fantastic for travelers, offering unlimited data and either free or cheap service in many locations worldwide. And while service might not always be the fastest with it, whether you’re in the United States or abroad, it will work fine and be a great balance of flexibility and affordability for your family.
It can be considered an MVNO, though it uses the networks of several different providers instead of just working with one. You will want to check more directly with Google Fi about coverage in your area.
Overall, Google Fi Unlimited Plus might not be for everyone and might not be an option for you, but you should at least give it a closer look for you and your traveling family.
You might be surprised that we are recommending Mint Mobile on this list, given that it is hardly marketed as an international phone plan, nor does it have many features when it comes to travelers. However, it is a general budget option that is not limited to travelers compared to others.
Mint Mobile is an MVNO plan, which means you can expect deprioritization in areas with a lot of mobile traffic, though the price hopefully offsets the inconvenience for anyone interested. In terms of plans, there are generally four options to choose from, ranging from 4GB/Mo at $15 per month to an unlimited plan at $30 per month. We recommend one of these two options for most users. Outside of the amount of data allotted and the price, the plans are otherwise mostly identical.
For when you travel, there is an easy option to add money to your international roaming balance, ensuring there is always a way to stay connected on your travels. People who are savvy with messaging programs and WiFi calling might also find that they might not need to use Mint Mobile’s roaming options much. It’s a bit more work than the other plans, but Mint Mobile is simply the best for someone on a budget.
Making the most of your phone is about more than just getting the right plan. It is how you use it and the features of your smartphone to make for a better travel experience. While we can’t go over everything you need to know, here are the most important tips:
International travel isn’t easy these days, and it’s essential to have a working smartphone to be able to craft a backup plan when things go a little adrift from the itinerary. We hope you can rely on the best plan for you and that you have terrific travels once you are set up. We encourage you to come back to this page as you feel the need and do more research on your top plans of choice. Remember that you know what you need best.
