5 Tips to USE YOUR PHONE Internationally (And Avoid Roaming Charges)

your phone can be an indispensable tool when traveling internationally but how do you ensure that you actually have service while you're abroad in this video I'm going to break down five possible strategies for staying connected while you're away I'll give some tips on which ones I prefer and even point you towards some apps that you want to be sure to download before you leave for your trip [Music] one thing is certain paying international roaming fees can be a disaster if you don't plan to implement any of the tips I share in this video please do this one thing I once forgot to do it and it cost me darn near a thousand dollars turn off roaming turning off roaming will kill all cellular data use entirely when you're out of the country don't forget this and now that I've saved you nearly a thousand bucks please go ahead and hit that like button so YouTube will know that I did something today here are five viable strategies that will enable you to use your phone while traveling internationally there's no one right answer but different situations could necessitate different strategies strategy number one Wi-Fi or bust you could probably figure out what this means but this strategy is essentially only using your phone when you're able to connect to Wi-Fi this will be the cheapest option by far because you won't need to pay for anything basically just keep your phone in airplane mode the whole trip and then use Wi-Fi when it's available you'll be able to communicate with people back home using apps like iMessage Facebook Messenger WhatsApp and any other communication platform that functions via Wi-Fi my first couple of times to Europe and Asia I only used my phone when I was able to connect to Wi-Fi and here's couple of things I would say you need to look out for with this strategy so does your hotel or Airbnb have good Wi-Fi that's a consideration if that's what you're planning to do you'll need to be really good at planning ahead who do you need to communicate with during the day and will you even be able to personally this approach can be very freeing because it allows you to be very present fewer distractions you're not Doom scrolling you're living your life but it's becoming harder and harder if you don't want to have to rely on Wi-Fi alone I would contact your carrier strategy number two is to see what your provider can do for you talk to your provider and see what options they have for you for example many providers like at T Verizon Etc have some form of plan that works really well for short-term International trips for example I've used Verizon's travel pass many many times this program is a solid option in my opinion for someone traveling short term through a long list of countries and at only ten dollars per day you get unlimited data calls and texts and you only pay for what you use so if you only know that you'll need this for a day or two or there are certain days of your trip you know you'll always be in Wi-Fi range you can just switch your phone into airplane mode before the start of the next 24 hour period and look not all providers have good options 10 bucks per day isn't exactly cheap but it is a way to relatively easily maintain some continuity and to get to continue to use your phone and your phone number abroad with minimal effort and far less expense than if you were paying for roaming strategy number three is to check out International specific plans this strategy doesn't always make sense but in certain cases it could make sense to change providers admittedly this strategy is only viable if you're traveling longer term like a month or more and you plan to visit multiple locations services like Google Phi give you unlimited data calls and texting in over 200 locations around the world for around 65 dollars per person per month on the unlimited plan and then there's price breaks for families Ali and I actually used this service when we traveled full-time for six months and it worked like a charm pretty affordable All Things Considered and getting coverage as we moved between 17 different countries was insanely easy it doesn't come without cons though first of all it's not fun to change providers and the other thing is you will get kicked off the plan after six months if you're still International which is insanely stupid in our case our phones actually just stopped working the last couple of weeks of our trip in terms of data so we just became wi-fi people I think this plan is ideal for someone traveling internationally for anywhere between one and six months honestly I wish I had known about it the first time that I visited Europe for 30 plus days strategy number four buy a local SIM card likely the most economical option on this list that still allows you to use your phone is to purchase a SIM card that will enable you to use your phone in the place you're visiting a local or single country SIM card is typically attached to a local carrier and will usually only work in the country that it's purchased in most of the time you could buy a SIM card at the airport or 7-Eleven or other stores newsstands vendors of all types this option can often be the cheapest offer great speeds because you're working with a local network but it can be difficult to track down what you're looking for and it's highly recommended that you purchase as close to the source as possible so you don't buy a fake or a scam Sim strategy number five get an international e-sim unlike the local Sim option which usually requires purchasing that physical SIM card there's another option out there buying an international esim what is an esim and esim is basically a virtual or digital version of a traditional SIM card and thanks to Providers like olafly you can get a data plan online and use it immediately without having to put in a physical card go to a physical store or have a confusing conversation in a language that you don't understand basically you'll pick your plan pay for it and then they'll send you a QR code to scan and you're in business or they also offer a mobile app if you have a phone with two SIM slots like a lot of iPhones and Androids these days olafly allows you to keep the SIM from your home country in terms of pricing this might be your best option if you're traveling 30 days or less and you don't want the headache of changing carriers 10 days in Europe would cost 34 bucks to have service anywhere in the EU 10 days via something like Verizon's travel pass would cost a hundred dollars if you decide to pull the trigger on olafly you can use the code away together to get a discount on your purchase those are the five strategies which one is right for you I would love it if you would comment below and tell us what you're thinking about doing before you leave for your trip remember turn off roaming and oh by the way make sure you've got the right apps downloaded before you leave you can check out this video where I break down the eight essential travel apps you need Before you depart thanks so much for watching happy travels [Music] thank you

Channel: Away Together w/ Nik and Allie

Views: 178,089

Keywords: use phone abroad, travel sim card, data roaming, how to use your phone abroad, international sim card, international travel tips, use phone internationally, how to use your phone overseas, how to use phone internationally, can you use your phone internationally, can you use your phone overseas, travel phone service, how to use your phone while traveling, use your phone internationally, international phone plans, best international phone plans, international esim, google fi

Id: bgVzY2uI7YE

Length: 7min 18sec (438 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 23 2023