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Traveling with your phone has gotten better in recent years, but it can still get costly. While roaming in Canada and Mexico is included by all three major US carriers, going beyond North America can be expensive, particularly if you want faster than 3G or 2G speeds that aren’t helpful for much more than light messaging, navigation and email checks.
The rise of the eSIM has also made the need to hunt down a physical SIM card a thing of the past as most modern phones can get you a local SIM card in seconds through an app. Though with the increased length of installment plans, you may save money by paying the roaming fees and keeping your trade-in credits for more valuable things than paying to unlock your phone.
Sound confusing? Let’s try and clear things up.
What are the best phone plans with international roaming?
While we’re going to focus this section on US carriers, many of the other tips could be applied to those traveling in from other countries.
In the US, my pick for the best plan for frequent globe trotters is Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate. The carrier’s latest, most premium unlimited plan takes a page from T-Mobile’s playbook and includes international texting and data in over 210 countries (neither includes voice, though you can get around that by using WhatsApp, FaceTime or other messaging apps’ voice-calling features).
Verizon, unlike T-Mobile, lets you “mix and match” plans for different lines on your account which could be helpful for those on family plans. This means that you can have one line on Ultimate for the month when you’ll be traveling while keeping the other lines on more affordable Unlimited Plus or Welcome options. You can also lower the line on an Ultimate plan down to a more affordable one when you aren’t traveling, though if you also get an upgrade during this time moving away from the Ultimate plan could affect any new phone deals you may have taken advantage of (Verizon’s best upgrade offers are generally now tied to its priciest unlimited plans).
In addition to international talk, text and data, Unlimited Ultimate also includes 60GB of mobile hotspot use in the US and Verizon’s highest discounts on new devices. There’s also unlimited talk and text from the US to Canada, Mexico and “one additional country of your choice.” There are no streaming services included, though you can add a number of options, including the Disney bundle and Apple One for $10 per month, per “perk.”
Verizon, unlike T-Mobile, lets you “mix and match” which plans are for which lines on your account. So you can have one line on Ultimate for the month when you’ll be traveling, while keeping the other lines on more affordable Unlimited Plus or Welcome options. You can also lower the Ultimate line down to a more affordable plan when you aren’t traveling.
Runner up for international plans
T-Mobile Magenta Max and Go5G Plus
In addition to international data, T-Mobile’s plans also include plenty of high-speed hotspot data in the US (40GB on Magenta Max, 50GB on Go5G Plus), in-flight texting and Wi-Fi, as well as subscriptions to Netflix and Apple TV Plus. T-Mobile’s plans also include taxes and fees in their prices.
Some additional notes: T-Mobile requires all plans on an account to be on the same plan. If only one line needs international data you should consider Magenta (if you only have one or two lines) or Go5G (if you need three or more lines), with the MaxUp or PlusUp $15 per line add-on. This will let your other lines get a cheaper rate while allowing you to bolster your international data to tap into the Go5G Plus or Magenta Max offerings for the lines that need it.
And as mentioned, T-Mobile’s plans for one or two lines are cheaper under the Magenta option while promotions have made the Go5G plans better for those looking for three or more lines.
Best for Latin America
AT&T Unlimited Premium PL
AT&T’s top unlimited plan also includes 50GB of high-speed hotspot data. Like Verizon, the carrier also lets you put each line of your account on different unlimited plans. So if only one line out for your four is traveling to a Latin American country, you can put them on Premium PL and the rest on more affordable options like Unlimited Starter SL.
