Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re in Stockholm Sweden and we’re talking cell phones and travel. If you’re not careful, your phone bill could become the most expensive part of your international vacation. So, I thought I would give our readers some tips on how to use your cell phone overseas.
Research International Calling Plans
A great first step when planning an international vacation is to talk to your service provider and ask them about their international cell phone plans. I use AT&T and can get an international cell phone plan for $30 that includes phone calls for $1 per minute, unlimited texts and 120MB of data. For $120, I can get 800MB of data, unlimited texts and phone calls for $0.35 per minute. Every provider has a different program, so the best thing to do is give them a call, tell them of your travel plans and find the international plan that works best for you. Make sure you do this before you leave because data charges can add up so quickly if you don’t have an international plan turned on. I had a friend who came home from one week in Eastern Europe and had an $800 phone bill because she didn’t know she needed an international plan.
Watch: Six Things People Forget to Do Before Traveling
What if My Provider Doesn’t Offer an International Plan?
Not all providers offer international cell coverage. But don’t worry, you still have some options for staying connected while traveling.
- Buy an Unlocked Phone and SIM Card
If you travel internationally a lot, it makes sense to buy an unlocked phone and then you can buy a new SIM card in each country you visit. However, you can only top up your SIM card in the country where you bought it. So, if you buy a chip in Portugal, you can only fill it up in Portugal, and if you go to Germany, you have to buy a new SIM card in Germany.
- Buy an International Cell Phone
There are also international cell phones that you can purchase, and you will often see these in vending machines at international airports. They have a chip that works everywhere and will have a phone number you can use, plus you can top up the phone using your credit card from anywhere.
- Buy a Dual SIM Phone
There are also dual SIM phones, which have two SIM card slots, so you can keep your SIM card from home and add another SIM for whichever country you are visiting. The problem with most American carrier phones is that they are locked, so you can’t just put another SIM card in and expect it to work unless your phone is unlocked.
Google Fi could be an option
Google has a phone plan you can use while you travel that you only pay for what you use. It is relatively new, but could be a way to cut costs substantially while you travel.
Can I Just Use a Payphone if I Need to Make a Call?
Just like in the US, public phones are becoming less common. However, where they do exist in Europe, they usually only take cards, not coins. You will need to visit a kiosk to purchase a card that you can then use for international phone calls.
Don’t forget to add the Plus and Country Code when you call
Don’t forget, when you are abroad and you need to call home, you will need to have saved the phone number you are calling with the country code in front of the number as well as a (+). So if you are calling the US, you would need to dial +1-555-555-5555. The +1 is the country code for the US. This is also true if you are texting. Otherwise you might be calling someone in the country you are visiting.
How Can I Save Money on my Phone When Traveling?
Make sure you turn off your data and turn it on only when using it. You don’t want to be using up data in the background of your phone when you don’t need to. If you leave data on, it will be continuously updating apps, downloading emails, and texts, etc. The best thing to do is to keep it off until you have free WiFi somewhere, and then you aren’t using your international plan at all. Try to use free WiFi wherever you can; some countries have it available everywhere, other countries, you will have to go to your hotel or a restaurant and use their WiFi.
How Do I Charge My Cell Phone Overseas?
Most phones now charge by USB, and those are universal, so you don’t need to worry about having an adapter because you can charge your phone in any USB port. What’s also cool is that modern electronics, like cell phones, don’t need a power converter so your phone will work with the electricity wherever you are, without needing to convert the power voltage. Just make sure you bring all the cords you need, as they are expensive to purchase in the US.
Watch: How to Charge Your Electronic Devices When Traveling
Using these tips for international travel with cell phones, I hope you can be better prepared for your trip and avoid any surprise charges when you return home. Do you have other tips for traveling and staying connected? Leave them in the comments! For more travel advice and tips, check out these blog posts and videos:
