Personal safety is a critical part of traveling, especially traveling abroad where you may not know the local language. Having an accessible phone is the easiest way to stay safe abroad. This post will guide you on how to use your phone while traveling internationally.
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How to Use Your Phone while Traveling Internationally
Use your home service provider
One of the easiest ways to use your phone while traveling internationally is through your existing cell phone provider. All major providers will offer an international data plan, however the cost varies based on your carrier and your existing plan.
If you are in the US, many unlimited plans include free calls and data while visiting Canada and Mexico. Once you travel further outside of North America you’ll need to verify that the country (or countries) you plan to visit will have available service and confirm if there is a flat fee or a variable cost. I use AT&T in the states and there is a flat daily fee no matter the country. However, a traveler that I met while in Cambodia said that his UK plan cost 60 pounds per day in Cambodia compared to 5 pounds in Thailand. Always confirm costs with your local cell phone provider.
If you go through your local provider you don’t have to do anything other than make sure that data roaming is turned “on” in your phone settings. Once you arrive in your country it will automatically connect to a local network.
Purchase an e-sim
Newer cell phones include a secondary e-sim that you can use while traveling. Using an e-sim is an easy and cheap way to connect your phone abroad. There are different plans based on what data usage you need.
A popular site among travelers is Airalo. This site allows you to purchase based on country or region. If you plan to be traveling in a specific region through multiple countries this is an easy way to use your phone in each country without activating it every time you move destinations.
You can use referral code CARLI0951 to get a discount on your first e-sim purchase.
Purchase a local sim card
If your phone is too old to have an e-sim you can purchase a data plan through a local cell phone provider once you arrive. Some countries and providers even have specific prepaid tourist data plans. For example, in Vietnam, a weeklong data plan would have cost $7-8 USD.
In Southeast Asia, you will usually see stands for sim cards outside the airport when you leave the baggage area. The airport prices tend to be higher than if you go into a store directly. Whether you purchase a plan at the airport, or later at a physical store, they can assist with swapping out your physical sim card. Just make sure to safely store your original to swap back before you get home.
READ THIS BEFORE YOU GET AN ESIM OR LOCAL SIM
If your phone is locked with your phone carrier (Verizon, AT&T, Rodgers, Telus, etc.) you cannot use an e-sim or a local sim card. I REPEAT YOU CANNOT GET A LOCAL OR E-SIM CARD. This was a fun lesson I learned in Vietnam when my data only worked for internet but not location services and then proceeded to spend almost 2 hours of my day trying to get an e-sim and local sim card. If you encounter this issue, follow the steps below to troubleshoot.
Your phone is locked if you have bought a new phone through your cell phone provider on a payment plan and you are still making payments.
How do you know if your phone is locked? Use this site to confirm whether or not your phone is locked by your carrier.
What to do if you are Unable to use your Phone while Traveling Internationally
I have used my phone with the AT&T international plan with no issues throughout Europe, Morocco, North America, and parts of Asia. The only time I have ever encountered an issue was in Vietnam. If your phone works for basic internet, but does not work for any location services (maps, Uber, Grab, Airbnb map) then there is an issue with your local service provider.
To fix this, go into your cellular settings then click on your network selection. If it your settings are on “automatic”, turn off that dial. Google “best cell phone service in ____” country. Next, in your setting select that network. You should not have to restart your phone, the change in service should happen immediately. If that doesn’t work, you may need to look up the international phone number for your home service provider for additional assistance.