The Best International Phone Plans: Stay Connected Worldwide

Best plans for frequent travelers If you’re a frequent traveler, an unlimited mobile plan with hotspot data and international roaming, talk and text is your best option for travel.Best plan – Verizon Unlimited Ultimate  Verizon’s highest-tiered plan is our top pick for traveling since it offers unlimited data, high-speed international data, talk and text in 210+ countries and has one of the highest hotspot data allowances out of the major U.S.carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T).

$90/mo.for one line 5G Ultra Wideband 60 GB premium mobile hotspot data 10 GB international roaming data per month High-speed international data, talk and text in 210+ countries  Promotional perks Other Verizon travel options TravelPass – A great choice for short-term trips.$12/day for unlimited talk, text and data in 210+ countries and destinations.

You will only be charged on the days you make or receive a call, send texts or use cellular data on your device when you’re abroad International Monthly Plan – Perfect for those who travel occasionally and only want to pay for the days they use international service since they can activate coverage when needed.$100/mo.per linefor unlimited data, 250 call minutes and unlimited text Cruise Daily Pass – Best suited for cruise-goers with light data use.

$30/day per line for data of 0.5 GB/day, 50 call minutes and unlimited text.You will only be charged on days you use your phone.Text CRUISE to 4004 before or at the start of your cruise to add a daily pass to your line In-flight Daily Pass – Great for those who need data during long flights.

$20/day per line for unlimited data ($1.99/minute for talk, $0.50 for sent texts and $0.05 for received texts) Looking for cheap mobile service? Visible Wireless by Verizon is a budget carrier that uses Verizon’s network.Runner-up best plan – T-Mobile Go5G Plus T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus plan is another great option for frequent travelers since it provides unlimited premium data, 50 GB of mobile hotspot data, in-flight coverage and 5 GB of roaming data in 215+ countries.We like Verizon a bit better since it offers more roaming and hotspot data, but T-Mobile is still a solid choice.

$90/mo.for one line  In-flight texting and Wi-Fi 50 GB hotspot data 5 GB roaming data High-speed international talk, text and data in 215+ countries Promotional perks Other T-Mobile travel options One-day international pass – Perfect for light users on short trips or layovers.$5/day for unlimited calling, 512 MB of international data 10-day international pass – Great for vacationers.

$35 for 10 days of unlimited calling and 5 GB of international data 30-day international pass – Best for long-term trips.$50 for one month of unlimited calling and 15 GB of international data Mint Mobile offers cheap mobile plan alternatives using T-Mobile’s 5G network.Best for specific destinations – AT&T Unlimited Premium If you are traveling to a Latin American country, AT&T’s Unlimited Premium plan could be a great choice.

It offers unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in 20 Latin American countries and 60 GB of hotspot data per month.$85.99/mo.per line 60 GB/mo.

hotspot data Unlimited talk, text and data in 20 Latin American countries Other AT&T travel options International Day Pass – Best for traveling outside of Latin America.$12/day for unlimited talk, text and high-speed data in 210+ countries AT&T Cruise Basic – Best for light-use cruisegoers.$60 for 30 days of 100 minutes of talk, unlimited text and 100 MB of data AT&T Cruise Plus – Best for calls and light data use.

It costs $100 for 30 days of unlimited talk and text, with 1 GB of data Factors to consider  Before you sign up for a plan, consider which will give you the most bang for your buck, the areas you’re traveling to and any promotional perks.Value When signing up for a plan you’re using while traveling, ensuring you’re not overpaying will save you money and give you peace of mind.If you’re going on a short trip alone, choosing an unlimited mobile plan may not be the best option.

Instead, explore daily travel passes from your carrier and compare those prices with the price of one monthly charge for an unlimited plan with international data.If you’re going on a longer-term trip, upgrading to an unlimited plan like Verizon Unlimited Ultimate may save you money.If you already have an unlimited mobile plan, double-check the international features beforehand to ensure you’re not going to be hit with extra charges.

Coverage Knowing what areas international plans cover is paramount to choosing the right mobile plan.AT&T’s Unlimited Premium plan, for example, only offers international data in Latin America.If you’re traveling to Europe, this plan won’t serve you as well as Verizon or T-Mobile’s unlimited plans.  Promotional perks If you intend to sign up as a new customer for a travel plan, compare the promotional perks from each carrier.

Verizon and T-Mobile tend to offer entertainment-focused perks and bundling deals, which could offer a chance to save on other services like home internet.Don’t want to change your mobile plan? If you aren’t interested in switching your mobile plan to one of the unlimited plans with roaming data above, you can get a SIM or eSIM card for your device.eSIMs are gaining popularity since you can download it directly to your phone through an app.

SIM cards allow you to connect to a local network in the area you’re traveling, which allows you to access the local calling and data rates.You can choose a data plan for your SIM card, either prepaid or postpaid.Prepaid will give you more control over your data charges, while postpaid operates like your monthly phone plan, which charges you monthly.

The type of plan you choose depends on your needs.Postpaid will generally offer more data, but prepaid can be suitable for those who have consistent data usage.Get more of your mobile questions answered at the Allconnect FAQs hub.

Travel phone plan FAQs What if I don’t want to change my plan? You can choose a travel pass from a main carrier — like AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile — or opt for a SIM card.Roaming vs.local SIM cards SIM and eSIM cards are popular alternatives to plans with international roaming since they allow you to use the local network in the area you’re traveling, which can sometimes be cheaper if you don’t have a plan that includes international data.

Written by: Camryn Smith Camryn Smith started writing for Allconnect in July 2022 and has developed broadband expertise across the landscape, including home internet providers, plans, pricing and equipment, as well as internet technolog… Read more Edited by: Anine Sus Editor I Read bio What to read next Read more Featured What is data roaming? Camryn Smith — 4 min read Featured Breakdown of the best VPNs Camryn Smith — 8 min read Featured Can a mobile device replace your home internet? Robin Layton — 6 min read Latest Friday, March 7, 2025 Cost of cable vs.streaming: Which is cheaper? Camryn Smith — 5 min read Friday, March 7, 2025 How much speed do you need for streaming? Robin Layton — 7 min read Friday, March 7, 2025 Best cellphone coverage in the U.S.Camryn Smith — 4 min read