International Cell Phone Travel Tips | Save MEGA $$$ on Roaming!
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, travel expert Nora Dunn demystifies the complexities of using your cell phone while traveling internationally. She highlights the crucial first step of determining if your phone is locked or unlocked, then navigates through the options available for both scenarios. For short trips, Nora discusses the pros and cons of international roaming plans versus relying solely on Wi-Fi. For longer journeys, she explores international phone plans, mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, and the advantages of local SIM cards. Nora also offers practical tips for travelers seeking to minimize costs without sacrificing connectivity, including how to maintain your home cell phone number affordably. The video concludes with a bonus tip on avoiding roaming charges near borders, ensuring travelers are well-equipped to stay connected smartly and economically worldwide.
Takeaways
- 📱 It's essential to have your cell phone while traveling due to its multiple uses, but using a home plan abroad can be costly.
- 🔒 Before considering international cell phone options, check if your phone is locked or unlocked, as it affects your available choices.
- 💰 For short trips (less than two weeks), international roaming plans from your carrier, though expensive, are convenient for full functionality.
- ✈️ Putting your phone in airplane mode and using Wi-Fi is a cost-effective strategy for short trips, with limitations on calls and data use.
- 🌐 For longer stays, consider international cell phone plans or mobile Wi-Fi hotspots to keep costs manageable and maintain connectivity.
- 📲 If your phone is unlocked, you have more flexibility with options like local SIM cards or international data plans, providing local numbers and data.
- ✉️ Keep your home phone number active for important verifications by downgrading to a basic plan or using an online service, ensuring you're reachable.
- 🛫 Local SIM cards are recommended for ease and affordability, especially when purchased at airports to avoid complications.
- 📳 International data SIM cards or eSIMs offer a seamless way to stay connected across borders without needing a local phone number.
- ⚠️ Beware of roaming charges near borders; turning off your phone or enabling airplane mode can prevent unexpected costs.
- 💬 Engage with your audience for additional tips and unanswered questions to foster a community around smart travel.
Q & A
What should you check first when preparing your phone for international travel?
-First, check if your phone is locked or unlocked, as this determines the options available for international cell phone plans and travel e-SIMs.
What is the likely status of a phone obtained from a cellular provider and under contract?
-If you got your phone from a cellular provider and are under contract, it's likely locked, which means you are limited in terms of international travel options.
How can you unlock a phone that is locked to a carrier?
-Contact your carrier to find out the terms for unlocking your phone. They are obligated to unlock it after a certain period, and can do it remotely.
What are the recommended cell phone options for short trips abroad (less than two weeks)?
-For short trips abroad, you can opt for an international roaming plan from your carrier, which is more expensive, or use airplane mode with Wi-Fi for a cheaper option.
What is a practical cell phone solution for trips longer than two weeks but not permanent?
-For longer trips, consider getting an international phone plan that works seamlessly worldwide, or use a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot to avoid high roaming fees.
What are some U.S. carriers that offer international cell phone plans?
-T-Mobile's Magenta plan and Verizon's international plan are examples of U.S. carriers offering international cell phone plans.
What are the options for maintaining a phone number if you're a long-term or full-time traveler?
-You can downgrade to a basic, no-frills phone plan for essential services or port your number to an online service or app like Skype, Hushed, or Tossable Digits for a low fee.
How can local SIM cards benefit travelers in a new destination?
-Local SIM cards provide a local phone number and often offer inexpensive local data rates. They're especially useful and cost-effective for staying connected locally.
What is the advantage of international data SIM cards or eSIMs for travelers?
-International data SIM cards or eSIMs provide data connectivity without a local phone number, making them ideal for travelers who frequently change destinations or don't need a local number.
What is a critical tip to avoid roaming charges near international borders?
-To avoid roaming charges near borders, turn off your phone or activate airplane mode until you're well clear of the border, as signals from the neighboring country can incur roaming fees.
Outlines
📱 International Travel and Your Cell Phone
This paragraph discusses the necessity of cell phones for travel, highlighting their various uses like maps, messaging, and ride-hailing services. It emphasizes the importance of setting up your phone properly for international travel to avoid high costs. The speaker introduces the topic of international cell phone plans and e-sims, and explains the difference between locked and unlocked phones, and how it affects the available options for international use.
🔒 Unlocking Your Phone for Travel
The speaker explains the significance of having an unlocked phone for international travel. It outlines the process of checking if your phone is locked or unlocked, and what it means for your options. If your phone is locked, the speaker advises contacting your carrier to unlock it, while if it's already unlocked, it opens up more possibilities for using different SIM cards and plans while traveling.
🌐 Options for Short and Long Trips
This section provides advice on the best options for short and long trips. For short trips of two weeks or less, the speaker suggests either getting an international roaming plan from your carrier or using Wi-Fi only. For longer trips, the options include getting an international phone plan, using a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, or, if the phone is unlocked, purchasing a local SIM card at the destination for a local number and data.
💡 Bonus Tip for Border Crossings
The speaker concludes with a bonus tip about being cautious when crossing borders with your phone. Turning off your phone or disabling international roaming can prevent unexpected roaming charges when your phone unintentionally connects to a foreign network. The speaker shares a personal anecdote to illustrate the point and advises viewers on how to avoid such additional costs.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡International Travel
💡Locked vs. Unlocked Phones
💡International Roaming Plan
💡Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi
💡Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
💡Local SIM Card
💡International Data SIM Card
💡Downgrade Phone Plan
💡Online Phone Number
💡Roaming Charges
Highlights
The necessity of setting up your phone for international travel to save money.
The importance of knowing if your phone is locked or unlocked for travel.
Contacting your carrier to unlock your phone can unlock many international options.
For short trips, international roaming plans from your carrier can be convenient but expensive.
Using airplane mode and Wi-Fi is the cheapest option for short trips.
For longer trips, consider an international phone plan or a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.
Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots offer a flexible and economical way to stay connected internationally.
If your phone is unlocked, you have the most options for international travel.
Options include downgrading to a basic no-frills plan or using an online service for your number.
Local SIM cards offer local phone numbers and cheap data, best obtained at airports.
International data SIM cards or eSIMs provide a seamless way to stay connected globally.
Flexiroam as a recommended global data SIM card provider.
An in-depth article on the website covers more cell phone strategies for travelers.
Bonus tip: Avoid unexpected roaming charges near borders by using airplane mode.
Invitation for viewers to share their international cell phone tips in the comments.
Transcripts
these days it's unimaginable to travel without your cell phone I mean why would you they are
so handy from maps to messages to Ubers and more it's a downright necessity to have your
phone when you travel but if you've ever tried using your home cell phone plan while abroad
and paid the price for it literally then you will know the importance of properly setting
up your phone for international travel in this video I'm going to show you exactly how to do
that and for way less money than you might expect I'll share a bonus tip that could just
save you hundreds of dollars at the end so stick around and Let's Travel Smart in style [Applause]
before we get into the best International cell phone plans and travel e-sims and all of that
jazz we need to figure out if your phone is locked or unlocked because the options you
have available to you will differ depending on that crucial point if you got your phone from
your cellular provider then it's probably locked in most cases you're in a contract
usually a couple of years long and the cost of the phone is incorporated into your monthly payments
unfortunately this means you don't have the best phone for international travel the good news is
that once you've had a phone for a certain amount of time your carrier is obligated to unlock the
phone for you contact your carrier to find out the terms for your phone plan they'll also help you
unlock it but they won't volunteer to do this and they can do it remotely so just call them
and find out if instead you bought your phone outright it's probably factory unlocked which
unlocks pun intended a whole bunch of options for you we'll get it to those in a bit [Music]
foreign the best International cell phone plan for you depends first and foremost on the length
of your trip if you're taking a trip that is two weeks or less here are your options the easiest
option for you is also the most expensive but for short trips it's probably worthwhile and it works
regardless of whether your phone is locked or unlocked what is it it's getting your carrier to
give you an international roaming plan many cell phone companies have special temporary options or
daily add-ons that make your cell phone functional while you're abroad for an extra fee per day
usually between five and ten dollars depending on the company it will allow you to make and receive
calls and texts to your home cell phone number while you're abroad and you'll also get a certain
amount of international data usage per day this makes your phone fully functional while you're
traveling so you can use it just as you would at home including four Maps Ubers social media
phone calls texts and more it's also the most expensive option at 10 bucks a day in addition
to your regular monthly charges this will add up really quickly which is why I only suggest it for
shorter trips if the international roaming add-on gives you sticker shock the cheapest option for
your locked or unlocked phone on a short trip is just to put it on airplane mode and then enable
the Wi-Fi so you can connect to Wi-Fi networks as and when you find them putting it on airplane mode
disables the cellular function so you can't make or receive calls to your home number disable the
cellular function also disables data connections so you won't be able to use any apps that require
internet unless you're on a Wi-Fi network and if you're on a public Wi-Fi network make sure you're
also using a VPN or on that in the description this also means you won't be able to use apps like
uber while you're out and about so think about whether that kind of functionality is important to
you you can however use certain apps offline like Google translate and Maps as long as you download
the relevant Maps or dictionaries before you go or while you have a Wi-Fi connection [Music]
if you're going away for more than two weeks but less than well forever you'll probably want to
still keep your home phone plan intact but it won't make sense to pay the daily roaming fee
to use it abroad here are your options one get an international phone plan this works if your
phone is locked or unlocked depending on where you're from you might have the ability to get
an international cell phone plan this is a regular monthly cell phone plan that will work seamlessly
no matter where in the world you are as soon as you land in a new place your phone will connect
to the local network and you can use your phone as normal easy peasy examples of these kinds of phone
plans for U.S residents include T-Mobile's magenta plan and Verizon's international plan now there's
a cost for all this convenience these kinds of phone plans aren't cheap but past a certain point
it'll be cheaper than the daily roaming add-ons if you're traveling for more than a couple of
weeks or if you travel frequently and you need your home phone number to work wherever you are
it may be worth it to have one of these monthly international plans I'll also note that Google
Phi is another international phone plan option but if you are traveling long term or if you travel
internationally frequently beware their plans are designed to be used nationally and internationally
on occasion and they have been unceremoniously cutting off plans for people who have been abroad
too long whatever that means two if you can't unlock your phone and you don't want to pay for
an international plan here's your other choice a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot with this option you'll put
your phone on airplane mode while you're out of the country so you don't get dinged for roaming
then you can connect to your mobile Wi-Fi hotspot a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot is a small
device that gives you a Wi-Fi connection for your phone laptop and other devices because you
can connect multiple devices to one hotspot it's ideal for couples or families traveling together
two of the main providers of mobile Wi-Fi hotspots are keep go and travel Wi-Fi with keep go you buy
your mobile hotspot for about 100 bucks and then you pay for data on a pay-as-you-go basis the more
data you buy in one go the less it costs and if you top up before the data expires any unused
data carries over or you can sign up for a prepaid monthly plan that costs less on a per gig basis
but it's only good in the USA and Europe you can also switch between plans whenever you like with
travel Wi-Fi you can rent the hotspot starting at about eight dollars a day including data or you
can buy a hotspot outright for 149 dollars and get various data packages depending on where you're
going and for how long the best International Wi-Fi hotspot depends on your needs to meet the
keep Go website is a bit easier to understand with global data but if you're only going on
a short trip renting a hot spot with travel Wi-Fi might make more sense in the description
you will find more information about mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and even a discount just for you [Music]
if your phone is unlocked you automatically have the best cell phone for international travel with
the most options available to you let's get into it first of all it's important to decide what to
do with your home cell phone plan you aren't beholden to your carrier anymore in the same
way since your phone is paid off and unlocked this gives you the ability to switch carriers
if you like or even to cancel your plan entirely now before you go all like Nora I can't let go
of my cell phone number don't worry I know these days you need a cell phone number in your country
of residence if for nothing else then to get text messages for two-factor authentication
when logging into bank accounts and such but this doesn't mean that you need to be tied
to an expensive full-service phone plan that you're not going to use because if you travel
long term or even full-time as a digital Nomad a regular phone plan might be a waste of money
here are your options one downgrade to a basic No Frills phone plan the more basic the better just
a phone number with the ability to receive texts internationally or over Wi-Fi will do don't even
worry about international data we will go over other ways to get that two you could move your
phone number to an app or online service for a one-time fee you can Port your existing number to
an online service like Skype or an app like hushed or tossable digits and then you'll pay a very low
monthly fee and in some cases no fee at all that allows you to make and receive calls to and from
this number over Wi-Fi or data regardless of where you are in the world and if you're Canadian check
out Fungo it's a free app that allows you to make and receive calls to and from Canada from anywhere
in the world over Wi-Fi or data for free I've been using it as my sole Canadian number since
2017. it's the best I can be in Timbuktu and my dad can call me on my Canadian number it's a
local call for him in Canada and it's 100 free for me to take that call in the case of online phone
numbers a common objection that I get is about short code authentication texts many online phone
numbers don't accept them although this seems to be changing pretty quickly like I said I've been
using an online phone number as my primary Canadian number since 2017. and yes in some
cases I don't always get verification texts but in every single case there's always a workaround
for example I can receive a phone call with the verification code or an email for the cost of free
it's an incredibly minor inconvenience that I've always found to work around for with the No Frills
phone plan or the online app you are now sorted in terms of a phone number in your home country which
really is just for posterity and authentication texts and maybe for your grandma to call you if
she doesn't know how to use WhatsApp or messenger or Skype or any of the free online messaging and
calling services so now there are two things you need data and maybe a local phone number at your
destination here's how to do both because your phone is unlocked you can insert any SIM card
from anywhere this means when you arrived in a new place you can get a SIM card that will give you a
local phone number which makes it easy to stay in touch with people at your destination and often
you'll get inexpensive local data as well I always suggest getting a local SIM card at the airport
you'll find kiosks in the arrivals Hall and the people there will get you set up in minutes no
plans no contracts no hassles these SIM cards are generally cheap and in some cases they're
effectively free with an equivalent amount of phone credit that comes with the card and Airport
kiosks offer special plans specific to Travelers who are staying for shorter periods of time
well I originally thought that they would cost more at the airport because of the convenience
and they're usually pretty competitively priced also once you leave the airport buying a SIM
card can be considerably more complicated and in some cases downright impossible since local
shops aren't always equipped to set up new plans for non-residents the other advantage to getting
a local SIM card at the airport is that you can immediately start using it which you may
need to do if you want to catch an Uber to your accommodation for example it's just so much easier
while a local SIM card gives you a local phone number and sometimes great rates for local data
if you're just passing through it might not be worth it to get one and you may not need
the phone number anyway especially with apps like WhatsApp which in some parts of the world
is actually what even local residents exclusively use so if you're on a trip where you're changing
destinations a lot or you just don't need a local phone number then an international data SIM card
or international data esim is for you this is actually what I use 100 of the time at home in
Canada and while traveling it's amazing as soon as I arrive at a destination I have a connection
I don't have to do anything data SIM cards can be offered in a few different formats including
regular Sims and e-sims a data SIM card offers you you got it data there's no phone number associated
with the SIM card and in most cases you purchase data as you go through an app on your phone data
packages vary depending on the provider many offer packages based on geography so you can
buy data for a specific country or a region for example like Europe or you can purchase global
data plans that tend to be more expensive but they cover you anywhere and everywhere
prices for data also vary depending on the amount of data you buy and the expiry date the longer
it is to the expiry date the more the data will cost but the longer you can amortize that expense
my advice look for deals my global data SIM card provider of choice is flexoroam and they regularly
offer up to 80 off global data like they do this every month I wait until they're featuring one of
these deals and then I purchase five gigs of data with 180 day expiry date for about five bucks a
gig okay this video is already way longer than I wanted it to be and believe it or not I have
just barely skimmed over the top options for you to stay connected while you travel I wrote
an article on my website that goes into even more depth on various cell phone strategies and it even
covers some additional options I didn't mention in this video like international phone SIM cards
which by the way just but before I wrap up this video I promised you a bonus tip that will save
you from getting nailed by bromian charges beware of borders if you are anywhere near a land border
turn your phone off and don't turn it back on until you were well clear of the Border
let me explain an American friend of mine was driving across the Kennedy U.S border while he
was still on the U.S side he sent a few messages using his U.S phone number before crossing over
unfortunately he was close enough to the border that unbeknownst to him he was picking
up Canadian cell signals which meant he was roaming and his messages resulted in an extra
forty dollars charged to his monthly bill now he got off lucky if he had made a phone call it
could have been hundreds of dollars you can avoid this challenge by putting your phone into airplane
mode or turning off international roaming in your phone's settings while you are close to a border
do you have any hot International cell phone tips do you use an app or service that I didn't mention
do you still have unanswered questions drop a comment and let me know I'm all ears or eyes
I'm Nora Dunn aka the professional hobo and I will catch you next time [Music]
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