International SIM Options

3 0

Traveling abroad and unsure which SIM option is best for you? We did the work for you and compared the two most popular international SIM options for US residents traveling out of the country, GoogleFi and Airlo, as well as the top US carriers.

Google Fi

• Plan Options
  • Simply Unlimited- this plan does not include international data/calling options
  • Unlimited Plus- $65/month for unlimited data
    • Free data when traveling in 200+ countries/territories
    • Send free texts from anywhere in the world, 20¢/min for calls when you’re outside the US, Canada, or Mexico (calls from the US, Canada, or Mexico are free)
    • Free calls when you’re in the US to 50+ destinations
  • Flexible- $20/month + $10/GB
    • $10/GB when traveling in 200+ countries/territories
    • Send free texts from anywhere in the world, 20¢/min for calls when you’re outside the US, Canada, or Mexico (calls from the US, Canada, or Mexico are free)
    • Free calls when you’re in the US to 50+ destinations
• Pros:
  • Service can be deactivated when not needed in the US, which drops the cost to $0
    • Since service can be deactivated when back in the US, you do not need to pay a full month’s service if traveling for less than that. If for example you’re traveling for 10 days, and have the Unlimited Plus plan, you will only pay $22 to have service for the duration of your trip, if you deactivate the plan as soon as you’re back.
  • Works in 200+ countries/territories on a single plan
  • eSIM option available- no SIM card or slot needed
  • Have a US phone number across the world
• Cons:
  • Service must be activated while still in the US- if you forget this step prior to traveling you cannot utilize Google Fi when abroad
  • Must remember to deactivate service when not traveling if you do not want to incur charges, as well as every three months when service is automatically reactivated

Conclusion: we recommend Google Fi to seasoned travelers who take multiple international trips a year.
Sign up here!

Airlo

• Plan Options
  • Local eSIM- works in just one country of your choosing
    • Pricing depends on the country, validity duration, and in the amount of Data/Calls/Text included
    • Some countries only have Data only SIMs, while other countries also have options for Calls/Text
    • Local SIMs that include Calls/Text have a phone number of the country chosen, and do not allow international calls, although most smartphones do have WiFi calling options these days so you can use your Data or WiFi to place calls via Whatsapp or the like
  • Regional eSIM- works in the continent/region of your choosing
    • Prices range from $4.50 to $185 depending on Region, SIM type, and validity duration
    • Only Data SIMs are available- there are no options to include Calls/Text, although most smartphones do have WiFi calling options these days so you can use your Data or WiFi to place calls via Whatsapp or the like
  • Global eSIM- works in 124 countries
    • Choose between Data only SIMs and Data/Calls/Text SIMs
    • Prices range from $9 to $89 depending on the country, validity duration, and in the amount of Data/Calls/Text included
    • Global SIMs that include Calls/Text have a +43 (Austria) phone number, although most smartphones do have WiFi calling options these days so you can use your Data or WiFi to place calls via Whatsapp or the like
• Pros:
  • Can be activated from anywhere
  • Prepaid service with no surprise charges, and Data/Calls/Text can be topped up as needed
  • Cheap options when traveling for shorter durations or to a specific country/region
• Cons:
  • Few Unlimited Data options
  • No US # available when traveling abroad, and limited Call/Text options
  • Prepaid funds expire after a certain number of days, depending on the validity chosen
  • eSIM only- no option for a physical SIM card

Conclusion: we recommend Airlo to the occasional traveler who does not spend much time abroad, and is comfortable using data-only packages.
Sign up here!

US Carriers

• AT&T
  • Unlimited plans can add the International Day Pass option which provides unlimited Data/Calls/Text in 210+ destinations for $12/day.
• T-Mobile
  • Go5G plans include 5GB of data and unlimited texting in select Central European countries. Calls are $.25/min.
  • Go5G Next and Go5G Plus plans include 5GB of data and unlimited texting in 215+ destinations. Calls are $.25/min.
  • Add-on plans available to top up data and provide unlimited calling.
• Verizon
  • TravelPass plans can be added to provide unlimited Data/Calls/Text in 210+ destinations for $10/day. $5/day if traveling to Mexico or Canada if you do not have an Unlimited plan (Unlimited plans provide free roaming in Mexico and Canada).
  • If you have an Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Welcome plan you can add the 3 TravelPass Days add-on to your plan- Verizon will bill you $10/month for this feature, which will give you 3 TravelPass Days (unlimited Data/Calls/Text in 210+ destinations) per month.
    • This means that instead of paying $10/day for TravelPass, you pay $10 for 3 days
    • If you don’t use your 3 TravelPass Days package in a month it will roll over to the next month, up to 36 TravelPass Days (12 months). TravelPass Days in excess of 36 days will expire unused.
  • The Unlimited Ultimate plan includes unlimited Data/Calls/Text in 210+ destinations, with no add-on package needed for roaming.
• US Mobile
  • The Unlimited Starter plan includes 1GB Data/ 150 Minutes/ 150 Texts/ in 180 destinations per month
  • The Unlimited Premium plan includes 10GB Data/ 1000 Minutes/ 1000 Texts/ in 180 destinations per month
  • You can purchase an add-on package for $15 which provides an additional 1GB Data/ 150 Minutes/ 150 Texts

About Post Author

globetrottinggeek

Visited 45/50 US States Visited 30/63 US National Parks