How to save on your phone bill when traveling abroad

I didn’t think much of my daily cell phone use during a vacation to Paris in May.

But by the end of the five-day trip, I’d amassed almost $50 in extra charges — for fairly routine tasks like checking restaurant hours and menus, or researching neighborhood attractions after long, meandering walks.

While not a bank-breaking sum of money, it was high enough to frustrate this personal finance reporter and make me rethink phone use (and the value of better pre-planning) for my next excursion.

Luckily, there are many ways to potentially reduce or eliminate extra cell phone costs when traveling outside the U.S., experts said.

“There’s no one single way to save money using your smartphone when you’re overseas,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocacy group.

The best strategy depends on how travelers plan to use their phone during a trip, he said.

My additional charges resulted from my provider’s international phone package. My carrier, AT&T, charges a flat, daily rate of $12 per day for international cell use, similar to other providers. I incurred that daily charge each day I opted to use the international cell network instead of Wi-Fi to look up directions or restaurant hours.

While many carriers typically charge a per-day fee or a “hefty surcharge,” some T-Mobile plans cover international roaming, said Tim Leffel, author of “The World’s Cheapest Destinations” and “A Better Life for Half the Price.”

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As such, switching to T-Mobile as your cell provider may make financial sense for those who travel abroad often — especially those who don’t rely on their phones for more than the occasional text or data usage during trips, he said.

“If this is your plan, awesome,” Leffel said. “You’re ready to travel the world without missing a beat.”

There are limitations, though.

Not all T-Mobile plans cover international roaming charges. One longtime T-Mobile customer reportedly racked up $143,000 of charges during a 2023 trip to Switzerland because of international data roaming. (The company later reportedly withdrew those costs.)

While its international plans generally include unlimited texts and an allotment of high-speed data when overseas, phone calls may come with an additional price tag. (One workaround: All calls made over Wi-Fi to the U.S., Mexico and Canada are free, according to T-Mobile’s site.)

T-Mobile plans also don’t work in every country, so customers should be wary to avoid extra fees in such places, experts said.

Additionally, such plans may not be well-suited for digital nomads (they’re not intended for extended use abroad, according to T-Mobile), or for heavy…