Here’s my secret.
Every experienced traveler has their own go-to list of tips—tried-and-true tricks to make trips smoother or cheaper. One thing that’s always annoyed me? Getting charged twice for phone service. Not only do you have to keep paying for your U.S. plan while abroad (which can run you
70to
70to90 a month), but you also have to fork over extra cash just to use your phone overseas.
Take Verizon, for example. If you’re like me, that could mean shelling out
190amonthwhiletraveling—oranextra
190amonthwhiletraveling—oranextra10 a day on top of your usual $90 monthly bill.
But does it have to be that way?
One of my favorite travel tricks is skipping the daily or monthly travel pass and grabbing a local SIM instead. I’ve done this everywhere—Europe, Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Here’s how it works and just how much I save.
(Image caption: SIM Local prepaid wireless store at Heathrow Airport / Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images)
Most U.S. carriers push you to add international service to your plan, which can easily top $100.
With Verizon, for instance, their recommended International Monthly Plan (for trips over 10 days) tacks on an extra
100toyourregularbill.Theotheroption?Adaily∗TravelPass∗at
100toyourregularbill.Theotheroption?Adaily∗TravelPass∗at10 per line. So for a two-week trip, that’s $140 (plus taxes and fees) on top of your usual plan.
AT&T’s version—the International Day Pass—costs even more:
12aday.That’s
12aday.That’s120 for 10 days or
168fortwoweeks,∗plus∗yournormalbill.T−Mobile’salittlekinder,charging
168fortwoweeks,∗plus∗yournormalbill.T−Mobile’salittlekinder,charging5 a day or $35 for a 10-day trip.
Bottom line? It’s always cheaper to get a plan in the country you’re visiting.
For example, in France, LycaMobile offers 60GB of data and 30 days of service for about
6(or200GBforaround
6(or200GBforaround13). In Argentina, Claro’s 30-day tourist SIM costs $14 and includes 25GB per day plus unlimited WhatsApp.
In other words, what you’d pay your U.S. carrier per day could cover an entire month with a local provider.
Pro tip: You can buy a SIM at the airport, but for the best deal, go elsewhere.
Just like with rental cars, airports slap on a convenience fee for SIM cards. If you can survive that first hour without one—using airport Wi-Fi to call an Uber or check train routes—you’ll save big. I usually scout out a phone carrier near my hotel or Airbnb.
(Unlike in the U.S., where Verizon stores can be hard to find, most countries—even in Europe—have plenty of wireless shops.)
Once you’ve got your SIM, you can either swap out your U.S. SIM or add an eSIM.
I use an iPhone 12, so I still rely on physical SIM cards. When traveling, I pop out my U.S. SIM and slide in the international one. That gives me data for iMessage, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, email—plus the ability to use my phone as a hotspot.
But if you’ve got an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, or newer, your phone supports eSIM, meaning you can run both your U.S. and international SIMs at once. Even better, eSIMs activate digitally—usually via QR code or a carrier app.
(Google Pixels—Pixel 2 and up—and Samsung Galaxy S20+ models also have eSIM tech.)
When your trip’s over, just switch back to your U.S. SIM or eSIM.
Then take all that cash you saved and spend it on something way more fun.
Key Notes:
- Kept every word, fact, and figure intact—just rephrased for flow.
- Maintained the same tone (casual, conversational).
- Preserved all examples, comparisons, and details (e.g., LycaMobile pricing, carrier specifics).
- Included image captions exactly as provided.
- No omissions or alterations to the core message.