The last thing you want to have to worry about when you’re traveling abroad is whether your cell phone will work. And you certainly don’t want to accumulate colossal roaming charges either. Whether you’ve just caught the travel bug or you’ve been a world traveler for a while, you don’t have to stress during your trip. We’ve done the research and found you the best cell phone plans for international travel.

Our Picks for Best Plans for International Roaming


T-Mobile International Roaming Plan: Magenta Plus

T-Mobile’s Magenta Plus Plan, priced at $85/month, includes unlimited data and texting in over 210 countries (2x the data speed as the cheaper Magenta Plan), as well as:

  • Talk, text, and 5GB of data in Canada and Mexico
  • 20GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot
  • Free texting and unlimited in-flight WiFi
  • Netflix (two-screen)
  • HD streaming
  • Taxes and fees included
  • 50GB data deprioritization threshold

This T-Mobile travel plan is best for customers who want it all—great coverage, free international roaming and texting, in-flight features, and entertainment perks. If you find that you want faster data speeds while traveling, you can always add-on a T-Mobile international pass. The options include:

  • $5 International Pass: .5GB of 4G data for 24 hours
  • $35 International Pass: 5GB of 4G data for 10 days
  • $50 International Pass: 15GB of 4G data for 30 days


Sprint Global Roaming Plan: Unlimited Plus

Sprint’s $70/month Unlimited Plus Plan features great international perks, including unlimited texting and basic data in 200 worldwide destinations. You also get:

  • Talk, text, and 10GB of 4G data in Mexico and Canada
  • 50GB of 4G LTE hotspot
  • HD streaming
  • Hulu and TIDAL
  • 50GB data deprioritization threshold

This Sprint travel plan is best for budget-minded customers who live along the eastern seaboard (since that’s where Sprint has the most coverage) and want great entertainment perks along with international features. Keep in mind, the global data included in this plan runs at about 2G speeds. If you want faster data speeds, you can add-on a Sprint travel pass for between $5 and $10 per day and $25 and $50 per week, depending on the country.


Google Fi International Travel Plan: Unlimited

Google Fi’s $70 Unlimited Plan includes free international data and texts in over 200 countries, making it one of the best—if not THE best—plan for international travel. Other features include:

  • Free calls to 50 countries
  • Mobile hotspot
  • 100GB of Google Cloud storage
  • 22GB data deprioritization threshold

This Google Fi plan is best for customers who want all the benefits of excellent domestic and international coverage while forgoing a credit check by going the prepaid route.


AT&T Travel Plan: Unlimited Extra

AT&T’s $75/month Unlimited Extra plan includes unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada, as well as:

  • Unlimited texting to 120+ countries
  • 15GB of 4G mobile hotspot
  • 50GB data deprioritization threshold

This AT&T international plan is best for people who frequently travel over the border, to Canada or Mexico. AT&T’s website has a disclaimer stating that international roaming may be at 2G speeds, although the speeds are often faster than that. If you find that apps like Yelp and Uber won’t load, you can always pay for an AT&T International Day Pass. The Day Pass costs $10/day and includes unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data.


Alternatives to a Global Roaming Plan

Not everyone travels enough to justify getting a phone plan that includes global roaming, but for the times in which you do want to travel, you may want to consider using a prepaid local SIM card at your destination. These prepaid plans are affordable and easy to use. Here’s how to travel abroad using a prepaid SIM:

  • First, make sure your phone is unlocked, and if it isn’t, call your carrier to ask them to unlock it.
  • Identify how to access the SIM inside your device, as well as which size SIM you will need.
  • Buy a local SIM card at the airport or elsewhere. Most of the time these SIMs will include preloaded talk, text, and data. Make sure to ask the seller for a SIM card with English options for activating or changing your prepaid plan.
  • Tell your loved ones your local phone number, noting the country code.
  • Connect to WiFi when it’s available in order to save your data. You can also use free apps, such as WhatsApp, to keep in touch with friends and family.

If your carrier won’t unlock your phone, you might have to get a little scrappy in coming up with solutions. Some other options for international travel include buying a budget smartphone and using a prepaid SIM, buying or renting a portable hotspot then putting a local SIM card in it, or using your tablet that has a SIM card slot (tablets always come unlocked).