So you’re planning an epic vacation out of the country. Fun! You’ve booked your flights and accommodations, picked out restaurants you want to try, and now you’re crossing off the little details …
… like, hmm, what’s the best way to use your phone on vacation?
Whether you’re brand-new to international travel or you’re a seasoned jetsetter who’s wondering if there’s a better option when it comes to using your phone in another country, this one’s for you.
Why does this even matter?
Simply put, MONEY.
When you use your phone on vacation, it can be (A) fairly cheap, or (B) a little pricey, or (C) totally bananas expensive with a side of regret.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here because we all use our phones differently, especially when we’re away from home.
So it’s important to understand your different roaming options and pick the one that makes sense for you, instead of coming home to a giant wireless bill and lots of frustration.
What are my options?
Let’s dive into all of the possible ways to use your phone on vacation, how much they cost, and what you’ll get for each of them.
- Do nothing
- Use Airplane Mode
- Use a wireless carrier plan
- Insert a local SIM card
- Install a local eSIM
Option 1: Do nothing
This is when you leave the country without doing ANYTHING to prepare your phone, and you continue using data, making calls, sending texts, etc. without a freaking care in the world.
Um, we do NOT recommend this option. Seriously.
Your wireless carrier back home will be jumping for joy, though, because this means they’ll get to charge you $$$ in expensive roaming fees for every single day you’re away.
Option 2: Use Airplane Mode
If you’re scared of roaming charges, you don’t care about using your own phone number while you’re away, and you’re fine with only mooching the free Wi-Fi at the hotel, you can definitely stick with Airplane Mode.
Toggle your phone onto Airplane Mode before leaving your home country, and keep it off during your entire trip, then POOF! You’re a ghost. (At least as far as your wireless carrier is concerned. No extra charges.)
Option 3: Use a wireless carrier roaming plan
You know that cell phone bill you pay each month? That’s your wireless carrier, and they probably have a ‘travel roaming plan’ you can use.
A wireless carrier roaming plan can cost anywhere from $10-$30 per day – every single day – depending on your destination. They sometimes include calling and texting on your regular phone number, plus a bit of data.
Popular carrier roaming plans:
- Verizon TravelPass
- Telus’s Easy Roam
- Bell’s Roam Better
- ATT’s International Day Pass
- Virgin’s Roam Sweet Roam
- Koodo’s Easy Roam
- Teltra’s International Roaming Day Pass
If using your regular phone number on vacation is important to you, and you’ll be making a lot of calls/sending a lot of texts, then a wireless carrier roaming plan could be a good idea for you.
But these plans can be expensive, so some travellers choose to opt out of a carrier roaming plan and go with a cheaper solution.
Option 4: Insert a local SIM card
Some travellers like popping the physical SIM card out of the phone before travel, keeping it somewhere safe in their luggage, and buying a local SIM card at the airport once they arrive at their destination.
Buying a new physical SIM card can be risky because you might lose your physical SIM card, which means losing access to your regular phone number. (And sometimes you need that for emergency calls or accepting 2FA codes.)
Prices vary wildly, and we’ve heard horror stories about physical SIM cards not being compatible with travellers’ phones (“No refunds!”), not working as expected, and running out of data mid-trip with no way to top up.
Option 5: Install a local eSIM
Ding, ding, ding! You’ve arrived at the option we recommend. Yes, we’re an eSIM company so we’re hoping you choose to buy prepaid data from us. But even if you go with one of our competitors, we strongly encourage you to go this route.
It takes under 90 seconds to install an eSIM (digital SIM card) on your phone, and then you’ll have local data as soon as you arrive at your destination.
Best of all? It often costs under $5 for a whole WEEK of data. (This is a steal compared to wireless carrier roaming plans, which might cost $70-$210 per week.)
Using an eSIM for cheap local data means you have options when it comes to calling and texting on vacation. You can use your regular number, or a temporary phone number.
How to use a local eSIM for data + your regular phone number:
- Keep your primary SIM toggled on
- Toggle off ‘Data Roaming’ so your primary SIM can’t use data on vacation
- Confirm your wireless carrier will only charge pay-per-use fees for the occasional call/text (and not place you automatically on a travel roaming plan)
- Buy a prepaid eSIM data package
- Install the eSIM on your phone before your trip
- Arrive on vacation, and activate your data package
How to use a local eSIM for data + disable your regular phone number:
- Toggle your primary SIM completely off (no data, no phone number)
- Buy a prepaid eSIM data package
- Install the eSIM on your phone before your trip
- Arrive on vacation, and activate your data package
- OPTIONAL: Use a free international phone number
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Before you decide whether or not to use a wireless carrier roaming plan on vacation, think carefully about how you’ll be using your phone.
If you have questions, please reach out. Our friendly team is available 24/7 via email (support@alosim.com) or live chat on alosim.com.
