What to Do with Your Phone Before Traveling Internationally

Going abroad is the perfect opportunity to disconnect from your daily routine—but not necessarily from your phone. Whether you’re booking a last-minute hotel, translating a menu, or sharing a trip photo album, staying connected can save time and hassle. Without the right prep, though, you could return home to sky-high roaming charges.

A little planning means you’ll have the convenience of connectivity when you need it without sacrificing your R&R. That way, the only surprises on your trip are the good ones.

Check your carrier’s international benefits

---

The first thing to consider when traveling internationally with your phone is how you're going to get service. Many carriers include international benefits in their plans or offer travel passes to facilitate your data needs.

Remember that roaming data is safer than public Wi-Fi when traveling, so it's a good idea to have at least a small data allowance for things like checking your financial accounts or email.

Start by looking over your current plan’s international benefits (if you have any). Chances are, you might already have international talk and text or a small allowance of international data included in your plan.

Wait, do I even need mobile data when traveling abroad?

Before diving too deep into your carrier's roaming policies, consider what you'll actually be doing on your trip. Not every international journey needs a phone plan. 

You may not need international roaming data if your trip involves:

• Travel on a cruise ship with multiple days at sea
• All-inclusive resorts with widespread Wi-Fi
• Digital-detox periods 
• Remote nature travel or national parks with no service
• Short trips to major cities with widespread Wi-Fi sources

For these kinds of trips, you can generally keep your device on Airplane Mode and connect to Wi-Fi sources instead of an international network. 

Check your carrier’s roaming policies

If you do need a travel plan, remember that when you travel abroad and venture away from your home network’s coverage, international data roaming kicks in to keep your phone connected. Your phone will search for an available network that your home provider has partnered with in the country you're visiting.

Before you turn on your phone while abroad, save yourself the trouble and check out your carrier’s roaming rates before you land. While roaming was a last-resort recommendation in the past, it’s now common for cell phone carriers to offer daily rates for international roaming for a considerably cheaper price.

The Big Three carriers' roaming policies include the following:

• AT&T's International Day Pass charges $12 per day for international roaming (where available) that allows you to use your phone as if you were still at home—the same minutes, texts, and data allotment that you’re used to. AT&T also caps its International Day Pass fees at 10 days per billing cycle, meaning any usage beyond 10 days in a single cycle is free.
• Verizon also offers talk, text, and international data for $12 per day with TravelPass. You'll have the same talk and text limits when using the TravelPass as you do in the U.S., as well as 5GB of daily high-speed data. After 5GB, your speeds drop to 3G, but you will still maintain internet access.
• T-Mobile includes free roaming with many of their plans and up to 5GB of monthly high-speed international data in over 215 countries. If that isn’t enough, T-Mobile also offers international travel passes (up to 15GB) that you can purchase to boost your data allowance.

Before you decide to settle on using your carrier’s roaming setup, make sure you:

• Understand your carrier's roaming rates. Do they offer a daily rate or do they charge per minute, text, and byte of data used?
• Check to see if roaming is available at your destination.

Checking these things before you travel will help you catch any issues that could derail your plans once you arrive.

Switch to a carrier with international benefits

Many carriers now offer affordable unlimited plans that include talk, text, and data in dozens of countries. Some even provide free or discounted roaming in popular destinations, making it easier to stay connected without racking up additional charges.

Before making the switch, check out our favorite international plans to ensure your new carrier keeps you covered at home and abroad. 

Visible's unlimited plans offer excellent international benefits. Through their $35 Visible+ plan, you get one Global Pass each month, while the premium Visible+ Pro plan grants you two Global Passes per month for $10/month more. Each Global Pass includes 2GB of mobile data in over 140 countries. 

You can stash up to 12 Global Passes to be used at your discretion. If you commit to the Visible+ plan for a full year and pay upfront for the annual option, you'll get 12 Global Passes added to your account immediately; for the annual Visible+ Pro plan, that number doubles to 24 Global Passes added upon payment.

Mint Mobile also offers international data roaming through a "Minternational Pass" on T-Mobile's global roaming network. Choose from their 1-Day, 3-Day, and 10-Day global data options, or opt for a 30-day data-free plan that just includes talk and text overseas. Pay as little as $5 for 1GB of data or as much as $20 with unlimited data and 10GB of high-speed.

US Mobile is unique among MVNOs because it offers a generous international roaming feature on its Unlimited Premium plan. Operating on all three major networks, your international benefits depend on which network you choose:

• Light Speed (T-Mobile) includes 20GB in 180+ countries
• Warp Speed (Verizon) has 20GB in 125+ countries
• Dark Star (AT&T) offers up to 20GB in 110+ countries

Get a travel or local SIM

---

Paying a daily roaming rate may be an adequate option, especially if you are planning on using your phone a ton—like for translating—and the rate allows you to bring your home plan with you. If, however, you just want to connect and aren't planning on burying your face in your phone, consider getting an international (or travel) eSIM or a SIM that's local to your destination. Maya Mobile and Airalo offer the best international data eSIMs with the best price-per-data value starting at $5 per gigabyte. KnowRoaming is another data-only option worth a look, with flat prepaid pricing and global coverage. We put it through its paces in our KnowRoaming review.

Go this route if your home carrier doesn't offer any roaming deals in the places you are traveling. It can also be a cheap option if you know you'll have access to Wi-Fi for most of your trip and will have little need for mobile data. Make sure to change these phone settings before international travel to make the SIM switch as easy as possible.

Need a device to use with your travel SIM card or eSIM? Check out the best disposable phones for international travel.

Download useful apps before traveling

---

Before your trip, download all essential apps you might need, such as navigation tools like Google Maps (with offline maps saved), translation apps, and rideshare services. Don't forget entertainment either; download movies, shows, and music via Netflix or Spotify for those inevitable moments when you're offline, like on flights or trains. That way, you'll be able to take your favorite apps along for the journey.

Get an alternative messaging app

Messaging while abroad might be a problem if you don’t already use an alternative messaging app like iMessage, WhatsApp, or Telegram. If you turn on your phone outside your carrier’s network and send a text, be prepared to pay the price for their international roaming rates. You can avoid extra charges by installing a messaging app.

iPhone users can continue using iMessage, as it sends texts over an internet connection (Wi-Fi) or mobile data. Android users can use Google Messages, as long as RCS messaging is enabled. Otherwise, you can download WhatsApp, Signal, or one of the other best messaging apps for your device.

Download a translation app

One of the biggest hurdles for international travel is the language barrier, especially when you can't read a street sign or decipher the menu. But modern translation apps use cutting-edge technology found in your cell phone to communicate the entire time you’re traveling overseas.

Apps like Google Translate, Apple Translate, and iTranslate are fantastic options for any trip. They can translate live speech, allow you to type phrases in your native language, and use AI to translate written text.

Plan your trip with a travel app

Downloading a reliable travel app before you leave ensures you have instant access to bookings, itineraries, and local recommendations—even without Wi-Fi. Two essential apps to install before your trip are Wanderlog and Booking, which together cover every aspect of trip planning and management.

Wanderlog acts as your digital travel assistant, automatically importing flight and hotel confirmations to create a shareable master itinerary. But when it's time to book your next flight, hotel, or rental car, Booking serves as your all-in-one travel agent. It conveniently stores all your digital tickets and reservations to keep you organized on your trip.

Protect your phone from travel mishaps

---

We've all pretty much accepted the fact that we need to be vigilant about how we handle our phones and have taken actions to ensure they are at least somewhat protected from breaking—especially while traveling. These days, we recommend most travelers consider a travel burner phone when leaving the country. That way, if your burner phone is damaged, stolen, or seized while abroad, your real phone is sitting safe at home. 

If you do choose to take your regular phone, whether or not you purchase phone insurance for a little extra protection is a personal decision. However, keep in mind that most travel insurance policies (if that's your thing) typically do not include phone coverage.

Also consider that tourists and their smartphones often make prime targets for pickpockets. If you’re worried, look for phone cases that allow you to tether your phone to your body to deter pickpockets. Waistbands could also be a good place to keep your phone away from sticky fingers. And if you’re headed out into the water, a waterproof pouch lets you bring your phone with you rather than leaving it on the beach.

Free up space for travel photos

---

Unless you absolutely insist upon living your life in the moment, you probably want to capture travel memories with your camera phone. Before you go snapping away, make sure your phone has plenty of storage. Cloud storage is a good solution if your phone doesn't have the room to store all your vacation pics.  

Depending on your device, you can choose from several cloud storage options:

• If you have an Apple device, you can automatically save and organize photos in iCloud for easy access. All iCloud members get 5GB of storage for free, but you can buy more if needed—from 50GB to 12TB.
• Android users can choose between multiple alternative cloud storage platforms, including:
  • Google Drive with 15GB of free storage and up to 30TB of paid storage.
  • DropBox with 2GB for free and paid options of up to 15TB.
  • Amazon Photos with 5GB free storage and paid options up to 2TB.

How can I save my phone battery when traveling abroad?

---

Keeping your phone charged while traveling is a constant struggle, but follow these tips and tricks to extend your battery life. 

• Reduce brightness or enable auto-brightness so your phone doesn’t waste extra battery on your screen when you don’t need it.
• Close unused apps running in the background to keep them from draining power.
• Switch to battery-saving modes, which automatically limit performance for longer phone life.
• Disable certain features like Bluetooth, GPS, and push notifications when you don’t need them.
• Avoid leaving your phone in it in direct sunlight as heat can damage the battery.

When you do need to recharge, speed up the charging process by using a high-wattage charger (like the one that came with your phone) and enabling airplane mode to maximize charging. Wireless charging is convenient but often slower, so opt for a wired connection when you’re in a hurry. With these tweaks, you’ll spend less time hunting for outlets and more time enjoying your trip.