The Best International Cell Phone Plans

To avoid extra charges and big bills, know details of your cell phone plan before you go.

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Updated Aug 13, 2026

You come home from vacation. You’re relaxed. You’re refreshed. Then you check your cell phone bill and find that you owe $800.

International roaming rates are nothing to mess around with. Understand what you’re on the hook for before you travel abroad.

We surveyed the mobile landscape to find cell phone plans and add-on options that are friendly to out-of-country travelers. Pick a plan that’s right for you and you can save money.

» Learn what to look for in a cell phone service

Cell phone plans with international features

Frequent travelers may prefer a cell phone plan that includes international features built into the price. Worth checking out: Google Fi Unlimited Premium, T-Mobile Experience More and Verizon Unlimited Ultimate.

» Consider: See if a prepaid plan could save you money instead

Below, we highlight the international features that matter most if you’re traveling outside North America.

Google Fi Unlimited Premium

Good for: Frequent international travelers who stay away for less than 80 days at a time.
Price: $65 per month for a single line, with reduced pricing per line when you add more lines.
International features at a glance: Unlimited texts in over 200 countries. Calls cost 20 cents per minute abroad. Data slows down after 50GB per month.
Things to know: This plan is not intended for international use over 80 days in a row. After that, Google will suspend your international data.

T-Mobile Experience More

Good for: International travelers who want Wi-Fi or texting on the plane.
Price: $85 per month (with $5 autopay discount) with reduced pricing per line when you add more lines.
International features at a glance: Up to 5GB of high-speed data in more than 215 countries and destinations (15GB in Canada and Mexico), then slower speeds after that. Texts are unlimited, and calls cost 50 cents per minute when abroad.
Things to know: This plan also includes in-flight texting and Wi-Fi where available. T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond, which is $100 per month with autopay, offers unlimited text and 15GB of data in 215 countries (30GB in Canada and Mexico).

Verizon Unlimited Ultimate

Good for: International travelers who want to talk to friends and family back home.
Price: $95 per month (with $10 autopay discount) with reduced pricing per line when you add more lines.
International features at a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in more than 210 countries. Data speed will be slowed after 15GB of use in a month.
Things to know: Unlike the other plans, this plan includes unlimited talk from abroad. But Verizon may limit your service if more than half of your usage over 60 days happens outside the U.S.

International add-ons to existing plans

If you like your existing cell phone plan or don’t travel often enough to change it, you can explore temporary add-ons from your wireless provider. These options from AT&T and Verizon are examples.

AT&T International Day Pass

Best for: AT&T customers who leave the country for short trips here and there.
Price: $12 per day when added to an existing AT&T unlimited plan, $6 a day for each additional line. Charges are capped at 10 daily fees per line per bill period.
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in over 210 destinations outside the U.S. Data comes from your regular plan allowance, and speeds slow once you go over that amount.
Things to know: Once you have signed up, Day Pass activates automatically when you travel. You can also use Day Pass on cruises for $20 per day. You'll only pay for the days you use.

Verizon TravelPass

Best for: Verizon customers who leave the country for short trips here and there.
Price: $12 per day outside North America for Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome customers. It’s $6 per day in Mexico and Canada.
At a glance: Unlimited talk, text and data in over 210 countries and destinations outside the U.S. Data speeds slow after 5GB of high-speed use.
Things to know: If you have an Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Welcome plan, TravelPass is added to your line automatically when you use your phone in a TravelPass country.

» Paying too much? Check out these affordable phone plans

International phone plans and add-ons aren’t your only options for using your phone abroad. You could buy a local SIM card when you arrive or an eSIM on a site like Airalo before you go.

Learn more about ways to use your phone when traveling abroad.

» Cut your cell phone bill: Use this script and save

METHODOLOGY

We studied major international roaming cell phone plans. For each, we checked the price of the roaming option, data costs, and the price of international calls and texts.

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About the authors

Kelsey Sheehy

Kelsey Sheehy is a senior writer and NerdWallet authority on small business. She started at NerdWallet in 2015 and spent six years as a personal finance writer and spokesperson before switching gears to cover the financial decisions and challenges faced by small-business owners. Kelsey’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the "Today" show, NBC News and ABC’s "World News Tonight" and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC, American Banker, NPR and Vice, among other publications. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Kelsey covered college (and how to pay for it) for U.S. News & World Report. She is based in Washington, D.C.

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Tommy Tindall

Tommy Tindall is a lead writer and content strategist covering how to make money — and how to keep it. He’s recorded and written about his experience testing popular gig jobs like driving for Uber, delivering with DoorDash and full-service shopping for Instacart. He loves making an extra buck, but laments the hours of awkward silence he endured as an Uber driver (never again).

Cool kids might call him a content creator because he makes YouTube videos for the NerdWallet channel and app, but he himself is no longer very cool. Ask him about budgeting apps — he's tried most of them, but still prefers a good ole Google sheet to track spending. Then be sure to smash that “like” and “subscribe” button.

Before NerdWallet, Tommy held decidedly more boring jobs at Fannie Mae and Booz Allen Hamilton. Today, he feels super privileged to write for you, the consumer.

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Lisa Mulka

Lisa Mulka is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance content. With more than 15 years of writing experience, Lisa most recently authored a book on personal financial literacy and served as lead writer on the FDIC’s Money Smart for Young People program. She holds a bachelor’s in creative writing, and master’s degrees in written communication and in educational technology. Lisa lives with her husband and two children in Michigan, where she spends her free time teaching the next generation of writers at Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth.