I remember when taking your phone overseas basically meant one of two things: turning it off the minute the plane landed or coming home to a cell phone bill that made you want to cry.
Thankfully, international roaming has gotten a LOT easier – and cheaper!
Most of the big U.S. cell phone companies now have some sort of international travel plan, and in many cases you can simply land, turn on your phone and use it pretty much the same way you do at home.
But – and there’s always a but – the prices vary quite a bit.
Some carriers charge you by the day. Some include international data with certain plans. Others sell travel passes, and depending on how long you’re going away, those daily charges can add up surprisingly quickly.
So, before you head to Europe, the Caribbean or anywhere else outside the U.S., here’s what you need to know.
Prices and plans below were checked in September 2026. Cell phone companies change these fairly regularly, so I always recommend checking your own plan before traveling.
AT&T International Roaming
If you have AT&T, the easiest option for most travelers is the International Day Pass.
It currently costs $12 per day and lets you use your eligible unlimited plan in more than 210 destinations. That includes talk, text and high-speed data.
The nice part is that you only pay on days you actually use your phone.
So if you spend one day completely on Wi-Fi and don’t use cellular service, you won’t pay the $12 fee that day.
If you’re traveling as a family, there’s another little break: additional lines used on the same day cost $6 each rather than another $12.
One thing to remember is that your 24-hour pass can be triggered when you use cellular data, send a text or make or receive a phone call. Even background data on your phone can potentially use cellular service, so don’t assume you’re safe just because you haven’t actively opened Safari.
AT&T also has a separate cruise version of its International Day Pass, currently $20 per day, which works aboard more than 400 cruise ships as well as on land in eligible destinations.
Check AT&T International Day Pass coverage and current pricing
Verizon International Roaming
Verizon’s equivalent is called TravelPass.
It currently costs $12 per line per day in more than 210 countries and destinations and includes unlimited talk, text and data.
You receive 5GB of high-speed data per TravelPass session. After you’ve used that, you still have unlimited data, but at slower 3G speeds for the rest of that session.
Canada and Mexico are $6 per day with TravelPass, although Verizon includes Canada and Mexico with its Unlimited plans, so you may not need to pay anything extra there depending on your plan.
Just like AT&T, Verizon only charges you on the days you actually use your phone internationally.
And here’s something worth knowing: background activity counts.
Your weather app refreshing, email syncing or your phone downloading something can start a TravelPass session if cellular roaming is switched on.
Check Verizon TravelPass coverage and pricing
T-Mobile International Roaming
This is where things get a little more interesting because international roaming is already included with quite a few T-Mobile plans.
Exactly what you receive depends on which plan you have.
For example, T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond and Go5G Next plans currently include up to 15GB of high-speed data in more than 215 countries and destinations.
Experience More, Go5G Plus and Magenta MAX include up to 5GB of high-speed data in 215+ destinations.
After you’ve used your included high-speed allowance, you can still get unlimited data at reduced speeds on qualifying plans.
Unlimited texting is also included in 215+ destinations, while regular cellular calls are generally 50 cents per minute.
T-Mobile also sells international passes if you need additional high-speed data.
This is definitely one of those situations where I would check exactly which T-Mobile plan you have before buying anything. You may already have enough international data included for your trip and not need to spend another dime.
Check what’s included with your T-Mobile plan overseas
Google Fi
If you travel internationally frequently, Google Fi is worth knowing about because international coverage works a little differently.
Its Unlimited Premium plan currently costs $65 per month for one person and includes 50GB of high-speed international data in more than 200 destinations.
There’s no daily international pass to buy.
You simply arrive, and your phone connects to a partner network.
Google Fi’s Flexible plan also works in more than 200 destinations, but instead of international data being included, you pay the same $10 per GB that you pay for data at home.
Calls while abroad are generally 20 cents per minute and texts are free on the eligible international plans.
There is an important catch if you’re thinking, “I’ll just sign up for Google Fi right before my vacation.”
Fi requires you to activate and use the service in the United States before traveling, and it’s designed primarily for U.S. use rather than living overseas indefinitely.
See Google Fi’s international travel plans
Mint Mobile
Mint takes a different approach with its Minternational Passes, and the pricing is actually pretty easy to understand.
As of September 2026, the options are:
- 1 day — $5: 1GB high-speed data, 60 minutes and 60 texts
- 3 days — $10: unlimited data with 3GB high-speed data, 200 minutes and 200 texts
- 10 days — $20: unlimited data with 10GB high-speed data, 500 minutes and 500 texts
- 30 days — $5: 100 minutes and 100 texts, but no data
Mint’s international passes work in more than 180 countries.
That $20 ten-day pass is particularly interesting when you compare it with paying $12 per day with AT&T or Verizon. Obviously, you’re not getting exactly the same amount of high-speed data, but for someone who mostly uses their phone for Google Maps, WhatsApp, email and checking travel information, it could be plenty.
See Mint Mobile’s Minternational Passes
Visible
Visible also has a straightforward option called Global Pass.
For most international destinations it currently costs $10 per day and works in more than 140 countries.
Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are included with Visible+ or cost $5 per day on the base Visible plan.
See Visible Global Pass details
US Mobile
US Mobile has several international options depending on your regular plan.
International roaming is already included with certain plans, including Unlimited Premium. That plan currently includes 20GB of international roaming data, plus 200 minutes and 250 texts.
If international roaming isn’t included with your plan, you can purchase an add-on:
$15 — 1GB data + 150 minutes + 150 texts
or
$30 — 5GB data + 500 minutes + 500 texts
US Mobile also offers international data-only eSIMs for more than 100 countries, which can be useful if you don’t care about traditional calls and texts and mainly need data.
See US Mobile’s international roaming options
So How Much Could a 10-Day Trip Actually Cost?
This is where the differences become a lot more obvious.
Let’s say you’re heading to Europe for ten days and want to use your phone every day.
With AT&T, International Day Pass could potentially cost you around $120.
With Verizon, ten TravelPass days could also cost around $120.
Visible would be around $100 at its $10 international daily rate.
Mint’s 10-day Minternational Pass, on the other hand, currently costs $20, although you’re limited to 10GB of high-speed data and 500 minutes and texts.
And if you’re on an eligible T-Mobile or Google Fi plan, you may already have enough international data included with your monthly service that your additional data cost could be $0.
That’s why I think it’s worth spending five minutes checking your plan before you travel. What sounds like “just $12 a day” suddenly becomes $120 on a ten-day vacation — and $168 if you’re away for two weeks.
And that’s for one phone.
If you’re traveling with teenagers, like I often am, multiply that by a few phones and suddenly international roaming is a legitimate part of the vacation budget.
What About an eSIM?
This is the other option I would definitely look at before traveling internationally.
An eSIM basically allows you to add a second cellular plan to your phone digitally without removing your regular SIM card.
Instead of paying your U.S. carrier $10 or $12 every day, you can buy a prepaid data package for the country or region you’re visiting.
For example, you might keep your normal U.S. number on your phone for iMessage and emergencies while using the travel eSIM for cellular data.
For longer trips especially, this can work out considerably cheaper than paying a daily roaming fee.
There is one important thing to check first, though: your phone needs to be unlocked and eSIM-compatible.
And you’ll want to make sure you’ve set your phone up correctly so it isn’t quietly using your U.S. SIM for cellular data in the background and triggering a roaming charge anyway.
Don’t Forget About Wi-Fi Calling
Another option people sometimes overlook is Wi-Fi calling.
If your carrier and phone support it, you may be able to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi rather than using an international cellular network.
I like having this available even when I’m using an eSIM because it gives me another way to stay connected to my regular U.S. number.
Just check your carrier’s rules before relying on it, because international Wi-Fi calling charges aren’t identical across every company.
My Biggest Tip: Set Everything Up BEFORE You Leave
Don’t wait until you’re standing in baggage claim in London, Rome or Paris to figure this out.
A few days before your trip:
- Check exactly what international coverage is included with your current plan.
- Make sure international roaming is enabled if you’re planning to use it.
- If you’re using an eSIM, install it before leaving home if the provider allows you to.
- Download offline Google Maps for your destination.
- Download airline apps, hotel information and anything else you might need when you first arrive.
- Screenshot your hotel address.
That last one sounds ridiculously simple, but after a long overnight flight, immigration, baggage claim and everything else, I want my hotel address sitting right there on my phone, whether I have cell service or not.
The Bottom Line
Using your U.S. phone internationally is much easier than it used to be, but I wouldn’t automatically assume your carrier’s international plan is the cheapest option.
For a short trip, paying $10 or $12 for a day or two might be completely worth it for the convenience.
For a week or two overseas, though, those daily charges start adding up fast.
And if you travel internationally several times a year, it may even be worth considering a regular cell phone plan that includes international data rather than paying for roaming every time you leave the country.
The important thing is to figure it out before you go.
Because vacation money is much more fun spent on dinner overlooking the Mediterranean, afternoon tea in London or a ridiculously overpriced airport coffee than on a surprise international cell phone bill.
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