How To Stay Connected Abroad

We all rely on our smartphones, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t keep doing so while we’re traveling. Mapping and translation apps have opened up the world in ways that weren’t possible before, and major cities across the globe now have 3G and 4G networks.

- Sascha Segan

When you’re traveling somewhere that’s relatively populated, you have four major options.

1. Try roaming.

All of the major US carriers have international roaming plans. AT&T’s International Day Pass and Verizon’s TravelPass let you use networks abroad on your existing plan for $10 per day. Just make sure to set it up before you jet off to your destination. Sprint and T-Mobile offer free, slow-speed data and texting. Calls cost $0.20 to $0.25 per minute on those carriers in most countries, and you can buy “high speed data passes” for $5 per day. If you’re with Google Fi, you get free high-speed international roaming. These solutions let you keep your US phone number, and you don’t have to worry about negotiating with local mobile-phone salespeople.

2. Get a local SIM.