Last updated: 20 October 2026
For most trips, the best international phone plan is two things at once: a travel eSIM for your data, and your own US line kept on for calls, texts and bank codes. On Verizon and AT&T, the alternative is a day pass at $12 a day per line, so ten days abroad adds $120 per phone. A travel eSIM for the same trip costs $19.99 for Europe or about $18 for Japan. Your carrier wins in a few cases: a trip of a day or two, a T-Mobile plan whose included data is enough for you, a plan with a monthly international allowance (Verizon Unlimited Ultimate, AT&T Unlimited Elite 2.0), or a trip to Canada or Mexico, which most US unlimited plans include.
The four ways to get data abroad
| Carrier day pass or included roaming | Travel eSIM | Local SIM card | Pocket WiFi rental | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your US plan works abroad on a partner network | A data plan you download to your phone before you fly | A SIM card bought at the airport or a shop at your destination | A small hotspot you rent, carry and return |
| What it costs | Verizon and AT&T: $12 a day per line (AT&T: $6 for each extra line, at most 10 days charged per bill period). T-Mobile: included data on most plans, passes for more | A fixed price for the trip: Europe from $11.99 for 7 days, 170 countries from $17.99 for 7 days | Local prices, often low, plus the time to buy it | A daily rental fee, often with a deposit and a return to arrange |
| Your US number | Works as usual | Stays on for calls and texts | Out of the phone while the local SIM is in | Works, if your phone's own line is left on |
| Setup | None | Five minutes at home | A counter or shop at arrival, sometimes with ID registration | Collect and return the device |
| Best for | 1 or 2 days, or a plan that already includes the country | Most trips of 3 days or more | Long stays in one country | Groups sharing one connection, phones that cannot take an eSIM |
Prices for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are as listed on their sites in October 2026; travel eSIM prices are ours on 20 October 2026.
What a real trip costs
For data on one phone:
| Trip | Verizon TravelPass | AT&T International Day Pass | Travel eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 days in Europe | $120 | $120 | $19.99 (Europe, 15 days, 1.5 GB a day) |
| 2 weeks in Japan | $168 | $120 (10-day cap, if the trip falls in one bill period) | $17.99 (Japan, 15 days, 1.5 GB a day) |
| A week in Mexico | Included on most Verizon unlimited plans | Included on most AT&T unlimited plans | $13.99 (Mexico, 7 days, 1.5 GB a day) |
Mexico is the exception: on most US unlimited plans it is included, so the question there is speed and data, not cost. Some plans give you only slow data in Mexico; see will my phone work in Mexico?
On T-Mobile, Experience More includes 5 GB of high-speed data abroad and Experience Beyond 15 GB, then slower data. If that is enough for your trip, it costs nothing extra. The eSIM is then about more data at full speed, not about saving money.
Carrier day pass: when it wins
A day pass is effortless: nothing to install, your number works as at home. It is the right choice when:
- the trip is one or two days, where $12 to $24 is less than any setup is worth;
- your plan already includes the country: Canada and Mexico on most US unlimited plans, or included T-Mobile data;
- you have a plan with a monthly international allowance, such as Verizon Unlimited Ultimate or AT&T Unlimited Elite 2.0, and you stay within it.
The catch: on Verizon and AT&T the pass switches itself on. One call, one sent text or a background app sync starts a day. Our carrier guides explain what triggers it and how to avoid it: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
Travel eSIM: the default for most trips
You buy a data plan for your destination before you fly, install it in five minutes on Wi-Fi, and switch it on when you land. You pay once, it never bills you more, and your US line stays on for calls and texts.
- One country: a country plan, such as Japan or Mexico.
- Several countries in one region: a regional plan, such as Europe, 30 countries on one eSIM.
- Several regions, or a cruise: a global plan covering 170 countries. How to choose between them: best eSIM for international travel.
Your phone must be unlocked and support eSIM: check both in 30 seconds with does my phone support eSIM? and is my phone unlocked? For how a daily pass and an eSIM bill differently, see travel eSIM vs international roaming.
Local SIM card: cheap, but with trade-offs
A SIM card from a local network can be the cheapest data per gigabyte, especially for a long stay in one country. The trade-offs:
- You lose your US number while the local SIM is in the phone, unless your phone has a second slot or an eSIM for your US line. Bank codes and airline texts to your US number stop arriving.
- You buy it on arrival, at an airport counter or a shop, often after a long flight.
- Many countries require ID registration. Mexico now requires every new line to be registered, and unregistered lines are being cut off: see Mexico SIM card or eSIM in 2026.
- Some new phones have no SIM tray. iPhone 17 models bought in the US are eSIM only: does the iPhone 17 have a SIM card?
More on the difference: eSIM vs physical SIM.
Pocket WiFi: for groups, or phones without eSIM
A pocket WiFi is a rented hotspot that several people can share. It suits a family that wants one connection, or a phone that cannot take an eSIM. The downsides: a daily rental fee and often a deposit, a device to collect, charge, carry and return, and no connection for anyone who walks away from it. In Japan, where pocket WiFi is most common, we compare the two in eSIM vs pocket WiFi in Japan. For other destinations, and what a family of four pays for 10 days, see best pocket WiFi for international travel.
Prepaid and smaller carriers
Smaller US carriers range from generous to no roaming at all, so check yours before you fly:
- Mint Mobile: roaming in Canada only, passes elsewhere.
- Visible: Mexico and Canada on Visible+ plans, Global Pass elsewhere.
- Cricket: Mexico and Canada on some plans, Cricket Passport elsewhere.
- Google Fi: data abroad included on some plans.
- Boost Mobile: roaming as add-ons.
- US Mobile: international data included on some plans, add-ons for the rest.
- Xfinity Mobile: Global Travel Pass by the day, Mexico and Canada on newer plans.
- Spectrum Mobile: a Global Day Pass, with a lower rate in Mexico and Canada.
Country guides
What each carrier charges in a single country, with the trip costs worked out: Europe, Italy, Ireland, the UK, Greece, Portugal, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. On a cruise? See eSIM for a cruise.
FAQ
What is the best international phone plan?
For most trips of three days or more, a travel eSIM for data while you keep your US number on for calls and texts. It costs a fixed price, such as $19.99 for 15 days in Europe, against $12 a day per line for Verizon's or AT&T's day pass. For a day or two, or a country your plan already includes, your carrier is simpler.
What is the cheapest way to use data overseas?
Free Wi-Fi costs nothing but is unreliable away from hotels and cafés. For mobile data, a travel eSIM or a local SIM card is usually the cheapest. A travel eSIM keeps your US number working and is set up before you fly; a local SIM can cost less per gigabyte on a long stay but replaces your number while it is in the phone.
What is the cheapest plan for international roaming?
Among the big US carriers, T-Mobile's Experience plans include some high-speed data abroad at no extra cost. Verizon and AT&T charge $12 a day per line for their day passes. For anything beyond a short trip, a travel eSIM for data usually costs less than any roaming pass.
Do I need an international data plan?
Only if you want mobile data away from Wi-Fi: maps, rides, translation, train tickets and messages on the go. Without one, keep data roaming off and use Wi-Fi only. If your plan already includes your destination, you may need nothing.
Is a travel SIM card better than an eSIM?
A local SIM card can be cheaper per gigabyte on a long stay, but you lose your US number while it is in the phone, you buy it on arrival, and many countries require ID registration. A travel eSIM is set up at home, keeps your US number on, and works on phones with no SIM tray.
Facts checked on 20 October 2026: Verizon's TravelPass page; AT&T and T-Mobile figures as listed on their sites in October 2026 and in our carrier guides; travel eSIM prices from our catalogue. Check your own plan before you travel.