Last updated: 22 October 2026
To avoid international roaming charges, turn off data roaming on your home line before you land, get your data from Wi-Fi or a travel eSIM, and do not make or answer calls or send texts on your home line where your carrier charges by the day. On Verizon's TravelPass and AT&T's International Day Pass, any one of those, even an app refreshing in your pocket, starts a $12 day.
Below: what starts a charge on each carrier, then the exact switches on iPhone and Android.
What starts a roaming charge
| Carrier | What it costs | What starts a charge | What stays free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon TravelPass | $12 a day per line ($6 in Mexico and Canada) | Making or answering a call, sending a text, using data, including background data | A day with no use, for example in airplane mode |
| AT&T International Day Pass | $12 a day for one line, $6 for each extra line, at most 10 fees per line per bill period | Talking, texting or using data, including background data. AT&T adds the pass by itself when you arrive | Received texts. Wi-Fi calls to US numbers |
| T-Mobile | Depends on the plan. Calls $0.50 a minute; International Pass from $10 a day | Calls, including incoming calls that go to voicemail. Data beyond your plan's allowance | Texts in 215+ covered destinations |
Prices are from Verizon's, AT&T's and T-Mobile's own pages, checked for our carrier guides on 10 October 2026: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile.
From the UK, it depends on your network and when you joined. Three says Pay Monthly customers who joined or upgraded on or after 1 October 2021 pay a daily charge in its Go Roam in Europe destinations, taken as soon as they use any of their allowance. Vodafone includes Europe on plans with Euro Roam; without it, Vodafone sells an 8-day European pass for £16 and a 15-day pass for £21. EE also charges for Europe on many plans: check yours in the EE app. Many smaller UK networks include EU roaming: see our guides to giffgaff, SMARTY, Tesco Mobile and iD Mobile.
The plan: your number on, your data elsewhere
The cleanest setup keeps your home line for calls and texts and moves all data to a travel eSIM, a second, data-only line you install before you go. If you do not want an eSIM, the same switches work with Wi-Fi only.
For data, our Europe plan covers 30 countries including the UK and Switzerland: 1.5 GB a day for 7 days costs $11.99, and 7 days of unlimited data $19.99. That is less than two days of TravelPass, and it cannot bill you more than its price.
On iPhone: the switches, in order
- Turn off data roaming on your home line. Settings > Cellular, tap your usual line, then Cellular Data Options, and turn Data Roaming off. This stops data on that line abroad, including background data.
- Move data to the eSIM. Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data, choose the travel eSIM. Then turn Data Roaming on for the eSIM line only.
- Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching, on the same Cellular Data screen. Apple says that with it on, a call on your other line moves data to that line for the length of the call.
- Decide about Wi-Fi Assist. At the bottom of Settings > Cellular, Wi-Fi Assist uses mobile data when Wi-Fi is weak. With data on the eSIM, it only spends eSIM data. With no eSIM, turn it off.
- Cut background data. Settings > General > Background App Refresh, set it to Wi-Fi only. On the eSIM line, Cellular Data Options > Data Mode > Low Data Mode also pauses automatic updates and background tasks such as photo syncing.
- Choose what to do with calls. To stay reachable, leave the line on. To make sure nothing can start a day pass, turn the line off: Settings > Cellular, your usual line, Turn On This Line off. You then get no calls or texts on your number until you turn it back on.
No eSIM? Turn on airplane mode, then turn Wi-Fi back on. Verizon says a day with the phone in airplane mode costs nothing.
On Android: the same switches
Samsung Galaxy
- Settings > Connections > Mobile networks: turn Data roaming off for your usual SIM.
- Settings > Connections > SIM manager: choose the travel eSIM for Mobile data, and turn off automatic data switching if your phone has it.
- Settings > Connections > Data usage > Data saver to stop background data.
Google Pixel
- Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, tap your usual SIM and turn Roaming off.
- On the same screen, set Mobile data to the travel eSIM and turn on roaming for the eSIM only.
- Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver to stop background data.
To stop calls and texts on your number entirely, turn the usual SIM off in SIM manager (Samsung) or with Use SIM (Pixel).
Calls, texts and voicemail
Data is easy to switch off. Calls and texts are what still catch people:
- Answering a call starts a day on Verizon and AT&T, and costs $0.50 a minute on T-Mobile, even when the call goes to voicemail.
- Sending a text starts a day on Verizon and AT&T. Receiving one is free on AT&T. Our guide to data roaming explains why each line has its own switch.
- Voicemail: listening to it by calling your voicemail is a call. Leave it for home, or set a greeting that tells people to message you on WhatsApp.
- Calls home: use WhatsApp, FaceTime or another app over the eSIM's data. AT&T says Wi-Fi calls to US numbers are free; T-Mobile says the same for the US, Canada and Mexico.
On AT&T you can also remove the Day Pass in the myAT&T app, so it never switches itself on.
Check after the first day
Open your carrier's app the day after you land. A day pass charge shows up quickly, and catching it on day one costs $12, not $120. If something did start a charge, the usual culprit is a call answered or a line where data roaming stayed on. If the eSIM itself will not connect, our guide to fixing an eSIM abroad goes through every cause.
FAQ
How do I avoid international roaming charges?
Turn off data roaming on your home line, use Wi-Fi or a travel eSIM for data, and avoid making or answering calls and sending texts on your home line. On Verizon and AT&T, any of those starts a $12 day. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime over the eSIM's data instead.
Does airplane mode stop roaming charges?
Yes, as long as you leave it on. With airplane mode on and only Wi-Fi turned back on, the phone cannot use your carrier's network, so nothing is charged. Verizon says a day in airplane mode costs nothing.
Does turning off data roaming stop all charges?
No. It stops data on that line, but calls and texts still work, and they can still start a day pass. To stop everything on your number, turn the line off or use airplane mode.
Do I get charged for answering a call abroad?
On Verizon and AT&T, answering a call starts a $12 day pass. On T-Mobile, an incoming call costs $0.50 a minute, and one minute is charged even if it goes to voicemail.
Do I pay for receiving texts abroad?
On AT&T, no: received texts are free and do not trigger the Day Pass. T-Mobile includes texts in its covered destinations. Verizon lists sending a text, not receiving one, as a TravelPass trigger.
How do I avoid roaming charges in Europe from the UK?
First check whether your plan includes Europe: many smaller UK networks do. If yours charges a daily fee, turn off data roaming on your UK line and use a travel eSIM for data, and avoid calls and texts on your UK number.
Facts checked on 22 October 2026 against Verizon's TravelPass FAQ, Three's and Vodafone's roaming pages, Apple's Dual SIM support page, and the AT&T and T-Mobile pages summarized in our carrier guides (checked 10 October 2026).