Want to travel abroad but have no idea which phone carrier to take with you? International data is not cheap—especially when traveling to a destination that doesn't offer free Wi-Fi.
Here's a quick overview of which phone carriers offer the best deals and what to expect from their data services and fees when you're abroad.
AT&T
Whistleout.com reports on the best deals by AT&T, which include:
The $30 Passport offers unlimited text and multimedia messaging, unlimited data over Wi-Fi, 120MB of cellular data, and voice calls for just $1.00 per minute. Data overages cost a fee of $0.25 per MB.
The $60 Silver Passport provides unlimited text and multimedia messaging, unlimited Wi-Fi data, 300MB of cellular data, and a lower voice call rate of $0.50 per minute. If you go over your cellular data allowance, you will have to pay $0.20 per extra MB.
The Gold Passport is priced at $120 per recharge. It includes unlimited texting and multimedia messaging, unlimited Wi-Fi data, and $0.35 per-minute voice calls. The plan also includes 800MB of cellular data, with excesses charged at $0.15 per MB.
The cost of an international call ranges from $1.00 to $1.50. A text costs $0.50.
Verizon Wireless
The Verizon TravelPass offers fantastic deals:
Those traveling to Mexico or Canada will be charged just $2 a day for their use of international data. If you're traveling to Brazil or Spain, you'll be charged $5 a day per line. And Verizon customers visiting these additional "TravelPass countries" — there are over 100 more of them — will be charged $10 a day. This covers a 24-hour period, so it doesn't start or end exactly at midnight.
However, you will only be charged for the days you use your data. It is not a pre-charged plan, so you can be as frugal as you wish with your service. The cost of an international call ranges from $0.99 to $1.79. A text costs $0.50.
Check out the 4 best travel apps to download before your next trip!
T-Mobile
Simple Choice plans are available to customers at a low cost. This deal allows you to access unlimited data and texting in 120 countries — at no extra charge! Note that your connection will run at 2G speed, which is not great, but at least you'll be connected at a lower price.
Customers can call and text in Canada and Mexico, just like in the United States, without the stress of owing overcharges or roaming fees.
The cost of an international call ranges from $0.59 to $1.79. A text costs $0.20 to $0.50.
Sprint
Sprint offers an Open World data plan which includes free and unlimited calling and texting throughout North and Latin America. It also includes 1GB of high-speed data each month!
It costs $30 per GB in all other countries, or you can purchase International Speed Data Roaming passes from $15. Many customers enjoy this plan due to the lack of roaming fees.
"A one-day pass includes 100MB of faster data for $15; a week-long pass gives you 200MB for $25; and $50 gets customers 500MB of 3G data to use over two weeks," reports Tara Donnelly from Whistleout.com.
The cost of an international call ranges from $0.59 to $2.29. A text costs $0.50.
