International Cell Phone Travel Tips | Save MEGA $$$ on Roaming!

📲 MOBILE WIFI HOTSPOTS
Use discount code PROFESSIONALHOBO for 10% off!

🤳 ONLINE PHONE NUMBERS

📱 INTERNATIONAL DATA SIM / eSIMS
For KeepGo, use discount code PROFESSIONALHOBO for 10% off!

🤓 Get EVEN MORE info in this article!!
Best International Phone Plans, SIM Cards, and More -

🔐 Make sure you use a VPN when on any public WiFi network!

#internationalcellphone #travelSIM #traveleSIM

___________________
Greetings! I'm Nora Dunn, aka The Professional Hobo. I've been a digital nomad since 2006. I help people design their lifestyles and arrange their affairs so they can travel long term while working remotely. (I also have a ton of crazy travel tales to share from almost two decades of lifestyle travel).

And let's connect on my other social channels!

TERMS
This channel utilizes affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of our product links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. This helps support me, and allows me to keep providing reviews, guides, and content for you.

Free gear disclosure -
Sometimes I buy my own gear and review it. Sometimes companies send me gear for free in exchange for a review. If a company does send me free gear, it doesn’t affect my review/opinion of the product. My reviews are honest - if a product sucks, you'll know.

NOTE: This channel is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Video descriptions may include affiliate links.

[NoraDunn]

📲 MOBILE WIFI HOTSPOTS
Use discount code PROFESSIONALHOBO for 10% off!

🤳 ONLINE PHONE NUMBERS

📱 INTERNATIONAL DATA SIM / eSIMS
For KeepGo, use discount code PROFESSIONALHOBO for 10% off!

🤓 Get EVEN MORE info in this article!!
Best International Phone Plans, SIM Cards, and More -

🔐 Make sure you use a VPN when on any public WiFi network!

[petgranny]

I have an unlocked phone and do pick up a local sim card at the airport. I've found that some of the companies have a tourist plan which is quite inexpensive if traveling for under a month. This video is really well done. I can't tell you how many hours I spent researching this stuff before my first European trip.

[rogerwarren]

I appreciate your take on this subject. I can say when I visited Ecuador I purchased a sim card away from the airport. For $7 US, I got 5 gigs of data, 60 minutes of calling and can’t remember about the text. This was good for 30 days from Tuenti. WhatsApp didn’t count against my usage, so it was free. I used my old IPhone 8 for this and kept my IPhone 11 on airplane mode. As in Panama, if I kept my IPhone 11 on airplane mode, and used WIFI, it worked as normal without any additional roaming charges. I could call anyone back in the states, text etc just like I was home as long as I was on wifi.

[acebaker]

My husband and I went to Mexico with family ( my brothers and their wives) a few years back. We bought local SIM's and they variously used WIFI and roaming. After a couple of days they were asking how they could buy local SIM's as well because the charges were eating them up. We'd paid $10US each for the SIM and 30 days of phone and unlimited text and data. They were paying $10 a day!

[jenniferbeaton]

Who ARE you!? I have been watching your videos for days in preparation for a 6 week tour of Europe. Your advice has been so amazing. I have learned so much...and uhm...spent some money on new luggage and sling bags. Thank you for sharing your expertise!

[Flashistic]

Wow! I wish I had watched this a few years ago when my wife and I took a short trip to Ireland. I thought we had set up a functional plan with our carrier and were quickly disabused of that notion as soon as we turned on our phones at the Dublin airport. Our phones did not have the functionality we were promised. You have a clear and succinct presentation, no fluff. You have my full attention. Ever take a public speaking course? You could teach public presentation. Which I guess you are doing!

[mwn]

Research IMS for the iPhone. I purchased an ESIM for my iPhone 14. I disable data on my domestic sim to setup IMS which creates a “Wi-Fi” connection using the data of the ESIM. I can make and receive calls using WiFI without international roaming charges. My last 3 week trip cost $35 USD for the data. This works with MVNO’s which allow Wi-Fi calling.

[carolfarrar]

I kept my previous iphone and use that as my travel phone and put the local sim card in that.
I take my present iphone with me but only use it if I have to, like verifications at times. Works great.

[mikekay]

THANK YOU! I'm leaving shortly to go around the world and this video has changed everything. Just signed up for Fongo - and am going to your web site to read the article - after 100's of hours looking for the best solutions for data and phone, you nailed it. THANK YOU.

[dianac]

Yours is my most favorite travel channel. You provide such detailed practical advice that is so valuable. Thank you so much for sharing! Happy travels!

[armanozzorluoglu]

You're so much fun to listen to, and very informative Nora. Thank you for these tips.

[kimgrod]

Great vid. Good info. Habit was to buy a SIM card. Switched to T-mobile. Now have access to 250+ countries, $0.25/min telcos & Saved $87.00/month (was w/AT&T). Worked great in recent trip to Peru. Thanks, Nora.

[ecw]

FYI. AT&T offers travel plans at $10 a day like you said. But a key component you didn’t mention is that they cap their charges at 10 days per month ($100) So short trip or long trip is irrelevant. After a week and a half, you stop getting charged. Obviously a SIM card is much cheaper, but for a locked AT&T phone, this option isn’t horrible.

[MeiLee-tv]

I recently spent 3 weeks in the U.K. I bought a sim-card at Sim Local in Terminal 2 of Heathrow airport. I got a Lyca Mobile pay-as-you-go card for less than £30. It gave me calls and data that I only partially used during my travels around the north of England. I never had to top up.
When I returned to Canada, I simply switched my Canadian sim-card back in.

[zoemurillo]

Such detailed and thorough information for both long and short term travel. Sharing this with friends who are moving outside the US and looking into options while still keeping their T-Mobile cell

[ronjonV]

Hey Nora, I clicked on one of your video's and now I'm addicted.... which is a very good thing. Love the info and the simplicity of which it's presented. the WIFI hotspot I use is Solis Lite. Canadian, North American and International plans available depending on your travel needs and very reliable. I put my phone on airplane mode and don't worry about it till I get home. Keep up the great work.

[ms]

This is exactly the information I was looking for! You’re a wealth of knowledge!

[rcw]

I live so close to the US Canada border that I can see into Canada when I go for a walk. Verizon for the past several years has included Canada and Mexico in their plan. Before that whenever we encountered a roaming charge a simple phone call reversed the charge.

[Danielle-zqkb]

Many new phones no longer use SIM cards in the US. Not sure about Canada.

[antonygoedhals]

Nora, you’re a star! You give such excellent and practical advice. Thank you so much!!