How to use your cell phone in any country (it's not Google Fi!)

We share our tips for how to use your cell phone in every county, including talking about Google Fi (not our solution!), Flexiroam, esims, sims, and local data plans. We hope this video breaks it down for how to use your phone's data plan effectively. We don't always agree on the best strategy, but we both want 2 factor authentication (2FA), keep our US phone number, and enjoy flawless data connections and web searching the minute the plane touches down in a new country. US phone plans are just too costly to pay the excess roaming fees - we get better phone service and save money and share the secrets with you.
Watch this video if you will be traveling outside the US and want to use your cell phone for calls texts and data with no interruptions. We also have an updated video that tells you what you MUST DO BEFORE leaving the US. Don't make the mistake of waiting until you leave the country to make these decisions.

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We're Chris and Steve, a retired couple adventuring full-time around the globe. To keep our nomadic lifestyle going, we rely on some amazing resources and partnerships. We're excited to share them with you, along with some exclusive discounts to fuel your own travels!

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[witta]

Mint has a good alternative program to Google Fi as well that you can top up as needed. I also like the idea of having a local number. This video is among the best and easiest to understand that I've seen regarding the international mobile phone dance...take it from someone who landed in Europe at 4 am and had to find my AirBnB without any phone service whatsoever, and nothing open. Lol, yet another travel adventure, but one I'd rather not repeat...safe travels, all!

[marilynpeoples]

Before getting a new IPhone, check to see if it is 5Gcapable. In parts of Mexico the SIM cards were all about 5G capabilities, which mine was not. Contributed to my major communication headache. The information in this video will be very helpful in eliminating prior nightmares of international cellphone disfunction.

[greggscheibel]

Ok, that was just what I was hoping to hear. So overall your strategy covers everything we’d need concerning using our phone. What a relief - many thanks. Keep up the great work!

[DiMonyet]

I like Chris’s plan. Just pay one fee and get off the plane and make a call. Also, my new iPhone 14 has an esim. Good info. Thanks.

[alanharrison]

I am an American living in Thailand, and I have Google Voice for my US number, but aside from my Thai SIM, which costs me &7 a month to top up, I use WhatsApp, Skype and LINE for most of my calls, but great video.👍

[getbusydrizzy]

New to international traveling. Thank both of you so much for giving time to this video

[richard]

Thank you. Good to know for full time nomads. Me I’m American and I have T-Mobile. 120+ countries. I been to 30+. Land and I have local service. NO data roaming charges. Up to LTE. $0.20/minute for phone.

[mhcougs]

We were able to order eSims online before our trip (to Portugal), loaded them onto our phones while still in the US, and the phones connected once we landed in Lisbon. Worked great! Good info, thanks!

[henryrivas]

fabulous information, I am getting a new phone in January and we leave for Spain for 2 months and the phone service was one of the holes left in our plan!! thanks!

[Dino]

I'm with Chris on this one. If I can get a local number as well as have Global voice and data and just deal with one company that's the way to go. Also from a security standpoint you're not having to supply your passport info each time you get a new SIM which could lead to identity theft. Great video!

[lauraharalson]

Thank you for this info. I’m still learning so much for when I can finally be a nomad, and I wondered if there was a better way to manage my phone rather than a new sim per country. Thank you so much!

[CIF]

I travel to Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand a lot. It is easy, as soon as you land get local money ( Cambodia takes dollars) go to the airport cellphone kiosk & have a great cheap plan in minutes.

[laisonalbarado]

Thanks for this video. I am getting ready to head abroad for a while. I have trying how to get some information on on this. I knew about Esimms and getting a sim card once entering a different country. The one thing that I am still a little fuzzy on is the Google voice. You didn't go into detail about that. If you please elaborate that would be fantastic.
Keep up the great work and enjoy yourselves.

[Amen.]

I just found your channel and I subscribed. I’ve been trying to get other vloggers to cover this subject, but no one would. I just wanted to know how expats in other countries are able to login to their US bank and credit card companies. Thanks for the info. I think I finally found the right channel.

[joelcooper]

Thanks guys. Enjoy your content and appreciate your sharing (in this world where coach potatoes sit back and pepper youtubers with criticism with no background to do so). Youre brave and I appreciate your work. Lots of good tips here, because it is still frustrating for me to figure out phone strategy even with my history of living in Singapore for two years recently and now retired in SE Asia. Keep up the great work. Onward!

[gina_borrman]

Finding your channel is a blessing in disguise, for I will be traveling to Europe soon and I will be needing services for my phone. After learning all your tips, I subscribed to follow and learn for more of your travel tips. 🇵🇭🇺🇸

[denisefitzgerald]

Thanks super helpful as I am about to do world travel and this will make things so much easier with my Google Pixel 6 pro.

[jamesmarchetti]

So I liked, Subscribed, and Shared !!! And I am in the Ex-Pat process to leave the USA for good to go to the Philippines to Stay and researched everything about all their Visas there and I am currently single !!!

[latreashduvall]

If I could subscribe again I would! Thanks for sharing all this information. We are currently using GoogleFi and it is working well for us; however, we need a back up for when/if we get canceled for being out of US too much - soon it will be more than 6 months a year.

[kausamsalam]

Cute couple! Great everyday humor. Thanks for the good info—haven’t traveled internationally since the good days.