Best travel phone plans for 2026: How to choose and what to consider

There have been several ways to use your phone internationally over the years. In the past, crossing borders and connecting to a local cellular network often meant that your carrier would charge per-megabyte fees for calls and data — costs that could add up quickly. That’s why one of the first things many travelers do in a new country is buy a prepaid phone or physical SIM card to swap with their device.

Now, you have three options that require much less effort to find a store that sells SIM cards: Use a wireless plan that already includes international calling, texting, and data; Add a travel package to your existing mobile phone plan; Or sign up for an eSIM service that provides either a fixed amount of data or unlimited access to the area you are visiting.

The first option, international roaming, is what this guide focuses on. Most plans allow you to call, text, and use data in Canada and Mexico. The more you pay for a plan, the more options you’ll get. The AT&T Elite 2.0 plan, for example, lets you go almost anywhere and use your phone as you would every day in the United States.

The second option may make sense when you are on short to medium length trips. AT&T International Day Ticket It costs $12 per day to use voice, text, and data. If multiple people on your account travel together, one person pays $12 per day and the others pay $6 per day, with a maximum deduction of 10 days, even if your vacation lasts longer. (Cruise ship trips have different prices.)

Verizon offers TravelPass for $12 per day, or a Three-day package For $10 as an add-on to the line. If you don’t use those days within a month, they’ll roll over to the next, up to a maximum of 36 TravelPass days (but the days expire after 12 months). There is also an international monthly plan for $100 per month per line.

T-Mobile Passes international data Can be added when traveling. A day pass costs $10 for 2GB of high-speed data and free calling for 24 hours; A 10-day pass costs $35 for 5GB of high-speed data; A 30-day pass costs $50 for 15GB of high-speed data.

For the eSIM option, companies including Obiji, Erallo, InstaBridge and Maya Mobile Offering prepaid data in destinations around the world. Most likely, your phone supports eSIM, which exists as a secondary line, but the device must be unlocked to take advantage of this feature.