Avoid a phone bill shocker when going country-hopping - CNET

Dear Cautious,

You have a few different options for your travels this summer. You can absolutely give out your US phone number and use your existing phone and wireless plan while traveling abroad. But that's not your only choice.

You can also order in advance an inteational SIM card that you can put in your unlocked phone and use while traveling. This option will give you a European phone number, which may offer lower roaming rates than your US wireless operator. You'll have the SIM before you leave the US, so you'll be able to give out the number ahead of your trip. It will also allow you to prepay for your service, which may help you stay on budget while traveling.

Here's what you need to know to figure out which option is best for you. First, think about how you plan to use your phone while you're traveling. Do you plan to make local calls and to text with people while in-country? Do you need a phone to stay in touch with loved ones back home? Or will you mostly be using your phone to post pictures to Facebook and Instagram and to look up information about restaurants and other local sightseeing opportunities?

After you've thought about how you plan to use your phone, you can start comparing rates. Keep in mind that data usage is likely to be the most expensive aspect of roaming inteationally, so using Wi-Fi wherever you can is best.

US carriers and inteational plans

Your normal wireless plan isn't going to work overseas. Instead, you'll be charged extra for any usage. Some operators, like T-Mobile and Sprint, offer customers free texting and data. But the data speeds are limited and you must check to make sure you're traveling to countries included in this plan (you can pay extra for higher speeds). AT&T and Verizon charge a separate fee for their inteational plans, which give reduced roaming rates.

Local SIM cards

Lots of people recommend getting a local SIM card when traveling abroad. This is usually the least expensive way to use a phone while traveling inteationally. But it makes sense only for people who expect to stay in one country, and only if the stay is longer than a week. If you're visiting several countries in a short amount of time, it doesn't make sense to pick up a new SIM card in every country.

Inteational SIM cards

Fortunately, there's another option. Companies such as GoSIM will send you an inteational SIM card in advance of your trip. You preload it with money, and it will tick down the amount as you talk, text or use data. It's a good idea to check the roaming rates on these cards before you purchase. Sometimes they're more than the rates a US carrier offers as part of its inteational roaming plans. But often they can offer deep discounts.