Using your phone internationally is easier now than it ever has been! How do you stay connected back home when traveling abroad?
I have a phone that works in Europe and get a Sim card when I go over. It works most of the time. Sometimes I have trouble texting and making calls, but data always works. We use WhatsApp a lot when over there.
Alternatively, my US phone plan (Total Wireless) allows WiFi calling and I can call and text the US using that phone whenever on WiFi. Just can’t call anything in Europe. I carry both phones with me.
I don’t know where you’re going. T-Mobile let’s me text anywhere in NA.
I didn’t mean about using my US phone in the US. That works fine as it should. I meant when I’m in Europe I can call or text to the US using my US phone via WiFi calling/texting. So, when in Europe, I carry both phones with me as I can call/text the US when connected to WiFi with my US phone and then everything else in Europe I use the Europe phone.
I tried a T-Mobile phone in Europe once. I heard that if you have a T-Mobile phone you can use it anywhere in Europe. So I went and got one on a month to month plan before a trip about 5 years ago. The T-Mobile person assured me everything would work fine, which it didn’t work at all. Turns out you can only use a T-Mobile phone in Europe if you’re NOT on a month to month plan, which the rep did not know. Since 14 days had passed until we got back I could not return the phone even though I bought it with their guarantee that it would work.
I have T-Mobile and it has worked everywhere I have traveled, including Latin America, Central America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Texting and data is free at a reduced speed. For voice, I just use WiFi Calling when connected to the internet. I’ve never had any problems, although sometimes I have to reboot the phone when I land to get it to connect to the local providers that T-Mobile has partnered with…
I use WhatsApp and a prepaid voice over Internet plan called Keepcalling. All I need is a data connection and I can call worldwide. I bought $20 of credit a decade ago and still have more than $19 left. I also have Ooma app.
For calls, I would use wifi only on a phone. I woudl load the ZOIPER app or equivalent. They are usually free. BY doing this and not by using a phne data plan, it does not matter what tyep of phone I have and it doesn’t matter if that provider works with a specific foreign telephone service.
For sevice I would use my Voip.Ms account (there are other Voips too). By using this service on wifi, there is no exorbitant cost.
I can make calls to the U.S.and Canada and I can receive calls to my U.S. number while traveling about 1 cent per minute.
To call other people in the countrry I am in would be at the published rate. Calls to many U.K. numbers are less than 1 penny a minute. (Yes it is cheaper to call the UK than the US) 
HOWEVER in some countries, the Government owns the phone company and thus may block VOIP calls. Some calls to certain phone exchanges may be more per minute, but you can always set a limit the maximum cost per call or per minute and can always check price per minute online.
AIRALO - Download the app and add your eSim at the airport when landing.
first eSIM is free for a limited time.
Airalo offers many eSim options for data to use around the world. I downloaded the app last year before going on a cruise in Europe in May “24 on iPhones. I chose a regional plan for both of us with the calculated data I needed and activated the eSim when I arrived in Europe. You can purchase single country (local) plans, regional plans for multiple countries, or a global plan. The eSim worked flawlessly every time when we moved from country to country while on the cruise. When we left the cruise in Spain and traveled to the UK, it once again operated flawlessly. I took our iPad and was able to use the ipad connected to my iphone using hotspot. I took a mini wireless keyboard and mouse for the iPad to use as a computer. I found that the eSim cards in Europe in towns and airports were not any cheaper. We used WhatsApp and Facebook Messager and was able to call numbers in country and to the US with no restrictions. We are looking to go back to Europe within the next 2 years and plan on using the Airalo eSim service again. I priced many similar companies but decide on Airalo at the time. I compared around 4 other companies, and they were all very close on the plans they offered. One thing, you need to calculate your data usage you normally use and then add around 10-20 percent to that figure to ensure having enough. Airalo also allows you to add additional data to your current eSim before it runs out. They send you a message to recharge your eSim before it expires. If it expires you have to purchase a new plan but it’s really not a big deal if you do. You also might want to see which networks are supported for each country and plan. Since we were not familiar with them it didn’t really matter to us. My wife and I really like the service we had everywhere we went. Good luck!
Thanks for the thorough explanation, Coleman. It seems like Airalo was a huge success for you! Your experience makes an eSim seem like a good choice for my upcoming vacation, which I’ve been considering.
I currently am in the Balkans and I stay connected using two ways that complement each other. I use my T-Mobile Magenta 55+plan at $80/month for data and texting. However, calls are 25 cents/minute. I also use WhatsApp for free calls (including video calls) and texting.
If you are going on a short trip, just use your phone carrier’s international plan. It is the easiest option and it will keep your number active. If you are traveling for an extended period, look into obtaining a local SIM card or eSIM (such as Airalo) for lower priced data options. You may also want to utilize Wi-Fi calling or another app such as WhatsApp or FaceTime to stay connected and make calls without incurring the expense of international roaming. Check to see that your phone is unlocked before you depart (if using a local SIM option), and if you aren’t using a lot of data, I suggest disabling automatic app updates for additional savings. In summary: carrier plan for ease, SIM (or eSIM) for data savings.