Rather than purchasing what was then a $70 “Passport” package from AT&T before leaving (the company has since switched its international plan to a $10/day International Day Pass, as we discussed in this series of posts), I instead bought a SIM card package in Paris from a French phone carrier for €39. Once I popped it into my phone, I just used my smartphone as I normally would, although I now was dialing with a French phone number.

The experience was actually much simpler than I had imagined. In the end, it provided me with a much more cost-effective way of using my iPhone while traveling outside the States. The biggest difference? I used my phone freely for calls, emailing and even browsing the web, and never even got close to exhausting my plan. All that fretting over data use — gone.

I’ll explain how I did it, and the various options I had below. But first, let’s quickly review the choices you face when traveling abroad with your phone.

This article was updated in November 2021 with new information and prices.

 EuroCheapo is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you!

Traveling abroad? Your smartphone options

As we’ve discussed in this series of posts, travelers from North America have several options for using their smartphones when visiting Europe.

Purchasing an international package from your carrier

You could sign up for an international phone/texting/data package from your carrier (for example, AT&T’s International Day Pass package). You will pay for these packages as an “add-on” to your normal bill. They will usually grant you some combination of data transfer (for emailing, using the web and apps) and text messages. They will also usually lower your per-minute charge for using your telephone, although it’ll still probably cost you about $1 per minute. Some plans will offer free calls to certain countries, including the U.S. (Read about AT&T’s and Verizon’s plans.)

Winging it without a package

Many American tourists just wing it, and plan to simply limit their phone use or “try to keep it turned off”. While this is an option, be advised that without a package, charges for texts and phone calls are more expensive. Data transfer charges are usually astronomically high. If you plan to use data (rather than Wi-Fi) to check your email or use the web during your trip, this isn’t a good idea. (One notable exception is T-Mobile, which offers its “Magenta” customers free international data and calls for only $0.25 per minute.)

Some travelers who “wing it” place their phone into “airplane mode” for most of the trip, restricting email and web browsing to times when they’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. Others just keep their cellular data and roaming off, and use their phones for texting and calling. Still, expensive dangers lurk (especially if you haven’t set up your phone correctly).

Purchasing a SIM Card abroad

You can also purchase a SIM Card from a local phone carrier in Europe. As we’ll discuss below, you can either use it in your regular U.S. smartphone (if your phone permits it), use it in an old phone that is SIM-card compatible, or buy a cheap phone (either back home before you leave or once in Europe) for the new SIM Card.

Options, options… Looking over the SIM cards available for purchase at a “Relay” newsstand at Charles de Gaulle airport. Photo: EuroCheapo

The benefits of buying a SIM card in Europe

Why would you go through the hassle of all this? Because buying and using a SIM card in Europe will almost certainly be far cheaper than using your home carrier while traveling abroad. When using a SIM card from a European carrier, you’re buying a new phone number. This means you gain access to the same low-cost dialing options available to locals.

There are many, many European phone carriers, and each offers different SIM cards, packages and options. Broadly speaking, to make this work for you, you’ll need to purchase two things:

1. a SIM card (which gives your phone the actual phone number), and

2. credits to make phone calls and use data.

During a trip to France, I purchased a $49 SIM package from Orange, one of France’s largest carriers. This package, aimed at international travelers, offers:

• a SIM card with a French phone number
• Unlimited calls throughout Europe
• 120 minutes of phone calls globally (placed or received)
• Unlimited text messages throughout Europe
• 1,000 text messages globally (sent or received)
• 20 GB of mobile data throughout Europe

Sounds great, right? I didn’t even come close to using all of my minutes, let alone my text messages or 20 GB of data! (I could dial #123# to track my usage.) If, however, I had exhausted my plan, I could have recharged it by buying Orange credits at any newsstand.

Note: This is by no means the best deal out there, nor are we promoting this particular offer. This was the most convenient for me, as I was a bit hesitant about setting up my phone for the first time. Orange operates stores throughout France and is staffed with friendly folks who will set your phone up for you.

Also, note that many Orange SIM cards are only available for 14 days before you lose unused data and need to top them off again.

If you are going to France, check out this article on the best SIM cards in France. You can also read about the top SIM Cards in Spain and Germany.

You’ll see plenty of SIM-related packages at newsstands in France and throughout Europe, like SFR’s “Call Cheap” package for visitors. Photo: EuroCheapo

How does it work?

A SIM (“subscriber identification module”) card is a small chip that you place inside your phone that controls your actual phone number and can also store your contacts. These are sold by cellular carriers and are used in all phones that operate using GSM technology (and some newer CDMA phones, as well).

Europe’s mobile phone carriers use GSM technology. In the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM, while Verizon and Sprint use another technology, CDMA. If your phone uses CDMA, you should verify with your carrier whether or not your phone operates using a SIM card. (Many of the newer smartphones do.)

(Note: All iPhones use SIM cards, except for a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 produced for Verizon and Sprint customers.)

For an iPhone with GSM technology, you can unlock the phone (see below), pop open the SIM card slot (on the right side of the phone), remove the card, and pop in a new SIM card you buy abroad.

When the phone reboots with the new SIM card, you’re in business and operating with a brand new phone number.

What about locked phones?

Before you get too excited about using your phone abroad, you need to make sure that it will work with European SIM cards! Unsurprisingly, U.S. cellphone carriers are not exactly eager for you to start shopping around for cheaper calling options. To make the SIM swap more difficult, many carriers “lock” their phones. This prevents the customer from using a SIM card from another carrier. If your phone is locked and you load up another carrier’s SIM card, it simply won’t work.

To get around this, you’ll need to “unlock” your phone. Many American phones are eligible for being unlocked as soon as they go out of contract, or once any service or payment installments are paid off.

AT&T customers

If you qualify (or to check to see if you qualify), submit a request to AT&T to unlock your phone or tablet. They will then send you instructions on how to unlock your phone.

T-Mobile customers

Read the conditions for unlocking your phone here. Note that T-Mobile requires you to download a special app to unlock your phone. (As noted above, T-Mobile customers with “Magenta” plans already get free texting and data throughout Europe and calls at $.25 per minute. You might not want to go through any of this — lucky you!)

Verizon customers

Many Verizon phones are not locked after 60 days of purchase. Read more here.

In my case, my iPhone was out of contract. I filled out AT&T’s form, received detailed instructions on how to unlock it, backed up my phone on iTunes, and then reinstalled my data from a backup.

If it sounds complicated, it wasn’t. Within about an hour, I had backed up, jumped through some hoops, restored my backed up data to my phone, rebooted… and voila, it was unlocked and ready to go.

What happens if you can’t unlock your phone?

If you can’t unlock your phone, don’t despair. You can simply use another phone. Some people prefer to use a second phone anyhow, leaving their regular phone on standby throughout their trip in case it receives important calls or text messages. (Remember, if you swap a SIM card into your normal phone, you’ll be changing your phone number.)

Here are some other phone options you could use.

Use an old phone

Most people have an old mobile phone sitting around at home in the back of a drawer somewhere. While it might not be a cutting-edge smartphone, it could still do the job for your trip. Check out your collection of old phones to see if any of them operate with SIM cards.

Buy a cheap phone in Europe

Really cheap phones are easy to come by in Europe. Some SIM card packages aimed at tourists even come with a phone to use! In France, for example, the carrier SFR offers a package with a SIM card and cheapo phone. While some of these phones won’t be the most current models on the market, they can be used to make calls, send text messages, and even check in on your favorite apps.

Buy a cheap phone before leaving for Europe

You can also pick up a cheap SIM card-compatible smartphone for as little as $20 at major retailers, like Walmart and Target, in the U.S. When shopping for a cheap “no contract” phone, just make sure it takes a SIM card.

How do you install the SIM card?

So you have an unlocked phone and have purchased a SIM card in Europe. Now you just need to install it in your phone.

While the installation process is different for every device, the process should be as simple as powering off your phone, locating the SIM compartment, popping it open, removing the current card, and placing your new SIM card inside. When you power on your device, you usually will need to dial an activation number (provided with the card), and you should be good to go.

On iPhones 4 through 11,  the slot is located along the right-hand side of the device. On newer models (iPhone 12 and 13), the slot is on the left side. Regardless of the location, the slot can be opened by inserting a small point (such as the head of a pin or paperclip) into the hole. (Read more about loading a SIM card on Apple.com.)

Important note: It’s very important that you put your old SIM card in a safe spot! Don’t lose this card — it’s your home phone number!

A sign for the “Orange Holiday” package geared to international tourists in France. Photo: EuroCheapo

Buying SIM cards in Europe

Although rules and regulations about the buying and selling of SIM cards vary depending on the country, in most European countries, you can easily buy a SIM card in just minutes from cell phone stores, newsstands, tobacco shops… even vending machines in some relaxed countries! Other countries may require that you register with a passport or other form of identification.

Most commonly, you can buy SIM cards at:

• Newsstands and unaffiliated cellphone store: In France, for example, most newsstands at train stations and airports sell a variety of SIM-card products, including the cards, credits, and packages. These shops will sell you SIM cards offered by Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, low-cost Lycamobile, and other carriers.

• Carrier-specific stores: Don’t be afraid to drop into mobile carriers’ stores. Be aware, however, that they’ll obviously be limited to selling only their particular SIM cards and credits. They won’t be able to offer the objective advice you’re likely to find from a newsstand or unaffiliated phone shop. (On the other hand, they’re more likely to spend time with you talking through the options and helping you set up your phone.)

• Buy before you leave. Many international companies will sell you European SIM cards before you leave home for your trip. These can be convenient, saving you the hassle of hunting down a SIM card once there. But they rarely present the same savings you’d find simply by buying directly in Europe. (And, as noted above, you can also order the Orange SIM Card before your trip.)

Check out the options available in unaffiliated mobile shops, like this one in Paris. Photo: EuroCheapo

Considerations when shopping for SIM cards

With so many carriers and so many choices, you’ll need to do a bit of comparison shopping to figure out which carrier will work best for you. I would suggest heading for the nearest newsstand or unaffiliated cellphone shop once you’ve arrived, check out the SIM card options, and strike up a conversation with the cashier.

There are several things to keep in mind when deciding on a SIM card.

Package or pay-as-you-go

Are you buying a SIM card that needs credits or a SIM package that’s already loaded with a set number of minutes, texts and data?

How much do calls cost

When you buy credits, how much do calls, texts and data cost? (These credits usually come in increments of €5 / €10 / €15 / €25, and often include small bonus credits that increase the more you purchase.)

Connection charge

Are you going to be assessed an initial “connection charge” each time you make a call? (Lycamobile, for example, offers very low per-minute charges, but also charges to make the connection.)

Other countries

Will your SIM work in other countries, or will you need to buy another card if you cross borders? With policy changes in June 2017, SIM cards can be used throughout the EU without extra roaming charges. In the past, you might have had to buy a new card for each country, depending on your plan. You can see the details of the new EU rules here.

Wi-Fi hotspots

Does your SIM card grant you access to Wi-Fi hotspots? Many packages from larger carriers will offer this, which could come in handy.

Finally, don’t forget…

If you’ve made it this far in the article, you’re obviously serious about using a SIM card abroad. However, there is just one more major, if obvious, point worth considering.

When you place a SIM card in your phone, your phone number will change.

At the risk of repeating myself: The SIM card that you buy dictates your phone number. When I slipped the French SIM card into my phone, I now had a French phone number. (You can now see why some people prefer to bring along an old phone or purchase a cheapo “travel phone” expressly for SIM card use.)

This also means that if you swap a new SIM card into your phone, your normal U.S. number will not work. When people try to call your U.S. number, it will go straight to voicemail. You’ve basically just taken your number “offline.” You could prep for this by changing your voicemail message in advance to state that you’ll be traveling, and include your new number. (This can be tricky, as you usually won’t know the new number until you buy your new SIM card.)

And the same goes for text messages. As your phone number will have changed, your texts will be coming from a number that your friends will not, at first, recognize. This can be a touch awkward at first, but they’ll catch on. Some people get around this by sending text messages through an app like Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger. But these will only work when using data or connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Your SIM card questions and stories

Do you have an experience buying and using a SIM card in Europe? Share with us below! Have questions about how it all works? Ask away — we’ll try to help!

The post Buying a SIM card in Europe: The cheapest way to use a smartphone while traveling appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here are some common sense tips about how to protect yourself before you leave for Paris, how to hamper a thief’s chances of robbing your iPhone once you’re there, and what steps you need to take after the theft to protect yourself if they do.

Before Your Trip

Make sure that you keep your serial number handy (meaning not only on your phone) in order to provide your phone operator, insurance company and the police that your phone has been stolen.

Install a free software app like Find My Phone to allow you to locate and shut down your phone from a distance.

Be sure to back up your contact list and photos and sync any other information stored on your phone with your computer. (Once you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to back up photos to cloud storage in case something happens to your phone.)

Consult your phone’s insurance policy if you have one. Be aware that some insurers will not insure thefts that occur outside of the U.S. so read the fine print before you go and add coverage as needed.

Safety Tips for Using Your Phone in Paris

The French police want you to know that using your phone in public is a bad idea.

I know, I know. The whole point of bringing your iPhone to Paris is so that you can whip it out at your convenience to find directions, use a cool Paris sightseeing app, or Google the name of that restaurant you wanted to try.

But be careful not to leave it on a café table while you are sipping an espresso enjoying the scenery, or hold it in your hands in public (which makes using it as a camera pretty difficult, of course).

Be sure to pay particular attention on the Métro, bus and RER, especially when it’s crowded.

Paper Scams

Tourists who frequent American chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s have also been the targets of a common scam where thieves use old-fashioned paper as a tool for stealing 21st-century electronics, ruffling papers in front of your face or handing you a note to unfold, making off with your phone in the ensuing confusion.

Another common scam involves being approached by a person bearing a clip board and pretending to want you to sign a petition for a seemingly worthy cause. While your hands are busy holding the clipboard and signing the bogus petition, someone else will be rummaging through your bag or pocket and making off with your phone.

Beware of Pickpockets

Even those who try to be vigilant about their belongings might find themselves the target of a stealthy pickpocket. In a country where personal space is not at a premium and even innocent people will crowd next to you with an alarming intimacy, it’s sometimes extra difficult to detect a ninja thief who is out to relieve you of your beloved electronic iAppendage.

In addition to public transport, be especially careful in crowded lines at tourist attractions, museums and the like. (Also see this post about tourist scams to avoid in Paris.)

If the Worst Happens, Here’s What to Do

As soon as you realize your phone is no longer with you, try to stay calm and act quickly to limit the damage.

If you have anti-theft software, use it to shut down your phone.

The next step is to inform your phone service operator so that they can deactivate the SIM card in your phone.

Tell the Police

Find the nearest police station and take the time to file a police report.

Using your phone’s serial number, the French police can do what your phone operator cannot: They can enter the serial number on a black list making the phone itself inoperable on any of the country’s networks even with a new SIM card.

Tell Your Insurance Company

If you have theft insurance, file a claim as soon as possible for the best chance of being compensated correctly. Remember that if you are in the midst of a phone service contract and your phone is stolen, you will have to pay full price for a replacement (forget those inexpensive phone offers they use to lure you into a contract in the first place).

Related: Using an American iPhone in Europe… without going broke.

The post How to keep your iPhone safe in Paris… and what to do if it gets stolen appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Luckily, we’re here to help you sort through the mess and make the most of your mobile phone in Europe.

Check on international capabilities

The first thing you should determine is whether or not your phone is indeed capable of international roaming. Since this can differ based both on phone and service provider (one iPhone model may work for one carrier, but not another), it’s easiest to check directly with your carrier.

Click below to read about your international calling capabilities on the following American carriers. Most of these links go directly to pages explaining each carriers’ international packages, most of which consist of some sort of bundling of calling, texting and data options.

AT&T
Verizon
Sprint
T-Mobile

How will you be using your phone?

Next, figure out how you plan to use your smartphone while traveling in Europe. Will you need to be on the phone for hours? Just for emergencies? Do you need instant e-mail access? Planning to search the Web or use apps?

Carriers offer separate rates and plans for calling, texting and using data (e-mail, web browsing). If you get all three, the costs can quickly add up. Here’s an overview of your options:

1. Making telephone calls.

Depending on your carrier, prices can vary greatly just to make and receive calls while abroad.

AT&T

AT&T’s three “Passport” plans cost between $30 – $120, and lowers your per-minute charge for phone calls to between $1 minute and $.35 per minute. As minutes normally cost $1.50 each, these packages can offer considerable savings, especially if you plan on making a lot of calls. (read more on our AT&T page)

Verizon

Without any special bundle, you’ll pay $1.29 per minute to call home. With a $40 bundle, Verizon includes 100 minutes of calls. (read more on our Verizon page)

Sprint

Without a plan, Sprint charges $1.99 per minute to call the US from Europe. Sprint’s Worldwide Voice plan ($4.99 per month) lowers this hefty rate, bringing it down to $.99 per minute. (Read more on Sprint’s not-so-user-friendly Website.)

T-Mobile

Of the four major wireless service providers, T-Mobile offers the best deal with their “Simple Choice” plan. This plan offers unlimited free texts and data (!), and lowers the cost of telephone calls from Europe to the US to $.20 per minute. (read more on T-Mobile’s website)

2. Text messaging.

If you think keeping track of all these minutes and rates might drive you mad, texting while abroad can be a much simpler and cheaper alternative.

AT&T

If you sign up for any of AT&T’s Passport packages, unlimited text messages are included. Without a plan, these will cost $.50 each.

Verizon

Verizon’s texting rates are odd. Without a plan or with their cheapest $25 package, texts cost $.50 to send. With their $40 plan, you receive 100 texts. Not great.

Sprint

Texts cost $.50 to send from Europe to the US, and $.05 to receive.

T-Mobile

With T-Mobile’s “Simple Choice” plan, subscribers get free unlimited texting from Europe to the US.

3. Data: Checking e-mail and Web browsing.

Using international data packages on your smartphone to check e-mail or browse the Web (instead of using Wi-Fi) can be a risky proposition while abroad. It’s easy to lose track of how much data you’ve used and wind up with a four-figure phone bill. Seriously. Luckily, most carriers offer data packages that can make internet usage a little less treacherous.

AT&T

AT&T offers three tiers of data in its Passport Plan bundles: $30 for 120 MB, $60 for 300 MB, and $120 for 800 MB. (Prices are per month.)

Verizon

Verizon, meanwhile, has only one pricing rate for data: 100 MB for $25.

Sprint

Sprint offers customers two international data “add on” options, although neither are cheap: $40 for 40 MB and $80 for 85 MB. Without the add on, you’ll pay a steep $.019 per KB.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is once again the exception, offering unlimited data with it’s “Simple Choice” plans.

How to set up your phone up to go abroad.

As we’ve previously detailed for iPhones, it’s essential when traveling abroad to set up your phone properly. With different charges for calls, texts and data, it’s easy to accidentally open an e-mail or receive a phone call that results in an unexpectedly bulky bill.

Luckily, there are some settings that can help you manage your minutes, messages and megabytes.

To make calls only

If you’re planning on using your phone solely to make and receive calls while you’re abroad, make sure to turn off data roaming, which will block your phone from using e-mail services, web browsing, and downloads. Your phone will still be able to receive text messages (though check with your carrier about picture and video text messages, as they’ll sometimes count as data downloads).

For Android phones

Do this by going to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Mobile Networks.  When there, you can make sure international data roaming is turned off and also uncheck all mobile data roaming as a safeguard .

For Windows phones

Go to Settings > Cellular > Data Roaming Options and switch the setting to “Don’t Roam.”

For Blackberries

Go to Settings > Mobile Network > While Roaming and select “Off.”

Managing data

If you need to use web services while you’re in Europe, but you’re worried about piling up data charges without realizing it, you have a few options.

The least drastic is to switch off your phone’s ability to receive e-mail automatically (turning off “push” email downloads and notifications).  If you still want to check your inbox occasionally, you can do so by “fetching” your email manually.

For Android users, this can be done by going to Settings, selecting “Accounts and Sync” and unchecking “Auto-Sync.”  This will additionally turn off any other applications that automatically sync data, such as weather updates.

Windows Phone 7 owners should go to Settings, then “e-mail and accounts” to select their account.  Then, select “Download new content” and choose “manually.” Finally, uncheck all “Content to sync” and save the changes by clicking the checkbox at the bottom of the screen.

For other phones, check the user guide or talk to your service provider for advice on how to stop automatic syncing.

Airplane mode

A final and more extreme solution is to go into “airplane mode” and only use Wi-Fi networks to access your email, Web and apps for free. All smartphones have this setting, which shuts off access to all phone and data networks. Activating airplane mode will prevent you from getting phone calls, normal text messages, and using your Web browser without a Wi-Fi connection. However, it will also prevent you from fretting about the charges.

When you do join a Wi-Fi connection, however, you can check your email, browse the Web and use your apps. This is generally the best solution for casual travelers who are fine with checking their phones just a few times a day, for example from their hotel or a cafe offering free Wi-Fi. It’s even more sensible these days, as free Wi-Fi connections are popping up all over European cities. (Read our posts on where to find free Wi-Fi in Barcelona, Florence, London, Madrid and Paris.)

When in airplane mode, you can make calls using the Skype app or Google Voice while on a Wi-Fi network. Both of these options are free between Skype or Voice users and very cheap when calling a US phone number.

Note that once you activate airplane mode, you’ll often have to manually turn the Wi-Fi connection back on. Also, when you’re finished, don’t forget to go back into airplane mode!

Here’s how to set up airplane mode on your phone:

Android phones

Simply go to Settings, then “Wireless & Networks” and check the box next to “Airplane Mode.”

Windows phones

Go to Settings and then select “Airplane Mode” to toggle it on and off.

Blackberries

Click “Manage Connections” in the main menu and select “All Off” or “Turn all connections off.”

Of course, everyone’s needs while traveling abroad are different, and often the right approach is a combination of plans, settings and packages. Just remember to work out your strategy before you leave, in order to avoid getting mixed up in a maelstrom of bills and charges.

More tips for using your phone in Europe:

Using an American iPhone in Europe… without Going Broke

Tips for AT&T iPhone customers

Tips for Verizon iPhone customers

Setting up your iPhone to avoid a billing “surprise”

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile: A comparison of international plans

The post American Smartphones in Europe: Windows, Android and Blackberry customers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.