Travelore Tips: Secrets To Avoiding Massive Cell Phone Bills Abroad

The last thing you want to come home to after an international trip is a ridiculously high cell bill. So, before you get stuck with those hefty data roaming fees, check out this pre-trip checklist⎯ it'll save you big time. By Ashley Rossi

Unlock Your Phone and Use a SIM Card 
The cheapest way to approach data roaming abroad is to use a foreign SIM card for the country you're traveling in. These can often be purchased at the airport and usually cost between $1-2 (or are free with purchase of a pre-paid plan). You can then purchase a prepaid data and texting plan with your new international carrier. Keep in mind this will give you a different phone number for the time you use the SIM card. Basic data and text plans are usually way less than any U.S. carriers' international plan or their hefty data charges. 
When I traveled to Australia for nine months, I went this route and paid around $25 per month for a simple data and texting plan. And, I was able to add extra gigabytes of data as I needed per month. 

RELATED: 8 Things You Need to Know About Traveling with a Smartphone 

The one caveat is that your phone must be on the GSM network (most smartphones are) and unlocked for it to accept a different carrier's SIM card. The steps for unlocking your phone vary by carrier and often change, so I recommend calling your provider or going into a store to follow the correct steps. Be wary of third parties that offer to unlock your phone; this may violate your contract with your carrier, so make sure to read your contract before considering this option. 

Go This Route If ... you're traveling to one country for an extended period of time and want to use your phone as you normally would in the U.S. 

Use Your Current Carrier's International Plan 
While these vary by carrier, many U.S. carriers will offer an international plan for travel abroad. They are often data-limiting and can get very expensive, but they're still better than the going rates you'd pay without putting this package on your plan. 

RELATED: How to Use a Smartphone in Europe 

For example, on a recent trip to Colombia, I put on AT&T's basic international package for $30 because I was only traveling for a week. I also knew I wouldn't need access to a lot of data since I was going on a group tour with G Adventures and wouldn't need to rely on Google Maps. I was very happy I had calling and data for one of the times I got lost from the group and needed a map. If I hadn't placed this package on my phone I would have been charged over $100 even for the little amount of data I used. 

Go This Route If ... you just want access to data and calling in case of emergencies, but won't be reliant on coverage. This is perfect if you plan to keep your phone in airplane mode and mainly use Wi-Fi.

Use a Global Coverage Carrier 
If you travel internationally more than five times a year, a switch to a global coverage carrier may be a good idea. Carriers like T-Mobile offer global coverage plans with unlimited data, but its service is more reliable in some countries than others. If you go this route, make sure the countries you travel to most often are covered on the carrier's global coverage plan. 

Go This Route If ... you travel to the same international destinations frequently and know you can rely on a certain carrier for coverage. 

Get a Pre-Paid Phone for Overseas Calls 
If you don't mind going back to the (digital) Stone Age, using a simple pre-paid phone is a cheap and easy way to make calls and send/receive texts during your travels. Many international airports have a local carrier's booth with phones and plans to choose from. So, if you don't mind using buttons to text, this route can save you lots of money. 

For a little more money, you can get a screen phone, which is obviously better if you're planning to use the phone for everyday use. Most international phones will come already unlocked, so you can use it and purchase SIM cards for future trips. (Consider it an investment.)

Go This Route If ... you just want a simple phone for texting and calling abroad or if you can't get your phone unlocked and need a phone for everyday use. 

Other Alternatives 
Personal hot spots have recently become a new option in the never-ending search for inexpensive Wi-Fi. They often are pricey, require additional day-passes for usage, and die quickly. 

Go This Route If ... you need a lot of data and are willing to pay daily charges (often times over $10 per day), and don't mind carrying around the device. 

More from SmarterTravel: 
10 Ways to Prepare Your Cell Phone for a Trip 
The Ultimate Packing List 
7 Sneaky Smartphone Hacks You Should Be Using 

Travelore Tips: How To Use Your Cell Phone Abroad Without Huge Fees

Contributed by Anick Jesdanun, AP.

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 27, 2010, file photo, Kevin Fagan, from San Francisco, talks on his phone while an airplane sits motionless on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Traveling internationally can provide challenges to cell phone users. ( AP Photo/Seth Wenig, FIle)

 If you have a trip outside the United States coming up, one thing you'll likely want to bring is your cellphone. You might have heard warnings about how those phones can accrue international charges quickly through your U.S. wireless carrier. It doesn't have to be that way.

In the past, I've simply turned off my phone's cellular connections while abroad. But nearly three weeks in Thailand and Cambodia earlier this year proved too long to stay away from email, Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare and other time sinks.

If you're traveling internationally, check with your carrier on whether your phone will even work with cellular networks abroad. If it doesn't, you can still use apps through Wi-Fi connections at hotels and malls. Your phone company might even rent or loan a compatible phone.

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- ASSESS YOUR NEEDS:

Will you make a lot of calls or texts? Before I left, Verizon told me that calls would cost $1.99 a minute in Thailand and $2.89 a minute in Cambodia. No, thanks. I'll just text people instead. To avoid text charges, I signed up for three free services, WhatsApp, Line and Viber. The catch is that you can text only with those on the same service, so your contacts will also have to join.

Where international use can get expensive is in data charges. Verizon was charging $20.48 per megabyte in either country. Just opening the Facebook app uses more than half a megabyte. Five minutes of scrolling through friends' posts can eat up more than 10 megabytes, or more than $200. That's before sharing a single photo. Bills can reach thousands of dollars in no time.

The solution is to get a data plan.

T-Mobile's main plans now offer free text and data in more than 100 countries. Speeds are adequate for sending email and checking Facebook, though you'll need to pay for faster speeds. Other U.S. carriers offer affordable packages, too, if you plan ahead.

Start by monitoring how you use your phone. On Android, look for "Data usage" in the settings. On the iPhone, go to "General," then "Usage" under the settings. Check back in a few days or a week to see how much data you have used. Android also will tell you what apps have been using your data. Owners of iPhones can get a free app called Onavo Count. Your cellphone bill might also have information on past data use.

Keep in mind you might use your phone more than usual because you won't be checking from regular computers at home or work. Check if your hotel offers Wi-Fi, as that might help reduce cellular use. If there's a daily charge for Wi-Fi, your phone might still be cheaper.

To reduce data use further, turn off automatic syncing for as many apps as you can. I also kept my phone on airplane mode most of the time and allowed connections only periodically. I monitored my data usage to spot data hogs early.

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- YOUR OPTIONS:

Your phone company can tell you about their packages. Although Verizon quoted a $20.48-per-megabyte charge, it offered me 100 megabytes for $25 in Thailand if I signed up in advance. That's 99 percent cheaper than $2,048. I'd still have to pay regular prices in Cambodia. Weekly and monthly rates are sometimes available as well. It varies by carrier and by country, so it's best to check before you leave.

You can also ask about calling and texting packages. In Cambodia, for example, I could have saved 60 cents a minute on calls by paying a one-time fee of $4.99. Because my visit to Cambodia was short, I got by with the hotel's free Wi-Fi for data and made no calls or texts.

Whatever your needs, don't commit until you explore other options.

It will likely be cheaper if you buy a phone package at your destination. Local carriers typically have shops at airports. In Thailand, the True mobile company offered 3 gigabytes for less than $35. Had I used Verizon's plan, I likely would have needed a second or third block of data for $25 each. True gave me much more for much less. One drawback is I must use a temporary phone number, not my regular one back home.

If you go this route, turn off data roaming on your phone before you leave so you're not inadvertently charged. Leave the phone on airplane mode until the local plan is set up. If you forget, some carriers will warn you by text, but sometimes after you've started accruing charges.

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- THE CATCH:

You need an unlocked phone to use another carrier's SIM card. U.S. phones are typically locked, but major carriers will unlock them upon request after your contract is up or the phone is paid off. Some carriers will also unlock it before international travel - if you ask. Third-party services also offer to unlock the phone for you, but the legality is dubious, and you risk disabling your phone permanently.

If you don't have an unlocked phone, try borrowing or renting one. Telestial and Cellular Abroad offer phone rentals and international data plans. They are sometimes more expensive than what your U.S. carrier offers, though. You can also try to rent one at the airport when you arrive.

If you travel a lot, consider buying a cheap unlocked phone, such as the $179 Moto G. The advantage of that is you don't have to configure it with your favorite apps and contacts each time.

I have an unlimited data plan in the U.S., so I rarely pay attention to my consumption. Traveling made me realize how precious data allotment can be. It also made me realize how valuable an unlocked phone is. The biggest tip I can offer: Don't get rid of your old phone when you upgrade. Get it unlocked so that you'll have that for future trips abroad.