SIM card, eSIM or your US carrier? Ways to stay connected abroad, and a guide for each destination

There are four ways to get cellular data outside the US, and each one charges you differently. Below: how they work, and a guide for each destination.

The 4 ways

Roaming with your US carrier AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and 7 more You keep your US number. Many plans include Mexico and Canada; elsewhere it is usually a day pass or a travel pass. Nothing changes on the phone. ›
Local SIM, bought on arrival Sold at the airport counter or in shops of a local carrier. Usually bought after landing; it needs a free SIM slot, and an iPhone 14 or later bought in the US has none. Local SIM rules vary, so check them before you buy.
Pocket Wi-Fi router A rented router that a group shares while it stays together. It has to be collected, charged and returned.
Travel eSIM A digital profile you install by scanning a QR code before you fly. Your US line stays on for calls and texts. Needs an eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked phone. ›

Before you choose an eSIM, check that your phone supports it: eSIM-compatible phones.

Guides by destination

Does my phone work in Mexico? What US carriers include, and when you still need an eSIM › Best eSIM for Japan? How an eSIM, pocket Wi-Fi, a SIM card and your US carrier compare › Does my phone work in Canada? Most US plans include it — carrier by carrier › China SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? What works for a trip to China › Does my phone work in South Korea? US carrier roaming vs an eSIM, carrier by carrier › India SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? A month in India, priced each way › Thailand SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? What a trip to Thailand costs each way › Costa Rica SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? Some AT&T plans already include it › Philippines SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? A family visit, priced each way › SIM card for Turkey or an eSIM? Buy and install it before you travel › Taiwan SIM card, your US carrier or an eSIM? What a week in Taiwan costs each way › Does my phone work in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica or the Bahamas? Carrier passes vs an eSIM › Best eSIM for Europe? Your carrier's day pass, a Europe eSIM or a SIM card, compared ›

Travel situations

Mexico Which US carriers include Mexico in your plan, and which charge a pass. › Canada Which US carriers include Canada in your plan, and which charge a pass. › Cruises At sea your carrier charges a cruise pass or by the MB; in port, an eSIM works. › Is my phone unlocked? A travel eSIM needs a phone not locked to your US carrier. ›

Price and comparison

Roaming or eSIM? Country by country: 9 US carriers against an eSIM, in US dollars. › What a daily data limit really means The full-speed GB a day on daily-limit plans, compared. ›

Regional plans

eSIM for Europe › eSIM for Asia › eSIM for Africa › eSIM for the Middle East › eSIM for Oceania › eSIM for Latin America › eSIM for the Caribbean › eSIM for the whole world ›

To decide

eSIM by country, with prices in US dollars Every destination in the catalog, each on its own page. › Roaming with US carriers What AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and other US carriers charge abroad, with dated sources. › How much data do I need? Estimate your use before you pick a plan. › eSIM-compatible phones Check your model before you buy. ›

In detail

In short

Check four ways to get data abroad, in this order: your carrier’s plan or pass, a travel eSIM, a local SIM card, pocket Wi-Fi. A US iPhone 14 or later has no SIM tray, so a local SIM card can’t go in (Apple, checked on October 29, 2026).

This site is not affiliated with any carrier named on this page; we sell eSIMs. How we compare

You may not need an eSIM. Mexico and Canada already come with many US plans, and a few plans carry data much farther. We compare public packages; check your own plan.

Two bill traps: background data alone can start a $12 Verizon TravelPass day (Verizon TravelPass FAQs). With no pass, AT&T bills data at $2.05 per MB (AT&T pay-per-use rates).

All guides in this topic

Four ways to stay connected abroad from the US

A plan that includes your destination costs nothing extra inside its allowance. AT&T and Verizon postpaid passes cost $12 a day; T-Mobile’s International Pass is $10 for 2GB for up to 24 hours (checked on October 29, 2026).

Your plan: AT&T Elite 2.0 includes 20GB a month of high-speed data in 210+ destinations, then up to 512Kbps (AT&T). Verizon Unlimited Ultimate includes 15 GB a month at high speed in 210+ countries and destinations, then 1.5 Mbps (Verizon). It has no published country list, so ask Verizon about yours.

A carrier pass: AT&T and Verizon bill only the days you use. A week comes to $84 for one phone (our arithmetic). On AT&T’s Day Pass, each additional line used the same day adds $6.

A travel eSIM: it installs before you fly. It fits a plan with no data abroad, such as T-Mobile Essentials without a pass. Of 379 plan families in our catalog, 371 are data only (October 29, 2026), so your US number stays on your main line.

Run Is my phone unlocked? and Does my phone support eSIM? before you pay.

A local SIM card or pocket Wi-Fi: we sell neither and have no checked prices; a SIM card also needs a tray.

Why a SIM card may not fit your phone

A SIM card for travel abroad needs a tray in your phone. Apple says iPhone 14 models or later “purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM” (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple).

An iPhone 13 or earlier still has a nano-SIM tray (Apple). It takes a local SIM card once your carrier unlocks it. Do iPhones have SIM cards? checks your model.

Which guide do you need?

Pick a guide by what drives the cost: your plan’s coverage, the length of stay and local data prices. Caribbean data costs two to three times what Europe does across the sellers we checked (October 29, 2026).

Mexico and Canada: many plans cover both, so the Mexico and Canada guides check each carrier’s limit. Mint includes 3GB a month in Canada, then 128 kbps, but its international roaming and Canada pages don’t mention roaming in Mexico (checked on October 29, 2026, Mint).

Europe: the Europe guide has UK, Italy, Spain and France sections and prices a family of four. Turkey has its own guide: our plan’s terms say eSIMs can’t currently be bought in Turkey, so buy and install yours before you travel.

Long family visits: the India, Philippines and China guides price three to five weeks. Verizon’s $100/mo Monthly Plan undercuts $12 TravelPass days from day 9 (our arithmetic, checked on October 29, 2026, Verizon).

Short trips in Asia: the Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand guides price a week or two. Japan is missing from Cricket’s published list, Taiwan from Boost’s (checked on October 29, 2026, Cricket, Boost).

Near home: AT&T Elite 2.0 and Premium 2.0 have no roaming charge in Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic (checked on October 29, 2026, AT&T). The Caribbean guide adds Jamaica and the Bahamas. On all three islands, one $12 pass day costs less than a 3 GB plan at the sellers’ middle price (our arithmetic).

On a cruise, an eSIM works in port, not at sea (cruise phone plans). Roaming or eSIM prices your own dates, and eSIM by country lists every destination we sell.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a local SIM card in my US iPhone?

No, not in a US iPhone 14 or later: Apple says those models can only be activated with an eSIM. An unlocked iPhone 13 or earlier still takes a nano-SIM card. On the newer models, use your carrier’s plan or pass, or add a travel eSIM next to your US line.

Do I need a SIM card to use my phone abroad?

No. Your US line can work abroad on its own plan or on a carrier pass, with the same number. For a second line just for data, a travel eSIM installs at home before the flight; a physical SIM card needs a phone with a tray.

Roaming packs and other sellers’ SIM prices change without notice; each guide gives its source and the date it was checked. Network and brand names belong to their owners. This site is not affiliated with any US carrier; we sell eSIMs.