Texting/calling when traveling in Europe 101?

[mofongo]

I don't really get the benefit of WhatsApp bc you still need WiFi or data to use, just like iMessage. Assuming you are from the states and texting others here with iPhones.

[mrsslocombe]

Nov 22, 2024 14:36:10 GMT -5 mofongo said:

I don't really get the benefit of WhatsApp bc you still need WiFi or data to use, just like iMessage. Assuming you are from the states and texting others here with iPhones.

The main benefit is being able to contact companies/people wherever you are traveling locally. Like being able to reach a tour guide, or booking service, restaurant, etc. I don't use it to contact people back home, I use iMessage/gchat/facebook chat/etc.

[dreamcrisp1]

I’m too lazy to scroll through but get a SIM card here and use that. Can also use an eSIM.

Where are you going?

[cmeon]

T-mobile plans are still the absolute best for international travel. Free calling/text, free unlimited data in tons of countries- and lots of people have spare lines (we do) kicking around thanks to all their freebies over the years. I'd ask around, someone has a spare you can borrow.

ETA: Obviously, plans vary- we're on a very old no-longer available plan, like a lot of long timers.

[dreamcrisp1]

Nov 22, 2024 13:13:46 GMT -5 gerberdaisy said:

Can I ask a dumb question, if everyone has iphones is there an advantage to using whats app vs just imessage?

No one I know here uses iMessage. WhatsApp prevails. I’m in so many WhatsApp groups. It’s much better than iMessage I think. I don’t use iMessage at all. I’m in the Netherlands.

[ssmjlm]

If you have Verizon they give you banked days for international. I just used my banked days in Australia when we didn’t have wifi, but a ton of places in Sydney had wifi. Melbourne we were out at the beach, so not as much.

[scout8]

We have T-Mobile. I don't do anything different. International data and texting is included in my plan. If I need to make a call, I do it when I'm connected to WiFi. If I'm not on WiFi, calls are still pretty cheap.

ETA: I do have WhatsApp too as it is usually preferred by anyone I'm communicating with internationally.

[rupertpenny]

Others have covered most options, but you can also rent a portable wifi in some countries. It works for multiple devices (only need one device per family or group).

If you don't want to/can't use your providers international service, I think knowing the length of the trip, destination(s), and number of countries is important information. This has probably gotten better in recent years, but it used to be a headache to get a local SIM in some countries. If you are going to several countries, especially a mix of EU and non-EU, you might need to switch SIMs/wifi devices in each country

[raleighnc]

I used an eSIM service in Colombia in June. If your phone supports eSIM, that's the easiest. Mine didn't, so I needed to get a physical SIM that mimicked an eSIM to use the service. There are usually several options for eSIM providers. I was with my daughter, so I put her phone on one service and mine on another. It worked perfectly. We just had data, so we used WhatsApp with her tour group.

[mrsukyankee]

We head in the opposite direction (to the US from England) and get an e-sim. They are truly easy to get and use.

[snapoutofit]

I haven’t read all of the replies but when DS and I went to England this summer H just upgraded our Verizon plan to the international plan.

[Pibs]

I have the Flexible plan on Google Fi for my carrier. I pay $10/month for each GB of data, which caps at $60/month. It includes international data and texting in most countries, but I have to pay for any calls I make internationally. It's been easy breezy in every country except Georgia. Their infrastructure isn't as developed, so I think I had to turn off 5G or something and then it was back to easy breezy. It's fun whenever I land to get a notification saying Welcome to Whatever Country! and I've never come close to using 6GB of data even while traveling internationally, especially since Wi-Fi tends to be pretty prevalent.

[sent]

We went with zero preparation. When we got there, I got a text message that my T-Mobile plan had international roaming data included up to a certain amount. Every time we went to a new country, I'd get a new text message saying the same thing. This was included in my regular monthly plan. There was a lot of wifi in London but once we got to France, it was not as ubiquitous. I used Google Maps a lot on roaming and it was slow sometimes but good enough for free. I did end up paying like an extra $1.25 on my monthly bill so I must have gone over a little on the data or maybe I made a call or something.

The other grownup traveling with us has Verizon. He would have had to pay extra to be able to use data and cellular so we opted to go old-school at times. He would say "the kids and I are going to the park over on the other side of town while you relax in the hotel, we will meet you at 2 pm at this restaurant." Then I had to get myself to the restaurant by 2 pm and hope they also showed up on time. Otherwise I'd have to just sit there and wait like in the pre-cellphone days.

[mofongo]

Nov 22, 2024 14:46:32 GMT -5 mrsslocombe said:

Nov 22, 2024 14:36:10 GMT -5 mofongo said:

I don't really get the benefit of WhatsApp bc you still need WiFi or data to use, just like iMessage. Assuming you are from the states and texting others here with iPhones.

The main benefit is being able to contact companies/people wherever you are traveling locally. Like being able to reach a tour guide, or booking service, restaurant, etc. I don't use it to contact people back home, I use iMessage/gchat/facebook chat/etc.

Oh, I’ve never had to whatsapp to contact people when traveling. Idk, I’ve always been fine with using my cell plan, calling if I needed anything.