Verizon iPhones

I will be going to Europe in Sept. and I am also, a Verizon customer. Have you looked into their travel pass program? My understanding is that it is $10.00 for a 24 hr period of data usage. It is supposed to be valid for a large number of countries.You only pay for the days that you use data. I will be checking it out more thoroughly when it gets closer to my departure. You can find out about it on-line, or by phone.

There are endless discussions about your concern with the Travel Forum. Conduct a search and you'll find them. What are your needs? I generally just put my so-called smart phone in airplane mode (to block receiving calls and using data...both spendy) and then use free or cheap WiFi access at hotels to check e-mails and make Skype calls to confirm reservations, etc. I have utilized Verizon's international plan and it worked well. I monitored usage CAREFULLY to avoid a large unexpected bill after my trip.

The 1
$10/day plan is a rip-off!

The $40 for 1 month includes 100MB of data - each and $25 for each additional MB.

What are you planning on using your phone for?

I traveled for over a month and never turned my phone off. I used it for maps (even walking through cities) searching for info on sights, restaurants. I would use free wifi where available. My bill for the month was $239 more than normal - a small price to pay for the convenience.

I got tired of the hassle of trying to figure out things in a language I speak very little when using foreign (to me) sims & phones. If I call Verizon - I get someone who speaks English.

I have a Verizon iPhone and have used the $40 plan several times when in Europe, including France. We don't use the phone features too much since we're together most of the time but the data plan part of it is invaluable. It gives you the freedom to look up information, use online maps, etc., without stressing out about crazy per-minute data charges or having to find somewhere with wi-fi.
I still put my phone on airplane mode when I'm not using it so I don't incur overage charges. It's far easier than messing with sim cards or taking the time to get a throw away phone. IMHO it's completely worth it to not have to worry about it.

do some google, you'll find a ton of opinions about how to use a US cellphone in Europe. And no one is really wrong, it comes down to preferences and comfort level.

For research purposes, per this website you buy a cheap phone and don't pay anything unless you use it. That worked for me. You could also buy an unlocked GSM quad-band phone from Amazon or eBay and then buy a SIM for it, either before you leave or once you get there.

https://www.mobal.com/international-cell-phones/

I mostly use available free WiFi in Italy and France, but really needed GPS and maps, which I was told used tons of data! However, I discovered that if I accessed a map of the town where I was headed while I was still in free WiFi (get down to maximum detail), then turned off my Cellular Data, my location would still show up via GPS on my previously downloaded maps! Very cool. There are also map apps that work offline. I never make or receive more than a half dozen calls (to confirm my next reservation,etc) so i dont worry about buying plans with lots of calling minutes.

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discovered that if I accessed a map of the town where I was headed
while I was still in free WiFi (get down to maximum detail), then
turned off my Cellular Data, my location would still show up via GPS
on my previously downloaded maps

Very true. Iphone's use four methods to determine your location: Cell tower, satellite, wifi, and bluetooth.
So turning off cellular data still gives your phone three other methods to determine location. Also depending on how much free memory you have, Apple and Google maps will indeed keep map data stored in memory until you leave that locale.

yes, I love using Here Maps for that reason. Just did it again in London this weekend. No cellular data usage, and I walk around following my personal GPS as necessary!

My Verizon phone ate data in great gulps. Try Navmii France for an offline map system.