Urgent advice needed for phone/plan to use overseas

Thank you, Ufkak!

Thanks, that's helpful information!

Hi Alyson, I bleieve Rick Steves' employees use T-Mobile which I switched to so I can use Google maps to get around. The plan I have costs $50 a month, but costs more to receive phone calls. I believe if you have an Apple smartphone device you can text for free with those who also own an Apple iPhone. Here's a link to learn more: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech.

Thank you MaryPat!

We traveled once a year pre-pandemic, plus my husband traveled several times a year for work, and we've had no trouble with T-Mobile. Seamless transitions as you move country to country, free texting, low per minute rates when we need to call, etc. I navigated our way through Italy and Greece with Google maps on iPhones. Easy peasy.

Highly recommend google Fi phones and plans. We have used Fi all over the world with excellent service and low costs. Seamless use of data as same rates as US. Easy and economical use of phone and texting as needed. Other costs as mentioned above. When using maps I usually download the area ahead of time and turn off data.

Alyson, go to google.com, create an account and pick out a phone that meets your needs. They will sign you up for google Fi plan, send you the phone is a couple of days with easy instructions on how to activate it.

Enjoy Iceland - it's spectacular.

Google Fi.
I use it all over, except Cuba. The sim scans for the operator that is contracted to Google anywhere you land and you are good to go.
Local calls and calls to the States are pennies.

Thanks for the info, Google Fi fans!

We've been very happy with T-Mobile for the last 4 years. Used our phones in Ireland and on a Budapest to Amsterdam cruise before covid. Got great phone deals from them at the Costco kiosk. Text and data free in Europe. Calls 25 cents a minute I believe. Have never needed to make a call.

Good to know, thanks. There's a T- Mobile by my job so I can try to stop in there after work to ask around.

Another vote for TMobile. Whenever we enter a country it texts us with our data/phone plan information. Their website is very good at showing you their costs for every country. Most are free data and .25 calls (which we do use on occasion). Wifi calling is free so that is the option we try to use. We have had excellent coverage in Europe/south america.

Oh thanks, I do find Wirecutter reviews to be reliable.

We’ve now got T-Mobile for our iPhones, with improved call quality and signal strength over the past 2 years. International calling and data are included in our plan.

Our Iceland trip was with our previous Verizon plan, which offered great phone signal and calling performance, but limited International data allowances. T-Mobile has worked great in Morocco and throughout Europe, for the best price (and in the USA too), and we’re sticking with it.

Google Fi.

I couldn't use my Fi in Cuba :--( , but it was available in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey....

Someone sent a pm and asked me about costs: I just got back from five months in France. Our monthly cost in the States for the two phones and numbers combined is $50. Overseas, it was less than $55 with data, local calls, and calls to the US. I was going to get a local phone, but between WhatsApp and Google Fi, it wasn't a priority during COVID.

You can sign up for Google Fi only in the US.

Thanks everyone for your reviews and information on prices.