I've used my MOBAL phone (with updates) for international travel for many years until they went belly-up recently. I do not use a cell phone here (Michigan) except Tracfone's Android in emergencies. Is there something like MOBAL (where each call was directly charged to your credit card) out there for travelers who do not currently own/use any kind of cell phone? Yes, there are still some of us out there.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4412 posts
Sign up for T Mobile before your next trip with an international plan, they're considered the best and easiest, and cancel when you get home. So be careful what plan you select.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1190 posts
Surwink40: it sounds like you only want to make minimal calls. You make no mention of requiring data or even texting. If so a T-Mobile or other international monthly plan is overkill and not worth the hassle.
Is your Mobal phone unlocked and capable of accepting a Sim or eSim?
If so, just buy a Sim or eSim like Orange (~$20, 14 days, unlimited calls texts in Europe, 12GB data, 30 minutes international calls) and use it for your trip in a particular country or region.
There are also global or international sims which cover an even broader range of countries, but they will be more expensive than getting one for a particular continent or country. For example, the Orange Holiday World will provide data in 139 countries including North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. But, it will cost you about $50 and you only get 10 GB for 14 days.
If your old Mobal phone cannot be used, you will need to buy a new phone. You can still find a cheap flip phone for calls. Or you could buy an inexpensive smartphone and discover the convenience of mobile internet and digital photography. A Google Pixel 7a is less than $400 right now.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
You could have a look at this company, as one of their products may fit your requirements - https://cellularabroad.com/ . I haven't used them so can't provide any first hand experience. These days I travel with the roaming plan with my home cellular network. Although it's a bit expensive it really works well.