Verizon

Don’t know about the “pay and go” but if you’ve added/used the Verizon Travel Pass in the past, it will be available for future international trips. No need to add it again to your account.

Thank you. Last year we did the $10 per day if you use that day. It is an international plan.

Yes, but...for a recent trip, we opted for the "one month" unlimited plan, with the assurance from the international help desk at Verizon it would "turn off" after that month (it did), and our Travel Pass would resume (it did not). This is not the question you asked, but I provide this for others who like me suffer with the poor customer service of Verizon when it comes to the international plans...I am looking at T-Mobile, will change soon and certainly before I go on any other international trips. I have been an unsatisfied Verizon customer for far too long...

The point is: with Verizon, you should have an online account, and before every trip abroad, you should check to see if Travel Pass is still active. To get anything done, you have to call them, even though the website makes it seem like you can do it yourself on the site. I have found out, sometimes the hard way, that the website is very unreliable for changing plans, etc.

Thank you. I actually have a Verizon store close by and might pop in there.

Lulu - if you used the $10 per day for any 24-hour period that you used it, you were using Verizon’s “Travel Pass”. That’s what I use too. I do not need Verizon’s month-long international plan that is $100. Over my typical 2-week-long trips, I use the Travel Pass only 4 times for $40.

Thank you. I actually have a Verizon store close by and might pop in there.

In my experience, those stores are hit or miss for helping with account issues. Their mission and the way they make money is signing up new customers, selling plans with phones, etc. Last time I went in one to get help with an account issue, they had no idea, and told me I had to call the customer service.

Note that not all Verizon "stores" are corporate owned and staffed, particularly in smaller markets - many are franchises - authorized Verizon retailers - and they are not as well equipped or staffed to help with account problems.

Good luck. It is definitely worth a try if you don't have an online account with them.

Avoid Verizon “Franchise” stores! Get advice from a Verizon store that is not a franchise. I learned the hard way about getting advice from a”Verizon” store.
Verify the following: Once you take your phone off airplane mode and are not connected to any wifi network (such as in your hotel) you will receive confirmation via notification that a 24-hour Travel Pass has been “activated”. You will begin using data. You will also get a notice a few hours before the 24-hour pass expires, as a warning, so that you can put your phone back on airplane mode until you need another 24-hour travel pass. While on airplane mode and data roaming off you can still use wifi to text, use your camera, any Rick Steves walks that you previously downloaded, etc. What’s app is handy in Europe for text communication without needing to use roaming data.

Last spring I signed up for the Verizon 30-day plan after previously having used the $10/day travel pass. It did cut off after 30 days and my $10/day plan resumed immediately. I did not have any problems with the changeover. The $10/day plan also started immediately on my last trip to the UK in August where I knew I was going to use it less than 10 times so was cheaper.

I agree with going to a corporate store if you have one near you. The authorized retailers just can't give good information about plans.

My biggest issue is knowing when the 24-hr day is going to end when I'm on the $10/day plan. I get the text from Verizon saying you've started a 24-hr travel pass day and it will end on such and such a time which is Eastern time. I can't think in Eastern time any more since I live in Pacific time plus I'm in EUROPE. I've started noting the LOCAL time when I sign on so I'll know to switch to airplane mode about 30 minutes before the 24 hours is up. I've never gotten a reminder text near the end of the time frame.

Agree with comments about service at retail stores being hit or miss. Verizon does have a dedicated line for international questions and problems. And the people know what they are talking about. The number is (or was) 1-800-711-8300. If that number isn't valid, then check the web site for an updated one.

I’ve never heard of an international “pay as you go” plan from Verizon. We have the travel pass. It’s part of our plan now as a back up in the rare case we need it.

Just came from store. I have the Travel Pass still on because I never had it taken off. There is a pay as you go…$10 a day when in use or $100 for a month. We are doing the pay as you go because there is no need to call anyone at home, nor will we text much.

I haven't confirmed this with Verizon yet but I was charged for a phone call made to a number in the country I was currently in. I took the phone out of airplane mode to activate the $10 per day plan that I had previously signed up for and made the call. As I was billed for the minutes of the call, the only fine print I could find that might explain the charges was this:

Wi-Fi calling isn't included with TravelPass. Wi-Fi calling to a country other than the US is charged international long distance rates regardless of whether or not you have an international travel plan.

My phone was on wi-fi when I made the call for which I was charged; this actually happened twice. Perhaps if I had taken it off of wi-fi there would not have been another charge, just the $10 daily charge?????

Yes I saw that information about Wi-Fi calling just the other day. I saw the functionality on my iPhone and wondered what it was. Calling the US was free but any other country was not. So to answer your question, yes, take your phone off Wi-Fi once you activate data to guarantee you can call any country that is covered in the travel pass for that $10 fee for 24 hours.

Verizon is an overpriced rip-off at $10/day for virtually no data. Get an eSim or a physical SIM with unlimited data, or a generous package to cover your stay.

Verizon is an overpriced rip-off at $10/day for virtually no data.

Actually you get unlimited data, texting, and calls for that daily price.

I am not a Verizon fan because of the poor customer service, and I agree their pricing is a rip-off vs what you can get from, say T-Mobile...

Thank you very much everyone for all of the useful tips. I read the complete thread and found so many amazing tips and tricks that I can try at least for once.

I am looking at T-Mobile, will change soon and certainly before I go on any other international trips. I have been an unsatisfied Verizon customer for far too long.

Jojo, I made the switch from Verizon to T-Mobile in time for my Scotland trip this year, and have not looked back once. It was the best move I could make and made my trip to Scotland so much easier.

I did not have to do a single thing to initiate the international plan, either. Once I entered a new country, I received a text from T-Mobile welcoming me there. Great service the entire trip. I could not have been happier.