The Travel Mobile Blog

We've assembled our top 5 tips for using an international SIM when traveling outside your home country, including confirming your phone is unlocked, that you have the right configuration settings and you know how much data you use.

Many operators are getting ready for the next generation of high-speed data known as 5G. In preparation, some operators have begun to discontinue support for their 3G networks, so it's really important that you make sure your phone supports the 4G/LTE bands used in the U.S.

In the 6 years Travel Mobile has been in the business we have seen our competitors try a variety of approaches. Some are honest brokers, and others not so much. Below are two important features of U.S. operator prepaid plans to keep in mind.

When you’re traveling you’re likely more concerned with how much data your prepaid SIM has rather than unlimited voice or text. So when purchasing a prepaid SIM for international travel it’s critical to know how much data you’ll use so you choose the right plan.

Have you ever had doubts about how to make international calls while in other countries? Perhaps you use applications like Viber, WhatsApp and Skype and haven't had to dial a number. But those apps need a strong data connection, which is not always available.

Everywhere we go we want to stay connected. One of the first things people ask when they arrive is “do you have free Wi-Fi?" It’s certainly convenient while you’re at a restaurant, waiting for your car at the repair shop or just having a coffee, but what a lot of people don’t know is that this kind of free access can be pretty risky.

Our customers travel the world using our international SIM cards, and from time to time we’re asked where we’ve used the very services we sell. Over the course of our travels these last few years we’ve been to the Amalfi Coast, Athens, Barcelona, Cancun, Cascais, Cassis, Coulier, Dublin, Florence, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Monte Carlo, Mykanos, Pisa, Portofino, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Gimignano, Santorini, São Paulo, Siena, Skiathos, St. Tropez, Zurich and the list continues to grow. Along the way we’ve developed a few favorites…

International travelers can rack up some pretty expensive roaming bills using voice and data while traveling abroad. There are several options for reducing roaming charges, such as using Wi-Fi whenever available and turning off data roaming when not using apps.

Staying connected while traveling abroad is a must these days, whether you need your phone for work, to call home or just to catch an Uber. Unless you’re on Safari in Africa where there’s little to no coverage (and you’re more likely focused on the beauty of the majestic creatures just steps away!) you’ll need voice, text and data services.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, over 80,000 American students study abroad at the college or university level each year. In addition, the number of U.S. students going abroad has increased by roughly 2% annually.

You just arrived in Europe and decide to purchase a local SIM for your iPhone. When you turn on your iPhone, you get a message that says "No SIM" or "Service Unavailable." Now what?!

When traveling outside your home country you have a number of options for using your mobile phone. If you’re a postpaid customer you can pay your home operator’s roaming fees. However, if you’re a prepaid SIM customer then you can’t roam and instead must purchase a local or international prepaid SIM for use in your destination country.