BEST International Cell Phone Plans | Retirement Travelers

Editorial Summary

The creators discuss various strategies for maintaining cell phone service while traveling internationally as long-term travelers. They begin by explaining the two primary options available in the United States, which include traditional carriers like AT&T and Verizon that offer daily international add-on packages, and Google Fi. The creators share their personal experience with Google Fi, noting that while the service is convenient for keeping a home phone number, the company restricts international data usage to ninety days. After exceeding this limit during extended trips to Central America and Europe, they were forced to rely on physical SIM cards from local providers like Vodafone. To address the lack of physical SIM slots on their newer iPhone 14 devices, they transitioned to using Airalo, an eSIM provider. They conclude that their current optimal setup involves a combination of Google Fi for maintaining their phone numbers for calls and texts, and Airalo for flexible international data through global, regional, or country-specific eSIM packages.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.