Using our cell phones while traveling internationally has always been a pain, at least for those without T-Mobile. As a long time customer of Verizon, I remember the crazy surcharges when traveling to Asia and Europe. After much outcry Verizon instituted daily travel passes in 2015 for $10 per day (now $12 per day) that gave us 2 GB of high-speed data per day, dropping down to 256 Kbps for the rest of that day.
They then offered a monthly travel pass for $100 per line two years later, providing 20 GB of high-speed data, reduced to 1 Mbps after that. Still with a family of four, that adds up -$48 per day or $196 for a two-week trip and with a more limited amount of data. That’s why many third party companies such as Airalo have prospered by selling a downloadable eSim card and offering much lower rates. Unfortunately it assigns a new phone number that can mess with your services that rely on your Verizon number such as text and WhatsApp.
Now there’s a new solution that offers the best option yet. It’s Verizon’s new Unlimited Ultimate Plan that provides Unlimited calls and texts in 210+ countries, 15 GB of high-speed data per billing cycle, (then reduced to ~1.5 Mbps), usable anywhere within international roaming countries.
The plan costs $25/month more than their lowest basic plan, regardless of whether you have one, two, three or four lines. So instead of paying $100 for a monthly pass or $12 per day, you simply upgrade all four phones to this plan for the duration of your trip, paying about $1 per day more for international data and calling.
A family of four on a 2-week trip would now pay a total of $50 for use of their four phones internationally. A single line user would pay $25 more for the month or $12.50 for 2 weeks.
The key is to switch to the plan before leaving and switch back after returning. Verizon also advises to turn your phones off and on after making each switch.
Verizon doesn’t advertise this option, but will confirm if you ask. There’s one precaution. When you switch to and from the plan, be sure to indicate you want the switch to occur immediately and not at the next billing cycle.
Here’s a summary below.
| Plan Type | Total Cost (4 lines) | Data Allowed (per line) | Talk / Text | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily TravelPass | $672($12 × 14 days × 4 lines) | ~2 GB/day high-speed, resets daily then slowed | Unlimited calls & texts as in US | Most flexible, pay only for days you roam |
| Monthly International Plan | $400($100 × 4 lines) | 20 GB/month high-speed, then slowed | Unlimited texts, calls ~$0.25/min | Better for heavy data, calls add up |
| Switch to Unlimited Ultimate | $50 ($25 x 4 lines x 1/2 mo) | 15 GB/month high-speed, then ~1.5 Mbps | Unlimited calls & texts to US & locally | Best if making lots of calls, seamless use |