Every Way to Get Internet Abroad, Priced: Roaming, eSIM, Local SIM and Pocket Wi-Fi

Short answer: for most trips, a travel eSIM is the cheapest way to get internet abroad. Two weeks in Europe with about 20GB costs US$19–$51 on an eSIM, against US$168 on a US carrier’s day pass. A local SIM wins for a month or more in one country. Pocket Wi-Fi wins for groups with lots of devices. Pay-per-use roaming never wins.

There are six ways to get online in another country. Most guides describe them. Few put a price on them for the same trip, so it’s hard to see which one actually costs less. The answer changes with the trip, and the tables show why, including where BazTel, the eSIM I run, isn’t the cheapest.

So we priced all six for three common trips: two weeks in Europe, a family fortnight in Japan, and a month in Thailand. The answer changes with the trip, and the tables show why.

What is the cheapest way to get data overseas?

A travel eSIM or a local SIM, depending on how long you stay. Here’s every option priced for one person spending 14 days across several European countries. We assumed about 20GB, which is typical for maps, messaging, social media and photos. Our data usage hub shows where that figure comes from.

Option	14 days in Europe, ~20GB	The catch
Free Wi-Fi only	US$0	No maps or rides once you leave the hotel or café
Pay-per-use roaming (no pass)	About US$2,099 per GB on AT&T	Can reach four figures in a day
Verizon TravelPass	US$168 (US$12 a day)	Charged each day you use your phone
AT&T International Day Pass	US$120–$168	US$12 a day, capped at 10 days per billing cycle
T-Mobile International Pass	US$50 for 15GB (30-day pass)	Only on eligible plans; some plans include a smaller allowance
Telstra International Day Pass (Australia)	A$140 (about US$98)	A$10 a day for 2GB a day
UK carrier EU roaming	£28–£38.50 (about US$37–$51)	About £2–£2.75 a day; Switzerland and Turkey often excluded
Pocket Wi-Fi rental	€98–€140 (about US$109–$155)	Delivery and return; one more device to charge
Local EU SIM bought on arrival	€10–€30 (about US$11–$33)	Shop visit and ID; works across the EU under “roam like at home”
Holafly Europe unlimited eSIM	US$50.90 (15 days)	Paid by the day; hotspot limits apply
Orange Travel Europe eSIM	US$29.99 (20GB, 14 days)	Includes calls and a French number
BazTel Europe eSIM	US$19 (20GB, 30 days) or US$28 unlimited	Data only, no phone number

Prices were checked in November 2026 on each provider’s own pages where available. Currency conversions use €1 = US$1.11, £1 = US$1.33 and A$1 = US$0.70.

Roaming passes cost three to nearly nine times more than an eSIM for the same trip. Pay-per-use roaming is in a different league: AT&T’s default rate of US$2.05 per MB works out at about US$2,099 per gigabyte.

For a deeper look at carrier passes versus eSIMs, see eSIM vs roaming.

The six ways to get internet abroad

1. Free Wi-Fi

Costs: nothing. Works for: evenings at the hotel, downloads, streaming.

Free Wi-Fi is a good backup, not a plan. It disappears the moment you step outside. And sign-in pages are where most travel Wi-Fi scams happen. Here’s how safe hotel Wi-Fi really is, and the airport version.

Download offline maps before you go, and free Wi-Fi covers more than you’d think. Google Maps navigation uses only 2–5MB an hour anyway.

2. Pay-per-use roaming

Costs: a few dollars per megabyte. Works for: nothing you’d choose on purpose.

This is what happens if you land with data roaming on and no pass or add-on. It’s the source of most bill-shock stories. The FCC advises checking your carrier’s rates and settings before you travel. Telstra, for example, charges A$3 per MB in destinations without a Day Pass.

3. Carrier roaming passes

Costs: US$10–$12 a day in the US, A$5–$10 a day in Australia, about £2–£2.75 a day for UK networks in Europe. Works for: short trips when you need your own number.

A pass lets you use your home plan abroad for a flat daily fee. Verizon and AT&T charge US$12 a day in most countries. T-Mobile sells 1-day, 10-day and 30-day passes.

Passes make sense for a weekend away, or when your employer pays. Over a week or more, the daily fee adds up fast, and for a family it’s charged on every line. Here’s how to avoid home carrier roaming charges.

4. Travel eSIM

Costs: about US$1–$5 per GB, or US$2–$4 a day for unlimited. Works for: most trips under a month, especially across several countries.

A travel eSIM is a data plan you download to your phone before you fly. It connects when you land, and your home SIM stays in for calls and texts. Most phones from the last few years support it; check our eSIM compatibility list.

The main trade-off is the phone number. Most travel eSIMs are data-only, so you call over WhatsApp or FaceTime. Prices also vary a lot between providers. Our best eSIM for international travel guide compares them.

5. Local SIM card

Costs: often the lowest per gigabyte. Works for: a month or more in one country.

A local prepaid SIM gives you local rates and often a local number. In Thailand, a 30-day unlimited tourist SIM from AIS or True costs ฿1,199, about US$37.

The costs are time and paperwork. You need an unlocked phone, a shop visit and usually your passport. Inside the EU, one local SIM works across member states under “roam like at home“, subject to fair-use limits. Outside the EU, each new country means a new SIM. Here’s how airport SIMs compare with eSIMs.

6. Pocket Wi-Fi

Costs: about €7–€10 a day in Europe and ¥400–¥1,200 a day in Japan. Works for: groups and families who stay together.

A pocket Wi-Fi is a small rented router. Everyone connects to it, so one rental covers a whole family’s phones, tablets and laptops. It also works for phones that don’t support eSIM.

The catches: it needs charging every day, the group has to stay near it, and you must return it. In Europe, rental often costs more than an eSIM per person (€7–€10 a day). In Japan, where rental is a mature market, it’s far cheaper.

One alternative: any phone with a data plan can share it. Here’s how to share eSIM data by hotspot.

When each option wins: two more trips, priced

The Europe table favours eSIMs. Change the trip, and the winner changes too.

A family of four, 14 days in Japan (~40GB in total)

Option	Total for the family	Notes
Verizon TravelPass, 4 lines	US$672	US$12 a line, every day
AT&T Day Pass, 4 lines	US$420	US$12 for the first line and US$6 for each extra line, before the 10-day cap
Airport SIMs, 4 phones	¥8,000–¥18,000 (about US$51–$114)	All four phones must be unlocked
Pocket Wi-Fi, unlimited	¥10,999 (about US$70)	Japan Wireless 14-day rental, power bank included
BazTel Japan eSIMs	US$28–$38	Two 20GB plans shared by hotspot, or a plan on every phone

Verdict: eSIMs cost the least, but pocket Wi-Fi is close. It wins if the kids’ tablets or older phones can’t take an eSIM, or if someone needs unlimited data for work. Japan Wireless’s 14-day unlimited rental costs ¥10,999. Airport SIMs in Tokyo run ¥2,000–¥4,500 each. Yen figures use ¥158 = US$1.

Families tend to use less data per person than they expect. Our family data study shows a typical split.

One person, 30 days in Thailand

Option	Moderate use (~30GB)	Heavy use (~70GB)
Verizon TravelPass	US$360	US$360
Thai tourist SIM, 30-day unlimited	฿1,199 (about US$37)	฿1,199 (about US$37)
BazTel Thailand eSIM	US$22 (20GB + 10GB)	US$50 (three 20GB + one 10GB)

Verdict: the eSIM wins for moderate use. For heavy hotspot use over a month, the local SIM wins. Our Thailand digital nomad study shows which group you’re likely in.

What is the best internet for travelers?

The one that matches your trip. Use this table to pick:

If you are…	Best option	Why
On a 1–2 day trip and need your own number	Carrier roaming pass	Nothing to set up; a day or two costs US$10–$24
Travelling solo or as a couple for up to a month	Travel eSIM	Cheapest per trip, works on landing, no shop visit
Crossing several countries	Regional travel eSIM	One plan across borders
A group of 3+ staying together, or using older phones	Pocket Wi-Fi	One rental covers every device
Staying a month or more in one country	Local SIM	Lowest price per gigabyte over a long stay
Working from a laptop every day	Large fixed eSIM plan or local SIM	Unlimited plans throttle after a daily limit

Remote workers have extra needs, like keeping bank codes arriving. We cover that in the best eSIM for digital nomads.

Is there a best phone plan for international travel?

If you travel abroad several times a year, a home plan with roaming included can make sense. In the US, some T-Mobile and Verizon plans include high-speed data abroad. In the UK, some EE plans include EU roaming.

But those plans cost more every month, at home too. For one or two trips a year, keeping your cheaper home plan and adding a travel eSIM usually costs less. Your home SIM stays active for calls and texts. Here’s how an eSIM and a regular SIM work together.

How to stay connected while traveling: a 6-step checklist

1. Check your home plan. Find out what it includes abroad and what happens if you go over.
2. Estimate your data. Most holiday travelers use 0.6–1GB a day. Use our data calculator.
3. Choose your method with the table above.
4. Set it up before you fly. Install an eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, or book a pocket Wi-Fi for airport pickup.
5. Switch off data roaming on your home SIM. Keep the line on for calls and bank texts. See what data roaming is and how to turn it off.
6. Download offline maps for the cities you’re visiting. Then a dead zone costs you traffic updates, not your way.

Myth vs fact

Myth	Fact
“Roaming is fine now; it’s only a few dollars.”	A daily pass costs US$12 a day in most countries. Over two weeks that’s US$168, against US$19–$51 for an eSIM.
“Local SIMs are always cheapest.”	Only for long stays. For two weeks across several countries, a travel eSIM often costs less and needs no shop visit.
“Free Wi-Fi is enough.”	Not outside. Maps, ride apps and translation all need data on the street.
“Pocket Wi-Fi is outdated.”	In Japan it’s still a good deal for families, at about US$70 for 14 days of unlimited data.
“An eSIM means losing my number.”	Your home SIM stays in the phone. You can still receive calls and texts on it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to get internet abroad?

For trips under a month, usually a travel eSIM: about US$19–$51 for two weeks in Europe. For a month or more in one country, a local SIM is often cheaper.

How can I use my phone abroad without roaming charges?

Turn off data roaming for your home SIM, then use a travel eSIM or local SIM for data. Keep the home line on so calls and texts still arrive.

Is a travel eSIM better than pocket Wi-Fi?

For one or two people, yes: it’s cheaper and there’s nothing to carry or return. For a group staying together, or phones without eSIM, pocket Wi-Fi can cost less per person.

Is it cheaper to buy a SIM card at the airport?

Rarely. Airport SIMs usually cost more than the same plan in town or an eSIM bought before you fly. In Tokyo they run about ¥2,000–¥4,500 per person.

Do I need an international phone plan to travel?

No. Most travelers keep their home plan and add a travel eSIM or local SIM for data abroad. An international plan only pays off if you travel often.

How do I stay connected while traveling?

Check your home plan, estimate your data, set up an eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi before you fly, turn off data roaming on your home SIM, and download offline maps.

How we priced these trips

We used each provider’s published prices, checked in November 2026, not trip receipts. Carrier rates come from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Telstra. Local SIM and pocket Wi-Fi prices come from the providers or recent guides, and vary by store and season. Data use comes from our own trip studies. Exchange rates are approximate.