You travel a lot and when you return home, you find a $1000 phone bill at your doorstep. If you travel internationally, this can happen if you don’t do your research and plan ahead. International calling can get expensive. Depending on the cell phone carrier you choose, you may be limited by coverage areas, data limits, and other such features.

Try to not use your existing US data plans with a US phone when you travel outside your country. If you’re a frequent out-of-country traveler, getting an international cell phone postpaid plan can save you tons of money. Plus, postpaid even ensures you can get as much data as you want.

T-Mobile
T-Mobile offers the most expansive cell phone networks for international travelers. It has a coverage of up to 140 countries all over the world. Calls cost only 20 cents a minute, which is a steal for international call rates. They offer unlimited texting and 2G speeds for international travelers across the globe. You can even opt for international roaming with 3G speeds for an extra $15. They offer unlimited texting and surfing at 4G LTE speeds in countries like Mexico and Canada.

Sprint
Sprint offers a signup option for international coverage for free for existing Sprint users. Sprint’s Open World add-on plan works great for those traveling to South America. You can sign up for it at zero extra charges. Sprint offers unlimited calling and texting features for all countries and a 1 GB pack of 3G speeds every month for free. This offer is not applicable for travel in countries like Cuba, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
Once you finish your data cap or limit, Sprint charges $30 per GB of data for international roaming at 3G speeds. This can be a great deal for those looking to buy data on a budget and use whenever they want. This is unlike prepaid plans who force you to pay even for unused data. They offer unlimited calling and texting for free in North and South America. For many, this makes them the ultimate choice for international call services.

There are many things to keep in mind when you choose your service for travel. Are you going call home frequently? Or are you going to use the data to access apps that will make your travel easier? Know what your phone’s primary role and get a service to best suit it.