Avoid Making This One Costly Cell Phone Mistake When Traveling Abroad

There are lots of surprise costs you can encounter when traveling abroad. Airport conversion fees, hotel resort fees, and credit card transaction fees can eat into your budget, but the one that catches travelers off guard again and again is cell phone roaming. International roaming charges are the fees your phone company adds when you connect to a foreign carrier for calls, texts, or data. Unless your plan includes coverage, every notification, search, or app update can cost far more than you expect.

The annoying part is that you don't even notice it happening. As soon as you land, when you hurriedly go to turn off airplane mode, your phone will automatically connect to the strongest signal and provider. And if you have your mobile data toggled on by default, mail syncing, cloud backups, and app refreshes can all keep running even when you're not actively using your device. It doesn't take hours of streaming to build a huge bill. A few minutes on maps or video calling family can be enough to push charges into the hundreds (or even higher).

For people used to unlimited data at home, the shock can be severe. Cases of travelers returning home to bills in the thousands are not uncommon. What feels like routine phone use — scrolling social media, navigating, or posting photos — can quickly become the single most expensive part of the trip.

With some preparation (and awareness that roaming charges exist), there are ways you can avoid spending a fortune and still use your phone. But the easiest tip, if you're happy to wait for your hotel Wi-Fi, is to just turn off data roaming; you can't be charged for something you don't have turned on. If you're going for this option, download what you need in advance. Maps, playlists, and translation apps can all be saved offline, reducing your need to connect. Planning a long walk through a historic town center? Make sure you have the route saved. Taking a long, scenic train journey through Europe? Save your audiobook offline. This requires a bit more preparation, but it's worth it to save potentially hundreds of dollars on a phone bill.

But, if you want to stay online when traveling and be able to post Instagram stories whenever you'd like, buy a local SIM card or an eSIM. This will give you access to domestic rates for calls and data. Your own local carrier may even offer an international package or day pass, another thing worth checking before. That way, you can still keep your feed updated without your phone being the talk of your vacation. And don't forget to consult Rick Steves' approved vacation checklist before you go.