How to Avoid Expensive International Roaming Charges
Understanding roaming charges
International roaming charges occur when your phone connects to a foreign carrier's network. Your home carrier pays that foreign carrier, then passes the cost — often with a healthy markup — to you. Rates vary, but without a roaming add-on you can easily pay $10–$20 per MB of data in some countries.
Option 1 — Use an eSIM (recommended)
An eSIM data plan from Vsimer gives you local rates in 190+ countries. A 5GB plan for Europe might cost $12–$18, compared to $100+ in roaming fees for the same usage. You keep your home number active for calls and just use the eSIM for data.
Option 2 — Turn off roaming entirely
If you have a travel eSIM, there is no reason to keep roaming active on your home SIM. Go to Settings → Cellular → [Home SIM] → Data Roaming and turn it off. Your home number still receives calls and SMS over Wi-Fi calling.
Option 3 — Add a roaming package from your carrier
Most major carriers offer daily or weekly roaming passes ($5–$15/day). These are better than paying per MB, but still more expensive than an eSIM for most people. Compare the cost before deciding.
Option 4 — Use Wi-Fi wherever possible
Hotels, cafes, airports and many public spaces offer free Wi-Fi. Use it for data-heavy tasks like video calls and streaming, and rely on your data plan for navigation and messaging on the go.
Key settings to check before you travel
- Turn off Data Roaming on your home SIM
- Disable automatic app updates over cellular
- Turn off background app refresh on non-essential apps
- Set iCloud backup to Wi-Fi only