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Why You Should Always Print Your Boarding Pass

When in doubt, print it out.

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Window or aisle seat? Carry-on or checked bag? Three hours early or right on time? Air travel is full of polarizing decisions, and that includes whether to print your boarding pass or use the mobile version. So, which type of boarding pass should you use? The answer is more complicated than you might think.

Generally speaking, we like to err on the side of caution and suggest you print out your boarding pass, even if you already checked in online and have a mobile version on your phone. "I prefer paper boarding passes because it's easier and has fewer hassles," says Sue Fogwell, a former flight attendant with 22 years of experience. "I don't always like to rely on my iPhone. On too many occasions, my battery is running dangerously low, or the gate is in a dead zone and I lose my signal." No one wants to be the person holding up the boarding process because of technical difficulties.

Related: 25 Things You Should Do Before Boarding a Plane, According to a Frequent Flier

We especially recommend printing boarding passes if you're taking connecting flights, as the longer you're in transit, the more likely your phone battery will run low or die completely. There's also the consideration of border control if you're traveling internationally — sometimes border agents might ask to see your boarding pass, and it's usually easier to hand them the paper version rather than your whole phone.

On the other hand, acquiring a printed boarding pass requires you to either check in at a kiosk or a ticketing desk (unless you're flying on an airline that lets you print boarding passes out at home). That can add time to your overall airport process, and if you're someone who likes to cut it close with airport arrivals, this might not be an option for you. If you're already checking a bag, though, you should go ahead and ask the agent to print out a copy of your boarding pass. A printed boarding pass is also a good place for an agent to stick your checked bag receipt — if you're using a mobile pass, you'll have to hang onto the receipt separately.

There's nothing wrong with a mobile boarding pass, of course, and there are times when it might be more practical to use them. For example, if you're taking just one short flight, you're not checking a bag, and your phone battery is fully charged, a mobile boarding pass shouldn't be an issue. And if you later decide you want a printed one anyway, you could always ask the gate agent prior to boarding, or you could ask the front desk in your airline's lounge .

Related: Why You Never Want to See These Four Letters on Your Boarding Pass

Whether you opt for a printed or mobile boarding pass, there's one very important tip you should follow: always take a picture (or screenshot) of your boarding pass (but remember to never share it on social media ). In the event your frequent flier miles are not credited to your account properly, you may need to submit a boarding pass as evidence you took the flight. This is another situation where a paper boarding pass might come in handy — paper boarding passes typically provide more information than digital ones, including your e-ticket number and booking code (PNR). Mobile boarding passes store that information inside the QR code, which you can't access without a scanner. 

There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding which type of boarding pass is right for you — both work just fine. But when it comes to air travel, we like to play it safe, which is why we recommend printing out your boarding pass, too.

Best international phone plans in 2024 — what travelers need to know

Heading overseas? Find out what your cellphone provider charges if you use your phone

• T-Mobile phone plans
• Verizon phone plans
• AT&T phone plans
• Google Fi plans
• Other options
• Device compatibility and eSims
• 5G coverage when traveling

Before your summer travels overseas, you should look into whether you've got one of the best international phone plans for staying connected during your upcoming adventures. In the U.S., all the major wireless carriers offer some kind of travel benefit with their best cell phone plans , but they also have supplementary packages for travelers to augment the data plan you already have in place. The trick is to make sure those options keep you covered around the globe.

1. T-Mobile : Best choice for travelers 2. Verizon : TravelPass options 3. AT&T : Best for travel in Latin and Central America 4. Google Fi : An underrated traveling companion 5. Other options : Other international phone plans to consider

The best international phone plans will let you make calls and browse the web when you're in another country (though there might be a fee on top of your normal monthly rate, depending on which carrier you use). Different plans might cover different countries, and how long you plan on traveling could also impact your choice of plans. Your method of travel — be it by plane or cruise ship — also affects which plan is best for you.

All of these are things for globetrotters to consider when shopping for wireless coverage. You're going to want one of the best unlimited data plans since they tend to offer the most travel-related perks. If you haven't travelled internationally in a while, it's smart to double-check what options are out there since the best phone carriers have overhauled their plans and packages available to travelers.

Here’s a look at the travel policies and perks for the three top U.S carriers along with information on Google Fi, which offers a plan that definitely appeals to frequent travelers.

T-Mobile international phone plans

T-Mobile offers an expanded array of plans, though most of its unlimited data plan options have some benefits for overseas travel. Subscribe to Magenta, Magenta Max, Go5G, Go5G Plus or Go5G Next, and you enjoy unlimited data and texting in more than 215 countries around the world. If you want to place or receive calls, you’ll be subject to the local rate depending on where you want to go. You don’t need to notify T-Mobile of your travel for your overseas benefits to kick in.

T-Mobile Go5G Plus Plan | Unlimited Data | $90/month T-Mobile's Go5G Plus plan has the edge over Magenta Max for world travelers, even if the latter plan is $5 cheaper for a single line. That's because Go5G Plus customers get more data when traveling in Mexico and Canada (15GB vs. 10GB for Magenta Max) and 10GB more hotspot data. Otherwise, the two plans are identical: You can use your data in 215-plus countries at no extra cost. The first 5GB of data you use use will be high-speed data (with 5G speeds supported where available). The cheaper Go5G and Magenta plans ($75/month and $70/month, respectively) also feature travel benefits, including high-speed data in 11 European countries. Otherwise, data speeds are capped at 256 kbps.

Travel perks in current plans: As part of T-Mobile's Beyond Connected program, data speeds now reach 256 kbps when you're overseas. If you subscribe to either the standard Magenta or Go5G plans and you're in one of 11 European countries, you can enjoy 5GB of high-speed data every month, thanks to a partnership with T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telecom.

The perk gets better when you upgrade to either Magenta Max or Go5G Plus, both of which cost $15 more a month than their respective base plans. In that case, you can benefit from 5GB of high-speed data in 215 countries.

Go5G Next, T-Mobile's most expensive plan at $100/month for a single line, has the same travel benefits as Go5G Plus, but adds the ability to upgrade your phone every year. If that's not important to you, stick with Go5G Plus and pay $10 less each month on your wireless bill.

T-Mobile customers can take advantage of free Wi-Fi on American, Delta, Alaska Airlines and United flights. Magenta Max and Go5G Plus subscribers get full texting and Wi-Fi with streaming during flights, where wireless is available. If you go with the standard Magenta or Go5G option, you're covered on four flights per year with full streaming, plus unlimited texting; after those four flights, you can stream one hour of video. Delta SkyMiles members also get free Wi-Fi on domestic U.S. flights courtesy of T-Mobile — even if they get their wireless service from another carrier.

In Mexico and Canada, T-Mobile allows you to use up to 5GB of data whether you've got Magenta or Magenta Max; speeds are slowed to 2G after that. Go5G customers get 10GB of data in those two countries, while Go5G Plus members enjoy 15GB.

T-Mobile includes travel benefits in two of its remaining senior plans, with identical travel perks between the $100 Go5G Plus 55 option and the $120 Go5G Next 55 plan. (Note that those monthly prices cover two lines of data; one line of either Plus or Next cost $70 and $80, respectively.) Travel perks include high-speed data and text when you travel abroad, plus unlimited in-flight connectivity. When you travel to Canada or Mexico, you get 15GB of high-speed data. Both plans also include a year's membership to AAA for road travel in the U.S.

If you opt for T-Mobile's lower cost Essentials unlimited plan, you'll get 2G roaming in Canada and Mexico, but have to pay for data elsewhere.

Trip-specific passes: T-Mobile offers International Pass options for travelers who want high-speed data during lengthier stays overseas. A 5GB International Pass gives you that much high-speed data along with unlimited calling for 10 days. It costs $35. T-Mobile's $50 International Pass increases high-speed data to 15GB and extends the length of the pass to 30 days. The carrier also offers a $5 daily pass that gives you 512MB of high-speed data, and unlimited calling between the 215 or so Simple Global destinations. 

Cruise rates: Pricing on cruises will vary according to which cruise you’re taking. You can check T-Mobile’s site to see what your pricing will be.

Verizon international phone plans

Verizon phones generally work all over the world, especially if you've got a phone built in the last few years. But where you travel significantly influences how much you’ll have to pay. As for which is the best Verizon phone plan for travelers, that all depends on how frequently you go overseas. There's a clear choice for regular globetrotters, but Verizon's less expensive offerings allow you to tack on travel benefits, too.

Verizon Unlimited Ultimate | Unlimited Data | $90/month Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan offers the most benefits for world travelers. Verizon promises "full international connectivity," meaning you'll be able to use talk and text for free when overseas; you also get 10GB of high-speed data every month that you can use in other countries. Unlimited Ultimate is Verizon's most expensive plan, so unless you take frequent trips, you may be better served by Unlimited Plus ($80/month for one line) or Unlimited Welcome ($65/month). Those two plans can add on a $10/month Travel Pass options that provides three days of talk, text and data when you're overseas. You can drop the Travel Pass add-on from your plan in months were you don't need it. Verizon lets family plans mix and match lines so one person can get Unlimited Ultimate, while the others subscribe to the cheaper options.

Travel perks in current plans: Of Verizon's three unlimited plans, the best for frequent travelers is the Unlimited Ultimate option, which lets you use talk and text in other countries just like you would in the U.S. You also get 10GB of high-speed data to use overseas every month.

Unfortunately, Unlimited Ultimate is Verizon's most expensive plan, costing $90 a month for one line. (And that's after a discount for enrolling autopay.) There are cheaper options — Unlimited Welcome and Unlimited Plus — that include travel perks. Both plans let you text internationally to 200-plus countries. You can also use LTE data when traveling in Mexico and Canada. You're limited to 0.5GB of data consumption per day in those two countries before your speeds are slowed to 2G, and you can't use more than half of your talk, text and data in those countries over a 60-day period.

In addition to the base Welcome Unlimited and Unlimited Plus packages, you can opt for $10 monthly add-ons for your Verizon plan — some covering streaming services, another providing hotspot data and so on. The relevant package is Verizon's $10/month 3 TravelPass Days add-on, which saves you $20 a month on travel benefits as you pick up three passes during monthly billing cycles. You can accrue up to 36 passes for using talk, text and data when traveling overseas.

Unlimited Welcome starts at $65/month for one line, while Unlimited Plus is $80. If you have a family plan, you can mix and match so that different lines of data subscribe to different plans — helpful if there's one person in the family who travels a lot and would benefit from the Unlimited Ultimate perks.

Trip-specific passes: Let's talk a little bit more about the TravelPass . It's Verizon's daily option for international coverage, and it’ll cost you $5 per day per device for each day you’re out of the country if you travel to Mexico or Canada and don't have an unlimited plan. In 185 other countries — including China, France and Germany — Verizon charges $10 per device per day. TravelPass gets you 2GB of 5G data, and unlimited data at 3G speeds after that; the passes also come with unlimited talk and text.

If you know you’ll be traveling for a bit more time, consider Verizon’s monthly option, which the carrier recommends for trips lasting at least 10 days. International Monthly Plans at Verizon cost $100/month, but in exchange, you get 250 minutes of talk, unlimited texts and 20GB of high-speed data. (Use that, and you get unlimited data at 3G speeds.)

Verizon also offers pay-as-you-go pricing for international travel. You’ll pay 99 cents per minute in Canada and Mexico, Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands. Rates go up to $1.79 in 130-plus countries and $2.99 in 80 other places. Each text message you send will cost you 50 cents, and each received text will set you back 5 cents. Your data will be charged at a rate of $2.05 per megabyte no matter where you are.

Cruise rates: Pay-as-you go rates on cruise ships cost $1.99 for each minute of talk and 50 cents for every sent text message. You’ll pay 5 cents per message received. Verizon has a data plan for cruise passengers, too, with $30/day giving you 500MB of data plus unlimited texting and 50 minutes of talk time. For in-flight connectivity, you can opt for the same pay-as-you-go rates for cruise trips or you can pay $20 per day for unlimited data.

AT&T international phone plans

AT&T also comes with varied international pricing depending on where you want to go. Canada and Mexico travel is covered in many top AT&T plans, and if you pay up for the Unlimited Premium option, you can use your plan in many Central and South American countries. Traveling elsewhere? Then you had best look into AT&T's travel passes.

AT&T Unlimited Premium| Unlimited Data | $85.99/month It's AT&T's most expensive unlimited plan, but Unlimited Premium has the best perk for travelers — you can use your talk, text and data at no extra cost in 20 Latin American countries.  As with other AT&T unlimited options, you also enjoy talk, text and data coverage when traveling in Canada and Mexico.

Travel perks in current plans: If you’re heading to Mexico or Canada, AT&T already covers all of your voice, data and text with its four different unlimited plans — Starter, Extra, Premium and the entry-level Value Plus option. AT&T offers a lone tiered data plan with 4GB of data that you can use in Canada and Mexico (though roaming may be at 2G speeds). Both unlimited and tiered data plans feature unlimited texting to 120-plus countries.

The Unlimited Premium plan is the best option for travelers headed to the Americas, as you'll be able to enjoy unlimited text, talk and data at no additional cost in 20 Central and South American countries. 

If you do a lot of international calling from home, AT&T offers unlimited calling to 85-plus countries from the U.S. for $15 per month for each line. Calls to another 140-plus countries get discounted rates under this plan.

Trip-specific passes: For anyone off to Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America or the Asia Pacific region on a short jaunt, AT&T recommends its $10-a-day International Day Pass, which comes with unlimited talk and text and data governed by your plan. (Note that each device you take overseas will need its own Day Pass.) That service is available in 210-plus countries, and you can add extra phones for just $5 a day.

You'll never have to pay for more than 10 days of day passes on any one bill, even if your trip lasts longer. International Day Passes also kick in automatically when you use your phone abroad — you get a text message letting you know you're covered.

Cruise rates: On cruises , AT&T offers a $60/month Cruise Basic plan that covers 100 minutes of talk and unlimited texting while also offering 100MB of data. Need more of everything? Then try the Cruise Plus plan ($100/month), which includes 1GB of data on top of unlimited talk and text. 

Google Fi international phone plans

If you do a lot of international traveling, don't ignore Google Fi Wireless , the wireless service set up by Google that uses cellular towers of T-Mobile and US Cellular to provide coverage. International travel is built into two of Google Fi's plans — the Unlimited Plus and Flexible options.

Google Unlimited Plus| Unlimited Data | $65/month The Unlimited Plus plan is the way to go with Google Fi, as you can use your data at no extra cost when traveling overseas. Google Fi customers who pay by the gigabyte of data used are also eligible for this perk.

Travel perks in current plans: You've got two options with Google Fi — tiered data through the company's Flexible plan or a pair of unlimited data options. Flexible coverage costs $20 a month for talk and text plus $10 for each GB of data you use. (Data usage is rounded off to the nearest megabyte so you only pay for the data you consume.) Google stops charging you after you use 6GB a month, meaning you'll never pay more than $80. 

If you find unlimited data plans more appealing, Google has you covered there, too — it also offers a $65 Unlimited Plus option that rolls in unlimited talk, text and data. Unlimited Plus subscribers now get a year of YouTube Premium as a perk. 

The real benefit to either Unlimited Plus or Flexible is that those plans cover you when you're traveling in 200-plus countries. When you're overseas, Google Fi charges the same rate for data usage, whether you're on an unlimited data plan or paying by the gigabyte. Voice calls cost 20 cents (though calls placed over Wi-Fi are free) and you get unlimited SMS messaging. 

Alas, Google's $50/month Simply Unlimited plan is not eligible for the free data perk when traveling. That said, all three of Google Fi's plans let you use talk, text and data in Mexico and Canada.

Google Fi is even more appealing now that Google has opened up service to all phones, including iPhones. Note that phones optimized for Google Fi — Google's Pixel phones (currently the Pixel 8 , Pixel 8 Pro , Pixel Fold and Pixel 7a )  along with a selection of Samsung phones and Motorola budget devices — can switch seamlessly between cellular networks and Google's Wi-Fi hotspots, while other phones cannot.

Trip-specific passes: Unlike the other carriers here, Google Fi doesn't offer travel passes for extended trips. Your only option is to get coverage through the Flexible and Unlimited Plus plans.

Cruise rates: Google Fi is not available when you're at sea — only when you're on land in one of the 200-plus countries covered by the carrier.

Other international phone plan options

Discount carriers typically don't provide much in the way of benefits for travelers, but there are some exceptions. The most noteworthy alternative is Visible , which has expanded the travel perks for subscribers to its $45/month Visible Plus plan .

Visible is owned by Verizon and uses its parent company's network for coverage. The Visible Plus plan features unlimited data, including access to Verizon's high-speed 5G network. Travelers will be particularly interested in the unlimited talk, text and 2GB of daily data available through Visible Plus when traveling in Canada and Mexico. Visible Plus customers are also eligible for one free Global Pass day per month, in which they can use talk, text and data at no charge in 140 countries. Globla Passes normally cost $10.

Best international phone plan: Device compatibility and eSims

Traveling overseas used to mean checking to see if your phone would be compatible once you set foot in another country. But those days are drawing to a close now that 3G networks are shutting down, eliminating much of the distinction between phones that work on either GSM and CDMA. If you've got a recent smartphone that connects to LTE, chances are strong it's going to work just fine in other countries. (You still might want to confirm that your phone works on the LTE bands available in the country you're heading to prior to your trip, just to avoid any unpleasant surprises.)

Many phones now support electronic SIM cards or eSIM technology, where you no longer need to swap in a local SIM card to make your smartphone work with an overseas network. (Since the iPhone 14 , Apple devices sold in the U.S. only feature eSIM support — that includes the newer iPhone 15 models.) One of our editors took an international trip using an eSIM for her phone and found it easy to setup and use with a local network — in fact, she plans to use the eSIM approach on all future travel. 

That said, not every country supports eSIM. And depending on your phone carrier in the U.S., you might already have options that cover your phone use in other countries.

International phone plans: What about 5G?

As noted above, many of the plans that offer international travel either have you connect at whatever speed is available locally or at a reduced speed in cases where you're drawing from your own data plan. But what if you've got a 5G phone that can connect to faster networks overseas?

For the most part, we'd expect your phone to operate as before, either at whatever speed the local network offers or a capped speed if that's part of your carrier's travel plans. However, in a few instances, U.S. phone carriers have started making deals with overseas wireless providers that allow their customers to access 5G speeds when roaming. You should check with your carrier for information about the country you're going to travel in.

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Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.

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The Best Smart Phones to Use When You Travel

In this post, Dave Dean from Too Many Adapters shares his best tips and advice on how to pick the best smartphone for when you travel.

As a travel tech writer, I get asked about using smartphones for travel all the time. The minute we head overseas with our phones, we’re hit with a confusing mess of technical jargon, expensive roaming agreements, conflicting advice, and nonworking gear. Trying to discuss the nuances of GSM frequency bands or iPhone unlock codes with a mobile vendor in a dusty Cambodian town isn’t my idea of fun, and I doubt it’s yours either.

Since we all want our smartphones to work when we travel, I’ve put together this guide covering everything you need to know to get your smartphone working overseas — as well as the best smartphones for travel. It’s detailed, but not too complicated, and will save you money, time, and plenty of frustration!

The Best Travel Smartphones

Traveling with a Smartphone: Tips and Advice

This is an inexpensive way to stay connected with phone and data service while you travel. The downside is that you’ll have to change SIM cards every time you change countries, so you may end up carrying a stack of SIM cards around the world with you (though I like being reminded of all the places I’ve been!).

Here are some other tips for using your phone:

1. Only use Wi-Fi when possible – Your smartphone will still connect over Wi-Fi just fine, so replace calling with Skype or Google Voice, SMS with WhatsApp, and download a bunch of offline travel apps to use when you’re away from a signal. You’ll be surprised how well that approach can work, and not getting notifications all the time is quite refreshing.

You can download Google Maps and download the map of the city online then use it without Wi-Fi. Also, you can search for your destination in Google Maps and it still works when you don’t have Wi-Fi if your location is on. You can also take screenshots and save them.

Some cities even have free public Wi-Fi in parks and public spaces like airports and train stations. If you really need it, lots of international chains like McDonald’s and Starbucks have Wi-Fi if you buy something to eat or drink. Remember to be careful with your data on these open networks (a VPN is recommended).

2. Buy a budget smartphone – While there’s a lot of junk at the bottom of the smartphone range, there are a few decent phones for travelers under $200. My current favorite is the Motorola Moto G — you’ll want to buy a microSD card for some extra storage, but other than that it’s a reasonably speedy smartphone, with a battery that lasts all day. Tip: grab the “Global” version for maximum compatibility overseas. You’ll still need to buy local SIM cards to put in it.

3. Rent a phone – You can rent phones at airports and from various companies before you leave home, but I’d only consider it for a short trip to a specific country where my usual phone didn’t work. For anything other than that, it’s cheaper just to buy a new one.

4. Rent or buy a portable hotspot – Portable hotspots are small gadgets that create a wireless network and share a cellular data connection over it — you can typically connect 5 or 10 devices to the network you create. You can rent one for short trips at an inflated daily or weekly rate, or you can buy an unlocked hotspot and stick a local SIM card in it, just as if it were a phone. Your smartphone will treat this like any other Wi-Fi network.

Getting your smartphone to work overseas without coming home to a huge bill isn’t always a straightforward task. But with a bit of time and effort, you’ll know exactly what options you’ve got when you’re on the road and you’ll be able to use your phone overseas.

Do your research, avoid the rip-offs, buy one of the above best smartphones when you travel, and you’ll be able to stay in touch, stay connected, and stay Instagramming when you travel!

Dave runs Too Many Adapters , a site devoted to technology for travelers. A geek as long as he can remember, he worked in IT for 15 years. Now based out of a backpack long term, Dave writes about travel and tech from anywhere with half-decent Internet and a great view. You can also find him talking about the life of a long-term traveler at What’s Dave Doing?  

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

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The Ultimate Guide to International Smartphone Use

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

We're all for disconnecting while on vacation. But sometimes — whether you're traveling for business or searching for directions — having an internet connection can be seriously useful, even crucial, when traveling abroad.

Not all that long ago, international travelers had to choose between paying exorbitant roaming rates from their US carrier, or worrying about securing and activating a local SIM upon arrival.

Today, things are mercifully different. There are more options, and it's more affordable than ever to stay connected abroad. Most major US carriers have adopted sensible pay-per-day rates to compete with T-Mobile and Google Fi , both of which disrupted the prior model of charging per-megabyte rates. (For reference, TPG himself was dinged by AT&T at $19.99 per megabyte in 2010 while roaming in London. He faced a $180 charge for essentially checking his email twice.)

In this guide, we'll take an in-depth look at what international roaming options exist on the major US carriers; when you should consider procuring a local SIM upon arrival; what an unlocked smartphone is (and who should consider one); and options for long-term travelers and backpackers.

Roaming With Major US Carriers

First, the good news: Every major domestic telecommunications company now offers international data roaming that isn't outrageously expensive. In some cases, throttled (read: slow) data usage is included gratis for a number of countries. Elsewhere, you're able to use your phone exactly as you would in the US for around $10 per day. For short-term stays and vacations, you should be in good shape.

If you want to avoid roaming charges altogether, be sure to leave your phone on Airplane mode even after you deplane. And if you simply want to avoid data roaming charges (but still want calls and texts to come through), visit the "settings" menu on your phone and toggle off Data Roaming.

For $10 per day, per line, you can activate AT&T's International Day Pass (available exclusively for users on AT&T's Mobile Share or Unlimited plans, but unless you're a prepaid customer, chances are high your plan falls into one of those two buckets).

To check your eligibility, log in to your AT&T account and add the International Day Pass, if shown. Make sure to toggle for each line on your account. You won't be charged a dime until you turn your phone on while in a foreign country, and the $10 per day will be added to your bill automatically. Once AT&T detects you're back in the US, those $10 charges will automatically cease.

Unlimited calls are included within countries covered by International Day Pass (currently listed as " over 100 ") and back to the US, plus unlimited texts to the world. A big boon to AT&T's plan is the speed. Your speed overseas will not be throttled, so if you're in an LTE network zone, you'll enjoy LTE speeds. For Mobile Share plan customers, we recommend resetting the data usage counter on your phone upon landing to keep track of how much data you use overseas, as your international data usage will count against your monthly data allotment.

• Effortless to add to your account
• Use your existing phone (no need to hunt for an unlocked one)
• No data speed throttling
• Take calls on your personal number at no extra cost
• Mobile Share plan users have to monitor data usage
• $10 per day, per line, can add up quickly for families and long trips
• While over 100 nations are covered, many still aren't

While Google Fi isn't a "major" carrier in terms of mass awareness, it's a well-known option for frequent travelers. You pay $20 per month for unlimited calls and texts, and $10 per gigabyte for high-speed data. If you happen to use more than 6GB, Google's new "Bill Protection" kicks in to cap your data bill at $60 per month, covering further high-speed data usage up to 15GB per month. In the US, Google Fi latches onto whichever signal is the strongest between its three partner carriers: Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular.

The great news here is that Google doesn't differentiate between domestic data and international data, which makes it an outstanding value for long-term travelers and backpackers . Another major perk of using Google Fi overseas is the breadth of nations that are covered (currently, over 170 ). You won't find Pitcairn Island on the list, but certain African countries like Ivory Coast, Chad and Congo (DRC) are included with Google's plan, whereas they are frequently omitted by rival carriers.

Google Fi's primary limitation is its diminutive list of supported phones. Fewer than 10 phones are supported (all of which use the Android operating system), though the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are excellent devices if you're in the market for a new handset anyway. No, an iPhone won't (officially) work with Google Fi. There are workarounds if you have an unlocked iPhone , but you'll be limited to the T-Mobile network.

• Google Fi treats international data just like domestic data
• Works in more than 170 destinations
• Monthly pricing with no contract or commitment
• The Google Fi-compatible Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL take amazing photos
• Even combined, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular may not provide ideal coverage for you at home
• Very limited supported phone selection: you may need to buy a new phone

If you aren't concerned with voice calling, Sprint's international roaming plan provides text and data coverage in more than 185 destinations . Sprint Global Roaming is included on postpaid plans with LTE/GSM capable smartphones, giving you text and 2G data coverage at no extra charge. Just fly, land and start using your smartphone as you normally would. Voice calls, however, will run you $0.20 per minute or more, so plan on making calls through Slack, WhatsApp or another platform that uses data rather than voice networks.

However, that little 2G detail means that while overseas, your data will be severely throttled to 128Kbps, which is too slow to stream videos on YouTube or engage in a non-glitchy FaceTime chat. Sprint does allow users to pay extra to enable LTE speeds abroad.

• Canada and Mexico: $2 per day or $10 per week
• Other destinations: $5 to $10 per day or $25 to $50 per week, depending on Sprint's partnership agreements in the nation you're visiting

The 2G data should be fine for checking email and navigating with Google Maps, but at least there's an option to pay for a faster path should you land and determine it's necessary. One other quirk: Sprint offers a dedicated Japan Plan for just $5 per month, which enables high-speed data roaming, texting and voice calls.

• The best option for long-term travel in Japan
• 2G data speeds for free, with an option to pay more for faster access
• Rates are reasonable for those who frequent Mexico and Canada
• Support for 185-plus destinations
• It's Sprint, which doesn't have the best US coverage
• International voice calls can get expensive, fast

As with Sprint, T-Mobile's postpaid ONE plans include international texting and 2G data (capped at 128Kbps) for free in more than 210 countries. Sadly, the carrier recently nixed a $25 monthly upgrade to T-Mobile ONE Plus International, which included unlimited LTE hotspot access in the US; unlimited international calls to landlines in over 70 countries and mobile numbers in over 30 countries; unlimited 4G LTE in Mexico and Canada; and unlimited in-flight Gogo Wi-Fi within the US and boosted international data speeds to 256Kbps. It remains to be seen if T-Mobile will replace that plan with anything comparable.

• 2G data (128Kbps) for free
• Reasonable rates for travelers who frequent Mexico and Canada
• Support for over 210 destinations (basically anywhere you'd be allowed to visit)
• T-Mobile's coverage beyond major US cities isn't spectacular

Similar to AT&T, Verizon's TravelPass allows you to take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you. You're only charged on the days you use your device abroad: $5 a day per line in Mexico and Canada, or $10 a day per line in over 130 other supported countries. And once you activate TravelPass on your lines, nothing else is required. As with AT&T, just keep an eye on your data usage if you're using a plan with a monthly cap. You'll also want to visit Verizon's list of supported nations to make sure the place(s) you'll be visiting are covered.

• Verizon's US LTE coverage is fantastic
• $5 to $10 per day, per line can add up quickly for families and long trips
• While over 130 nations are covered, many still aren't

When to Buy a Local SIM Upon Arrival

If you're planning on being in a country for more than two weeks, you can expect to use a significant amount of data. It can also be helpful to have a local telephone number to call and text with residents and businesses. That's when having a local SIM may be right for you.

Local SIMs typically cost between $20 and $50, include between 1GB and 5GB of data (plus a sizable allotment of texts and voice minutes for in-country calling), and can be purchased at minimarts or vending machines at major airports. Once you have a SIM, you can typically "top-up," or add data, texts or minutes using your smartphone and a credit card.

It can be surprisingly easy, too. London-Heathrow, for example, has an automated SIM vending machine. But then there's the rest of the world — airports like Fa'a'ā in Tahiti — where you're as likely to ride a unicorn through immigration as you are to find a store that's open and selling SIM cards with English instructions when you land.

Still, if a local SIM seems like the option for you, you'll need an unlocked smartphone.

Getting an Unlocked Smartphone

A "locked" smartphone is chained to an exclusive carrier with software settings that can't be changed by the user. Generally speaking, if you purchase a phone from AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint (and still owe money on it) it's locked — and will remain that way. While it's locked, it will refuse to work with any SIM from another carrier.

An "unlocked" smartphone, on the other hand, will readily accept any SIM from any carrier, either domestic or international. If you maintain solid standing with your carrier and your smartphone is fully paid off, they will almost always provide an unlock code to customers who fill out an online request form. (To save you the trouble, they're linked here: AT&T , Verizon , Sprint and T-Mobile .)

Alternatively, you can order an unlocked smartphone directly from a manufacturer like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Motorola or Google. You can also search for a gently used, unlocked smartphone on an auction marketplace. Just don't be surprised by the cost, as the flexibility to use them with any carrier results in premium pricing.

If you're planning a whirlwind tour of Europe or Asia, you'll undoubtedly cross borders. Each country has its own set of carriers and generally, a SIM purchased in one nation won't function in another. With an unlocked smartphone, you can swap prepaid SIM cards from various countries in and out as you travel. Many of these SIMs don't expire, so much like foreign currency, you could theoretically save SIMs with remaining credit to use whenever you return.

Still, having a single SIM from Google Fi is a far more elegant solution. But that only works if you're willing to hitch your wagon to the Android operating system.

Getting a Dual SIM Phone

Frequent flyers may also be interested in scooping up a Dual SIM smartphone, which can either hold two physical SIM cards, or, in some cases, a single physical SIM card with an additional onboard eSIM. This type of phone allows a user to initiate a call, text or use data with more than one carrier (versus just a single carrier).

Phones such as the Huawei P20 Pro, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max , OnePlus 6, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Asus Zenfone 5Z and Honor 10 all support dual SIMs, and that list is growing rapidly. This option is generally best for regular business travelers that consistently spend time in two countries (think: Canada and Germany). Keep in mind, however, that you'll need to pay for either data or a plan for both SIMs individually.

There are two major, competing radio systems used by cell phones: CDMA (code division multiple access) and GSM (global system for mobile). In the US, only two of the major carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) utilize GSM — but that's the network preferred by pretty much every other country on Earth. Verizon and Sprint operate on CDMA. However, most modern smartphones that support CDMA also have SIM card slots to support the LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network: the standard for data.

To cut down on the techno-babble, here's what most travelers needs to know: Very generally speaking, a GSM phone will be easier to transfer to a new network. But that's not to say it can't be done with a newer CDMA device. As long as the phone is unlocked and has a SIM card slot, it should work on a GSM network. To be sure your phone will be fully functional abroad — voice, data and texts — research the specific model of your phone and the bands it supports, and cross-reference that with the frequencies available in the countries you'll be visiting.

Using a Laptop Abroad

Many of the international plans mentioned support tethering — the function that allows your smartphone to share its data plan with other nearby devices like laptops.

That said, the 2G speeds offered by T-Mobile and Sprint won't cut it on a laptop, and both AT&T and Verizon will begin to throttle your speeds after you exceed approximately 22GB per month. Carriers are quick to notice prolonged tethering, and will typically take action on your account if you do it enough.

If having data internationally for use on a laptop is a primary concern, supplement whatever Wi-Fi you're expecting to have available with an international hotspot.

Skyroam , for example, offers a compact mobile hotspot for about $150. Once you have it, you can pay $9 per day or $99 per month for unlimited global data in over 120 countries to use on up to five devices simultaneously (phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches). For travelers who can't take chances with coffee shop or hotel Wi-Fi, the hotspot also delivers peace of mind, and the puck itself also doubles as a charging device.

How to Choose the Right Option for You

Before deciding which phone to buy or network to choose, there are a handful of factors to consider:

• On an international trip for under two weeks, it's usually easier to use the day pass option provided by your carrier. If you also need data for a laptop, rent a Skyroam hotspot for the duration of your trip.
• On overseas trips longer than two weeks, travelers who already have an unlocked phone should see if the arrival airport sells local SIM cards. Travelers can also consider buying an unlocked phone for this purpose.
• Buy a Skyroam hotspot and carry it with you as you go, keeping your smartphone connected to data while you travel.
• If you're not married to a carrier already, consider the switch to Google Fi , as it's one of the best options for travelers.
• None of this advice really applies to cruising. Each carrier has their own rate charts for texting, calling and using data while at sea — and they're all pricey. For avid cruisers, you're better off paying for Wi-Fi once aboard.
• Whatever phone you end up using on your international escapades, be sure to use a card that offers cell phone protection , such as the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card or Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card (up to $600 of protection (subject to $25 deductible).

Do you have any other suggestions for staying connected abroad? Sound off in the comments below!

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23 Best International SIM Card and Data Plan Options for Travelers (T-Mobile, Google-Fi, and Local SIMs)

Trying to find the best international sim card and data plan for your destination and travels can be frustrating. In this article, we’ll relieve your headache and give a quick list of the international sim cards and global data plans.

Traveling the world is an exciting and satisfying experience, showing up in a new country and exploring with an open mind. Though it can be thrilling to wander learning as you go, for many people arriving in a new destination without connectivity – no mobile phone service or internet can be daunting and scary. I would argue that having global coverage and an internet connection can enhance your travels, allowing you to book accommodation and flights on the fly, research great local restaurants, and have quick access to emergency services when needed.

Lucky for travelers today, there are countless options for maintaining your data, voice, and text capabilities while traveling – whether using local sims, buying a universal sim card to use globally, or eSim – and a perfect card for your budget and destination.

Why is internet service important while traveling long term?

Consistent internet access allows you to plan less before traveling with fewer worries. Recently, I’ve gone as far as not planning to travel to a different country until two days beforehand… which includes purchasing flights, accommodations, and visas. That type of recklessness is only possible because of constant, easy access to the internet and communication, made possible with a good, international travel-friendly SIM.

Having internet access allows me to keep an eye on the essentials (flight price alerts, travel security alerts, locations of traveler friends), and plan the non-essentials (accommodation, itinerary, messaging friends in the area) as late as on arrival in the new country.

Don’t think an international SIM card is worthwhile? Here are a few other examples of how having an international data plan has come in handy for me during the last year of international travel.

• Using local rideshare apps or Uber instead of taxis – saves money and avoids being ripped off
• Facetiming with friends and family at epic sites so they can experience the travel with me instead of seeing pictures on Instagram later
• Looking up information about a site or location in a city while wandering, bringing history and culture to life
• Planning and booking accommodations, transportation, and tours during long stretches of travel – such as on buses or trains – to make good use of seat time, and spend less time planning while I’m in a destination or before travel
• Last minute planning and checking – such as visa information, or searching for common scams in a country
• Access to support via travel insurance support, such as through travel insurance through World Nomads . Keeping their number handy means I can call for help, or to confirm I’m covered before potentially pricey doctor visits or emergencies that aren’t covered. Like I did on the Everest Trek .
• Access to local public transport schedules on demand
• And the list goes on…

So, suffice it to say, if you’re nomading, moving quickly, or take lots of risks when you travel, then getting a sim card and keeping access to the internet is a cheap way to stay safe and make traveling smoother.

The Best International SIM Card Options for Connectivity While Traveling: Data, Text, and Voice

When traveling internationally, your best options for data service, phone calls and texts are:

• Roaming using your current plan (not recommended, but we’ll get into that later)
• Purchasing one to the many global SIMs or international SIM cards
• Purchasing and activating a local SIM card, specific to your country of travel

Option 1: Roaming using your current plan from your home country during international travel. NOT RECOMMENDED!!!

Unless you are a business traveler with your cell phone plan paid for by a very generous company, DO NOT plan on using your home country sim card for data if there are international roaming charges. The fees can be exorbitant and unexpected.

When a friend and I were motorbiking through Vietnam, I opted for a local SIM paired with a US carrier that did not charge international roaming (Google-FI), in order to have data for Google maps and researching accommodation – for a grand total of $30 for a month of service.

My friend decided to “sparingly” use his home carrier (Sprint) which had hefty international roaming fees. During a single motorbike ride on the first day, my friend racked up $300 in data charges unexpectedly. Long story short – whatever the best choice for connectivity is for you – local sim, a home country carrier with no roaming fees, or a global SIM – DO NOT use a home country carrier that charges international roaming fees.

Option 2: Purchasing a Global SIM card for International Travel: What is a Global Sim Card and Why do you Need one?

An “international SIM card” or global sim card is a sim card that allows you access to data, text, and phone calls and multiple countries during your travels as a much more affordable than you would receive if roaming internationally on your home country carrier.

These global SIM cards, and more importantly the associated plans, allow you to simply pop in the physical SIM cards, or register the e-SIM, turn on your phone, and then surf the internet, send texts, hop on Whatsapp, hotspot your laptop, and do whatever you may need to do.

Here is the list of the best SIM cards, mobile network carriers, and plans for international travel to stay connected without breaking the bank.

List of the Best International SIM Cards

• One e-Sim – http://www.onesimcard.com/?68671
• Discover Global e-SIM – https://www.airalo.com/global-esim
• GigSky – e-Sim – Purchase on Amazon
• Nomad (eSIM app) – https://www.getnomad.app/
• Surf Roam e-SIM – https://surfroam.com/products/surfroam-esim

Unlimited Data and Data SIMs

• Know Roaming – https://www.knowroaming.com/
• Google Fi’s Unlimited Plus Plan – https://fi.google.com/about/plans/

Physical SIM

• Travel SIM Worldwide – https://travelsim.com/
• KeepGo Lifetime World Sim – https://www.keepgo.com/
• Surf Roam (Physical SIM) – https://surfroam.com/products/surfroam-sim
• Orange Holiday (14 Days in Europe) – https://geni.us/OrangeSIM
• Travel Sim – https://travelsim.com/international-sim-cards/
• GoSim – https://gosim.com/international-sim-card/
• World Sim – https://www.worldsim.com/
• Three UK Pay As You Go – https://simoptions.com/brand/three-uk
• Telestial – http://www.telestial.com/
• Flexi Roam – https://www.flexiroam.com/
• Hola Fly (eSIM) – https://esim.holafly.com/

SIM Cards for European Countries

• Orange – https://orange.simoptions.com/
• Lyca Mobile – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081P6HCBN/
• Giff Gaff – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G44NKJ8

Option 3: Using local Sim Cards Specific to the Country You Will Visit: The best option for budget travelers

If you will be in one country for longer than two weeks, a local SIM card is likely the best deal for you. 

Purchasing a local SIM card and plan is extremely cheap, and simple to get started on as long as you have a Quad-band, unlocked cell phone, and you will have far better connectivity as long as you pick the main mobile service carrier in your destination country. Throughout Southeast Asia and South America

, a local SIM card with so much data (mine currently has 120GB for the month and the cost was $10) that it could be considered a data SIM card, will rarely cost you more than $15 to $20

If you’re unsure if your phone is unlocked, contact your current provider to check. If your phone is locked, contact your service provider to have them unlock it.

Practicing what I preach and activating a local SIM card in Bali while I write this article. Blogger inception…

If your phone provider won’t unlock your phone, or it will cost more than $100, consider purchasing one abroad. There are plenty of cheap phones (such as Huawei or a manufacturer local to your destination country) that give you the processing power of a Samsung S9 on an Android platform and can be purchased in the country you are in. The best part, is these phones purchased locally only cost about $100 to $300 USD throughout Southeast Asia for a top of the line phone.

However, I recommend buying an unlocked phone on Amazon before going, to avoid the hastle that may come later.

How to get a local SIM Card: Start at the airport and bus station information desks

To get started, just stop at the information kiosk in your arrival airport or bus station. The information kiosks/desks either sell the SIM cards or will be able to tell you where to buy a SIM card easily. 

A cell phone service vendor in the Cairo Airport, located just outside of the arrivals area. 

Outside of most airport or bus stations, you can find the SIM cards at kiosks and mini-marts all over the world. Just look for a picture of a SIM card, a “4G” sign or a “5G” sign.

One of many vendors selling SIM cards for local carriers in Bali, Indonesia (you get extra points if you know what neighborhood this is in)

When I arrived in Bali, I planned to be stay for a month, so I picked up this SIM card from a kiosk I was passing in the Canggu area. For one month of data, 10 GB of 4G data coverage, I paid roughly $7 USD. 

For the months I am here on the island, I use my local SIM for data for Whatsapp calls and messages, as well as to hotspot my laptop and tablet anywhere I go and maintain my Google-Fi plan at the $20 level to allow me unlimited texting on my US number, and international calls to the US (for $.0.20 a minute) for banking, business, and two factor authentication activities on a consistently kept, US SIM.

Ultimately my approach, combining my local SIM with a home country carrier that delivers an affordable price, saves me about $60 a month on my phone bill, giving me better coverage throughout Indonesia.

Review of Local SIM cards as an option for data while traveling

Pros of using a local sim card.

• Cheapest option – usually between $5-$15 for 3GB-7GB of data good for one month

Cons of Using a Local SIM Card

• You’ll usually have to get a new SIM card for each country
• You’ll need an unlocked phone
• You may end up with 10 different SIM cards in your bag in your bag by the end of your trip. 

Bottom Line: If you’ll be in a single country longer than 2 weeks and are hoping for unlimited data or data bundles, go for a local sim.

Option 4: Getting a SIM card from your home country that has an affordable option for internet services/data, and text (Google Fi T-Mobile, etc.) and no roaming fees: Best for Short Trips and Pairing with a local sim

One of the main issues with long term travel and a nomadic lifestyle is maintaining access to financial accounts, verifying information with your credit card company, other important accounts – bank accounts, PayPal, AirBnB, etc. For security and fraud prevention purposes, “two factor authentication” usually done by sending a text message to a registered phone that you can access is common practice for many financia businesses. Unfortunately, switching sim cards in every country can make this process troublesome at best and get you locked out of your accounts at worst.

Maintaining a single SIM card, to access text messages and make the occasional phone call from a registered number is your best bet.

For United States residents, the best home country mobile service providers and plans are Google-Fi and T-Mobile Magenta (formerly T-Mobile One). Additionally, for travelers visiting the US, T-Mobile and Google-Fi are the best mobile networks to sign up with for your trip.

Using T-Mobile Magenta (formerly T-Mobile One) during International Travel

T-Mobile Magenta (formerly T-Mobile One) is a great way to stay connected abroad using a home country (US) carrier instead of purchasing extra travel sim cards, and the method I used during my first year of international travel backpacking around the world. T-Mobile Magenta offers unlimited text and data in 210 countries which means I can arrive, turn on my phone, and I’m connected. No fuss. Nice and easy. 

To date, the only countries I haven’t been able to use T-Mobile were Vietnam, Laos, and Lebanon. That’s it. I’ve tested T-Mobile in 19 countries, and only 3 of my last 50 countries weren’t covered, and in each of those countries, I just picked up a local SIM for less than $5 or stuck to Wifi with no problems.

What is T-Mobile Magenta? The best option for International Travel of Less than 2 weeks per country, and a great option to keep in your back pocket

• All the great benefits shown above
• Taxes & fees included
• 100GB premium data1
• Netflix on Us not included
• 5GB high-speed mobile hotspot

T-Mobile Magenta is a flat $70 per month plan that offers unlimited text, voice, and data in the US and allows you unlimited text and 4G and 5G data in 210 countries, without needing to do anything extra besides turn your phone on with the SIM in it. This flexibility allows you to seamlessly keep in touch with friends & family, and access to the internet wherever you are, as well as the ability to hotspot your laptop or tablet.

That last reason The T-Mobile Magenta plan is also great because it allows you to keep and use your number abroad. So, when your bank, or paypal, or AirBnB need to send you a verification text for security, you can actually do it. I guarantee, this is a lot more useful than it sounds when you’re outside of the US longer than a few months.

… But… there are two catches to T-Mobile Magenta …

First, you have to setup and activate T-Mobile Magenta while you’re in the US, from then on you’re good. If you want T-Mobile Magenta, set it up early before you travel.

Second, technically you are only allowed to roam internationally for 3 months maximum with T-Mobile Magenta before returning to the states.  Supposedly , if you roam internationally for more than 3 months they will suspend your service until you return to the US (I’ve received the warning message a couple of times) – but there’s a travel hack to maintaining your service

To maintain your T-Mobile Magenta service beyond three months while traveling internationally, simply suspend and restart your service. Boom! The clock for your “three months of international roaming” starts back at zero, and your “three months of international roaming” restarts.

To suspend and restart your T-Mobile Magenta Service, go into “My T-Mobile” within your online T-Mobile account, schedule for your phone to be suspended for a few days, and schedule your service to be restarted. Once your service is suspended, you’ll receive a nice text alerting you it has been suspended, and you will also receive a nice text notifying you when it has been reconnected. During the period of suspension, you won’t be charged the normal $70 per month, just a prorated $10 a month for the period of suspension. 

This leads to one of the benefits of T-Mobile Magenta – the ability to easily suspend your number for only $10 per month (while you’re using a cheaper local SIM) and restart your service simply by hopping online and clicking a few buttons. Awesome. When your service has been restored, you’ll maintain the same number you always had.

T-Mobile Magenta 55+ and Magenta Military/Veteran:  The T-Mobile Magenta plan, but $35 per line with international text and data

Simply put, T-Mobile Magenta 55+ is T-Mobile Magenta but you get up to two lines for only $35  (or $70 for two lines) including international text and data…but at least one person on the account has to be over 55 years young.

So, if you are over 55 years young, or know someone who is, T-Mobile Magenta 55+ (we’ll say T-Mobile Magenta for the “seasoned” crowd) is the  best international SIM card and data plan for travel. —  OR — if you’re a gap year student headed abroad, ask mom and dad to switch to T-Mobile 55+ so your line is cheaper and you can stay in touch via text abroad. They’ll like that.

Review of T-Mobile Magenta for International Travel

Pros of t-mobile magenta for international travel.

• Unlimited texts and unlimited 4G and 5G data in 210 countries for only $70 per month ($55 if you are 55 or older, a military servicemember, or a veteran)
• Easy to suspend via online dashboard and maintain your phone number for only $10 per month while suspended
• Receive texts at a single, verified phone number while traveling (for 2 factor authentication or simple connectivity)
• T-Mobile Magenta is month to month and requires no contract, thus you can cancel at any time with no penalty
• The SIM can be switched to any phone for service if your phone breaks or you upgrade phones while traveling
• Check your text messages online, if your phone is unavailable

Cons of T-Mobile Magenta for International Travel

• International roaming is “limited” to 3 months – but is easily overcome
• More expensive than a local SIM ($70 for T-Mobile vs. $5-$15 for a local SIM)
• Only provides 3G speeds internationally unless you upgrade
• Data coverage can be spotty sometimes, depending on the country you’re in and T-Mobile’s partner carrier
• Coverage in the US can be weak at times compared to ATT and Verizon

The Bottom Line on Using T-Mobile Magenta for International Travel

A fantastic option that you have to set up while home, but having consistent connectivity on arrival in most countries is pricelessly convenient. If you decide to use a local SIM, the suspension is easy and $10 a month to maintain the line isn’t much. It is better to start with T-Mobile and cancel later than get overseas and wish you had it. I switched to T-Mobile from ATT a few years ago and have been using T-Mobile for travel for the last 1.5 years. Its worth it.

Using Google-Fi for International Travel

Flexible, convenient, and cheap, starting at $20 per month for unlimited texting with a few great plans.

• Flexible Plan: $20 per month for unlimited texting internationally and $10 per GB of data
• Unlimited Plus: $65 per month for unlimited texting internationally, unlimited data usage and hotspotting internationally

I love all things Google and I love the Google-Fi plan . Similar to T-Mobile, you get free data in 170+ countries. Additionally, your bill is tiered based on how much data you use and you will never pay more than $80 per month ($60 for data and $20 for talk and text) but you only pay for the data you use at $10 per GB up to 6GB. Therefore, your bill is anywhere between $30 and $80 a month but never more. You can also add someone to your plan for $15 and you can add one device free. That’s pretty awesome. What’s the catch and why don’t I recommend Google-Fi? 

Google Fi is available to anyone, simply go over to the Google-Fi home, order a sim card on Amazon for cheap.

The downside is any Google-Fi SIM needs to be activated while in the US, so order now and handle that before leaving

Review of Google-Fi for International Travel

Pros of the Google-Fi Plan for Travel

• Covers you with data and text internationally in 170+ countries
• Easily suspended (when using a local SIM)
• Let’s you add a device to your data plan for free
• Bill can be cheaper than T-Mobile if you use 4GB or less data per month

Cons of the Google-Fi Plan for Travel

• Must be activated while stateside

Option 4: Combining a home country mobile service provider (like T-Mobile or Google-Fi) with a Local SIM

By far, the best option for maintaining conis to combine a reliable US carrier SIM, that offers free international roaming in its plan and the option to suspend service easily (like T-Mobile), with a local SIM card. When using a local SIM, just suspend your service to save money (~$55 to $65 savings per month). When traveling too quickly through countries to warrant a local SIM, just rely on your existing T-Mobile or Google Fi service for data coverage wherever you go. Done deal

The Bottom Line on How to Stay Connected while Traveling Internationally: Google-Fi + Local SIM

The best option for most travelers is to get the $70 per month T-Mobile Magenta plan for traveling internationally ($70/mo. Including international data coverage) combined with the local SIM option. If you will be in one country for two weeks or more, pay the $5-$15 to get a local SIM with data and suspend T-Mobile service. With this approach, you’ll have the best coverage for the lowest cost.

For travelers with Google phones, also consider the Google-Fi program for international travel as a great option to combine with a local SIM.

T-Mobile Magenta: $75/mo Unlimited international text and data

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More Great Articles to Help You Get Abroad:

• The Ultimate Malaysia Digital Nomad Visa Guide
• Moving to Malaysia: A Complete Guide
• Moving to Bali: A complete guide for digital nomads and aspiring expats
• The New Thailand Visa Exemption: Everything You Need to Know
• The New Bali Digital Nomad Visa and 5 Other Options: A Complete Guide
• Buying a House on Bali: A Complete Guide to Cheap, Easy Home Ownership in Bali
• The 51 Best Digital Nomad Jobs among Successful Nomads
• 9 Epic South America Backpacking Routes
• Backpacking the World…2 Weeks at a Time
• Is Geoarbitrage for You? An Ultimate Guide to Living Better for Cheaper as a as a Nomad

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlos is a nomad, slow traveler, and writer dedicated to helping others live abroad and travel better by using his 7+ years of experience living abroad and background as a management consultant and financial advisor to help other nomad and expats plot better paths for an international lifestyle. Click here to learn more about Carlos's story.

International Add-On Comparison: T-Mobile vs Verizon vs AT&T

‍ T-Mobile , Verizon , and AT&T all offer a variety of international add-ons to choose from. 

There are three main types of international add-ons: 

• Monthly plans
• Pay-as-you-go plans

International Day Passes

The day passes are similar between the three carriers, but they vary slightly in terms of price and specific features.

T-Mobile's International 1 Day pass is $5/day and includes 0.5GB of high-speed data before your data is shut off. You get hotspot support, unlimited calling and texting, and this add-on works in 210 supported countries.

Verizon offers almost the same add-on here with what they call “TravelPasses.” TravelPasses are $10 per day and include the same 0.5GB of high-speed data, hotspot support, and unlimited calling and texting. Verizon’s TravelPasses work in 185 supported countries .

Verizon also offers a $5/day TravelPass just for Canada and Mexico . This is helpful for people looking for a more affordable option and are just traveling across the border to either Canada or Mexico.

AT&T’s Day Pass is the same $10 per day as Verizon’s TravelPass, but it packs way more features. You get unlimited high-speed data, mobile hotspot support, unlimited calling and texting, and it works in over 230 countries. You do have to pay-per-minute to make a call to countries outside of the 230 included countries list, but that’s likely to be very few.

I think T-Mobile and AT&T’s options are the best here. T-Mobile’s add-on is simple and affordable, while AT&T’s add-on justifies the higher price with unlimited high-speed data. 

Monthly International Plans

If you’re staying in an international destination for a longer period of time, you may consider a longer-term plan.

T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all offer 10-day to 30-day plans to choose from. 

T-Mobile’s 5GB International Pass - $35/10 days

T-Mobile’s 5GB international pass is only 10 days, but it’s also the most affordable option at just $35. You get 5GB of high-speed data, mobile hotspot support, unlimited calling and texting, and it works in 210 countries.

Verizon’s Monthly International Plan - $100/30 days

Verizon’s monthly international plan is a pricey $100 per month. And, unfortunately, it’s also super limited. 

You only get 5GB of high-speed data, 250 minutes, and 1,000 sent texts. If you go over your allotments for minutes, texts, or data, you are also automatically billed expensive overage charges. Overage rates are $0.25 per minute, $0.05 per text sent, and $20 per GB of data. 

Two positive attributes of Verizon’s monthly international plan are that the mobile hotspot is supported, so you can share your cellular data with your tablet, laptop, or other devices, and you are able to receive unlimited text messages. 

But with the overall limited amounts of minutes, texts, and data, and the expensive overage charges, I think it’s hard to justify spending $100 on Verizon’s monthly international plan.

AT&T Passport - $70/30 days

AT&T Passport , which is their monthly option, is similarly expensive to Verizon and lacking features. 

It’s $70 per month for just 2GB of data, it doesn’t support the mobile hotspot feature, and calls are billed at $0.35 per minute. 

AT&T also charges expensive overages. If you go over the included 2GB of cellular data, you are automatically at a rate of $30 per GB. You do get unlimited texting though. 

If for some reason you wanted to spend even more money with AT&T, you could also get the 6GB AT&T Passport plan, which runs you $140 per 30 day period. 

In my opinion, Verizon and AT&T’s monthly international plans are absurdly expensive. The $100 and $70 prices are on top of your regular monthly bill here in the United States. The total cost for traveling abroad for one month with these plans would be close to $200 ($80/mo for your US plan and $70-$100 for the international plan, plus all taxes and fees). And that’s assuming you don’t incur any overage charges. 

T-Mobile’s 5GB International Pass is easily the best option here. It’s the most affordable, and it has the most features. 

T-Mobile’s 15GB International Pass - $50/30 days

If 10 days isn’t long enough for you, T-Mobile also offers their 15GB international pass . The 15GB international pass is $50 for 30 days, includes 15GB of high-speed data before reducing your speeds to 128Kbps, and it supports the same features as before.

Not only is T-Mobile’s 15GB international pass substantially cheaper than Verizon and AT&T’s monthly options, but it also delivers 3x to 7x more cellular data and it works in the same countries.

T-Mobile’s 15GB Global Plus Plan - $50/30 days

T-Mobile also offers their Global Plus 15GB add-on . This is basically the same as the other 15GB international pass except for three key differences:

• The Global Plus 15GB plan limits international hotspot data to just 5GB (compared to being able to use the full 15GB as hotspot data with the 15GB international pass)
• You get unlimited hotspot data while within the United States (as opposed to getting your regular amount of hotspot data in the United States)
• You get HD video streaming within the U.S. and abroad in 210+ supported countries

I think the 15GB Global Plus add-on could be tremendously useful while traveling, both domestically in the United States and abroad. 

Getting unlimited high-speed hotspot data while within the United States means you can stay connected as you travel between airports, hotels, or while you are on the road. No more having to rely on slow hotel Wi-Fi or experiencing sluggish connections at airports.

And of course, when you travel abroad you get 15GB of data, unlimited texting, unlimited calling, and unlimited Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi on Gogo enabled flights. 

This is a great plan.

Pay-As-You-Go International Plans

Lastly, we have the two pay-as-you-go plans from Verizon and AT&T. 

And if you thought their monthly plans were expensive, wait until you see these!

Verizon’s pay-as-you-go international plan charges the following for minutes, texts, and data:

• $0.99 per minute in Mexico and Canada
• $1.79 per minute in 130+ countries
• $2.99 per minute in 80+ countries
• $0.50 per text sent
• $0.05 per text received
• $0.25 per MMS sent or received
• $2.05 per MB of cellular data

As you can tell, Verizon’s pay-as-you-go rates are expensive. Making a simple 15 minute phone call to a country in Europe would cost $26.85. That’s over double the cost of their $10 day pass!

And while the $2.05 per MB of cellular data may seem affordable on the onset, it turns out that is $2,050 per GB of cellular data. Over $2,000 per GB!!! That is astronomically expensive, and would probably cost more than your airline ticket!

Maybe AT&T’s pay-as-you-go international plan is better? Here is what their international rates are:

• $1.00 per minute in Mexico and Canada
• $2.00 per minute in Europe
• $3.00 per minute in the rest of the world
• $0.50 per text sent or received
• $1.30 per MMS sent or received

Nope! It turns out that AT&T is even more expensive than Verizon!

AT&T customers are much better off going with AT&T’s $10 per day pass than risking astronomically high prices with AT&T’s pay-as-you-go plan. 

Thankfully, I believe both AT&T and Verizon disable the pay-as-you-go international plans by default. 

However, it’s still probably best to keep your phone in Airplane mode so you don’t incur any accidental charges. Traveling internationally can be expensive enough, and you don't want your cell phone bill racking up additional charges.

The Best International Plan

When it comes to international travel, I think T-Mobile is hands-down the best. 

T-Mobile’s plans not only include international data by default, but you can get high-speed international data at affordable rates and with more features than Verizon or AT&T. 

AT&T’s $10 Day Pass can be a good value, but it would still end up costing you $70 for a 1 week trip. 

But there are two additional options that we haven’t even mentioned yet, and they are probably better than any of the international add-ons we’ve covered so far:

• Getting an international eSIM data plan from US Mobile, Airalo, or another international eSIM vendor
• Getting a plan local to the country you are visiting

The first option is getting an international eSIM data plan. International eSIM plans can be activated on eSIM compatible phones, such as the iPhone 8 or newer or the Pixel 3a or newer, and they provide cellular data while you travel abroad.

International eSIM plans are available from carriers such as US Mobile and Airalo . US Mobile offers an eSIM plan that works all across Europe, and it’s just $15 for 5GB of data . That’s half of what T-Mobile is charging! Airalo also offers a wide selection of eSIM plans that range from $5 to $15 with various amounts of data. 

International eSIM plans are a great and affordable way to stay connected when you travel abroad.They include more data than T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T at a fraction of the cost.

The second option is getting a cell phone plan that’s local to the country you are visiting. 

Traveling to the U.K.? You can get a whopping 30GB of data for just £12.00, or about $17.05 USD, from a local carrier called Three.

Going to Spain? Vodafone offers a 20GB plan with 800 minutes for €15.00, or about $18.34 USD. 

Yes, it turns out that cell phone plans are often significantly cheaper in countries outside the United States, and you’re likely going to have a better experience than paying hundreds of dollars to Verizon or AT&T.

Those are how the international options compare between T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.

Share this article with a friend if you found it helpful!

Stetson graduated from Ithaca College in 2019 with a degree in Communication Management and Design. He launched BestPhonePlans.net as part a senior project in school. He loves helping people find great, affordable cell phone plans that meet their needs. When he’s not reviewing cell phone plans on his YouTube channel or website, Stetson is out hiking in the crisp Colorado air, playing board games with friends, or competing in an epic game of pickleball.

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How To Create a Mobile Travel App?

The most popular travel app types, key points to consider when developing a travel app, how to make money from your travel app , mobile travel app mvp, reasons to develop a travel app mvp, how much does it cost to develop travel app mvp, closing words.

I remember the times when arranging your own trip was a true challenge only for the brave. For the rest, there were travel agencies.

With the escalation of technology, the world has become smaller and reachable. Together with that, the fact of the journey itself is no longer such a big deal. Any place you want to visit, any hotel to stay, any food to taste, is just in the distance of a few taps on your smartphone. Now there is a particular application for all types of trips and tourists’ needs.

If you want to make a travel app, you are on the right road to success. Despite the high competition, travel app development is a perspective niche for investments.

Why? Online travel bookings peaked at $755 billion in 2019, before declining 46% to $403 billion in 2020. In 2021, travel bookings increased to $ 613 billion , still below 2019 figures – the rapid recovery speaks to the interest of the audience in this service niche. And so, with the departure of COVID-19 , further growth is to be expected. 

Moreover, online sales will generate 73% of revenue in the travel & tourism sector by 2026. The last 5 years have been an important period for the growth of online travel sales via mobile as it increased from 36% to almost 50% of all digital travel sales. What other evidence do you need?

If you want to create a successful travel app, you need to choose its type, decide on the business model, and calculate the MVP cost.

That’s where The App Solutions come in.

In this article, we highlight all the aspects of travel mobile app development.

Let’s start.

How to create a mobile travel app in 5 steps

Step 1. chose your app type.

Select the travel app type among booking, accommodation booking, transport apps, and travel guides apps.

Step 2. Conduct competitor research

Discover other travel apps in your niche, their advantages, and disadvantages. Besides, consider integrating ready-made travel app APIs.

Step 3. Select a travel app MVP features

Include the following features for your travel app MVP: user account, social sharing, booking, in-app payment, and location-based search & filters.

Step 4. Find the travel app developers

Hire the best travel app development company that proves its expertise with previous projects.

Step 5. Enter the discovery phase

Define the concept of your travel app depending on the current trends, determine the project scope and milestones, and find the best technical solutions.

Step 6. Develop the travel app

Start the app development process with a development team that will create the design and builds the code for your project.

HOW TO CREATE A LOCATION-BASED APP FOR ANDROID AND IOS

What solutions can we offer?

To develop a travel app you need to decide what kind of app you are going to create. Below we share the most popular types of travel mobile apps with examples and some technical aspects.

Flight booking apps

Using such apps, travelers compare flight costs, book, and pay for tickets.

Now, let us look at Hopper, a flight booking application, and its main features.

Image source:  Myglobalviewpoint

• With price prediction algorithms, users can purchase plane tickets and book accommodation at the lowest prices.

• Using push notifications, the app informs users about the lowest ticket prices.

• Hopper users receive personalized recommendations based on flights they are tracking, history of previous vacations, and their budget. 

Now let’s go a little deeper into the technological side of flight booking apps.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO DEVELOP AN APP: DETAILED FEATURE BREAKDOWN

Aside from developing a travel app API from scratch, you can integrate existing APIs. They display real-time data on flights and allow users to book tickets. You can use the following

• QPX Express API
• Travel Fusion Flight API
• Cleartrip Flights API  

To provide users with secure in-app purchases, we suggest integrating

• Google Wallet

To find out more about other mobile payment solutions, read HOW TO INTEGRATE PAYMENT SYSTEM INTO THE EXISTING APP

Accommodation booking apps

Accommodation booking apps allow travelers to view, book, and pay for rooms.  App users can also leave a review of the place they have visited and rate it. At the same time, the most innovative renting apps include a check-in feature and electronic keys.

Marriott’s hotel booking app illustrates such apps perfectly.

• The app also gives guests an electronic key to open their hotel room door. 

Let’s see the technological side of accommodation booking apps.

To save budget in the development stage, you can add accommodation booking features to your travel app using:

• Booking.com API

ULTIMATE TRENDS OF LUXURY WEBSITES AND APP DEVELOPMENT

Transport apps

With transport mobile applications, travelers receive access to local transport information and routes. Often, such applications have a geolocation feature to define user location and suggest the nearest transport options. Big news: you can add even more value to your travel app by integrating ridesharing taxi services.

Want to see how the transport app works? Check Citymapper. This application provides users access routes with official data from local transport companies.

Image source:  Independent.co.uk

• Using Citymapper, users can enter the name of the road, postcode, or landmark

• Travel, Tourism & Hospitality ›
• Leisure Travel

Mobile travel trends - statistics & facts

What are the most popular travel apps, mobile travel booking trends, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Revenue of the travel apps industry worldwide 2017-2027

Travel apps revenue in selected countries worldwide 2022

Most downloaded travel apps in the U.S. 2022, by aggregated number of downloads

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Current statistics on this topic.

Online Travel Market

Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023

Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023

Related topics

Recommended.

• Online travel market
• Digitalization of the travel industry
• Mobile internet usage worldwide
• Booking Holdings Inc.
• Expedia Group, Inc.

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Share of consumers interested in using mobile messaging with a travel company in the United States as of July 2022, by generation

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10 Apps That Will Make The Most Of Your Vacation In 2024

I f you've ever spent time at a networking event, made small talk at your kids' soccer games, or scrolled through a dating app, you'll know that "travel" is something almost everyone will tell you they enjoy. Couple that with an attachment to our smartphones that borders on co-dependent, and it's no surprise to learn that travel apps are a hot commodity. Some of the best innovations in travel come in the form of apps. Staying in touch with people at home, travel planning, staying organized on the road, or connecting with other travelers? Not only is there an app for that, there are many apps for that. 

To help you sort through the plethora of what's out there, here are some travel-ready apps to make your vacation a blast. We've sourced suggestions from people who travel for a living and those who leave their local area only rarely, so no matter how often you jet-set, there is an app for you.

Read more: 12 Smart Gadgets You Didn't Know Existed

If your cell plan doesn't include international roaming, you can get slammed with steep fees for using mobile data outside your own country.

There are a few ways to get around roaming charges, including buying a local SIM card for the country you are traveling in, using a Wi-Fi stick , or investing in a dual SIM phone, like those from Samsung, Apple, or Google. One of the easiest and cheapest options though, is an eSIM app like Airalo . Airalo was one of the first in the eSIM game and continues to be popular with travelers. Fans of the app point to how easy it is to download and get started quickly, and how much it saves in fees. On the other hand, some users have noticed a discrepancy in how well it works in different countries. One reviewer on TrustPilot states "We do NOT recommend this plan given the extremely poor performance in Vietnam" despite noting excellent service in Hong Kong. 

Airalo is a paid service, available on the App Store and on Google Play.

Google Maps is often the default app travelers reach for when navigating new territory. It's a trusted resource for a lot of reasons, including the ease of finding reviews and info for even very small businesses. But it's not the only map app out there, nor is it the best in every situation. The main advantage of Maps.me over Google Maps is that it is based on user-generated information. Particularly for folks who are getting around on foot, this "boots on the ground" approach is excellent and more direct than reporting problems to Google Maps . It also means that if you find a cool place on your travels and want to make sure other travelers can find it, you can add it to a map.

Like Google Maps and other useful way-finding apps, you can download maps and bookmark points of interest for offline use, although the background information on locations is not as robust as on Google Maps. Maps.me also allows you to access various modes of transportation while offline, which Google doesn't. 

Maps.me is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Cash's position as king is increasingly precarious. On your travels, you'll find cashless options in places you might not expect. The mass availability of mobile payment platforms like Square means you may be able to whip out your phone or card at Swiss coffee carts or Mexican street vendors. Wise (formerly Transferwise) lets you move between currencies seamlessly. Wise lets you operate in 40 currencies, which is particularly handy if you are traveling to several different countries. They advertise charges that are less than the major banks. However, some users have complained about complications with money transfers, so be forewarned if you intend to use this app for sending money. 

Of note to travelers is the option to get an actual bank card that can function as an international debit card with a nominal conversion fee (not all bank cards can pay by debit in countries other than your home base.) Or, save a step and scan your phone to pay from your Wise account. 

Wise is available on the App Store and from Google Play. There is no charge to download the app, but fees are charged for some banking activities.

If you are going to be traveling from place to place on your vacation, you will want the Rome2Rio app on your phone. Enter your destination and departure location, and the app spits out the options and approximate costs for each leg of your journey. For instance, if you are in Edmonton, Canada, and want to get to the Thai island of Ko Yao Yai, the app will suggest six options, labeling the best, cheapest, and fastest combination of flight, minibus, and ferry. You can't purchase tickets through the app, although there are links to book accommodation that take you to Booking.com. Being able to purchase travel fares through the app would make things easier, especially if they were offered in a package, but the absence of that feature means you can investigate and compare prices from different booking operators , so we are putting it in the win column.

Rome2Rio is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Rick Steves Audio Europe

Rick Steves is recognized as a top voice in travel guides. His down-to-earth approach to travel has endeared multitudes of followers to him, spawning an industry of books, television shows, and a sprawling web presence that features how-to guides, articles, and an active travelers' forum. On top of all that, he has a free app for self-guided walking tours through many of Europe's top sights called Rick Steves Audio Europe . Reviewers of the app give it a high rating (4.7 on Google Play and 4.3 on the App Store) using superlatives like "This app is GOLD," and comparing the quality of the tours to paid audio tours. On the downside, it is difficult to sync the app on multiple devices, so if you are in a group you may all be at slightly different parts of the tour, which can be mildly annoying. There are a bunch of tour sites, with more added periodically.

The audio tours and accompanying maps are downloadable, so you don't need to worry about burning through mobile data or needing to rely on Wi-Fi. Rick Steve Audio Europe is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

How many trips come vividly back to life in your mind just by thinking about that one excellent bowl of Cacio e Pepe pasta or sun-drenched sip of a Paloma? Exploring a place through its flavors and discovering new spots to eat is a beloved part of travel. In Europe, TheFork (the French version is called LaForchette) is the go-to app for crowd-sourced restaurant reviews. Previously, the app also covered Australia, but at the start of 2024, it was announced they will be pulling out of Oz.

You can find Michelin-starred restaurants with months-long wait lists or little hole-in-the-wall spots by searching the name of the eating establishment, the city or neighborhood you want to eat in, or the kind of cuisine you are craving.

The app is worthy of its space on your phone just for the restaurant listings and reviews, but if you want to explore more of the capabilities, there are ways to expand its usefulness. You can make reservations, register to collect points, access discounts and specials at select spots, and pay through the app. TheFork is free to download and available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Looking for a little love on the road? The Fairytrail app might be the ticket to romance (or ROAMance) you are looking for. Aimed at digital nomads and van life devotees, the app is a nice addition to the dating lives of travelers of all stripes. Members are evaluated and assigned a fairytale character similar to enneagram-slash-Myers-Briggs personality types, which is a new and novel approach compared with other iPhone dating apps or Android dating apps .

Because the app is focused on people with nomadic lifestyles, matches are location-independent. The idea is that users of the app will be willing to travel to each other to meet and date. There is a setting that allows an extra layer of matching: dream places to visit. If you so choose, before chatting with a match you need to have an overlapping "bucket-list" destination. Previously, this was an unavoidable step but became an optional setting after it was changed in response to frustration expressed by reviewers. The app is being redesigned in 2024 and soliciting feedback from users. Stay tuned, it seems more happy endings are in store! Fairytrails is free to download with in-app purchases and is available from the App Store and from Google Play.

Price Scanner And Converter

A very unpleasant aspect of vacationing in another country is coming home to a shocking credit card bill. Part of the problem is the tendency of holidaymakers to spend like money isn't real, but the other problem is how difficult it is to calculate prices into your own currency. Sure, you can come up with shortcuts to do quick math, but that gives you an estimate rather than an exact cost. To help, there are many different currency converter apps out there, with features like real-time rate calculation and offline capability. The somewhat clunky-named Price Scanner and Converter takes it one step further by using your phone's camera to scan prices and display them automatically in your preferred currency (out of 150 global currencies.) New iPhone cameras also have a similar capability, but it isn't as seamless a process as using this app.

This price scanning app isn't presently available on Google Play, although there are similar apps to be found. The reviews are pretty overwhelmingly mediocre, so if you are on team Android, your best bet may be to download a regular currency converter and enter in prices the old-fashioned way.

Downloading the Price Scanner and Converter is free from the App Store.

Searching through your emails for confirmations and itineraries isn't an efficient way to access your travel information. And good luck if you have used your work email for some of your planning and your personal email for others. What if you are offline when you need to find your tour details? Nightmare fuel. Tripit has created a simple user experience, allowing you to forward all those endless travel planning emails to be arranged into an easily accessible itinerary in a single spot, which you can access from any of your devices.

Other features of this include the ability to load PDFs, QR codes, and other travel documents to your Tripit travel folder. There are helpful navigation tools, like airport maps, neighborhood safety ratings, and nearby places. You can share your travel plans and sync them to your calendar. For $49 a year (or a free 30-day trial) you can upgrade to Tripit Pro for enhanced travel aid, including notifications to help keep you on track and on time. 

Tripit is free to download from the App Store and from Google Play, and you can upgrade to the premium Tripit Pro on the Tripit website or in the app.

Mobile Passport Control

The latest app from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol goes by the wildly creative name, " Mobile Passport Control ." It's a no-nonsense app with a no-nonsense name that allows users to streamline the customs experience. Rather than filling out declarations forms, users enter their information into the app and send it to border officials so they can access it as soon as they get to customs. You can do this immediately upon arrival, say as your plane is taxiing to the gate.

The app is for United States citizens and Canadians with a B-1 or B-2 visitor visa who are entering the USA at one of 33 American airports, 11 preclearance sites, and four seaports. It works in tandem with your passport, but it doesn't replace it.

As a bonus, some sites allow those with the Mobile Passport Control app to use their own (almost always shorter!) line or expedited Global Entry lines at passport control. You can enter family members on the same app and there is no approval process, just download and go.

A previous iteration of the app had a premium, paid version, but this is no longer the case. The app is free on the App Store and Google Play.

Read the original article on SlashGear .

Moscow‪.‬ 4+

Pocketguide inc., designed for iphone.

• 5.0 • 1 Rating
• Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

Whether you are a history buff, a fan of architecture, a shopaholic or simply curious, Moscow is one of the best places you can visit. Our tours are an ideal way to start your discovery of the Russian capital, as they provide a wealth of knowledge about different aspects of the city. From the Medieval fortress of the Kremlin to the remainders of the Soviet Union, from the underground wonders of the Moscow Metro to the towering cathedrals, we'll show you the best and the most interesting aspects of the Third Rome. PocketGuide, the world’s leading audio city guide application, reveals the best stories, insider hangouts and must-see sights in more than 100 major cities and tourist destinations. PocketGuide turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide: The GPS figures out where you are, and a voice recording, made by a local guide, describes the sights around you. You don’t need to read text from your phone, just listen and enjoy a city’s attractions while your virtual tour guide explains it all and shares personal insights. PocketGuide works offline, so you save on roaming charges, and it includes an offline map and loads of critical reviews that help you decide where to eat, drink and shop. We also have fascinating themed tours, for those who want to go off the beaten path. Find the top tapas in Barcelona, get chic in NYC’s East Village or follow the trail of a 19th century serial killer in London. Whether you're interested in the main sights or "the road less traveled", PocketGuide is ready to take you there. Please note that continuous use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Version 7.4.28

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. Performance and stability improvements, as well as iPhone X support. We would like to say thank you for your valuable feedback so that we can improve the application. We encourage everybody to send us your opinions about the application to help us create the best travel app for you.

Ratings and Reviews

App privacy.

The developer, PocketGuide Inc. , has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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The developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update.

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English, German, Hungarian, Italian, Simplified Chinese

• Moscow Sightseeing Tours $9.99
• The Moscow Metro Tour $4.99
• Moscow Walking Tour $4.99
• Red Trace in Moscow $4.99
• Moscow Kremlin Tour $4.99
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Mobile Version of Travel sample App using Couchbase Lite 2.x

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The complete tutorial is available at https://docs.couchbase.com/tutorials/mobile-travel-tutorial/introduction.html . Please follow the tutorial for step-by-step installation instructions.

This is a step-by-step tutorial describing a Travel application for mobile platforms that supports the following capabilities

Users can search and make flight reservations via the Couchbase Lite enabled mobile/desktop applications or through the Python web application.

Flight reservations made on the Couchbase Lite enabled mobile and desktop apps are available even when the app is disconnected from the server.

Flight reservations made via any of the client apps will be automatically synced over to the remaining clients through the Sync Gateway

Users will also be able to do a Full text Search for hotels via Couchbase Lite enabled mobile/desktop applications or through the Python web application

In addition, the Couchbase Lite enabled mobile/desktop applications mobile/desktop apps support the following functionality -

Users can fetch listing of hotels from the Python web backend via a REST endpoint.

Users can bookmark (and unbookmark) the hotels

Bookmarked hotels stored locally and available even when the app is disconnected from the server.

Installation

Pre-requisites.

Windows Users : If you are developing on Windows, use a Windows 10 machine. Also, note that you should also have administrative privileges on the Windows box so you can authorize the installation and running of the required executables.

Visual C 2017 (*only Windows Users*): must install the Microsoft Visual C Compiler for Python Downloadable from here .

Python 3.4+: downloadable from python.org . This should come packaged with pip3

Windows Users : If you are developing on Windows, make sure that Python is included in your system’s PATH environment variable. You can follow instructions here to set your PATH variable.

Git: downloadable from git-scm.org .

Verify the python installation

Run the following command from your terminal.

You should see the version of python displayed.

Confirm that pip3 is installed. pip is package management software for Python.

You should see the command line options.

Verify git installation

You should see the version of git installed.

Workshop Repo

Clone the "master" branch of the workshop source from GitHub. We are doing a shallow pull with depth as 1 to speed the cloning process.

Couchbase Server

In this lesson, you will install and launch v7.1.x of Couchbase Server.

Screenshots below apply to Couchbase Server 7.1.1 and there will be some variation with CBS 7.0.x. However, equivalent functionality is available in earlier versions of server. Refer to documentation for compatible server versions.

Apple M1 Users: Install and launch v7.1.1 or later

If there is a later version available, you can download it as well bearing in mind that the instructions have been validated with the version that is specified in instructions below.

Download and install v7.1.1 of Couchbase Server. Follow the instructions specified in the appropriate platform specific install guide to install the same.

On the setup wizard, create an Administrator account with the user Administrator and password as password .

As you follow the download instructions and setup wizard, make sure you keep all the services (data, query, and index) selected.

Install the sample bucket named travel-sample because it contains the data used in this tutorial. You can add the bucket from the "Sample Buckets" tab in the "Settings" menu in the admin console.

Create an RBAC user named admin with password password and Application Access to the travel-sample bucket. You can do this from the "Security" menu. These credentials will be used by the Sync Gateway to access the documents in this bucket.

Create a Full text search index on travel-sample bucket called 'hotels'. You can do this from the "Search" menu. Just go with default index settings.

Launch Couchbase Server (if not already runnning)

Log into the "Admin Console" ( http://localhost:8091 ) with appropriate Administrator credentials you created during installation

Select the "Buckets" option from the menu on the left

Verify that you have around 31,000 documents in your travel-sample bucket

Sync Gateway

In this section, you will install and launch version 3.0.3 of Sync Gateway.

Download Sync Gateway 3.0.3 from here for your platform.

The Sync Gateway will have to be launched with the config file named sync-gateway-config-travelsample.json that you should have downloaded as per the instructions in the Workshop Repo section. The config file will be located in /path/to/mobile-travel-sample .

Open the sync-gateway-config-travelsample-<platform> .json and confirm that the RBAC user credentials configured on the Couchbase Server are used by Sync Gateway for accessing the bucket

Launch the Sync Gateway.

By default, the Sync Gateway service will install with serviceconfig.json as the configuration file at C:\Program%20Files\Couchbase\Sync%20Gateway\serviceconfig.json .

The Sync Gateway will have to be launched with the config file named sync-gateway-config-travelsample.json that you should have downloaded as per the instructions in the Workshop Repo section. The config file will be located in C:/path/to/mobile-travel-sample .

Open the sync-gateway-config-travelsample.json and confirm that the RBAC user credentials configured on the Couchbase Server are used by Sync Gateway for accessing the bucket.

Stop the Sync Gateway service (since it would be launched with the default version of config file). To stop the service, you can use the Services application (Control Panel -→ Admin Tools -→ Services).

Replace the serviceconfig.json file with the sync-gateway-config-travelsample.json

Start the Sync Gateway service with the new version of serviceconfig.json file. To start the service, you can use the Services application (Control Panel -→ Admin Tools -→ Services).

Access this URL http://127.0.0.1:4984 in your browser

Verify that you get JSON response similar to one below json {"couchdb":"Welcome","vendor":{"name":"Couchbase Sync Gateway","version":"2.7"},"version":"Couchbase Sync Gateway/2.7.0(271;bf3ddf6) EE"}

Python Travel Sample Web Backend

Clone repository, apple m1 users:.

Clone the mobile-travel-sample-m1 branch of Travel Sample Python web app repo

Other platforms:

Clone the mobile-travel-sample-tutorial branch of Travel Sample Python web app repo

Install Python

Windows users only.

Verify the pip installation. If you are developing on Windows, pip.exe will be found in the "Scripts" sub directory under the Python installation directory.

Add the path to the "Scripts" folder to the system’s PATH environment variable.

You can follow instructions here to set your PATH variable.

Verify that pip is recognized by typing the following in the cmd terminal. You should see the help menu.

We will run the Travel Web App in a Python virtual environment . First, check if virtualenv is installed on your system.

If virtualenv is not installed , you can use apt-get or pip3 to install it.

Specify the folder for your virtual environment.

Activate your environment. You should see a prompt as shown below.

Install dependencies & run app

The application uses several Python libraries that need to be installed, these are listed in requirements.txt and can be automatically loaded using the pip3 command.

Update travel.py to reflect the username and password that you have used when installing Couchbase Server. This defaults to "Administrator" and "password".

Now launch the Travel Web App

You may see an alert similar to one below requesting access to run the app.

Make sure you select the "Allow access" option.

Open http://127.0.0.1:8080/ in your web browser

Verify that you see the login screen of the Travel Sample Web App similar to the screenshot shown below

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T-Mobile unveils new 5G internet plans for enhanced home and travel connectivity

Published on 1 hour ago

• T-Mobile has announced two new 5G internet plans — Home Internet Plus, available April 26, and Away, available May 8.
• Home Internet Plus offers expanded Wi-Fi coverage and 24/7 tech support for all smart devices and costs $70/month.
• Away provides a secure Wi-Fi solution for travelers, with options for unlimited or 200GB monthly data plans.

T-Mobile has announced two new 5G Internet plans, “Home Internet Plus” and “Away.” Home Internet Plus targets a premium home internet experience with expanded Wi-Fi coverage and 24/7 tech support for smart devices. Away is designed for travelers, offering a flexible Wi-Fi solution that leverages T-Mobile’s extensive 5G network across the nation.

The company describes itself as the fastest-growing internet provider in the U.S., reporting nearly 5 million customers since the 2021 launch of its 5G home Internet service.

Home Internet Plus is designed for households that require seamless, whole-home Wi-Fi. It includes T-Mobile’s latest 5G gateway and a Wi-Fi Mesh Access Point, offering a potential coverage of up to 2,200 square feet.

Additionally, the plan includes unlimited, live technical support through a personal “TechPro.” This support covers Wi-Fi and all connected smart devices in the home, offering assistance with setup, troubleshooting, and general usage.

Pricing for Home Internet Plus starts at $70/month with AutoPay or $50/month with AutoPay and a premium voice line. It will be available beginning on April 26. Customers also benefit from T-Mobile’s Price Lock guarantee, as well as the absence of equipment fees and annual contracts.

T-Mobile’s standard Home Internet plan remains available at $40/month (premium voice plan customers) or $50/month (other voice plans). This means the Plus plan adds extended Wi-Fi and 24/7 support at an additional cost of roughly $120 per year.

Internet on the move

The Away plan is designed to keep travelers connected with a flexible Wi-Fi solution that leverages T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network. It includes a 5G gateway that can support up to 64 devices at a time — far exceeding the capabilities of typical hotspots or using your smartphone as a hotspot.

Customers have the flexibility to choose either an unlimited data option for continuous connectivity or a plan with 200 gigabytes of monthly data. T-Mobile emphasizes the security benefits of the included gateway compared to relying on public Wi-Fi networks.

Away launches on May 8, and pricing is $160/month (unlimited data) or $110/month (200GB) with AutoPay. The plan also features T-Mobile’s signature Price Lock guarantee and a simple setup process to get you connected quickly.

• International edition
• Australia edition
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US man returns from Europe to $143,000 T-Mobile bill for using phone overseas

Gigantic bill apparently reflected using 9.5 gigabytes of data on a phone that had not been set up for international roaming

A Florida man was stunned to come back from a European trip and – upon checking his phone bill – realize that he had been charged a staggering $143,000 by his phone company for using his device while overseas.

ABC Action News reported that Rene Remund and his wife had toured Switzerland last September and had even gone to a T-Mobile store to share his travel plan with his phone provider before leaving.

But the gigantic bill apparently reflected using some 9.5 gigabytes of data while overseas on a phone that had not been set up for international roaming.

Remund told ABC that he called T-Mobile and waited on hold while the charges were examined and the person he spoke with informed him that the bill was not a mistake and that he was liable for it.

Remund replied: “You’re kidding me?”

He then hired a lawyer, who contacted ABC for help. Shortly after T-Mobile were contacted by ABC, the company offered to credit Remund’s account.

T-Mobile told ABC : “We recommend our customers check the travel features of their plan, such as international data roaming, before departing … if a customer is on an older plan that doesn’t include international roaming for data and calling, they’ll need to make sure they’re using airplane mode and wifi when using data to be certain the device doesn’t connect to an international network.”

• Mobile phones (Technology)
• Mobile phones (Money)
• Switzerland

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‘Conan O’Brien Must Go’ Is the Best Version of Conan

The comedian’s new travel show proves he’s at his best away from the rigid confines of late night

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After hundreds of episodes of Hot Ones , there’s little a guest can do to shake up the reliable formula of thoughtful questions combined with increasingly spicy chicken wings. But Conan O’Brien isn’t just any guest. Conan is someone who arrives with “Dr. Arroyo,” his personal physician, who, when asked where he went to medical school, answers “1998”; he deposits the remains of each wing into his jacket pocket; seemingly unfazed by the heat, he chugs hot sauces like they’re in tiny liquor bottles from a hotel minibar; he rubs the drumsticks on his hands, mouth, and, yes, nipples. Even as Conan’s pale complexion begins to resemble a ripe tomato, he remains committed to the bit, raising his body temperature by two degrees in a state of delirium. (According to Dr. Arroyo, of course.) Behold, the comedy GOAT:

Aside from being one of the funniest people on the planet, Conan seems to operate at the peak of his powers when surrounded by chaos. He was, for a time, our longest-tenured late-night host: He had a career on the airwaves that spanned nearly three decades, not unlike his icon, Johnny Carson. But while Conan could do the usual late-night beats in his sleep—the opening monologue, the celebrity interviews—he was never better than when things went completely off the rails. Consider: Conan used his last week as the short-lived host of The Tonight Show to waste NBC’s money on bringing a Kentucky Derby–winning horse to set; trolled his interns and staff in remote segments; introduced the world to his associate producer Jordan Schlansky, who gamely played a pretentious foil ; found an actual Tinder date with Dave Franco.

But some of Conan’s best work has been when he’s left the rigid confines of late night altogether. In 2015 Conan began a spinoff travel series, Conan Without Borders , in which he explored other countries armed with little more than his self-deprecating wit. “[Travel shows are] completely outside the realm of anything I do,” he explained to The New York Times in 2019. “They can be frightening because they take away a lot of control. I’m out there, I don’t often know what I’m going to encounter.” More often than not, it’s led to comedy gold. For instance, while he was taking a Japanese etiquette lesson, Conan’s instructor said that he wasn’t her type. The reason: “Face.”

Face . You could never script something so casually brutal; therein lies the magic. Most important, Conan never mocks other cultures to induce laughs—instead, he makes himself the butt of the joke, leaning into the bit of an ignorant tourist. But what truly elevated Conan Without Borders was how he could deftly weave in educational components and approach dark periods of a country’s history with genuine sensitivity. (Conan’s visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial with his longtime assistant, Sona Movsesian, is among the most emotionally resonant moments of his career.) Thankfully, even though Conan has bowed out of the late-night scene, he’s doubling down on the travelogues.

On Thursday—Conan’s birthday, no less—Max released Conan O’Brien Must Go , a four-part series that takes him to Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland. These destinations were inspired by his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend , which, in addition to celebrity interviews, features conversations with fans from around the globe. (The fans frequently invite Conan to come visit their neck of the woods; few would ever imagine he’d take them up on the offer.) While Conan O’Brien Must Go doesn’t rely on celebrity cameos, every episode opens with Werner Herzog voice-over narration about the grandeur of Mother Earth and how, to fully appreciate its natural wonders, we must sometimes “defile it.” Rest assured, Conan the Defiler is more than up to the task.

What separates Conan O’Brien Must Go from his first travel show is the incorporation of those fans, including a Norwegian fish farmer, an Irish medical student, and an Argentine painter. The fans understandably react to Conan showing up at their front door with a mixture of shock and glee, but before they even get a chance to compose themselves, he playfully roasts their respective living situations. Nobody gets it worse than Jarle, a young Norwegian rapper who still sleeps with soccer-themed bedsheets from childhood and has bread so stale it lands with an audible thud when Conan drops it. “I’ll wipe the floor with you,” Conan tells Jarle, “which actually might be a good idea, because I think you’d pick up a lot of lint.”

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But while it’s enjoyable in its own right to see Conan surprise fans, Conan O’Brien Must Go is never better than when he throws all caution to the wind mingling with the locals. One standout bit in Argentina involves a soccer team that invites Conan to its stadium, where he proceeds to take the sport’s reputation for theatrical diving to another level, with fake blood spurting out of his mouth. Argentina is also where Conan reunites with his archnemesis, Schlansky, who repeatedly corrects him on the proper pronunciation of tango over dinner. (Schlansky insists he’s right, even when the chefs disagree with him.) And while some comedians might have second thoughts if nobody seems entertained by their shenanigans, Conan always doubles down—if only for his own amusement. (The Argentine gauchos did not enjoy his singing talents.)

Despite all the silliness that’s part of the Conan experience, Conan O’Brien Must Go also manages to have moments of real profundity. For one, Conan uses the Ireland episode to explore his own heritage, culminating with a visit to the patch of rural farmland that belonged to his ancestors. It puts everything into perspective: His forebears fled the Irish famine for America, and their descendant returned with a camera crew and decades of fame and success under his belt. Truly, what are the odds? But what really tugs at the heartstrings is a brief video from the Norwegian fish farmer Kai, who explains how Conan’s visit to his small town completely changed his life. It’s genuinely heartwarming stuff, proving that comedy can achieve more than just laughs when it’s approached with curiosity and empathy.

It’s been three years since Conan last graced our screens, and his absence really underlined that he’s one of one. You can’t imagine anyone else showing up to a foreign country and reacting to situations on the fly without everything falling apart at the seams. But as Conan proved time and again during his late-night tenure, that’s where great comedy can be found: among the people, whether it’s in the streets of Harlem or a Civil War reenactment . Conan’s late-night career went through many phases , all of them worthy, but in retrospect, it feels like the format was holding him back. Conan O’Brien Must Go isn’t just a hilarious return to form: It’s one of the best things he’s ever done. Let’s hope the show’s Season 2 renewal will be a matter of when, not if. With Conan at the helm, there are so many more countries worth exploring—and defiling.

Next Up In TV

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• Catching Up With Tyler Cameron and ‘Love Island’ (U.K.) Season 2, Episodes 13-19
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• Danielson-Ospreay: Greatest Match Ever? Plus, Swerve Strickland Makes History at AEW Dynasty.

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Final 2024 NFL Mock Draft

In the last episode before the 2024 NFL draft, the guys compare notes, put their pencils down, and turn in their mock draft ahead of Round 1 on Thursday

Brutal Losses for the Lakers and Sixers. Plus, the Annual Daniel Jeremiah and Todd McShay NFL Draft Preview!

Russillo takes a look back at the incredible Monday night NBA playoff games, and Todd McShay and Daniel Jeremiah come on to discuss the top quarterbacks, share their candidates to trade up, and play a quick game of On the Clock

History Is Repeating Itself in the Worst Way for the Lakers

L.A.’s latest fall-from-behind loss was also its most gut-wrenching. Try as they might, the Lakers just can’t keep up with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

What Can Caleb Williams’s Worst College Game Tell Us About His NFL Prospects?

All college quarterbacks have bad games—even future greats like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. But what do those games signal about their NFL futures? And what does Williams’s Notre Dame tape show about his game?

Line Look Aheads, Over- and Under-Reactions, and a Trip on the Riverboat Casino

Tate and Cousin Sal get together to preview some of the upcoming NBA playoff games

Can Joel Embiid Still Save the Sixers’ Season?

Philadelphia was 27 seconds away from squaring its series with New York; now it faces a dreaded 0-2 hole. But Game 2 provided at least one reason to believe that a comeback remains possible.

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• Per Diem Lookup

FY 2024 Per Diem Rates for Dallas, Texas

Daily lodging rates (excluding taxes) | october 2023 - september 2024.

Cities not appearing below may be located within a county for which rates are listed. To determine the county a destination is located in, visit the Census Geocoder .

Meals & Incidentals (M&IE) rates and breakdown Footnotes

Use this table to find the following information for federal employee travel:

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, incidentals - Separate amounts for meals and incidentals. M&IE Total = Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner + Incidentals. Sometimes meal amounts must be deducted from trip voucher. See More Information

First & last day of travel - amount received on the first and last day of travel and equals 75% of total M&IE.

• I'm interested in:

Primary Destination

Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.

Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."

Per diem localities with county definitions shall include "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."

When a military installation or Government-related facility (whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and/or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

Meals & Incidentals

The separate amounts for breakfast, lunch and dinner listed in the chart are provided should you need to deduct any of those meals from your trip voucher. For example, if your trip includes meals that are already paid for by the government (such as through a registration fee for a conference), you will need to deduct those meals from your voucher. Refer to Section 301-11.18 of the Federal Travel Regulation for specific guidance on deducting these amounts from your per diem reimbursement claims for meals furnished to you by the government. Other organizations may have different rules that apply for their employees; please check with your organization for more assistance.

First & Last Day of Travel

This column lists the amount federal employees receive for the first and last calendar day of travel. The first and last calendar day of travel is calculated at 75 percent.

Additional per diem topics

• Meals & Incidental Expenses breakdown (M&IE)
• State tax exemption forms
• Factors influencing lodging rates
• Per diem highlights
• Fire safe hotels
• Have a per diem question?
• Downloadable per diem files

Need more information?

• Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories and possessions (set by DoD)
• Rates in foreign countries (set by State Dept.)

Related topics

• Travel resources
• E-Gov Travel
• POV mileage reimbursement rates

PER DIEM LOOK-UP

1 choose a location.

Error, The Per Diem API is not responding. Please try again later.

No results could be found for the location you've entered.

Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. Territories and Possessions are set by the Department of Defense .

Rates for foreign countries are set by the State Department .

2 Choose a date

Rates are available between 10/1/2021 and 09/30/2024.

The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.

When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.

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April 18, 2024