Cell Service in Europe
Using your cell phone is key to staying connected, whether you’re keeping up with friends and family, finding your way through new cities, or looking up restaurant options. From selecting the best service plan to managing communication back home and navigating without constant access to cell service, there are various ways to make the most of your phone abroad. Here’s a guide to help you have cell phone service in Europe and make the most of your European adventure.
International Cell Service Options
Essentially, you have three options regarding cell service while you are overseas.
1. Purchase an international plan through your carrier (Easiest)
Most US based cell service providers offer international plans or daily international plans. Prices vary, but it shouldn’t be that expensive because of the length of your trip. If you choose to go this route we recommend asking your carrier about the daily plan because most of these plans only charge you if you use your cellular data on that day. This is the easiest way to have cell service in Europe. Many days you will have wifi available so frequently that you will not even need to use your cellular data.
International Plans for U.S. Carriers
2. Getting a Local Cell Phone Plan in Europe (More time consuming)
If your phone is unlocked from your carrier, then you can simply purchase a prepaid (no-contract) SIM card at the airport in the country and use the local carrier to get cell service in Europe. These are inexpensive compared to US cell service prices and since there is no contract and you can discard the SIM card once you finish your trip.
If you do not know if your phone is unlocked from the carrier, contact your cell service provider to ask them. If your phone is not unlocked then this option will not work. When you have a phone included in your wireless plan with your carrier, the smartphone will be locked to their network. This is the scenario for majority of U.S. consumers.
3. Use Wi-Fi Only (Easy)
As stated in option number one, wifi is widely available throughout Europe. So the final option is to simply travel without cell service. We often choose to just use Wi-Fi because it is widely available in cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, and malls throughout Europe. All of your applications on your phone will work the same as they do back home only using Wifi. You can also message people using your iMessage on your iPhone if they have iMessage also.
If you choose to not have cell service, don’t worry because you can still easily use your phones to navigate while you are offline no matter where you are. For more information about this read “How to Navigate Without Cell Service” below.
Using your Cell Phone in Europe to Communicate with friends and family in the U.S.
If you choose to use your cell service provider from the U.S. then this section will not apply to you because you will have service just like you would in the U.S. However, if you choose to use a local SIM card or use wifi you will not be able to send normal text messages to people in the US. One exception for iPhone users is that you can continue to send iMessages if you are on wifi.
If you want to stay in contact with a non-iPhone user or you do not have an iPhone, then we recommend downloading the application WhatsApp to communicate with people in the US while you are abroad. It is a free, very user-friendly application that allows you to text or call anyone you want, as long as you have cell service/wifi, no matter where you are in the world. If you choose to use WhatsApp, you need to confirm your phone number with a text message. You will need to do this before you leave the US. So make sure to download the application and complete that process prior to your departure.
How to Navigate Without Cell Service in Europe
If you choose to use your cell service provider from the US we still recommend reading this section and using Apple Maps or Google Maps during your trip. If you choose to not have cell service then this section will explain how you can still navigate, while walking, driving or taking public transport during your trip even without cell service.
When we travel we use Apple Maps or Google Maps for navigation if we do not have cell service.
From both applications, you get detailed information on routes, public transportation and reviews for local restaurants, bars, and businesses. In these applications, you need to download the maps for the specific regions that you are traveling to beforehand so we recommend doing this before your departure from the US. Here are the articles to download maps for Apple Maps and Google Maps.
