I’m a relative newbie to the iPhone, having converted just a few months ago when my Nokia N75 finally bit the dust, so when I recently traveled internationally for the first time since buying my iPhone 3GS, I had some research ahead of me. I’d heard horror stories about people who used their iPhones while traveling overseas, only to discover they had mounted up thousands of dollars in cell phone charges upon returning home. As an underpaid writer, I needed to make very sure this didn’t happen to me.
iPhone 3GS
I started by calling AT&T and was told that I needed to add an International Calling Plan for $24.99 per month. Initially that seemed like a reasonable solution, until I read the small print. The plan provides 20MB of usage within 65 countries, and the list of countries did not include my destination. Additionally, usage over 20MB would have been charged at $.005 per KB. If that all sounds like a lot of gibberish, let me put it in perspective: opening an email with a five megapixel picture in it or downloading a three-minute video on YouTube each require about 2MB of data, so it wouldn’t take long to eat up 20MB of data. Additionally, there are 1,000 KB in each MB, so if I was over my limit, opening a 2MB email would cost me $10! Obviously, this plan was not acceptable.
Since I intended to access my email and the Internet solely through the hotel’s WiFi network, I asked AT&T for instructions to block the cellular network completely. Although it was a struggle to get the rep to agree to send me the appropriate information, she finally offered to send an email with instructions. The instructions were somewhat incomplete, but with research I was able to fill in the missing details and the steps I took successfully shut off the 3G network (I have since received my bill and it contained no roaming charges). The following are the steps I took for my iPhone 3GS:
- Make sure that standard International Roaming and International Long Distance feature, if it is included in your cellular plan, is removed (call AT&T and make sure the rep adds a note to your account confirming that you requested this)
- Put the phone in airplane mode during my trip (Settings-Airplane Mode-ON)
- Disable 3G (Settings-General-Network-Enable 3G-OFF)
- Turn off data roaming (Settings-General-Network-Data Roaming-OFF)
- Make sure WiFi is enabled (Settings-WiFi-WiFi-ON)
- Turn of automatic pushing of email (Settings-Mail, Contacts, Calendars-Fetch New Data-Push-OFF and set Fetch to Manually)
- Although not absolutely necessary, I wanted to be very sure I was not mounting up the MB’s, so I reset the usage counter to zero in order to monitor it throughout the trip, ensuring my usage remained at zero. To do so, go to Settings-General-Usage-Reset Statistics (scroll to the very bottom).
When I arrived in Curacao, I simply logged into the resort’s WiFi and Voila! I had access to the Internet, my email, Twitter, and could even make international phone calls with the iPhone Skype app without incurring cellular charges. When you return to the U.S., simply reverse the process, although you may choose not to reinstate the International Roaming and International Long Distance feature.
After years of working 70 hours a week at jobs I detested, I felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. Searching for meaning in my life, I abandoned my successful but unsatisfying career and set out on a six-month solo backpacking trip around the world to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography. 
January 14th, 2010 - 3:56 pm
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January 14th, 2010 - 4:42 pm
Advertising a rate of 1/2 a cent per KB (as against $5 per MB) is what I consider deceitful – it is the truth but intentionally made to fool people not all that literate with data amounts. Shame on AT&T and others who practice the same (Australian telcos are also guilty of this). Some great advice for getting around it effectively. I wonder how many return home to frightening telco bills.
January 14th, 2010 - 5:17 pm
Thank you for the tips!
January 14th, 2010 - 5:34 pm
Great summary — another option would be to purchase a local sim card when you are in the destination — that way you avoid the international roaming fees but retain the extra benefits of having phone coverage.
January 14th, 2010 - 6:13 pm
Hi Stuart: Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Now I have a question that I hope you can answer. I have long considered jailbreaking my iPhone so that I could use a sim card from another country, but wouldn’t that just allow me to call cheaply within that country? If I was in, say Thailand, and bought a Thai sim card, and wanted to call the U.S., wouldn’t I still be paying exorbitant rates through the Thai cellular network?
January 14th, 2010 - 6:22 pm
Ahh, I’d forgotton the need to jailbreak it if you don’t have an unlocked phone.
If you use say a Thai sim then you’ll pay the standard overseas calling rates for that particular operator — these would, almost always, be cheaper than using overseas roaming in Thailand with a US provider (as the later generally takes the local provider’s charges and whacks a surcharge on them).
But, calling aside, the other big advantage of using a local sim is you’re on the local network (and so, paying local fees) for internet purposes, so you can use all the internet applications (web email etc etc) without paying the roaming fees.
January 14th, 2010 - 6:31 pm
I’m a newcomer to the iPhone as well. Compared to other phones I’ve used, the settings are much simpler to locate to avoid exorbitant data roaming charges.
Good point on turning off automatic pushing of email. It’s those little things that end up as an unwelcome surprise and add up to the bill.
January 14th, 2010 - 7:54 pm
Ah! Excellent point Stuart and you just helped me make up my mind about the whole jailbreaking issue. Thanks.
January 15th, 2010 - 12:00 am
Wonderful article, Barbara — and you spelled it all out quite clearly. I believe that even iPhone novices will be able to follow those directions!
January 15th, 2010 - 1:18 am
I love using the wifi feature for my iPhone at hotels too! (and I’m also very careful about my data roaming settings!) I didn’t know about this iPhone Skype app… I need to look into this because I spent a lot of money on phone calls, argh. I probably shouldn’t admit this but I have never Skyped in my life…
January 15th, 2010 - 2:58 am
Ha, iPhone! I only have a normal cellphone – and I just canceled that today (what a coincidence:) AT&T continually charched me twice per sms amongst other things – I had enough. Even though my cell phone was unlocked, I was not able to use other sim cards. They blamed the hardware but refused to replace it. I decided that I don’t really need a cell phone – I am back to basics
January 15th, 2010 - 10:12 am
Here in Kong Kong they sell iPhones unlocked by law as in many countries outside the US so yes a local sim card and/or in conjunction with a local calling card make calls to the USA or anywhere very reasonable. Of course Skype on wifi is the way to go – free
p.s. I still think you must Jailbreak your iPhone to get the most out of it – even though mine is officially unlocked
January 15th, 2010 - 2:35 pm
Yep, this definitely works! I went to Europe in May and used those same instructions, and it worked like a charm. I was able to use the phone as a clock, alarm clock, notepad, etc, throughout the day, but when I got back to my hotel with free wifi, I was able to use the internet on it for free for emails, etc. And if you have free wifi and have the Skype app, you can actually call someone else with Skype for free. My dad has Skype, so we send him an email and told him a certain time to get on. Then I was able to call him and have a free conversation via Skype since the wifi was free. Quality wasn’t as great as a normal call, but still worked great!
January 18th, 2010 - 7:23 am
Excellent information for those traveling internationally with an iphone. Barbara, this is a helpful post, especially for iphone neophytes. I’ll be passing along the information to my iphone carrying friends. Also, I’m going to apply the same strategy to the Droid phone that I purchased last wee.
January 18th, 2010 - 9:53 am
It’s annoying that AT&T makes this information so difficult to obtain. I wonder if the reps are specifically instructed to point you away from shutting off data roaming.
January 21st, 2010 - 9:17 am
If you are visitng the UK, there is a service called http://www.fonmigo.com it allows you to rent local smartphones, and mobile wifi modems, looks interesting http://www.fonmigo.com
Many of us forget or not aware of unlocking phones..
Mobile wifi connected any wifi enabled device to the internet!
January 23rd, 2010 - 5:29 pm
that’s probably time i consider to get a tech phone too, even better an Iphone, hopefully while in the USA. However I heard than only USA residents can buy an Iphone and only with a contract, is that true? Even if i could get one then i will have to investigate in any case the charges applied in europe and this trick might not work…umm?
January 24th, 2010 - 12:45 am
Hi Marta:
I have never heard that only US residents can buy iPhones, but I think you can buy one without a contract, it just costs more. When you sign up for a contract you can buy the phone for a much reduced price, but without a contract it is full price.
January 25th, 2010 - 11:57 pm
Great article that was very helpful as I prepare to head overseas tomorrow night. I am so used to having my iPhone with me to take notes and listen to music while on the road that I was fearful it might have to stay home.
January 26th, 2010 - 4:24 am
Andrew where are you going off to? Have you considered AT&T int’l data plans?
January 26th, 2010 - 6:24 pm
I actually just went abroad and used my iPhone successfully.
I was able to purchase a plan for $5.99 to make International calls at a low rate. I was only make two or three calls so it worked well for me.
I also purchased a plan for 5MB which I thought would be difficult to stick by, but even a live-blogger like myself fit into this plan with overage to spare.
Of course, I did cash-in on my hotel’s free wifi, but for an Internet addict, using the iPhone plan was very easy once I figured it out.
January 26th, 2010 - 6:55 pm
Roaming is the biggest scam ever, even after buying the At&t plan. With the plan you mention ATT charges $0.99 per minute made and receive, while locals pay up to 90% less.. In the UK a local will pay $0 to receive a call and $0.20 to make one.
If we talk about data it gets worse. AT&T charges $20 per mb vs. $0.30/MB (locals in UK). Over 20x’s higher, imagine the money AT&T is making from you! If you get the ATT Int’l plan the MB costs drops to $1.5 per MB, but still 5x’s higher than local rates.
An average iphone user consumes 400MB per month. So even with At&t plan the bills will be huge.. If you don’t believe me google “iphone roaming”..
UNLOCK your phones and go local! or rent a local phone or mobile wifi.. I meantioned fonmigo.com before.
Don’t limit yourself, stay mobile while abroad, but don’t pay Att scam rates…
January 26th, 2010 - 7:01 pm
Amen to that, Tomas. I really think people don’t understand just how easy it is to chew up the Mb when accessing data or surfing the web. I personally know someone who came home to a $5,000 phone bill.
January 26th, 2010 - 7:08 pm
I agree with you, just look at this sentence from AT&T site:
For example, opening an email with a 5 megapixel picture in it, or downloading a 3-minute video on YouTube, each takes about 2 MB of data. The cost would be almost $40, based on pay-per-use international data rates of $0.0195/KB.
An email with a pic : $40!!!!!
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/iphone-travel-tips.jsp
January 28th, 2010 - 6:40 pm
Thanks for the help Barbara. I am actually traveling to Thailand tomorrow and was considering leaving my phone at (gasp) home. Did you get the plan before you traveled and which one did you get? I might have missed it.
January 28th, 2010 - 9:03 pm
Aaron: I didn’t get any plan because they were all incredibly expensive for little data. I relied on wireless access points and shut off the 3G cellular connection entirely.
February 1st, 2010 - 9:38 am
[...] When traveling outside of the U.S., iPhone users can easily incur charges in the thousands of dollars. Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels reveals the “secret settings” that ensure you can use your iPhone while traveling internationally without breaking the bank. [...]
February 1st, 2010 - 6:16 pm
Great article. When a family friend went backpacking in Europe for 2 months, we each made several calls to ATT (the carrier for both our phones). Each time we got “another piece of the puzzle” for being able to call or text. Even then, we didn’t learn a couple of important details until after she was over there, but overall, we did great and so did AT&T. We could text quite affordably and, using my calling card, we could even call on the phone every so often. Gave her a good safety net, kept me from worrying, and a big help when she got a nasty cold.
I don’t think any of us are headed for overseas anytime in the near future, as Sandwich Generation senior home care giving and grandparenting is keeping me pretty busy and work has her tied down. Just in case, though, I’m saving your list.
Thanks for the info.
February 1st, 2010 - 7:48 pm
Hi Kaye: Thanks for your comment. I was intrigued by what you said about texting affordably. That’s something I have not yet figured out – would love it if you’d share here with me and my readers.
February 2nd, 2010 - 9:34 am
This is fabulous information! I don’t quite understand it the first time through but I will definitely hold on to it. We are traveling to Central Europe this summer and it will be my first time traveling with my iPhone so I need to plan for that.
Stopping by from Baby Boomer Entrepreeur!
February 8th, 2010 - 8:33 pm
Thank you very much for the incredibly useful information!!!
February 15th, 2010 - 6:54 pm
This is exactly the information I was looking for as I prepare to head to the UK for 2 months. So, if I follow the instructions you provided, I can use wifi access points to skype, email, etc., and DON’T have to have my phone unlocked by AT&T? And can I use skype to call numbers in the UK from my iPhone? Thank you for your help!
February 15th, 2010 - 7:44 pm
Char: Yes, everything you have said is correct, according to my personal experience. As long as you are careful to disable the 3G connection and everything that tries to access it (email push, for instance), you will be incurring no international charges. It also helps to reset your usage tzero as you get on the plane, so you can check back and make sure it is not recording any usage. You will need to download the Skype app for our iPhone, if you haven’t already. It also helps to know that you cannot do ANY multitasking when you are talking on Skype through the iPhone. The moment you do someting else, it signs you out. This is not s Skype thing, it’s an Apple thing.
February 15th, 2010 - 11:24 pm
Char with a fonmigo.com mobile wi-fi you will wi-fi anywhere in the UK. I think its $50 for 1GB of data (close to unlimited!).
It looks like a very simple and practical device. You can use it to also connect your laptop. Just connect it to your iphone wi-fi connection.
February 15th, 2010 - 11:25 pm
Char I mean it gives you wi-fi anywhere you want for you iPhone.
March 2nd, 2010 - 9:31 pm
Has anyone heard of the iPhoneiTrip option to purchase a sim card for your iPhone? If you have and have used it, please let me know if it is legitimate—planning a trip to Paris in a couple of weeks, and my husband and I need to be connected to work.
March 3rd, 2010 - 7:46 am
I don’t know if they are legit or not. but why would you get the SIM Card from them..
They rent you a SIM for $80! IN Europe they are for free or cost max $3. With the $80 you get 6 minutes and additional calls cost $1.68 per min. Roaming costs $1.29.
Your best bet is getting a local sim card they are everywhere in paris..
March 3rd, 2010 - 4:40 pm
I don’t want to unlock my iPhone and you can use their sim with locked phone. Unlimited data on 3g and 65 minutes of phone calls.
March 3rd, 2010 - 4:52 pm
6 minutes.. This is a rip off.. I guess if you don’t want to unlock it thats one option..but not a good value for money one,.