Using my phone internationally has been a series of trials and errors to see which option actually works the best. Do you pay for an international plan through your cell provider? Do you buy a local SIM card once you arrive at your destination? Do you depend on Wi-Fi hot spots only? Well, I've tried them all and there isn't one 'right' answer. Does your cell plan include unlimited data? If you answered yes, you don't have anything to worry about. For the rest of you, read on.
International Plan: This option ranks dead last for me after trying this on my China/Australia/ New Zealand trip. Setting up the plan (with AT&T) was easy enough, however having it work properly was a different story. When I landed in China I didn't have any service. As I'm sure happens with any cell provider, when you call for assistance they want you to call from a phone other than your cell phone which is challenging enough when you're home, not to mention on the other side of the world! Luckily I was with someone who had unlimited data so I used his phone to call AT&T and get the issue resolved. Otherwise, who knows when and how I could have gotten everything in working order. Currently AT&T's Passport Program comes in 3 packages, all which last 30 days from activation: $40 for 200MB data, $60 for 300MB data or $120 for 800MB data. Even if you have free Wi-Fi where you're staying, that isn't much data at all.
Local SIM Card: This will only work if you have an unlocked phone. If your phone is unlocked, all you have to do is swap the SIM cards out and voila! I tried this out when I was in Iceland and I had zero issues. It helped tremendously that I researched local providers and where I could buy the SIM card ahead of time. If your phone isn't unlocked, your cell provider won't unlock it for you if you still owe money on the phone (looking at you AT&T Next). I took a chance on a company called DoctorSIM and was pleasantly surprised. The process was easy and they provided step-by-step instructions on what to do once you receive the unlock code. It took me about 2 minutes and my new Icelandic SIM card worked like a charm. I suggest doing this a few days before you leave for your trip though- it took a couple days to get the code.
Wi-Fi Hot Spots: This depends very heavily on where you're headed. Will you have free Wi-Fi where you'll be staying? Are there numerous hot spots available in the area? If you answered no, I would be wary of choosing this option, but if you answered yes, then I would consider it. I spent the majority of my Iceland trip dependent on free Wi-Fi only and got by just fine (but this also meant downloading offline maps).
So why have I only discussed data usage and not calls and/or text? There are numerous free apps that you can use for calls and text via Wi-Fi. Think about how much you use your phone for calls and text while traveling abroad- I'm betting not much, and when you do it's probably through one of those free apps I referred to (unless you're traveling for business in which case you have company phone). Personally I'm a big fan of Google Hangouts. You can make free calls and texts anywhere and everywhere worldwide over Wi-Fi. Make sure to set up your Google phone number before you leave though, since it can only be set up on a desktop computer. If you want to see a list of all of my favorite travel apps you can check it out here.
