How To Avoid Roaming Charges When Travelling?

There’s nothing more exciting than planning a trip overseas — picking the perfect outfits, daydreaming about trying new foods, and counting down the days until you can officially put your status as “out of office.” 

But even when a vacation seems to be going perfectly, there’s that one thing that can wipe the smile off of any traveller’s face: you guessed it, roaming fees. Those irritating, sneaky little fees that start racking up behind the scenes the moment your phone connects to a foreign network. They’re one of the most easily forgotten irritants that can be a complete bummer to your vacation budget.

But there’s good news — you absolutely do NOT need to pay these fees! There are tons of easy ways to dodge roaming fees without sacrificing your ability to send messages and stay connected on vacation.

Let’s break down a few of the options at your disposal to avoid these fees.

Use an eSIM (a frequent traveller favourite)

If you travelled anytime before 2018, you probably remember the struggles of having to buy a plastic SIM card from a suspicious looking kiosk, struggling with foreign phone numbers, relying on spotty Wi-Fi for your entire vacation, or just giving up and abandoning the prospect of having internet altogether. 

But a fresh new player debuted in 2018: the travel eSIM. 

An eSIM is a fully digital SIM that lives inside your device and activates instantly. You simply purchase a prepaid package based on how much data you need, install it on your device, and it automatically activates when you arrive at your destination. No hunting for Wi-Fi, no lining up at airport kiosks, and no worrying about losing your SIM card within the abyss of your poorly organized luggage.

With eSIMs saving travellers over 80% on roaming fees in comparison to standard carriers, it’s no surprise that frequent travellers immediately jumped on this new travel tech staple!

Take aloSIM, a top-rated eSIM provider offering travel data in 200+ destinations. Plans start at just $3 USD for a full week of data, which is a steal compared to traditional roaming prices. They’re easy to install, they can be topped up anytime, and if you’re country-hopping, there’s even a global eSIM that works in 149 countries — perfect for travellers who may struggle with technology and want to install an eSIM once and never think about it again.

In short, eSIMs offer a simple, affordable way to avoid roaming charges altogether at an unbeatable price.

The Ole’ Faithful: Turn On Airplane Mode

If your primary goal is to avoid roaming fees at all costs (no pun intended), enabling Airplane Mode on your phone for the entirety of your vacation is a safe bet. The downside is that this setting is quite limiting by nature.

Your phone will not be able to connect to any cellular networks when it is in Airplane mode. This can be a good thing, as it means there’s no danger of unintentional roaming. Plus, you won’t be entirely without internet since you can still use Wi-Fi.

The catch however, is that it also inhibits your ability to receive/make calls, send or receive texts, and utilize mobile data. And realistically speaking… who wants to burn through precious vacation time hunting down hotspots? 

Overall, Airplane Mode gets the job done, but it can’t really be considered “vacation-friendly”.

The “Wi-Fi Only” Route

Relying on Wi-Fi is another easy way to avoid roaming fees. Most airports, hotels and coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi. This comes in handy if you’re making frequent stops along your journey, or if you don’t have a pressing need to message friends or family back home. Free Wi-Fi is also a huge help for downloading things that typically consume a lot of data, such as podcast episodes, movies or music.

On the downside, there are quite a few disadvantages to relying entirely on Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi (especially when it’s free) can be slow, unreliable, or simply unavailable when you need it the most. It’s a good tool, yes, but it’s not something you can always rely on, especially while you’re on the go on vacation.

In unfamiliar countries, unsecured public Wi-Fi can potentially be a hazardous zone for software or phishing attacks, information theft and more. If you do decide to go the free Wi-Fi route, look into getting a VPN for an added layer of security and protection.

Buy a Local SIM Card

There’s always the old-school option of grabbing a local SIM card once you arrive at your destination. If you go to a reputable vendor, you can usually find decent data packages for a generally fair price. Some locals even rely on them too, which can give you some insight as to which shops are more trusted and competitive with pricing.

But understandably, swapping SIM cards isn’t for everyone. For many travellers, there’s always the fear of misplacing their primary SIM card while abroad — in which case they can kiss their precious phone number goodbye. 

Overall, price wise, buying a local SIM card is a decent option, but it does come with the risk of misplacing your primary SIM (while you’re too busy enjoying your vacation to notice).

Using Your Primary Carrier’s Travel Add-Ons

Another option is using your primary carrier’s travel add-ons. Some mobile carriers offer international travel passes that you can add on to your monthly bill if you are travelling internationally. Now note, while these add-ons do reduce the cost of roaming fees, they can still cost quite a significant amount, depending on your provider. On the upside, the price is lower than the typical daily charge for international roaming. 

If you decide to go with the travel add-on route, make it a point to contact your provider about available options before you travel. That way, you avoid any unnecessary and unpleasant surprises.

Avoiding Roaming Charges is Possible

Avoiding roaming charges can be simple when you’re familiar with the options at your disposal. There are plenty of ways to avoid them, from installing an eSIM to putting your phone on Airplane Mode.

If you want the easiest, most convenient and affordable solution, eSIMs win the travel battle. They give you low-cost data without contracts, they can be installed/activated instantly, and they give you the freedom to use your phone without any of the restrictions associated with other options. Oh, and the best part? You won’t come home to a shocking bill.

Visit alosim.com to get a travel eSIM for your next trip abroad and never worry about roaming charges again!