In today’s world, a cell phone is one of the necessary things to stay connected with one’s friends and family during an international stay. A cell phone will allow you to navigate to places in case you are lost, chat with your favorite ones, post images on social media, read the top news on the go and do much more. But before picking up international cell phone plans, there are certain things that need to be considered.

Consider your budget first
Make sure you have the budget ready in your mind before you jump to buying international cell phone plans. Do you want a prepaid plan to last for a few weeks or more of a long-term plan with unlimited data? Plan a monthly budget on how you will spend your bucks on a cell phone and stick to that plan for the rest of your travel days as switching plans frequently can cost you more money. If your plan has limited data, then you have to rely on public Wi-Fi.

Duration of your travel
The next step toward buying the best international cell phone plans will be deciding the time frame for which you will be gone. If you are going abroad just for a few days to a few weeks, then make sure you have free roaming. If not, then turning your smartphone into airplane mode and relying on public Wi-Fi will be the best option for you. You can also get a hold of a cheaper phone for making emergency calls.

If you are planning to stay abroad for more than a month, consider pay-as-you-go prepaid cell phone plans for the time till you get a budget-oriented international phone package in the new country. You need to decide what will be the right package for you as different countries have different rules and packages for data limits, 3G, 4G, calls, and texts.

Do you use an unlocked phone?
If you frequently travel to different destinations for your work, then buying an unlocked phone will be a great option to save a lot of money. Having an unlocked phone will help you get rid of your current phone plans while you are traveling. It’s possible to unlock your current phone, but the cheaper option is to buy a refurbished, unlocked phone. But always keep in mind to research whether the unlocked phone you are getting will work with an international network.

Is buying a new phone and switching to a local data plan in the new country cheaper?
In case you don’t have or don’t prefer unlocked phones, then switching to local plans for calls, texts and data are usually cheaper than clinging to international cell phone plans on your existing SIM card. Again, it depends on how long you will stay in the new country and also on your new destination. For example, just for $30, you can get an unlimited data SIM card in Thailand for 4 months. So, scouting for the best cell phone plans available at your new destination before you leave your country will be a viable option to save bucks.

There is no doubt that cell phones provide peace of mind especially when you are traveling to unknown destinations. But with the introduction of various companies and their expensive international cell phone plans, you need to find the ones that will not just save your hard earned money but will also provide you with the strongest network coverage while you are on your own.