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bcemail

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 21, 2009
86
9
Hello, my daughter will be travelling abroad to France for a couple weeks this summer. We have Verizon, and I read through their FAQ and tried to use their International Travel Planner but it was a little wonky so thought I would ask here. She has an iPhone 11 and I see we can get a plan for $100 per month or $10 per day. Do we also have to get her a new SIM card? Does she need to worry at all about which provider she is using when she is over there? Anything else to consider so she is ready to go when she arrives? Guess she'll also need a charger or converter...
Thanks!
 

raythompsontn

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2023
582
766
I travel to Europe frequently. I get a SIM in the country when I arrive. The plans are much cheaper than Verizon or any U.S. carrier. It is a simple matter to remove, and save, the Verizon SIM, install the new SIM, and be online. Reverse the process coming back. I am fortunate that I have someone mail me the SIM so I can install the SIM before the airplane lands.

For charging all that is needed is a plug adapter. With the adapter the existing charger will work fine.

Plans can be had for $30.00 for the month with 10 gig of data. She can save some of the calling minutes by using WiFi calling when she has access to WiFi.
 
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bcemail

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 21, 2009
86
9
I travel to Europe frequently. I get a SIM in the country when I arrive. The plans are much cheaper than Verizon or any U.S. carrier. It is a simple matter to remove, and save, the Verizon SIM, install the new SIM, and be online. Reverse the process coming back. I am fortunate that I have someone mail me the SIM so I can install the SIM before the airplane lands.

For charging all that is needed is a plug adapter. With the adapter the existing charger will work fine.

Plans can be had for $30.00 for the month with 10 gig of data. She can save some of the calling minutes by using WiFi calling when she has access to WiFi.
Thanks that's a good idea! Does it matter what type of Sim card she gets as far as carrier is concerned? Or does it just need to be iphone compatible? For 10 days or so she should be ok with not too much data since she'll hopefully have wifi where she is staying.
Thanks
 

raythompsontn

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2023
582
766
Does it matter what type of Sim card she gets as far as carrier is concerned?
No, they are all about the same. She will naturally get a new phone number that is local to the country.

For my travels the ability to get data was important. I need train schedules and other information that require data. I also text to people that I am visiting. Phone calls were a minor consideration. For calling back to the states, use WiFi calling. Or use WhatsApp to make calls when needed, WiFi is preferable.

Using WiFi calling she can call you, you cannot call her. With WhatsApp you can call her and she can call you.

Getting a local SIM is really the best option. Cheap and works. The SIMS provided are iPhone compatible. I have an iPhone and I use local SIMs.
 

raythompsontn

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2023
582
766
Get can also get esim. So she can use the dual sim functions in france
True.

I prefer the physical SIM. It works and all the countries support a physical SIM. And when done it is removed from the phone. No accidental use of the incorrect SIM where roaming charges are through the roof.

I have an eSIM locally for my phone. When I leave for Europe later this year a physical SIM will be what I am using.
 

bcemail

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 21, 2009
86
9
Great, thanks for all the info! Makes us (a little) less worried about her trip.

Will there be any difference with texting or Facetime? Whatsapp sounds like a good idea since I know we've had friends overseas and it worked. Is that tied to her phone number or can she just log in with an account and it will know who she is?
 

raythompsontn

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2023
582
766
There will be no difference with FaceTime as FaceTime uses data. Texting would will probably not work. Unless WhatsApp is used for the texting. The individual would just need to sign into their WhatsApp account and the new phone number should be registered as change with WhatsApp.

When on WiFi WhatsApp is great for making phone calls and voicemail. Using it will use quite a bit of data so WiFi is best for phone calls. Text messages use very little data.

If your daughter knows someone in Europe have them send a SIM card for the country before she leaves. Otherwise a SIM can be purchased at the arrival airport as many airports have such kiosks.

If your daughter is going to be using the trains I would advise also downloading the train app for the phone. I do that for Germany, the app is in English, and it is great for train schedules, platforms, etc.
 

tizeye

macrumors 68040
Jul 17, 2013
3,074
33,749
Orlando, FL
With daughter living in Switzerland, I am over there quite a bit to spoil the grandchild. That is the one thing that has kept me at T-Mobile as hey include 170 countries for free, Wi-Fi and text up to plan limits (unlimited in my case) and reduced voice and checking voicemail is a phone call - so I don’t. If I have to have a rare voice call, will coodinate FaceTime or Skype ( including non-video skype dial when had to contact an airline) over Wi-Fi.

That said, still thinking of the separate SIM. Cellular Wi-Fi and text is great, but have run into hotspot issues, as Swiss Telecom on trains and other sites has a logon with phone number - rejecting US so apparently only Swiss, to access the fre Wi-Fi, but usually could still get cellular. Sometimes even got the French telecom if their signal was stronger close to the border. To get past the USA providerSIM deactivated when removed to insert the foreign SIM, thinking about bringing my old 6s and have both.

Don’t know about Verizon billing, but be careful if like AT&T, as the International Plan is per billing cycle, so if the two weeks span two billing cycle, you are paying for 2 months. Foreign SIM all the way and don’t look back.

Great to be in a city and maps highlights where you are and destinations. Also, download train and bus app, load in credit card can purchase ticket. Also, pack a USB battery backup charger. Nothing is worse than return ticket on the phone and dead battery from sightseeing photos. Learned the hard way, turning off my phone with 5% charge and return ship (part of SBB train app) across Lake Geneva. Just made it, but ship did have charge points, just as trains do. The discount EasyJet doesn’t have usb in seats and had to stand in line to buy a Train ticket rather than use the phone, and couldn’t use the kiosk for a ticket as credit cards use PIN which US credit cards don’t provide. Debit card with PIN works and with much of Europe cash based, use on ATM, but also works at kiosk for tickets. Don’t know about Apple Wallet.
 

one more

macrumors 601
Aug 6, 2015
4,524
5,690
Earth
In France you have usual long-term contracts, as well as commitment-free monthly ones that can be cancelled at any time without additional fees. The best French providers are:

Orange and specifically their cheaper subsidiary called Sosh:


Bouygues and their cheaper subsidiary called B&You:


They change their offers all the time, but currently Sosh offer 130 GB of data for 15.99€/month and B&You offer 100 GB for 13.99€/month and 200 GB for 17.99€/month, which is a bargain compared to the US prices, I believe.

You can get a normal physical SIM or an eSIM. The only problem for you that I can think of is that during the subscription process they will ask you for a French bank account number (aka RIB) they can use to set-up a direct debit with. They also charge a one-off 10€ fee for a SIM card that you can pay for by your credit/debit card when you order the SIM card.

Orange (Sosh) have the best coverage/cellular internet in France, Bouygues (B&You) follow closely behind. I would personally avoid the rest of them (Free and SFR, etc.).

UPDATE: also check our LEBARA, as they also use Orange network, have a site in English and might allow you to subscribe without needing a French bank account!

 

2Xtreme21

macrumors regular
Nov 25, 2013
152
179
Check out the app Airalo. You can use it to buy and install e-Sims directly onto your phone. They offer both country-specific sims and also one for all of Europe that will work great for your daughter.

I use this every time I travel and you really can’t beat the cost and convenience. No need to hunt down a local SIM card or pay crazy roaming fees.

The only “downside” is that most plans are data only and don’t come with traditional calling available; however that’s totally fine for FaceTime and iMessage. International calls are anyway usually very expensive with a local plan.
 
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rambo47

macrumors 65816
Oct 3, 2010
1,354
973
Denville, NJ
Frankly, for overseas trips my family members have had great experiences using my backup phone, a Google Pixel 5 with a local pre-paid SIM. The rest of the world is not as iPhone-centric as the United States. Especially the Eastern European countries.

Switching from an iPhone to an Android phone takes a little preplanning. Seems to work best if you base your Android experience on a Gmail account rather than iCloud. That's been my experience anyway. Exporting my pictures and contacts to Google's suite of services makes the transition easier. If you're already using a Gmail account with your iPhone it's even more simple.
 

bcemail

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 21, 2009
86
9
Check out the app Airalo. You can use it to buy and install e-Sims directly onto your phone. They offer both country-specific sims and also one for all of Europe that will work great for your daughter.

I use this every time I travel and you really can’t beat the cost and convenience. No need to hunt down a local SIM card or pay crazy roaming fees.

The only “downside” is that most plans are data only and don’t come with traditional calling available; however that’s totally fine for FaceTime and iMessage. International calls are anyway usually very expensive with a local plan.
The eSim option looks pretty easy! I'm thinking that if I get her 10 or 20gb she should be good for 2 weeks, especially since I'm assuming the family she will be staying with will have wi-fi. Since she won't have calls, FaceTime and WhatsApp would still work? I know they would use a lot of data so we would only try and do FaceTime on wi-fi.

Looks like Orange also has an eSim option: All inclusive - Travel. Would WhatsApp count toward her 1000 messages? Or is that considered a different type of thing?

Thanks again!
 

saber32au

macrumors 6502
Apr 5, 2019
267
196
No. WhatsApp uses data and not the messaging system of the provider.
Exactly. Whatsapp is no different to other popular IP based messaging services (ie imessage, facebook messenger, signal etc). They use a data connection to transmit info, not the telephony network.

The data connection will be from 1 of 2 sources: a wifi connection, or a data allowance as part of a phone plan (ie a French sim plan, or a esim plan like airalo).

Sending a standard text only whatsapp messages consumes a tiny amount of data.
A whatsapp video call (depending on which source you believe) consumes between 150-300MB/hour.
A voice only call consumes far less data.

In all honestly, a 10GB allowance would allow you to talk for hours and hours with your daughter and still leave plenty of data for "out and about" use...
 
Last edited:

dockgaze

macrumors member
Feb 10, 2022
88
112
Just want to throw another chime-in here for T-Mobile . . . . . Seems wherever I go in Western Europe my iPhone simply picks up the local signal seamlessly - no sim card swaps at all etc. Surf, message, FaceTime you-name-it. Last trip was to Italy - - seconds after touchdown in Milan I get the message “Welcome to Italy - enjoy unlimited data on your plan” etc. Perfect if you travel mostly to their covered countries.
 

pacmania1982

macrumors 65816
Nov 19, 2006
1,170
520
Birmingham, UK
I'm not sure if this has been said before but you'll just need to make sure that Verizon have unlocked the iPhone first. Or else she'll be SOL if you want to replace the Verizon SIM with a local one. Don't just assume that this has been done - get Verizon to confirm it first.

Secondly - eSIMs (that I've looked at) only seem to have data and no minutes. This might not seem like a big deal, but sometimes it's super handy to have a local number that you can just to call local places. It might not be a concern for you however.

I've had a quick look at carriers, there are a few big ones. We've been to France a few times before but luckily we've used our roaming but found the best coverage was from a network called Bouygues Telecom. They also seem to offer a really decent plan for €40 ($44) - for 30GB of data, unlimited calls and texts to French numbers and 50 minutes of calls back to the US.

You can order a SIM via their website and choose a pick up location. Here's the link:


For the price and convenience, this is something I'd do myself personally.

Usually the SIM cards come in three sizes on one card. You'll have regular SIM, micro SIM and nano SIM. You just push out the relevant size from the card and put it in the SIM tray.

Hope this helps and I hope she has fun!
 

saber32au

macrumors 6502
Apr 5, 2019
267
196
This might not seem like a big deal, but sometimes it's super handy to have a local number that you can just to call local places. It might not be a concern for you however.

Easiest way around this (from what I've found) is to use Skype.

Skype calls are very cheap, you can call both landline and mobile phones, and voice calls consume very small amounts of data (I've read a Skype voice call consumes under 50MB/hour, so next to no data for a quick 30sec call).
 

mlody

macrumors 68000
Nov 11, 2012
1,592
1,220
Windy City
The key to international travel is whether your daughter would need to continue to make and answer phone calls to/from the US, and the same with text messages. Also, if she would need to call local numbers (cell or stationary) in France. No matter what plan you get from Verizon (even the $100), she could be standing right next to a person in France and if she was to call their number, it would be considered an international call. She would need a local number via eSIM/SIM for that purpose.

If she gets a local number and a decent amount of data, she could turn on wifi-calling on her Verizon line (but disable data) and use data from her French SIM card to stay connected on Verizon for calling/texting friends in the USA. If dealing with dual sim is too much, she could grab a cheap Android phone and load it with a local SIM card and use that phone to make local calls/text and also as a portable wifi hotspot which would allow her to connect her iPhone and use iPhone for all tasks as she was in the US.
 

bcemail

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 21, 2009
86
9
Exactly. Whatsapp is no different to other popular IP based messaging services (ie imessage, facebook messenger, signal etc). They use a data connection to transmit info, not the telephony network....

In all honestly, a 10GB allowance would allow you to talk for hours and hours with your daughter and still leave plenty of data for "out and about" use...
Perfect. I'm guessing she will mostly be texting us and won't be interested in talking for hours and hours!

I'm not sure if this has been said before but you'll just need to make sure that Verizon have unlocked the iPhone first. Or else she'll be SOL if you want to replace the Verizon SIM with a local one. Don't just assume that this has been done - get Verizon to confirm it first.

Secondly - eSIMs (that I've looked at) only seem to have data and no minutes. This might not seem like a big deal, but sometimes it's super handy to have a local number that you can just to call local places. It might not be a concern for you however.

I've had a quick look at carriers, there are a few big ones. We've been to France a few times before but luckily we've used our roaming but found the best coverage was from a network called Bouygues Telecom. They also seem to offer a really decent plan for €40 ($44) - for 30GB of data, unlimited calls and texts to French numbers and 50 minutes of calls back to the US.
We will double check that it is unlocked, thanks! Good point about not having minutes since she might want to make some calls to local places, family she is staying with, etc.

The key to international travel is whether your daughter would need to continue to make and answer phone calls to/from the US, and the same with text messages. Also, if she would need to call local numbers (cell or stationary) in France. No matter what plan you get from Verizon (even the $100), she could be standing right next to a person in France and if she was to call their number, it would be considered an international call. She would need a local number via eSIM/SIM for that purpose.

If she gets a local number and a decent amount of data, she could turn on wifi-calling on her Verizon line (but disable data) and use data from her French SIM card to stay connected on Verizon for calling/texting friends in the USA. If dealing with dual sim is too much, she could grab a cheap Android phone and load it with a local SIM card and use that phone to make local calls/text and also as a portable wifi hotspot which would allow her to connect her iPhone and use iPhone for all tasks as she was in the US.
I don't think she will need to call the US except when she wants to check in with us, and we can certainly use WhatsApp or something similar for that. I didn't realize that the Verizon plan would still consider calls to someone with a French number an international call! Not sure what the other students will be doing, but I think a physical SIM card might be the most fool-proof. For the dual SIM thing, would she actually have two SIM cards? Or would that be using an eSIM to still keep her connected via Verizon? Might be too confusing and she can likely just text and call with Whatsapp with data from a French SIM.

Thanks again!
 

Fred Zed

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2019
5,055
5,956
Florida Unfortunately
The key to international travel is whether your daughter would need to continue to make and answer phone calls to/from the US, and the same with text messages. Also, if she would need to call local numbers (cell or stationary) in France. No matter what plan you get from Verizon (even the $100), she could be standing right next to a person in France and if she was to call their number, it would be considered an international call. She would need a local number via eSIM/SIM for that purpose.

If she gets a local number and a decent amount of data, she could turn on wifi-calling on her Verizon line (but disable data) and use data from her French SIM card to stay connected on Verizon for calling/texting friends in the USA. If dealing with dual sim is too much, she could grab a cheap Android phone and load it with a local SIM card and use that phone to make local calls/text and also as a portable wifi hotspot which would allow her to connect her iPhone and use iPhone for all tasks as she was in the US.
Some good points mentioned. But turning data off the Verizon line doesn’t automatically allow the Verizon line to use Wi-Fi calling. Not unless it’s connected to a Wi-Fi connection. I’ve found putting the local American line, in this case the Verizon line to attach to a non roaming partner then allows the iPhone to use the cellular data connection from the local line to stated “ cellular data “ aka Wi-Fi calling to be used even when not connected to an SSID wifi connection.
 
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