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Planning a trip from Australia? Beyond the usual essentials, you need a solid internet connection for navigating and staying connected. This blog covers the best international roaming plans for Australian tourists, including travel passes, prices, eligible destinations, and more. We’ll even touch on the convenience of using a Holafly travel eSIM for peace of mind abroad.

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The best international roaming plans for Australians

As a tourist travelling from Australia, you have a few options to stay connected abroad with major Australian carriers: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone AU. While roaming-inclusive monthly plans are convenient, they are pricey and cost more every month. 

These carriers offer international roaming passes or packages with fixed/varied durations – a slightly cheaper alternative to monthly plans for data usage abroad. In the following sections, we’ll compare Telstra international roaming, Optus plans, and Vodafone’s roaming services to help you find the best roaming plan to suit your travel needs and avoid pay-as-you-go rates.

Telstra international phone plans

You can use Telstra international roaming plans on both the Telstra eSIM and physical Telstra SIM card plans.

Telstra Day Pass

You can only access this international roaming plan if you’re on Upfront or non-Upfront plans. There are three different day passes, split based on geographical zones: 

  • Zone 1: 2 GB, unlimited talk, unlimited text for $5 AUD/day
  • Zone 2: 2 GB, unlimited talk, unlimited text for $10 AUD/day 
  • Zone 3: Unlimited talk and unlimited text for $10 AUD/day 

Zone 3 day passes are only available for Upfront Telstra plan users. The destinations also do not include data roaming allowances, only calls and texts. 

Telstra Pre-paid International Packs 

If you’re on a Telstra pre-paid mobile plan, you can get any of these pre-paid roaming packs on the My Telstra app. However, they’re available in only 38 countries.

  • Pack 1: 3-day validity, 400 MB, 15 minutes, and 15 SMS for $10 AUD
  • Pack 2: 7-day validity, 2 GB, 25 minutes, and 25 SMS for $15 AUD 
  • Pack 3: 14-day validity, 4 GB, 50 minutes, and 50 SMS for $25 AUD

Optus international phone plans 

If you’re a postpaid user, Optus international roaming services offer two main options. Users with prepaid plans are offered a separate roaming plan. You can avail these data roaming plans regardless of whether you’re on an Optus eSIM or have a physical SIM card. 

Optus Daily Roaming 

This is Optus’ main roaming plan and available for those on the Optus Choice Plus, Optus Plus Family, Optus Plus Promo, and Business Choice Plus plans. 

With this option, you can use your mobile phone in over 110 Zone 1 destinations and get a daily allowance of 5 GB of data, unlimited calls, and texts for $5 AUD/day. You’ll automatically be charged $5 AUD if you exceed the daily 5 GB limit.

Optus Roaming Pass 

For those not eligible for Optus Daily Roaming, you can get an Optus Roaming Pass (on certain postpaid plans). This pass is valid for 24 hours in 110+ Zone 1 destinations. For $10 AUD/day, you’ll get 1 GB of data allowance per 24 hours and unlimited calls and texts. 

Prepaid Roaming packs 

If you have a prepaid SIM/eSIM, Optus offers four add-on features or international roaming packs: 

  • Talk, Text Data pack 1: 1-day validity, 1 GB, 100 minutes, and 100 calls for $5 AUD in Zone 1 countries 
  • Talk, Text Data pack 2: 7-day validity, 7 GB, 700 minutes, and 100 calls for $35 AU in Zone 1 countries only
  • Travel Credit: $10 AUD for 14 days
  • Data Only: 14-day validity, 1 GB for $20 AUD available in only 10 countries 

Vodafone AU international phone plans 

Vodafone AU roaming services offer two main roaming plans on both the Vodafone AU eSIM and physical SIM card. 

$5 Roaming

You’re only eligible for this roaming plan if you’re on a Vodafone Infinite, Plus, or Infinite Data plan. With this, you can use your existing plan and its talk, text, and data allowances in over 100 destinations for $5 AUD extra daily.

You can add 1 GB for $5 AUD if you use up all your included allowances. 

Prepaid Roaming Add-ons 

You can choose from three international roaming plans if your last payment plan was Prepaid Plus or Pay and Go: 

  • Add-on 1: 1-day validity, 200 MB, 25 minutes, and 30 texts for $5 AUD
  • Add-on 2: 3-day validity, 750 MB, 90 minutes, and 120 texts for $15 AUD 
  • Add-on 3: 7-day validity, 2 GB data, 200 minutes, and 300 texts for $35 AUD

Australian roaming zones and coverage

When considering the best international roaming plans, one of the main factors affecting roaming costs is the zone your destination falls under. Australian carriers like Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone AU divide destinations into different roaming zones, determining how much you’ll pay for data usage, calls, and texts abroad. 

This can get confusing as many travellers mix up zones, resulting in unexpected roaming charges or exceeding daily roaming caps. To simplify things, we’ve created dedicated roaming guides that explain how international roaming works and break down roaming options and coverage by country to help you choose the best roaming plan. 

Tips for choosing the best SIM plan for international roaming

The best international roaming plan for you should definitely be suited to your budget, but don’t look past convenience, coverage, and control over your plan. 

Opt for a travel eSIM instead 

Many travellers are now turning to digital travel solutions like an eSIM for a simpler and more cost-effective way to stay connected. Travel eSIMs like Holafly eliminate roaming worries as you can enjoy unlimited data in over 200 destinations at a fixed, upfront cost.

Plus, you can customize your eSIM plan according to your trip and never pay for more than you need. All you need is an eSIM-compatible phone! If you have a dual SIM phone, you can keep your Australian phone number active for calls and texts while using local data abroad. 

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Study your provider’s FUP and mobile network coverage 

Every carrier has a Fair Use Policy and specific network coverage for roaming destinations. These often limit your total mobile data inclusions or throttle speeds after a certain threshold for international travel.

This means you won’t have access to high-speed data after you cross a specific limit. It’s crucial to know exactly what you’re paying for to prevent sudden slowdowns or service restrictions while roaming.

Calculate your trip’s data needs

Use our data calculator to determine how much data you’ll need rather than just settling for the daily data allowance. A plan that only offers 1 GB of data every day may become expensive if you need to buy multiple passes or exceed your daily allowance, especially if you use data-heavy apps. 

Enjoy unlimited data for less with Holafly’s eSIMs

Skip the complications of international roaming plans and avoid high roaming charges that come with roaming packs and daily passes, or being subject to standard roaming rates. Unlike traditional carriers, which often impose data limits (Telstra’s 2 GB per day cap), Holafly offers unlimited mobile data in multiple countries with no extra roaming costs or confusing zones. 

Set up your Holafly travel eSIM instantly by scanning a QR code before travelling abroad. Enjoy high-speed data roaming, 24/7 customer support, the flexibility to match your eSIM to your trip, and a daily hotspot allowance for other devices. 

Tend to travel more frequently? Holafly offers a monthly eSIM subscription solution, Holafly Plans, with unlimited data plans for only $64.90 USD monthly. Get high-speed internet in over 170 destinations and stay connected across borders. 

Data that travels with you


From the canals of Amsterdam to Saint Tropez's beaches, stay connected at all times.

Disclaimer: The data in this article is accurate as of October 30, 2025, and is subject to change.

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Mahnoor Bangush

Mahnoor Bangush

SEO Content Writer

Born and raised in Queens, New York, I'm a Psychology graduate with a passion for writing that I've been nurturing since 2019. Over the years, I've enjoyed creating meaningful content across various niches, including sports, hospitality, and career development. At Holafly, I focus on crafting useful and inspiring pieces to make your adventures more effortless. One of the best perks of this role? Creating travel content always seems to inspire my next vacation destination!

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