Verizon international roaming: Pricing, plans, and how to stay connected abroad

If you’re a Verizon customer planning to travel internationally, it’s crucial to understand how Verizon international roaming works, especially if you want to prevent sudden fees while traveling outside the US.

This guide covers everything you need to know, including how Verizon roaming works for you, Verizon’s international roaming plans, charges, and how to activate the right plan for you. 

If you’re looking for a more affordable way to stay connected internationally, keep reading for an alternative solution like an unlimited data travel eSIM. 

Avoid excessive roaming fees

Don't get caught out by data roaming charges on your vacation. Use local networks at local rates.

Discover eSIM

What is Verizon international roaming? 

Verizon international roaming allows you to use your Verizon phone number, data, calls, and text messages while traveling outside the United States. Working through partnerships with foreign carriers, Verizon’s roaming options are one way to stay connected as you travel, but they can incur extra charges depending on your plan and destination.

Verizon’s international data roaming is available for Verizon customers in three distinct categories:

• TravelPass, including Cruise or In-Flight Passes
• Monthly International Plan
• Pay As You Go

Verizon roaming destinations

Verizon offers international roaming plans in over 210 countries and destinations. You can choose any four international plan options for each destination. However, Verizon doesn’t offer ALL options for every destination.

For example, the Monthly Plan isn’t available for destinations like American Samoa and the Aland Islands. The same applies to 5G internet speeds, which aren’t available for all destinations. 

It’s crucial to double-check and ensure the destination you’re traveling to is included in your chosen plan and offers the required connection speeds. 

Verizon roaming charges

Charges for each international roaming plan range from:

• TravelPass: $12 per day and $6 per day for Mexico and Canada
• Monthly International Plan: $100 per month
• Pay As You Go: $1.79-2.99 per minute (voice) and $2-2.05 per MB (data)
• Cruise Daily Pass: $30/line per day 
• In-Flight Daily Pass: $20/line per day

Keep reading for a more in-depth review of each plan and associated charges for various popular destinations. 

Verizon international roaming plans: A breakdown

As mentioned above, Verizon offers travelers and tourists three main international roaming options (TravelPass, Pay As You Go, and Monthly International Plan) along with in-flight and cruise passes. 

Before getting into the details of each, here’s a table with all their details side-by-side:

Here’s how each of these options compares in terms of pricing and talk, text, and data allowance: 

TravelPass

TravelPass is one of Verizon’s international roaming plans, providing unlimited talk, text, and data in over 200 destinations outside the US for a daily fee. If you have Verizon Business Unlimited Plus 5G, you already get two monthly TravelPass days. And if you have Verizon Business Unlimited Pro 5G, you get 8 TravelPass days each month. 

If you travel occasionally and are planning a short trip to any of Verizon’s covered destinations, TravelPass will keep you connected without having to pay excessive pay-as-you-go fees.

• Price: $12 per day and $6 per day for Canada or Mexico 
• Data: Unlimited, but data speeds are reduced after the first 5GB of data usage during each 24-hour session. (Extra high-speed data is available to purchase.)
• Talk: Unlimited voice minutes
• Text: Unlimited 

TravelPass is available in over 200 destinations; while listing all of them isn’t feasible, here are some popular destinations: the British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Morocco, Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, and more. 

Monthly International Plan

If you’re planning a longer stay, Verizon claims that its Monthly International Plan is perfect for trips of nine days or more. Similarly, it’s available in over 200 destinations, including Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany.

With this plan, you get a monthly allowance of unlimited data, text, and limited talk for $100 per line for one month. 

• Price: $100 monthly fee per line ($0.25 overages)
• Data: Unlimited
• Talk: 250 minutes
• Text: Unlimited 

For travelers looking for a more affordable and flexible solution that doesn’t tie them to daily fees, roaming charges, or lengthy registration processes, Holafly Connect is an ideal alternative. 

This is Holafly’s monthly subscription service, offering flexible data plans, including unlimited data in over 170 destinations for only $64.90. Plus, you can get unlimited hotspot tethering for any remaining devices! 

Cruise and In-Flight Daily Passes

Verizon’s Cruise Daily Pass and In-Flight Daily Pass are ideal for those who want to stay connected aboard flights or at sea. 

With the Cruise Daily Pass, you’ll pay daily for a 24-hour session, which begins when you make or answer a call, text, or use data (including background data) while onboard your cruise ship at sea. If you disembark the ship during the daily session, you’ll pay applicable rates for the country you’re in (Pay As You Go rates if you haven’t activated another plan). 

Text “CRUISE” to 4004 before or at the start of your cruise to add a daily pass to your line. 

• Price: $30/line per day
• Data: 500 MB per day
• Talk: 50 minutes of incoming/outgoing calls per day ($1.99/min overage)
• Text: Unlimited 

Similarly, Verizon’s In-Flight Daily Pass is perfect for in-flight connection needs. Reply “FLIGHT” to the welcome text received while you’re on the international flight. Your 24-hour session begins when you use data while onboard the international flight. 

• Price: $20/line per day
• Data: Unlimited data at 3G speeds
• Talk: $1.99/minute
• Text: $0.50 sent texts, $0.05 received texts. 

Pay As You Go

Here’s a separate table covering Verizon’s Pay As You Go plans, as their rates vary more widely depending on the country and type of usage. 

Unlike TravelPass or Monthly International Plan, which have flat-rate charges, Pay As You Go’s international rates depend on your destination and whether you’re using talk, text, or data. This can get quite expensive as a traveler, and you might be better off using other alternatives like an eSIM for any destination. 

How to add an international plan to Verizon 

To add a TravelPass or Monthly International Plan to your account, follow the steps below or text “TRAVEL” to 4004.  

1. Access your account on My Verizon Online or the My Verizon app. 

2. Review the options selected for each line. 

3. Select Change plan, Remove plan, View plan details and usage, or View your TravelPass days in the TravelPass bank. 

To gather information about international plan options: 

1. Select Add new plan. 

2. Select Travel plan or Calling plan and follow the instructions to learn more about which international roaming options suit you. 

Do you need to turn on data roaming for Verizon international plans? 

Yes, data roaming must be enabled in your phone’s settings so that your phone can access roaming networks. 

If this is not turned on, your phone cannot use mobile data abroad even if you’ve already added a TravelPass, Monthly International Plan, or an In-flight/Cruise Plan. 

But don’t worry. Turning on data roaming doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be charged unexpectedly, given that you’ve activated a Verizon international plan. 

If you haven’t activated a specific plan, you’ll be charged the rates in Verizon’s Pay As You Go. 

Here’s how you can turn on data roaming to activate Verizon international roaming on your cell phone:

How to turn on data roaming in an iPhone: 

1. Go to Settings. 

2. Tap Mobile Service. 

3. Tap your primary number. 

4. Scroll down and toggle the Data Roaming button. 

How to turn on data roaming in an Android device: 

1. Go to Settings. 

2. Tap Network and Internet or Connections. 

3. Tap Mobile network

4. Turn Data roaming on. 

How to avoid high Verizon roaming charges  

Data roaming fees can get heavy, especially if you’re not actively monitoring your texts, international calling, or data usage. Here’s how to stay in control: 

1. Add a Verizon international plan before your trip 

Never land internationally without first adding a plan to your line. Verizon’s TravelPass or Monthly International Plan options are much cheaper than default Pay As You Go rates, which can rack up a large bill by the end of your trip.

2. Turn on data roaming only when needed 

Enable data roaming only when you want to use cellular data abroad. Keep it off to avoid background apps using data, especially when you’re on Pay As You Go plans. 

3. Monitor usage 

On the My Verizon app, you can check how much data, minutes, and texts you’ve used in real time to avoid hitting plan limits or incurring overages. While voice minutes and texts do not use data, most apps on your phone do. You can also set alerts or limits for this and estimate how much data you will need for your trip with our Data Calculator. 

4. Download content before your trip

To avoid using your data to load heavy apps, download maps, music, and movies beforehand. Google Maps lets you download entire areas for offline navigation. 

An affordable alternative to Verizon roaming: Holafly

Data roaming with Verizon is a convenient way to stay connected abroad if you’re a Verizon customer. But it’s not the cheapest option. 

By choosing an international travel eSIM from Holafly, you’ll get unlimited data in over 200 destinations worldwide. The price? As low as $1.55/day compared to Verizon’s $12 daily travel pass. You can match your vacation to your data plan (so you never have to pay extra) and conveniently add more days from the Holafly app anytime. Setting up the eSIM is only a matter of a few clicks, and you’re instantly connected as soon as you land in your destination. 

If you’re looking for a longer-term solution and Verizon’s Monthly International Plan has caught your eye, you’ll also want to check out Holafly Connect. Our monthly eSIM subscription covers 170 global destinations, and the unlimited data option costs $64.90 monthly compared to Verizon’s $100 monthly fee. 

Since you retain your phone number with a Holafly eSIM, texts and calls are not included in the eSIM plan or the table. Nonetheless, based on the comparison, Holafly eSIMs are a cheaper alternative to international data roaming for staying connected abroad. 

Connect to the fastest networks

International eSIMs, local networks. Enjoy the best of both worlds with Holafly.

Browse eSIMs

Plans that may interest you

eSIM Europe

From

$6.90

USD

eSIM Asia

From

$6.90

USD

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!

Read full bio

Related reading