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International phone use while traveling abroad: how to use your phone internationally

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You’ve prepared your passport, double-checked that you have the proper vaccinations and medical care, and converted some cash to the local currency — so why not take some extra measures to prepare your phone as well? 

Prior to setting foot in an airport, be sure to check with your carrier to ensure that your phone can be used outside the US, and look into Verizon’s current international travel plans, like TravelPass or an International Monthly Plan. This guide will provide advice on completing each of these steps, keeping you connected while you explore.

Adding an international travel plan

Speak to your cell service provider about the best way to stay in touch when travelling internationally. Different mobile providers offer varying degrees of coverage in different countries, and it’s important to determine whether your current plan and device will be compatible with the network wherever you’re going. In most cases, it’s best to have a plan on your own line or lines, as it offers the best value, allowing you to use your device without worrying about running up additional costs.

Choose the best plan for your trip.

International travel plans allow you to utilize your phone’s apps, texting, maps, and other features while abroad. An international plan is a service that lets you use your phone in other countries. For instance, while most Verizon phones are global devices, some are not. If you have a Verizon plan, you can use the international TripPlanner tool . The TripPlanner will recommend the plan that is best for your trip, allowing you to check to see if the country you are visiting is covered by any current international plan you can add.

International travel plans don’t have to be complicated, though. The process can be as simple as adding TravelPass– TravelPass is the easiest way to stay connected to everything that matters while traveling in 210+ countries and destinations with your 4G or 5G phone. Remember, roaming in Canada and Mexico, may already be included in your domestic plan.

Adding TravelPass.

TravelPass, Verizon’s go-to international plan, is the perfect option for customers who want to use their cell phone without worrying about added costs. For a set fee of just $10 a day per line, you can access your domestic voice, text and data allowance while traveling in over 210 countries and destinations worldwide. It’s only $5 per line in Mexico and Canada for customers whose domestic plans don't cover those countries. And either way, you’ll only be charged on the days you use your phone outside the US.

TravelPass is simple to activate. To add it to your line, simply text the word TRAVEL to 4004 or on My Verizon. You’ll then receive a welcome text message explaining the daily fee when you arrive in a TravelPass destination. The first time you use your phone to make a call, send a text or use data, the daily fee will begin. Use your phone as much as you want for the next 24 hours; you’ll only get another TravelPass charge if you use your device after the time elapses. You can add TravelPass to a 4G or 5G world device with a qualifying domestic plan. What’s more, TravelPass offers 2GB of high speed data and unlimited 3G data thereafter per 24 hour session in 210+ countries and destinations.

Just remember that your minutes, texts and data will count toward your regular plan. So if you have an unlimited plan - you also have unlimited talk, text, and data abroad.

Options for International monthly plans.

The $100 International Monthly Plan includes 250 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data for 30 days and is ideal for trips of 10 days or more.

You can also add a data plan on select cruise ships and airplanes for just $20 and get 50 MB of data for browsing the web or using your email. If service is available on board, Verizon will automatically send you a text message with the option to add the plan. 

Check the TripPlanner for participating cruise ships and contact your airline for details of on board service. 

Pay as you go.

We always recommend adding a plan if you’re traveling in one of the 210+ countries and destinations covered by TravelPass and the $100 International Monthly Plan. However, if your destination is not covered by these plans or you choose not to add a plan then you will be charged  pay-as-you-go rates by the minute, message or MB of data used.

You don’t need to worry about an international SIM card anymore

A SIM (subscriber identity module) card is a tiny memory chip that stores data about your cell phone use. A SIM card also stores data on its country of origin and the mobile carrier you use. Some people think that you still need to swap out your SIM card with a local card to use local services, but this is no longer necessary. In fact, most modern phones no longer have a removable SIM card anymore - they have embedded cards or eSIMs.  If you have a 4G or 5G phone, you can simply use it without opening up your phone or swapping a SIM. (Who wants to open up your phone or risk misplacing a SIM card while abroad anyway?) 

Keep your phone charged

Reliable access to the online information and tools you’ll need overseas requires more than just an adequate carrier plan; it also means keeping your phone in working condition. Even the most robust international data plan can be rendered useless if you don’t have methods to actually keep your mobile devices charged.

The first consideration at hand is finding the right electrical plug adapter for your travel destination. There are 15 different plug types , and different countries use varying combinations of these types. Invest in appropriate adapters so that you can reliably charge your mobile devices during your travels. You can find international wall charger kits that can make this a substantially easier process.

Another point to consider is the possibility of bringing an external battery pack to keep your phone charged when you don’t have access to an electrical outlet. Battery accessories come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, including portable power banks and even phone cases with built-in batteries. Keeping one of these on hand can be a lifesaver during your travels.

In case of an emergency

A phone emergency may not be as urgent as a medical emergency, but it can certainly put a damper on your travel plans all the same. There are measures you can take to mitigate your chances of experiencing a phone emergency, as well as to be prepared to react quickly when one occurs.

What to do if you lose your cell phone while traveling abroad

Know what to do if your phone is lost or stolen while traveling outside of your country. If this situation happens to you, do the following:

Use Your Device’s “Find My Phone” Feature:  Many devices now come with features that leverage GPS technology to help you find your phone from another device, should it be misplaced or stolen. If your phone is still on, this may be an effective way of quickly locating it.

Call or Text your Phone From Another Line:  If another person has your phone, they may respond to a call or text. If you forgot your phone in the hotel lobby, for instance, this tactic may help hotel staff return your property to you. If the person with your phone answers your calls or texts by making demands, report the situation to the local authorities.

Contact Your Mobile Carrier:  A representative from your service provider may be able to guide you through the process of getting your phone back — or at least locking down your device and account so that it cannot be used for unauthorized purposes.

Check Your Financial Accounts & Change Passwords: If you no longer have access to your phone, someone else might. Your phone might be used to access your accounts, from social media profiles to online banking. Take time to change the passwords for each of your accounts. Further, review your financial accounts to determine if your phone has been used to conduct any fraudulent purchases. While this is a time-intensive step, it is a vital method of preventing identity theft.

Remotely Erase Your Phone: Another common feature of modern smartphones is the ability to remotely erase your phone’s memory. This is a last resort, as erasing your phone prevents you from tracking it down through some of the other methods listed above. If you won’t be able to get your smartphone back, doing this step will at least prevent your personal information from being accessed by unscrupulous individuals.

To prevent your phone from being lost or stolen in the first place, be sure to take the following actions before you set off on your travels:

Be sure to secure your phone with a lock code. You can access the security settings of your phone to add this. Your lock options and the process for applying them differ from device to device, so it’s important to take some time to familiarize yourself with this process. Doing so can prevent thieves from accessing your personal information.

Update your settings to make full use of any “find my phone” or “lost mode” options. While it’s easy to overlook the usefulness of these features, they can be a great help during a phone emergency of this nature.

Don’t forget to back up your phone. You may be able to back up your phone’s data on your desktop computer or back up your phone on the cloud .

Invest in a wireless phone protection plan . These can help you get a new device quickly and affordably. Contact your mobile carrier to explore your options in this regard.

Who to call during an emergency while traveling abroad

One preparatory step you absolutely can’t skip is putting together a list of emergency contacts. Each contact should be saved in your phone’s address book, but you should also keep a physical copy of this list in case you are left without access to your own phone.

This list should include family members, friends, your house sitter, and more. If you need guidance when crafting your list of emergency contacts, consider including the following as a minimum:

Emergency lines — “911” won’t work abroad, and many countries have unique numbers for different types of emergency services. You can find a list of emergency numbers for different countries online ;

Your nearest U.S. Embassy ;

The local police’s phone number;

Your doctor — if you experience urgent medical needs or lose vital medications, you must be able to quickly get in touch with your healthcare provider.

Note that your phone may not be able to make calls to every number on this list. In some instances, you may need to use a local SIM card to make calls to essential contacts. If this is true for you, strongly consider investing in a second line for local use during your travels.

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Other related terms: International plan, wireless international plan, international travel plans, travel cell phone plans, traveling data plan

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Verizon International Phone Plans — Countries, Coverage, Rates, and More

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Verizon International Phone Plans — Countries, Coverage, Rates, and More

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Being at the forefront of the move to 5G connectivity, Verizon is often referred to as one of the best carriers in the U.S. But how does the carrier compare to competitors like AT&T , T-Mobile , and newcomer Google Fi when traveling abroad?

That’s a good question, and it’s an important one to ask if you find yourself out of the country often. So in this article, we’re going to dive deep and take a look at how Verizon’s U.S. phone plans work abroad. We’ll start out by looking at the company’s international plans and their respective pricing. Then, we’ll look at the supported countries and compare the pros and cons of using Verizon abroad.

Spoiler alert: like AT&T, the international options are pretty limited on Verizon. You’ll want to study this article if you’re a current Verizon customer who’s about to travel abroad, or if you’re a traveler that’s considering a switch to Verizon.

Breaking Down Verizon’s International Data Plans

A View of Prague

As teased in the intro, Verizon has a limited (and expensive) set of international plans. There are 3 different plans available, ranging from a monthly international data allowance to a plan that lets you use your U.S. data plan while traveling abroad.

Here’s a look at all of the available options:

All Verizon customers are automatically enrolled in pay as you go international data, texting, and calling. If you don’t enroll in another plan on this list and take your phone out of airplane mode when abroad, you’ll automatically be charged at the following rates:

  • Talk: $0.99-$2.99 per minute, depending on the country
  • Text: $0.50 to send, $0.05 to receive
  • MMS: $0.25 to send or receive
  • Data: $2.05 per megabyte

There’s no doubt that these prices are absolutely astronomical, hence why we don’t recommend relying on pay as you go international data — it can get very expensive very quickly.

For example, sending a 3 MB picture message on Facebook Messenger would cost a whopping $6.15! And since modern smartphones use data in the background to fetch email, notifications, and more, you may end up being charged just for taking your phone out of airplane mode.

Hot Tip: Thankfully, you can call Verizon to have pay as you go international data disabled on your account. We highly recommend doing this so that you can protect yourself from an astronomical bill on your next trip.

Verizon’s TravelPass plan is nearly identical to AT&T’s International Day Pass plan. This plan lets you use your U.S. data, talk, and text plan abroad for a daily fee.

This plan costs $10 per day per line, and — once enrolled — you’ll only be charged for the days you actually use your phone abroad. This means you can set the plan and forget it. Then, instead of worrying about pay as you go data, you’ll be charged a flat-rate fee for your international phone usage.

Note that you’re billed in 24-hour increments, so if you fly to Brazil and connect to data at 5 p.m. on a Monday, your single $10 fee will be valid until 5 p.m. on Tuesday. You’ll be billed for another 24-hour increment if you continue using your phone after this initial period.

Further, this plan still pulls from your U.S. data, text, and calling allowance, so make sure to keep an eye on how much you use your phone. Otherwise, you might come back home with overage fees.

You can use this plan in any of Verizon’s 185+ supported countries and if needed, you can roam in multiple countries on the same day without paying extra. Don’t worry — we’ll discuss supported countries later in the article.

Finally, you can enroll in a Verizon Monthly Travel Plan. This gives you a set amount of data, calls, and texts to use when you travel abroad. However, the amount of data, calls, and texts included with each plan is limited at best.

Here’s a look at what’s included with Verizon’s 2 Monthly Travel Plans:

If you exceed your data, talk, or text allowance, you’ll be charged at the following rates:

  • $0.35 per minute of talk
  • $0.05 per text message sent
  • $25 per 0.5 GB of data used

Like the TravelPass, this plan works in 185+ countries and can be used across multiple countries if needed. Note that — also like TravelPass — this plan is billed per line, so multiple lines can’t share the same Monthly Travel Plan.

A handful of Verizon plans come with free data, call, and text roaming within North America. This means that when traveling within Canada or Mexico you can continue to use your phone as you would as if you were in the U.S. The plans that include this type of roaming are:

  • All Unlimited plans

If you’re subscribed to one of Verizon’s other plans, you can add North American roaming for $5 per day. This works the same as the TravelPass plan we mentioned earlier — you’re charged per day, but only when you actually use your phone in Canada or Mexico.

So, there are 3 different options for international mobile data on Verizon, but which is the best for you? Here’s why you might pick 1 plan over another.

Stick With Pay as You Go Data If You

  • Don’t plan on using your smartphone or will purchase a local SIM card upon arrival. In our opinion, this option is just too risky to be justified.

Subscribe to TravelPass If You

  • Are only traveling for a few days at a time — $10 per day can add up quickly!
  • Need access to your full data plan and U.S. phone number when traveling abroad.
  • Have a data plan with a high (or unlimited) data limit.

Buy a Monthly Travel Plan If You

  • Plan to travel for an extended period of time.
  • Don’t need to use your phone constantly — unfortunately, the data, text, and call limits are low.

Bottom Line:  Think about how much you need to use your phone when traveling and pick a plan based on that info. Note that you may be better off buying a local SIM card if you need to use your phone extensively for multiple days — this will save you money in the long-run.

Person Using Cell Phone By Eiffel Tower

Thankfully, enrolling in both the TravelPass and Monthly Travel Plan is simple.

You can enroll in TravelPass by texting “Travel” to 4004 from the phone whose line you’d like to enroll in TravelPass. Then, a new TravelPass will be added every time you use your phone abroad. We recommend doing this before your trip to avoid possible pay as you go charges. Alternatively, you can enroll using this page on the Verizon website.

Further, you can enroll in a Monthly Data Plan by going here . After you log in, you’ll be prompted to choose between the 0.5 GB or 2 GB plan. You can cancel this plan at any time by navigating to the same web page.

Like many carriers, Verizon has international coverage in most parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. However, it’s always wise to check that the country you’re visiting is covered by your carrier before you depart — otherwise, you could have a hard time finding a ride out of the airport once you land.

Verizon posts its full list of supported countries on its website. The carrier boasts that it supports “185+ countries” and while this is less than T-Mobile’s “210+ countries,” we’re unable to find any notable exclusions on the Verizon website. Every tourist destination we could think of was listed on the Verizon website, so you likely won’t have any issue connecting during your travels.

However, this could cause pose problems for those who partake in adventure travel by visiting off-the-beaten-path locations.

Pros and Cons of Verizon’s International Data Plans

KLM Airplane At an Airport

There’s no doubting that Verizon isn’t the best plan for most travelers. For the most part, it offers a very limited set of expensive international plans, and none of its plans offer free international roaming like T-Mobile or Google Fi.

However, it’s still important that we run through the carrier’s international data pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision on if Verizon is right for your travel needs.

  • Free international roaming within North America on most plans
  • Monthly international plans include calling
  • TravelPass is automatically enabled once you enroll
  • Expensive monthly international plans with small data allowances
  • TravelPass can get expensive on long trips
  • Likewise, TravelPass pulls data from your domestic data, call, and text allowance
  • Less supported countries than T-Mobile, Google Fi, and others

Being frank, we recommend that people who travel often steer clear of Verizon.

Its international data plans are too expensive to be deemed practical, so if you have the choice, we recommend checking out T-Mobile or Google Fi instead. Both of these plans offer free international roaming and more supported countries, giving you a smaller bill and more places to bring your connection.

However, we do understand why one would pick Verizon when traveling within the U.S. The carrier has industry-leading coverage at home and has been shown to offer some of the best speeds. It’s unfortunate that these perks don’t carry over to the carrier’s international coverage.

But now we want to hear from you. Do you use Verizon when traveling abroad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my smartphone work abroad.

Most modern smartphones are properly equipped to work internationally. However, you should refer to your smartphone’s manual or call Verizon to check if your smartphone is properly configured.

Do any Verizon plans come with free international data roaming?

The Start, Play, Do, and all Unlimited plans come with complimentary international roaming within North America. However, none of Verizon’s international plans come with free data roaming outside of this region.

Where can I see the full list of Verizon's supported countries?

You can view a full list of supported countries on Verizon’s website .

Can I bring my phone if I switch to Verizon?

You may be able to bring your device to Verizon — use this tool on Verizon’s website to check if your phone, tablet, or smartwatch is compatible with the Verizon network.

Where can I find more info on buying a local SIM card?

You can use the Prepaid SIM Card Wiki to find more info on buying a local SIM card in most countries. Buying local SIM cards is often cheaper than roaming on U.S. carriers like Verizon.

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About Andrew Kunesh

Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.

He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.

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Verizon in Mexico: Your Ultimate Guide to Staying Connected in Cancun

  • April 17, 2024
  • by Charles Scott

Planning a trip to the stunning beaches of Cancun, Mexico? As a Verizon customer, you might be wondering if your phone will work seamlessly in this popular tourist destination. The good news is that Verizon offers extensive coverage in Mexico, thanks to its partnership with Telcel, the country‘s largest mobile network operator. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into Verizon‘s services in Mexico, with a special focus on Cancun, to ensure you stay connected throughout your vacation.

Verizon‘s Coverage in Mexico: A Closer Look

Verizon has teamed up with Telcel to provide its customers with the widest coverage in Mexico. Telcel‘s network spans across the country, covering over 200,000 square miles and reaching 99% of the Mexican population. This means that whether you‘re exploring the vibrant streets of Mexico City, lounging on the pristine beaches of Cancun, or visiting the charming colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, you can expect reliable Verizon service.

In fact, Verizon‘s coverage in Mexico is often considered superior to that of other U.S. carriers. According to a 2022 study by OpenSignal, Verizon users in Mexico experienced faster download speeds and lower latency compared to customers of AT&T and T-Mobile. This is particularly important for travelers who rely on their smartphones for navigation, booking accommodations, and staying in touch with loved ones back home.

Verizon‘s International Plans and Options for Mexico

To make your Mexican getaway stress-free and budget-friendly, Verizon offers several international plans and options tailored to your needs:

TravelPass: With TravelPass, you can use your existing domestic plan‘s talk, text, and data allowances in Mexico for just $5 per day. This feature is automatically activated when you use your device in Mexico and is only charged on the days you use your phone. TravelPass is an excellent option for short trips or occasional usage.

Unlimited Plans: Select Verizon unlimited plans, such as Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited, and Above Unlimited, include free calling, texting, and data in Mexico at no extra cost. If you‘re a frequent traveler or planning an extended stay, these plans offer the best value and convenience.

Prepaid International Calling Plans: For prepaid customers, Verizon offers three international calling plans specifically for Mexico: Global Calling ($5/month), Global Calling Plus ($15/month), and Global Choice ($10/month). All three plans include unlimited talk to Mexico, with varying allowances for other international destinations.

Using Verizon in Cancun: Tips and Tricks

Now, let‘s focus on using your Verizon device in Cancun. As one of Mexico‘s most popular beach destinations, Cancun attracts millions of tourists each year. Verizon‘s coverage in Cancun is generally excellent, with 4G LTE service available throughout the city and its surrounding areas, including the Hotel Zone, downtown Cancun, and even the nearby islands of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.

To ensure optimal performance and avoid unexpected charges, consider the following tips:

Enable international roaming: Before leaving for Mexico, make sure international roaming is enabled on your account. You can do this through the Verizon website or by contacting customer support.

Activate TravelPass or check your unlimited plan: If you‘re not on an unlimited plan that includes free Mexico usage, consider adding TravelPass to your account or switching to a compatible unlimited plan.

Monitor your data usage: Even with an international plan, it‘s essential to keep an eye on your data consumption to avoid overage fees. Use Wi-Fi whenever possible, especially for data-heavy tasks like streaming video or uploading photos.

Be aware of peak travel seasons: During busy periods like spring break and summer holidays, network congestion may occur in Cancun due to the influx of tourists. If you experience slower speeds or difficulty connecting, try using your device during off-peak hours or in less crowded areas.

Real-Life Experiences: Verizon Customers in Mexico

To give you a better idea of what to expect, let‘s take a look at some real-life experiences from Verizon customers who have used their devices in Mexico:

"I recently spent a week in Cancun with my family, and my Verizon service worked perfectly the entire time. I had the Go Unlimited plan, so I didn‘t have to worry about any extra charges. The speeds were fast enough for me to check emails, post on social media, and even make a few video calls back home. It was a huge relief not to have to deal with buying a local SIM card or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots." – Sarah, Los Angeles

"I‘ve been traveling to Mexico for work regularly over the past year, and I always rely on Verizon‘s TravelPass. It‘s super convenient and affordable, especially for shorter trips. I‘ve used it in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Cancun, and I‘ve never had any major issues with coverage or service quality. The only thing I‘d suggest is to keep an eye on your data usage, as it can add up quickly if you‘re not careful." – Michael, Chicago

Alternatives and Considerations

While Verizon offers excellent coverage and international options for Mexico, there are a few alternatives worth considering:

Local SIM cards: If you‘re planning an extended stay or want to save money on international roaming, purchasing a local SIM card in Mexico might be a good option. Telcel, AT&T Mexico, and Movistar offer prepaid plans with competitive rates for talk, text, and data.

Wi-Fi calling and messaging apps: If you have access to reliable Wi-Fi, you can use apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Skype to make calls and send messages without using your cellular data.

Travel-specific mobile plans: Some smaller mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) offer travel-specific plans with affordable rates for international roaming. Research providers like Google Fi, T-Mobile‘s Simple Global, or Truphone to see if they fit your needs.

In summary, Verizon customers can enjoy seamless connectivity and extensive coverage in Mexico, particularly in popular destinations like Cancun. With a range of international plans and options, including TravelPass and unlimited plans with free Mexico usage, staying connected during your Mexican getaway has never been easier. By following the tips and advice outlined in this guide, you can make the most of your Verizon service and focus on creating unforgettable memories in the sun-kissed paradise of Cancun.

Mexican Adventures

Exploring Mexico with Verizon: Discover the Ultimate Connectivity for Your Travels

Exploring Mexico with Verizon: Discover the Ultimate Connectivity for Your Travels

Verizon Travel To Mexico: Verizon Wireless offers international plans for customers traveling to Mexico, allowing them to use their devices with limited restrictions. These plans provide data, call, and text options at affordable rates, ensuring seamless connectivity throughout the trip.

Planning a trip to Mexico? Here’s everything you need to know about Verizon’s coverage and services!

Is verizon available in mexico a handy guide for travelers., how can i use my verizon phone in mexico all you need to know about roaming and international plans., traveling to mexico with verizon: should i buy a local sim card or use roaming, what are the international calling rates while in mexico with verizon stay connected without breaking the bank., can i use my verizon data plan in mexico exploring the options for internet access while abroad., tips for using verizon in mexico: what you need to know for a seamless travel experience., verizon travel perks: enjoying exclusive offers and benefits while exploring mexico, verizon vs. local carriers: which option is more cost-effective for your trip to mexico, understanding verizon’s coverage in mexico: the regions and cities where you can expect strong network signals..

Verizon provides coverage and services in Mexico through their TravelPass and International Plan options. With TravelPass, you can use your existing Verizon plan in Mexico for a daily fee, allowing you to make calls, send texts, and use data just as you would at home. The daily fee is only charged on the days you use your phone while traveling.

Alternatively, you can choose an International Plan if you need more extensive coverage during your trip. These plans offer different options for talk, text, and data allowances in Mexico. It’s important to review the details of each plan to determine which one suits your needs best.

It’s recommended to contact Verizon customer service or visit their website for the most up-to-date information on coverage, pricing, and any additional requirements for using their services in Mexico. Additionally, make sure your phone is compatible with international networks and consider unlocking it if necessary to use local SIM cards for more affordable options.

Yes, Verizon is available in Mexico for travelers. Verizon offers international coverage and roaming services that allow customers to use their Verizon devices while in Mexico. However, it is recommended to check with Verizon beforehand to confirm coverage availability and any additional charges that may apply for using their services in Mexico.

To use your Verizon phone in Mexico, you have a few options:

1. Roaming: Verizon offers international roaming services that allow you to use your phone in Mexico. However, roaming fees can be quite expensive, so it’s important to check with Verizon about the specific rates and any applicable packages or promotions.

2. International Travel Pass: Verizon offers an International Travel Pass, which provides a certain amount of data, voice, and messaging at a fixed daily rate. This can be a convenient option if you plan to use your phone frequently during your trip.

3. Purchase a local SIM card: Another option is to purchase a local SIM card in Mexico. This allows you to have a local phone number and access to local networks, which can be more cost-effective for extended stays. However, this usually requires your Verizon phone to be unlocked . Contact Verizon to ensure your phone is eligible for unlocking and to learn about any associated charges.

4. Wi-Fi and Internet Calling: Utilize Wi-Fi connections for internet access and use applications like WhatsApp, Skype, or FaceTime for calls and messaging. This method can save money, but you’ll need to have a stable Wi-Fi connection.

Remember to contact Verizon before your trip to understand all the necessary options, costs, and requirements specific to your plan and device.

Whether to buy a local SIM card or use roaming while traveling to Mexico with Verizon ultimately depends on individual preferences and specific needs. However, there are a few factors to consider when making this decision:

1. Cost: Local SIM cards typically offer more affordable rates for calls, texts, and data usage compared to international roaming charges by Verizon. If cost is a significant concern, purchasing a local SIM card may be the more economical option.

2. Coverage and network quality: While Verizon offers international roaming services, the coverage and network quality may vary, potentially leading to connectivity issues or slower data speeds. If reliable coverage is crucial, using a local SIM card can ensure a more consistent network experience.

3. Duration and frequency of travel: If traveling to Mexico or other international destinations frequently or for extended periods, investing in a local SIM card might be more feasible and cost-effective in the long run.

4. Convenience and ease of use: Using Verizon’s roaming services eliminates the need to switch SIM cards and configure new settings, which can be more convenient for some individuals. However, purchasing a local SIM card may require some initial setup but can offer greater flexibility and control over usage.

Ultimately, it is recommended to compare the rates, coverage, and convenience of both options and consider your specific needs, budget, and travel plans to make an informed decision.

The international calling rates while in Mexico with Verizon can vary depending on the specific plan or package you have with Verizon. However, to stay connected without breaking the bank, it is recommended to consider adding an international calling plan or purchasing a prepaid SIM card in Mexico for more affordable rates.

Yes, Verizon offers international data plans that allow you to use your data plan in Mexico. You can explore their different options for internet access while abroad by contacting Verizon or checking their website for more information.

1. Ensure International Coverage: Before you travel to Mexico, make sure your Verizon plan includes international coverage. You can either contact Verizon customer service or check your account online to confirm this.

2. Enable International Roaming: If your plan supports international roaming, make sure you enable it before you leave. This will allow you to use your Verizon phone in Mexico without any issues.

3. Beware of Roaming Charges: While Verizon offers international coverage, it’s important to note that roaming charges may apply. Carefully review your Verizon plan to understand the charges associated with using your phone in Mexico. Alternatively, you can consider purchasing an international roaming package to lower costs.

4. Use Wi-Fi When Available: To avoid potential fees, connect to Wi-Fi networks whenever possible. Many hotels, cafes, and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi, allowing you to use internet-based services without relying on cellular data.

5. Download Offline Maps: Prior to your trip, download offline maps of the areas you’ll be visiting. This way, you can navigate without using data or incurring additional charges. Apps like Google Maps and Maps.me offer offline map options.

6. Consider Purchasing a Local SIM Card: If you plan to spend an extended period in Mexico or need more data, consider purchasing a local SIM card. This will allow you to have a Mexican phone number and access local data plans, which can be more cost-effective than using international roaming.

7. Be Mindful of Data Usage: While in Mexico, be conscious of your data usage to avoid unexpected charges. Turn off automatic app updates, background data, and disable data-hungry apps when not needed. You can also monitor your usage through the Verizon app or by dialing #DATA from your Verizon phone.

8. Check International Calling Rates: If you need to make calls while in Mexico, review the international calling rates offered by Verizon. Consider using internet-based apps like WhatsApp or Skype for calls, as they often offer more affordable rates or even free calls when connected to Wi-Fi.

9. Contact Verizon Customer Service: If you have any concerns or questions about using your Verizon service in Mexico, don’t hesitate to reach out to Verizon’s customer service. They can provide specific information regarding your plan and offer guidance tailored to your needs.

Remember to plan ahead and stay informed about your Verizon plan and international coverage to ensure a seamless travel experience in Mexico.

Verizon travel perks offer exclusive offers and benefits while exploring Mexico. Whether you’re traveling for leisure or business, you can take advantage of discounted rates on hotels, transportation, and activities, making your trip more affordable and enjoyable. Furthermore, with Verizon’s extensive coverage in Mexico, you can stay connected with reliable data, calls, and texts, ensuring you’re always connected to loved ones and important information. So, embrace the beauty of Mexico and make the most out of your travels with Verizon’s travel perks!

The cost-effectiveness of Verizon vs. local carriers for a trip to Mexico depends on various factors, such as the duration of the trip, the amount of data or voice usage required, and individual preference.

Verizon offers international roaming plans that allow customers to use their domestic plan’s features in Mexico for an additional fee. This option may be convenient for those who prefer to stick with their familiar carrier and do not want to go through the hassle of getting a local SIM card. However, international roaming charges can be expensive, especially for data usage.

On the other hand, local carriers in Mexico often provide more cost-effective options. Purchasing a local SIM card upon arrival allows travelers to access local rates for calls, texts, and data. This can be significantly cheaper than using international roaming plans, especially if the trip is for an extended period. Additionally, local carriers often offer affordable prepaid plans with generous data allowances, catering to the needs of tourists.

Ultimately, assessing the cost-effectiveness of Verizon vs. local carriers depends on your expected usage and personal preferences. It is recommended to compare the prices of international roaming plans with local SIM card options to make an informed decision based on your specific requirements .

Verizon’s coverage in Mexico is fairly extensive and provides strong network signals in several regions and cities. Some of the regions where you can expect reliable coverage include Baja California, Sonora, Jalisco, Quintana Roo, and Mexico City. In these areas, major cities such as Tijuana, Hermosillo, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and Mexico City usually have excellent Verizon network signals. However, it is important to note that coverage may vary in more remote or rural areas. It is advisable to check Verizon’s coverage maps or contact their customer service to get specific information about coverage in your desired region or city in Mexico.

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A map to roaming costs in Mexico (drawn by me!)

Roaming in Mexico: A Visitors Guide to Costs for Each Provider

Chris

I strongly believe in the value of keeping in touch with other people, especially while travelling. After writing a recent guide on roaming costs I was curious how much it costs specifically to use roaming in Mexico to stay in touch with people - both in Mexico and back home. I put together this guide on how much it costs people from around the world to roam in Mexico.

Roaming in Mexico is typically free for anyone coming from the US on major providers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. This includes data, texts, local calls, and calls back to the States. For visitors arriving from Canada, the UK or Australia expect to pay about the equivalent of approximately 150-200 pesos per day.

For the major providers from each country, the table below contains details on how much roaming in Mexico costs (all in your home currency):

In this guide to roaming in Mexico I've looked at how much it costs to roam your phone into Mexico if you're coming from each of these countries (click to skip ahead):

From Canada

From australia.

All currencies I use in these further details are the local ones (i.e. $10 under the section for United States means USD, and $12 under the Canadian section means CAD).

In general, it can be cheaper to get a local SIM card on arrival in Mexico. Unless you’re an American with one of the many US plans that include roaming in Mexico.

From the United States

Roaming in Mexico is typically included if you have an unlimited plan from one of the larger cell providers. Including:

  • AT&T: Free on many Unlimited plans, otherwise $10/day
  • T-Mobile: Free
  • Verizon: Many plans are free though some attract a charge of $5/day

I found that most of the plans with the big providers including roaming in Mexico at no additional cost. If your plan does not include roaming in Mexico, it can be cheaper to buy a local SIM card on arrival - particularly if you’re staying more than a few days.

I’ve looked at further details on what’s included for each of the big providers when you roam their plans into Mexico:

Many of AT&T’s Unlimited plans include Mexico roaming at no additional cost. This includes the Unlimited Starter plan.

That means when roaming in Mexico with AT&T you get:

  • Data: Same as your plan back home
  • Talk: Unlimited calls to Mexican numbers, unlimited calls to the States
  • Texts: Unlimited texts to Mexican and US numbers (except for ‘advanced’ messaging, which is not available)

On a few other plans, Roam Mexico or Roam North America (which includes roaming in Mexico) is an add-on you have to buy. On plans that aren’t Unlimited it seems you have to buy the International Roaming Pass ($10/day) 1 .

Roaming in Mexico with T-Mobile is free if you have an Essentials or a Magenta plan.

The Essentials plan when used for roaming in Mexico includes:

  • Data: Unlimited, at 2G speeds
  • Talk: Unlimited
  • Text: Unlimited

The Magenta plan when used for roaming in Mexico includes:

  • Data: Up to 5GB at 4G speeds (then unlimited 2G)

I reached out to T-Mobile to confirm - unlimited calls includes both calls to Mexican numbers while you’re in Mexico and calls back to the States 2 .

Roaming in Mexico with Verizon costs $5/day, or free if you have a Start, Play, Do or All Unlimited plan. A TravelPass can be added on to your plan and you’ll only be charged for the days you use it 3 .

The TravelPass includes:

  • Data: 500mb full speed and then a slower speed after that
  • Talk: As per your plan at home
  • Text: As per your plan at home

I couldn’t find how much the speed slows down to and I’m not personally with Verizon myself. Please reach out if you’ve experienced it, I imagine it slows down based on network congestion rather than to a fixed speed.

To activate the TravelPass with Verizon, text Travel to 4004 . More information is available on their website here .

Roaming a Canadian cell plan into Mexico typically costs about $12 per day. This typically gets you either access to your monthly plan, or additional data, along with unlimited talk and text in Mexico and back to Canada. In particular:

  • Rogers, for $12/day your monthly plan quota is used
  • Telus, for $12/day your monthly plan data is used but you get unlimited talk and text
  • Bell, for $12/day you get an additional 500mb of data and then unlimited but slow data, and you get unlimited calls and text to Mexico and Canada

I’ve included further details for each of these major providers below.

Rogers’ Roam Like Home includes Mexico for $12 per day. Using Roam Like Home means that you can use:

  • Data: Deducted from your monthly plan
  • Talk: Deducted from your monthly plan
  • Text: Deducted from your monthly plan

Calls can be used on Canadian numbers (just like normal) and to regular Mexican numbers as well.

Each day (and therefore $12 charge) counts as the calendar day ending at 11:59pm Eastern Time, regardless of where you are actually roaming. You’re only charged on calendar days when you make/receive a call, send a text, or use data (so receiving texts does not trigger Roam Like Home charges) 4 . Roaming is capped at 15 days per monthly bill - I usually advise if you’re looking to stay more than a few days in any country you should try your best to pick up a local SIM card.

Telus has its Easy Roam plan which costs $12 per day for use in Mexico. This means you can use:

  • Talk: Unlimited to calls to Canada and Mexico
  • Texts Unlimited to any phone number in the world

Easy Roam is activated as soon as you use roaming data, send a text, or make or answer a call. It is then active for 24 hours from that time.

Easy Roam is capped at $180 per billing cycle which equates to 15 days in Mexico 5 . I usually advise to pick up a local SIM card if you’re planning to stay more than a few days.

Roaming in Mexico on Bell is included on their Roam Better plan. For Mexico, this costs $12 per day and includes:

  • Data: 500mb full speed then slowed down to 512kbps for the remainder of the day (by Eastern Time)
  • Talk: Unlimited calls to Mexican and Canadian phone numbers
  • Texts: Unlimited

Enrol by texting ROAM to 8000 . You can do this before you leave Canada as you’ll only be charged for each day you call, text, or use data when in Mexico 6 .

From the United Kingdom

Typical roaming costs if you’re visiting Mexico with a phone from the UK are:

  • Vodafone: £6/day to use your own allowances
  • EE: Free on EE Max pay monthly plans, otherwise around £4.80/day for some data
  • O2: £4.99/day for extra quota to be used in Mexico.

Further details for each provider are included below. These are the popular providers that support roaming at a decent rate. While I looked at other providers such as GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile, I really couldn’t find a circumstance where they represented good value roaming in Mexico.

I found that typically it’s only calls and texts back to the UK that are included, calling and texting Mexican numbers may attract international call rates.

Vodafone UK

Roaming with Vodafone in Mexico costs £6/day for most people, or free if you have the Unlimited Max or Red Entertainment plans.

Allowances are:

  • Data: Your plan allowance, or 25GB/month if you have an unlimited plan
  • Calls: Your plan allowance - this means calling the UK is typically free, but calling Mexican numbers will likely cost international rates
  • Texts: Your plan allowance - noting that texts to international numbers (even Mexican numbers) may attract international charges

Roaming is also available on pay as you go plans, but at a casual rate (think 12p per megabyte!) - I wouldn’t recommend it.

The £6/day charge only applies on days when you use data on your phone, make a call, or send a text (receiving calls or texts do not trigger the daily charge) 7 .

If you have an EE Max plan, then roaming to Mexico is included at no additional charge. The allowances for the EE Max plan are:

  • Data: For pay monthly plans you get the greater of your plan allowance or 50GB; for pay as you go you get the greater of your plan allowance or 25GB
  • Calls: Your plan allowance when calling the UK; £1.80 to call other numbers (seemingly including Mexican numbers)
  • Texts: Your plan allowance when texting the UK

If you’re on a pay monthly plan that isn’t EE Max , then you can buy 500mb of data for £6. Calls can be purchased at the rate of £10 for 60 minutes.

Roaming is available on pay as you go plans, though I wouldn’t recommend it (incredibly expensive!). 400mb of data costs £4 by add-on 8 .

O2’s Travel Bolt On is available in Mexico and costs £4.99. The Travel Bolt On allowances are:

  • Data: Unlimited, though speed may vary
  • Calls: 120 minutes to be used on Mexican numbers or calls back to the UK
  • Texts: 120 texts to be used on Mexican numbers or messages back to the UK

Data, calls, and texts are NOT deducted from your allowances in the UK. I haven’t experienced O2’s roaming data speed (my only UK experience is with Vodafone), but I imagine it will be usable but not fast.

The Travel Bolt On is only available on pay monthly plans.Text O2TRAVEL to 23336 to get started. This should be done at least 24 hours before you need it and you’ll only be charged for the days you use it 9 .

Roaming in Mexico typically attracts these costs for Australians:

  • Telstra: $10/day for 500mb and unlimited calls and SMS
  • Vodafone: $5/day to use your Australian quota
  • Optus: $10/day for 1GB and unlimited calls and SMS

More details on each of these included below.

Telstra offers an International Day Pass for $10 per day that covers Mexico. It includes:

  • Data: 500mb/day
  • Calls: Unlimited calls to standard Mexican phone numbers
  • SMS: Unlimited texts to standard Mexican phone numbers

Telstra doesn’t actually state that calls to Australia are part of the International Day Pass, though I’d take a guess they’re included. All quotas are in addition to your normal monthly plan 10 .

Vodafone Australia

Vodafone Global Roaming is available in Mexico for $5/day. This includes:

  • Data: Use your own plan quota
  • Calls: Use your own plan quota
  • SMS: Use your own plan quota

Roaming is activated automatically once you use your phone in Mexico 11 .

Optus has a $10/day Roaming Pass available for use in Mexico. This includes:

  • Data: 1GB per day
  • Calls: Unlimited
  • SMS: Unlimited

Data is in addition to your plan allowance in Australia. If you have a plan with roaming allowances included, as soon as these are used up, Optus will roll you over onto this Roaming Pass 12 .

Optus doesn’t say where the calls can be made. I’d take a guess they include calls to Australia and Mexico when roaming in Mexico.

Roaming Pass is activated in the Optus App and may take up to 48 hours to activate (though you’ll only be charged on days you use it).

How to Beat Roaming Costs

Some of the ways I’ve found to beat roaming costs include:

  • Buying a local SIM card
  • Using Skype or apps to make phone calls (on that local SIM card, or using WiFi)
  • Setting up VOIP to make phone calls

Buying a local SIM card is my favourite, it lets me call and be called in the country I’m visiting. If I’m staying in a country more than a few days I will buy a local SIM card.

I wrote a whole guide about each of these steps, you can check it out here: alternatives-to-roaming

AT&T Roaming in Mexico

T-Mobile roaming rates

Verizon roaming plans

Rogers roam like home details

Telus Easy Roam details, they explicitly mention receiving calls

Bell Roam Better details, unlimited incoming calls is explicitly stated

Vodafone UK roaming details for pay monthly and pay as you go

EE roaming details by country

O2 Travel bolt on details

Telstra International Day Pass inclusions

Vodafone Australia roaming details

Optus roaming pass for those on a plan

Tags: roaming communication mexico

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Chris

Written by Chris who travels frequently for work and understands what it can be like to arrive somewhere new and unfamiliar.

I wrote Landing Last Minute to help the hurried traveler get necessary information about any destination.

Festivals and Celebrations

How to Call Mexico from US Verizon: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Call Mexico from US Verizon: A Step-by-Step Guide

Short answer: How to call Mexico from US Verizon

Step-by- Step Guide: How to Call Mexico from US Verizon

Understanding the Process: Calling Mexico from US Verizon Explained

Frequently Asked Questions: How to Call Mexico from US Verizon

Simplified steps for calling mexico from us verizon, insider tips: making international calls with us verizon to mexico.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Ensuring Successful Calls to Mexico with US Verizon

To call Mexico from a US Verizon phone, dial the international access code (011), followed by the country code for Mexico (52). Then, enter the area code and telephone number of the Mexican recipient. Remember to include any necessary international calling plan or additional charges provided by Verizon.

Are you planning a trip to Mexico or need to make a call to our southern neighbor? Well, worry not! We’ve got you covered with this step-by-step guide on how to call Mexico from your US Verizon phone. Whether it’s for business purposes or catching up with loved ones, we’ll help you navigate through the process seamlessly.

Step 1: Check Your Verizon Plan Before embarking on any cross-border conversation, it’s essential to ensure that your Verizon plan includes international calling. Certain plans may require the addition of an international package, ensuring affordable and hassle-free communication while in Mexico. Verify this by visiting your account online or contacting Verizon customer support for clarity.

Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with International Dialing Codes Next up, let’s get acquainted with the dialing codes necessary for placing a call outside of the United States. When calling internationally, regardless of whether it’s from a Verizon phone or any other carrier, every country has its own specific code. In the case of calling Mexico, you’ll need to include the country code “+52” before dialing the Mexican phone number.

Step 3: Dialing within Mexico Now that you’re aware of the country code for Mexico (+52), let’s dive deeper into placing calls within its borders. Suppose you are calling within Mexico itself – in that case, simply dial the ten-digit local number without including any additional codes (such as long-distance codes).

Step 4: Making International Calls from Your Verizon Phone To initiate an international call from your US-based Verizon phone to a Mexican number, follow these steps:

A. Step 4a: Dial “011” Begin by dialing “011,” which is Verizon’s international access code registering your intention to make an overseas call.

B. Step 4b: Country Code Following “011,” enter the country code for Mexico, which is “+52,” signaling that you want to connect with a Mexican phone number.

C. Step 4c: Area Code After inputting the country code, next comes the three-digit area code specific to the city or region in Mexico to which you are calling. Find this information online or via reliable directories beforehand.

D. Step 4d: Dialing the Local Number Lastly, dial the seven-digit local number of your desired contact in Mexico. Double-check the digits before hitting that call button!

Step 5: Be Cautious of Time Differences While connecting with family, friends, colleagues in Mexico from your US Verizon phone is now a breeze, it’s crucial to keep time zones in mind. When scheduling calls, be considerate of any potential time differences between your location and cities in Mexico, ensuring you don’t interrupt their beauty sleep or important engagements.

There you have it – a step-by-step guide on how to call Mexico from your US Verizon phone. With these simple instructions firmly grasped and your Verizon plan’s international calling features activated, cross-border communication will be seamless and hassle-free. So pick up that phone and bridge the gap effortlessly!

According to recent statistics, over 11 million Americans travel to Mexico each year. Whether it’s for business or leisure, staying connected with loved ones or colleagues back home becomes a top priority. So, if you are a Verizon user and find yourself in this situation, fret not! We have got you covered with an in-depth guide on calling Mexico from your US Verizon phone.

Step 1: Dialing an Exit Code Before embarking on your exciting Mexican adventure, make sure that you know how to dial an exit code. An exit code is the combination of numbers that allows you to leave your home country and reach Mexico. For US Verizon customers, the exit code is simply “011.” So always begin your international calls by dialing this magical combination.

Step 2: Adding the Country Code Now that you’ve successfully dialed the exit code, it’s time to add the country code for Mexico. The country code for Mexico is “52.” It’s like adding seasoning to a delightful dish; it ensures that your call reaches its intended recipient within Mexican borders. So be sure to follow up the exit code by dialing “52” next.

Step 3: Including the Area Code Just as regions within the United States have different area codes, so do different areas of Mexico. To ensure your call finds its intended destination within Mexico seamlessly, familiarize yourself with the specific area code of where you wish to connect. Once you know the area code, simply append it after entering both the exit and country codes.

Step 4: Dialing the Local Number Ahoy! You’re almost there! Now comes the moment all travelers eagerly await – reaching out to their desired party in Mexico. After diligently following steps one through three, don’t forget to insert their local number within Mexico’s boundaries at this point. For instance, let’s say you want to call a friend in Cancun, Mexico, whose local number is 555-1234. Simply dial that number after the area code, and voila! Your call will be well on its way.

Bonus Tip: Bundled International Plans While we have dissected the process of calling Mexico using your US Verizon phone so far, it’s worth mentioning that Verizon offers fantastic international plans that can save you both money and hassle. These plans allow for unlimited calls to Mexico, along with generous data allowances. So before taking off on your Mexican escapade, consider exploring these comprehensive plans to make staying connected even more convenient.

And there you have it – a detailed breakdown of the process involved when making calls from your US Verizon phone to Mexico. By following these steps carefully or opt for Verizon’s international plans, you can chat effortlessly with friends, family, or business associates while basking in the warm sun and rich culture of Mexico. Bon voyage and happy dialing!

Title: Frequently Asked Questions: How to Call Mexico from US Verizon

Introduction: In today’s connected world, staying in touch with loved ones across borders has become more accessible than ever. And if you’re a Verizon customer in the United States looking to call Mexico, we’re here to simplify the process for you! In this article, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions and provide you with detailed instructions on how to make international calls to Mexico using your Verizon phone.

Q1: What is the correct dialing format to call Mexico from a Verizon phone?

A1: To dial a Mexican number from your US Verizon phone, start by entering the international access code “011.” Then, dial “52,” which is the country code for Mexico. Finally, input the desired Mexican phone number including the area code and local digits. Make sure you replace any leading “0” in the area code if it’s present. For example, if calling a number in Mexico City (area code 55), you would enter: 011-52-55-XXXX-XXXX.

Q2: Are there any additional charges or fees when making calls to Mexico?

A2: Yes, international calls typically incur additional charges depending on your Verizon plan. It’s important to consult your plan details or contact customer service to understand the specific rates that apply to calls made from the US to Mexico. Understanding these charges can help avoid surprises and allow you to manage your budget effectively.

Q3: Can I use my Verizon wireless plan minutes while calling Mexico?

A3: Most standard domestic plans don’t include international minute allowances directly usable for calls made from within the US to another country like Mexico. However, Verizon offers various packages and add-ons that may suit your needs better as an alternative option for more cost-effective calling rates. It’s recommended that you inquire about specific international calling plans available with your current Verizon subscription.

Q4: Are there any alternative ways to call Mexico from a Verizon phone?

A4: Yes, if you prefer an alternative method, Verizon offers additional calling options such as the “Verizon Global Calling” plan. This add-on provides discounted rates for international calls to both landlines and mobile phones in Mexico. Another option is to make use of internet-based calling services or messaging apps that support voice calls, such as WhatsApp or Skype. Just ensure that both parties have the necessary app installed.

Q5: Are there any tips for optimizing call quality when dialing Mexico from the US?

A5: Absolutely! To ensure a clear and uninterrupted connection during international calls, it’s advisable to have a stable network signal before initiating the call. Avoid moving between areas with weak reception during your conversation. Additionally, utilizing a Wi-Fi connection can help improve call quality further while saving your cellular data.

Conclusion: Now that you understand how to call Mexico from your US Verizon phone, you’re ready to bridge the distance and connect with friends, family, or business associates across borders. Remember to familiarize yourself with any applicable charges and explore alternative options like Verizon’s International Calling plans or internet-based calling services for potential cost savings. Stay connected and embrace the wonders of modern communication!

Title: Simplified Steps for Calling Mexico from US Verizon – A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

Connecting with our loved ones or conducting business across international borders has become increasingly crucial in today’s interconnected world. If you are a Verizon customer in the United States looking to make calls to Mexico effortlessly, this blog post is here to simplify the process for you. We will provide you with step-by-step instructions and valuable tips to ensure a seamless calling experience between the US and Mexico.

Step 1: Ensure International Calling Capability

Before embarking on your journey of contacting friends, family, or business associates in Mexico, it is essential to confirm that your Verizon plan includes international calling capabilities. Reach out to the Verizon customer service via phone or online chat to verify your plan’s eligibility and gain clarity on any additional charges that may apply.

Step 2: Dialing a Mexican Local or Cellular Number

a) Dialing Landline Numbers: When placing a call from the US Verizon network to a Mexican landline number, follow these simple steps:

1. Begin by dialing “011,” which is known as an exit code used when making international calls from the United States. 2. Next, enter “52,” which is Mexico’s country code. 3. Now input the area code specific to the region you wish to reach within Mexico (e.g., 55 for Mexico City). 4. Finally, enter the local seven-digit phone number of the person or establishment you want to contact.

To summarize, your dialing sequence should look like this: 011 + 52 + Area Code + Local Phone Number.

b) Dialing Cellular Numbers: When calling Mexican mobile numbers from your Verizon line, adapt these steps:

1. Start by dialing “011” as before. 2. Enter “52” – always required for reaching Mexican numbers. 3. Skip any leading zero that may precede digits pertaining to mobile networks like Telcel, Movistar, etc. 4. Finally, dial the ten-digit mobile number provided by your Mexican contact.

In short: 011 + 52 + Mobile Number (without leading zero).

Step 3: Take Advantage of International Calling Add-Ons and Packages

Verizon offers various international calling add-ons and packages tailored to specific regions. By subscribing to these plans, you can avoid excessive per-minute charges while enjoying discounted rates for your calls to Mexico. Check their website or contact customer service to explore the different options available and select a plan that suits your needs.

Step 4: Utilize Messaging Apps for Cost-Effective Communication

If you’re searching for a more cost-effective solution or want to supplement your voice calls with instant messaging options like text messages, photos, videos, or even video calls, consider utilizing popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, or Skype. These apps allow seamless cross-border communication without using traditional cellular minutes.

Conclusion:

Gone are the days when connecting with friends and family across borders was an arduous task. With Verizon’s international calling capabilities and our simplified step-by-step guide at hand, you can confidently reach out to Mexico from the comfort of your Verizon line in the US. Remember to double-check your plan’s eligibility, follow the correct dialing sequence for landline or cellular numbers, explore international calling add-ons/packages for better rates, and leverage modern messaging apps to enhance communication efficiency. Stay connected seamlessly with Mexico through Verizon – because distance shouldn’t hinder meaningful conversations!

Title: Insider Tips: Making International Calls with US Verizon to Mexico

Introduction: Making international calls can sometimes be a hassle, especially when you’re trying to connect with your loved ones in Mexico. As a Verizon user based in the United States, you might wonder how to make these calls seamlessly without breaking the bank. Don’t worry! In this blog, we will provide you with insider tips on making international calls from your US Verizon phone to Mexico. Read on to discover clever and witty ways to stay connected effortlessly.

1. Know Your Plan: Before dialing that Mexican number, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with your Verizon plan’s details regarding international calling rates and availability. Connect with customer service or check their website for specific information about your plan’s options for making calls to Mexico.

2. Consider Wi-Fi Calling: If you have access to a stable Wi-Fi connection, using Wi-Fi calling is an excellent way to save money while making international calls from the comfort of your home or any available hotspot. Verify if your Verizon plan supports Wi-Fi calling and ensure it is enabled on your device before attempting any call.

3. Explore International Calling Features: Verizon offers diverse features specifically designed for customers who frequently make international calls. Take advantage of services like “Mexico & Canada Unlimited” or “International Travel Preferred Pricing,” which may offer discounted rates tailored for users communicating across borders.

4. Dialing Codes Made Easy: When dialing from the United States to Mexico, understanding the correct dialing format can prevent unnecessary call failures. Remember that Mexican telephone numbers usually consist of ten digits (area code + local number). To place a call, simply dial 011 (exit code) followed by 52 (Mexico’s country code), then the area code (without the leading ‘0’), and finally the local number.

5. Use Apps and Internet-Based Services: In today’s digital era, numerous applications and internet-based services provide cost-effective or even free ways to make international calls. Popular options include Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, or Google Voice. Verify if your Verizon plan supports these services and enjoy connecting with your loved ones across borders without worrying about excessive charges.

6. Purchase International Roaming Packages: If you frequently travel to Mexico and need seamless calling capabilities while on the go, investing in an international roaming package could be a smart move. Speak to Verizon customer service representatives and explore the available options that align with your needs. This can save you from potentially exorbitant charges associated with regular data usage while abroad.

7. Prepaid Calling Cards: Sometimes, simplicity is key when it comes to making international calls using a US Verizon phone. Consider purchasing prepaid calling cards specifically designated for calls to Mexico. These cards often offer competitive rates and serve as an affordable alternative to traditional dialing methods.

Conclusion: Staying connected with friends, family, or business associates in Mexico doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive when you’re using US Verizon as your mobile service provider. By leveraging the insider tips shared in this blog post, you can make international calls with ease and efficiency while optimizing your budget. Remember to understand your plan’s features regarding international calling and explore advantageous deals specific to users connecting with Mexico. Enjoy chatting away without any worries!

In the age of global connections, staying in touch with loved ones and conducting business across borders has become indispensable. However, navigating international calls can often seem like a daunting task, especially when dealing with different telecom providers and potential pitfalls. For those using Verizon in the United States to make calls to Mexico, understanding the intricacies and avoiding common pitfalls is crucial for ensuring successful communication. In this blog post, we will provide you with comprehensive guidance on how to overcome these challenges and make seamless calls to Mexico from your US Verizon phone.

1. Understand International Calling Plan Options:

Verizon offers various international calling plans that cater specifically to users making calls abroad. These plans offer different rates, benefits, and features tailored for specific regions, including Mexico. To ensure cost-effective communication without any surprises on your bill, take the time to explore which plan best suits your needs.

2. Verify Coverage Availability:

Before attempting any international call, it is essential to verify that Verizon provides coverage in the area of Mexico you wish to call. Different telecom providers have varying coverage networks globally. By confirming that reliable coverage exists at your desired destination within Mexico, you can avoid dropped or weak signal issues during essential conversations.

3. Dial Correctly: Country Code + Area Code + Local Number

One common mistake when dialing internationally is overlooking the correct order of country codes and area codes while entering phone numbers. When calling Mexico from the United States using Verizon, remember to dial “011” (international exit code), followed by “52” (Mexico’s country code), then the appropriate area code for the specific region in Mexico you are contacting – finally ending with their local number.

4. Avoid Unintended Call Restrictions:

To prevent unexpected call rejections or restrictions while connecting from US Verizon networks to Mexican numbers, ensure that no international call blocks are active on your account settings or device. Check with Verizon customer support or access your account settings online to confirm that international calling is enabled and uninterrupted.

5. Review Billing Rates:

It’s easy to overlook the potential costs of international calls when caught up in discussions that cross borders. Before initiating any calls to Mexico, acquaint yourself with Verizon’s current rates for this particular country. Familiarize yourself with peak and off-peak hours, as well as any additional fees or charges associated with your calling plan, such as roaming fees if applicable.

6. Consider Wi-Fi Calling Options:

If you have access to a stable Wi-Fi connection during your stay in Mexico, taking advantage of Verizon’s Wi-Fi calling feature can greatly optimize your communication experience while saving costs. By connecting to a local Wi-Fi network, you bypass conventional cellular networks and utilize Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology instead – improving call quality and reducing expenses.

7. Update Contact Information:

To ensure seamless contact with individuals or businesses in Mexico, double-check that all relevant contact information – including phone numbers and email addresses – are up-to-date and accurate. This simple step will save both parties unnecessary frustration caused by incorrect or outdated details.

In conclusion, making successful calls from US Verizon phones to Mexico hinges on understanding the potential pitfalls and effectively mitigating them through careful planning and consideration. From verifying coverage availability to mastering the correct dialing sequence, each step contributes to ensuring smooth connections without interruptions or unexpected charges. By familiarizing yourself with these tips for avoiding common pitfalls when communicating internationally with your US Verizon phone, you’re bound to enjoy hassle-free conversations that bridge borders effortlessly. So go ahead, connect without restraints, and make those important calls knowing that communication knows no boundaries!

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How to Call Mexico from US Verizon: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Traveling Abroad? Here's How to Avoid Mobile Roaming Charges

M odern travel sees great benefits from the tech tools in our pockets. Anyone can download a few smartphone apps (many of them free) to reserve hotel rooms, navigate cities, translate signs through the camera, and, with the latest AI-driven apps, even translate conversations in real time. 

But those fancy phone features require a data connection, which typically costs extra through roaming charges when you're outside your home network. Here's how to avoid such charges.

Read more: Best Phone to buy for 2024

First and foremost, you'll want to understand how pricey those extra charges are, or whether you'll be traveling to a region that's cheaper or free with your carrier. Some mobile carriers have partnered with carriers in other countries for more-affordable roaming or even free service, albeit with some restrictions. For instance, some plans, like T-Mobile's Essentials, have free service in Canada and Mexico, though only at slow "2G" and "3G"-like speeds, so don't expect to stream lots of video with that connection. 

But traveling to most countries will require you to pay mobile roaming charges if you try to use data services, make voice calls, or send text messages on your phone as normal. If that's your plan, check out our guide for the best travel phone plans. 

If you want to avoid mobile roaming charges, keep the following tips in mind.

Set up mobile service ahead of time

Some carriers will let you pick traveling service options ahead of time, which can include daily, weekly or monthly flat fees to get service from partner carriers in other countries. You can wait until you arrive at your destination and wait to be prompted to select your chosen service, but you can set it up ahead of time. Note that some carriers will simply default you to these services rather than charge you higher roaming fees, though it's worth confirming before you travel.

These international plans are pretty convenient, though some may come with caveats like being deprioritized behind other carrier customers, meaning you'll get lower speeds during peak traffic times. Check the fine print of each travel plan to know its restrictions and what you may need to pay for extra service.

Verizon's international plans start pretty simple, with $10 a day getting you 2GB per day of high-speed data and unlimited 3G-speeds data thereafter, as well as free voice calls and texting, in over 210 countries. That plan is discounted to $5 per day in Canada and Mexico. 

If you have one of the carrier's latest plans, known as Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome, you'll get these features included for Canada and Mexico. Folks with Verizon's top Unlimited Ultimate option will get this international data for Canada and Mexico as well as for more than 210 countries. 

AT&T has a similar $10-per-day travel plan for unlimited data, voice calls and text. The data counts against your usual plan's allowance; going over will result in a charge and/or reduced download speeds of a super slow 2G-like connection. If you don't sign up for this plan, traditional roaming fees kick in, charging per text message, megabyte of data and minute of voice calling. 

Unlimited data for Canada and Mexico is included in AT&T's main Unlimited plans, while the carrier's Unlimited Premium PL and Unlimited Elite plans also allow unlimited data in 20 Latin American countries.

T-Mobile has its own international plans with unlimited calling, though they're pretty modest with data, starting at $5 per day for half a gigabyte of downloaded data. But keep in mind that the carrier's standard plans also include some international data allowances.

The basic Magenta and Go5G plans offer up to 10GB of high-speed data a month in Canada and Mexico, and once that's used up, get unlimited data at very slow 2G speeds (as previously mentioned, the cheapest Essentials plan only gets data in Canada and Mexico at 2G speeds). Go5G Next, Go5G Plus and Magenta Max plans have a small 5GB monthly travel allowance for high-speed data in over 215 countries, though that's subject to potential extra taxes and conditions. Standard Go5G plans get the same 5GB data allowance in 11 European countries.

Though it's possible to bump up your plan for the month (or more) you're traveling and return to your old plan thereafter, it's likely simpler to just pay for international data.  

Getting mobile service directly from a local carrier

Before carriers got friendlier with their international agreements to support each other's customers, one of the better traveling strategies was to get service straight from the carrier in the country you were traveling in. Once you landed, you'd just walk into a local carrier's retail store and get a prepaid SIM card to last you the length of your trip.

That's still possible today, though it's a bit more complicated. If you have one of the many phones that lack a physical SIM slot, including the latest iPhone 15 series and Samsung Galaxy S24 series, you'll have to register service through one of the eSIM accounts on your device. It's pretty easy to do, and is in fact one of the benefits of having multiple digital eSIM slots -- so you can have one for domestic use and one for traveling -- but it requires you to register through the carrier in question. You can even load the eSIM before you travel, through apps like Airalo and Ubigi .

Unfortunately, there's something else to consider: whether your phone is unlocked, that is, not tied to a carrier and restricted in using eSIMs from other carriers (even international ones). If you bought your device unlocked, you're in the clear. 

If you're paying off your phone in installments from your carrier, it's complicated. Verizon users have it best, as their installment plans unlock phones after 60 days. AT&T and T-Mobile, however, require you to finish your installments and fully pay off your phone to unlock it. Since AT&T's plans have a minimum of 36 monthly installments, customers may be out of luck getting a local carrier eSIM unless they're nearing the end of their contract -- in which case it may make sense to pay the balance for more travel freedom.  

Relying on a hotspot and tethering

Another method to avoid roaming is a bit more roundabout and requires you to sign up for service with a local carrier anyway, but you won't have to fiddle with eSIMs. When you land in your country of travel, you can rent a mobile hotspot (or register service on one you already own), which is a handheld device that turns cell signals into Wi-Fi. 

Note that you'll still need to pay for service either from the hotspot maker or from a local carrier, and there's no guarantee that their networks will play nicely with a given hotspot device. Check that it'll work in the area you're traveling to. 

Once you've got one set up, you just connect to the hotspot's Wi-Fi using your phone as normal. While it's a bit more cumbersome, this also lets you get internet for your other devices, like tablets and laptops, pretty much anywhere you get a phone signal from a local carrier.

Read more: Best cheap phone plan for 2024

Another caveat is that you'll need to keep the hotspot itself charged, which is another device battery you'll have to worry about. It might be worth carrying an external battery to make sure your hotspot can last a full day while you're out and about.

Ultimately, whatever option you choose should fit your travel habits and where you intend to go. Some carrier partnership options will be more appealing but offer slower speeds than getting service straight from the local carrier. But don't worry about getting locked into a choice: You can always try out one way when you arrive and switch to another if a better choice presents itself.

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

Traveling and want to avoid roaming charges? There are alternatives to racking up pay-per-text fees when vacationing abroad.

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Best E-Sim Cards for Traveling to Mexico in 2024

travelling to mexico verizon

Are you planning your trip to Mexico and looking for the best way to stay connected with an e-sim card? This is a complete guide with everything you need to know about using an e-sim card when traveling to Mexico including a comparison of the best Mexico e-sim cards in 2024.

Don’t waste money on high roaming charges, read my recommendations below and order an e-sim card for Mexico on the internet and get connected in just a couple minutes. Below you will find up to date prices as per April 2024, including all specifications per tourist e-sim card.

This guide will show you where and when to order an e-sim card for Mexico, answer all your FAQ’s about e-sim cards, a comparison with local prepaid sim cards for Mexico and of course links to directly order your e-sim card for traveling to Mexico online.

Since 2012 I am already traveling the world full time and throughout the years I turned my passion for traveling into a lifestyle and became a full time nomadic travel blogger . That is why I constantly get to a different country and pretty much every week I need to look for a new sim card to stay connected.

In 2022 I visited 62 countries and in 2023 I traveled to 34 countries so imagine how many different prepaid and e-sim cards I used throughout the last 2 years.

In the past I used to buy a local prepaid sim card on arrival in every country, but nowadays I mostly use e-sim cards to stay connected when traveling abroad. On my latest trip to Mexico I tested the below recommended Mexico e-sim cards for tourists.

Helping other travelers to save money while traveling the world is one of the reasons I started this travel blog. Providing essential travel tips is what made me start writing sim card guides from every country I visited and now on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world.

You can also find a complete guide for buying a prepaid sim card for tourists in Mexico in 2024  for those who don't have an e-sim compatible phone.

Traveltomtom also wrote specific and in-depth guides for buying e-sim cards in: Singapore ,  Philippines ,  Malaysia , New Zealand , Australia , Hong Kong , China , Indonesia , Thailand , Asia , Turkey , Egypt , Dubai , Europe , United Kingdom , Italy , USA , international e-sim cards and many more.

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20 Best Places to Visit in Mexico in 2024

So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card and e-sim card advice for your holiday destination.

First I will make a Mexico e-sim card comparison then I will explain how e-sim cards work, more about the network coverage and 4G/5G, data speed, answer some FAQ about e-sim cards, show you the difference between e-sim cards for tourists and local prepaid sim cards in Mexico and tell everything else you need to know about using e-sim cards when traveling to Mexico. 

Let me start with giving you my e-sim card recommendation for Mexico in 2024. These are my favorite e-sim cards for traveling to Mexico in 2024.

My recommendation

Traveltomtom came to the conclusion that an Airalo e-sim card is the best one for traveling to Mexico. This has to do with the mobile data network the Airalo e-sim card is using. More info below.

best esim card for mexico

1. Airalo e-sim card for $24.5 USD

  • 10 GB data-only e-sim
  • Operates on the Movistar, AT&T and Telcel network
  • Valid in Mexico only
  • Valid for 30 days
  • $2.45 USD per Gigabyte

One of the reasons I recommend an Airalo e-sim card for traveling to Mexico is that they operate on the Telcel mobile data network.

For my research about the best Mexico prepaid sim cards for tourists I also compared all the 4G/5G data networks of the mobile internet operators in Mexico and I found out that the 4G/5G network coverage of AT&T and Movistar is very weak compared to Telcel.

This Airalo Mexico e-sim card deal is only valid until 1 February 2024. Airalo has a 50% offer on this e-sim card plan at the moment, which makes it a super easy choice to order an Airalo e-sim card for your trip to Mexico . Lets hope they continue this 50% off on Airalo e-sim cards for Mexico.

So for traveling in Mexico Traveltomtom always recommends a prepaid or e-sim card from Telcel over any other mobile internet provider.

For example some of the Nomad e-sim cards for Mexico turn out to be great e-sim deals as well however, the Nomad e-sim cards operate on the AT&T and the Movistar network.

If you are not planning to go off the beaten path and are going to stick to the common tourist destinations in Mexico then an e-sim card from Nomad or SimOptions will also do the job.

Is Mexico one of your stops on a trip to Asia or around the world then you can also look into getting an e-sim card for world travelers . There are a bunch of e-sim cards that cover multiple countries.

There are 2 very important things to check before ordering an e-sim card for Mexico or in general before using an e-sim card.

Unlocked phones only

Make sure your phone is unlocked. E-sim cards for tourists only work in unlocked phones. If you are not sure if your phone is unlocked then contact your mobile internet provider in your home country.

In general phones from Europe, Asia and the Middle East tend to be unlocked. Phones from North America are often locked.

If your smartphone is locked that means it does not allow another prepaid sim card or e-sim card to operate in the device. You can easily unlock your phone, but depending on your mobile internet provider you will be charged a fee for unlocking your phone.

E-sim compatible phones only

Second, and equally important: e-sim cards only work if your smartphone supports e-sim cards, also called e-sim compatible. All newer smartphones support e-sim cards. If you are not sure if your phone is e-sim compatible then simply go to Google and type in your mobile phone model in the search bar and ask if it is e-sim compatible. You will get the answer instantly. 

If your phone is NOT e-sim compatible then there is no other solution and you can NOT use an e-sim card for traveling to Mexico.

However, you can still order a sim card for Mexico on the internet before your trip. Find out everything you need to know about international sim cards for traveling abroad in 2024 .

Comparison of the best e-sim cards for Mexico

Buying an e-sim card on arrival in Mexico is unfortunately still not possible at the international airports of for example Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, etc. and neither in phone stores anywhere in Mexico.

None of the mobile internet providers in Mexico provide e-sim cards for tourists. They only sell prepaid physical sim cards for tourists.

Luckily there are multiple e-sim providers on the internet that sell Mexico e-sim cards for tourists. Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for traveling in Mexico from one of the well-known e-sim card providers that have proven to be reliable operators. 

Here are 3 trusted e-sim card providers and they sell great e-sim card plans for Mexico. They are tested and reviewed multiple times by Traveltomtom: 

Nowadays, you can buy an e-sim card for pretty much every country around the world. Order directly from one of the above e-sim card providers and instantly receive your e-sim card in your email. But before you buy an e-sim card first read all my tips below.

SimOptions is the only e-sim provider that also offers international prepaid sim cards for Mexico . These are pre-activated physical prepaid sim cards that will be delivered to your door step before your trip and it is plug and play when you arrive in Mexico.

Airalo and Nomad only sell e-sim cards for Mexico.

SimOptions is a reputable e-sim card provider that is very much recommended by Traveltomtom. Ordering your tourist e-sim card for Mexico through SimOptions is done fast and easy.

Traveltomtom has used SimOptions uncountable times for staying connected when traveling abroad. Very reliable, never an issue and often some of the cheapest e-sim card deals.

SimOptions has their own e-sim card plans as well as international e-sim card plans. For Mexico they only sell international e-sim cards. These e-sim cards are valid in multiple countries and not only in Mexico.

three hk international esim cards for mexico

The Three HK (Hong Kong) international e-sim cards are valid in 93 countries around the world:

  • 3 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
  • 5 GB data for 30 days = $34.90 USD

Unfortunately SimOptions does not specify on which network in Mexico the Three HK e-sim cards use operate in Mexico. On top of that users have reported that with these HK e-sim cards they had problems using TikTok, as per Hong Kong regulations TikTok is banned and blocked.

The good thing about the Three HK international e-sim cards is that they come with a Hong Kong phone number starting with +852. This means incoming phone calls and sms are supported. These e-sim cards do not come with calling credit, so outgoing calls/sms are not supported.

Click here to order a Three HK international e-sim card via SimOptions .

SimOptions has more international e-sim cards for Mexico.

simoptions international esim cards for mexico

Check out the following 2 international e-sim cards from AIS and Orange.

  • 6 GB data for 15 days = $39.90 USD
  • 10 GB data for 14 days = $39.90 USD

All the SimOptions e-sim plans for Mexico are pretty expensive compared to Nomad and Airalo and therefore it is not Traveltomtom's first pick. The best value Mexico e-sim card deal from SimOptions is the Orange Holiday World eSIM with 10 GB data for $39.90 USD which comes down to $3.99 USD per Gigabyte.

Click here to order any of the above SimOptions e-sim cards for Mexico .

Unfortunately SimOptions doesn’t specify exactly which mobile network operator in Mexico they use and the international e-sim cards from SimOptions are not 5G ready, so the max data speed on these Mexico e-sim cards  is 4G/LTE.

The validity of these e-sim cards is 1 year and the credit validity starts instantly after installing the e-sim card, even if you are not in Mexico. For more info check the SimOptions website . 

Lately I have been recommending Nomad e-sim cards a lot as they have really great deals for a lot of countries. The Nomad e-sim card plans for Mexico are not bad at all. In fact some are even better value deals than the Airalo e-sim cards.

Still Traveltomtom considers Airalo as the best e-sim card for traveling to Mexico. That is because the Nomad e-sim cards operate on the 4G/LTE mobile data network of AT&T and Movistar and unfortunately not on Telcel.

However, if you travel to just the standard amazing places to visit in Mexico then you are ok with a Nomad e-sim card. An e-sim card that uses the Telcel network is recommended for those going off the beaten path in Mexico.

nomad esim cards for mexico

Here are the Nomad e-sim card plans for Mexico: 

  • 1 GB data for 7 days = $7 USD
  • 3 GB data for 30 days = $14 USD
  • 5 GB data for 30 days = $18 USD
  • 10 GB data for 30 days = $29 USD

Click here to order an e-sim card for Mexico from Nomad .

The Nomad website is a little less user friendly for finding the best e-sim cards for traveling to Mexico. You can't see all e-sim card deals in one overview, you have to click a little here and there.

As you can see above the prices for Nomad Mexico e-sim cards aren't bad at all compared to SimOptions and Airalo. The best value e-sim card for Mexico from Nomad is the one with 10 GB data for $29 USD,  which comes down to $2.9 USD per Gigabyte.

nomad esim card specifications

The Nomad e-sim cards are from eSIM Go and they are data-only. Incoming and outgoing calls and sms are NOT supported. They operate on the LTE/4G network of AT&T and Movistar.

The Nomad Mexico e-sim cards have to be installed on your phone within 30 days and after installation its validity starts when it connects for the first time to a supported network in Mexico. Basically when the plane lands. For more info check the Nomad website . 

Airalo is a very reliable e-sim card provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo uncountable times in more than 50 countries around the world. I can totally recommend using Airalo for ordering an e-sim card. 

Why using Airalo? When it comes to Mexico e-sim cards Airalo has the best e-sim card plans and in contrary to Nomad and SimOptions they operate on the best mobile data network in Mexico: Telcel.

Therefore Traveltomtom recommends Airalo as the best e-sim cards for Mexico.

airalo esim cards for mexico

Here are the Airalo data-only e-sim card plans for Mexico for 2024: 

  • 1 GB data for 7 days = $8 USD
  • 2 GB data for 15 days = $15 USD
  • 3 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
  • 5 GB data for 30 days = $32.5 USD
  • 10 GB data for 30 days = $24.5 USD

Click here to order an e-sim card for Mexico from Airalo .

The Airalo e-sim cards for Mexico are from Chorro Fon and they operate on the 4G/LTE network of AT&T, Movistar and Telcel. Unfortunately the Airalo Chorro Fon e-sim cards for Mexico are not 5G ready yet.

The best value e-sim card from Airalo gives you 10 GB data for $24.5 USD, which comes down to $2.45 USD per Gigabyte. Which is right now the best value e-sim card for Mexico as well.

In the most popular places to visit in Mexico you will find a 4G/LTE signal and the data speed is pretty good these days. There is in fact still very little 5G in Mexico.

For more info about the best 4G/5G mobile data network in Mexico check my complete guide for the best prepaid sim card for Mexico in 2024 , including network coverage maps of all the mobile internet providers.

All the Airalo e-sim cards are data-only sim cards without a phone number, so any phone/sms service is NOT supported. An Airalo e-sim card has to be installed within 1 month and after activation the credit validity starts when it connects the first time to a supported network. For more info check out the Airalo website .

What is the cheapest e-sim card for Mexico?

cheapest esim cards for mexico

The cheapest e-sim card for Mexico is an e-sim card from Nomad for just $7 USD , it will give you 1 GB data for 7 days. Airalo offers the same e-sim card plan but charges $8 USD. These e-sims are only valid in Mexico and do not support calling and texting. 

Why ordering an e-sim card for traveling in Mexico

E-sim cards are the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Mexico in 2024 and you can arrange everything online in just a couple clicks. No more visiting a sim card shop and swapping physical sim cards. Order online, scan the QR code, follow the steps and you are connected in less than 2 minutes. 

The most important reason to get an e-sim card is because we would like to stay connected on our trip to Mexico without wasting money on high roaming costs. Our smartphones are pretty useless without a working data connection. Think about ordering a taxi through an app, finding nearby friends, restaurants and bars. Get directions from Google Maps or simply staying in touch with family back home, check your social media apps on long bus rides or your banking apps when paying contactless. 

One of the best things about arriving in Mexico with an activated e-sim card is that you are online as soon as the plane lands. More about when to instal your e-sim card later.

There are so many reasons to stay connected when traveling to Mexico, but the most important reason is that it makes your trip to Mexico so much more convenient and fun!

At the same time we don’t want to waste money on high roaming charges. Many mobile internet operators still charge $3 USD per MB for data roaming, that means just opening the Instagram app will already cost you 20 MB * $3 USD = $60 USD! Not kidding… it still is very common in 2024.

E-sim cards are the easiest way to avoid high roaming charges!

Overseas data roaming plans

So what about overseas data roaming plans? Well, not recommended! Why? Did you read the small letters at what data speed you can use data roaming? Pretty much all mobile internet operators limit the data speed for overseas data roaming plans, which means you end up with 3G data speed. Do you have the patience to handle 3G? It is frustrating when all around you in pretty  much every amazing tourist destinations in Mexico there is 4G/LTE available.

And price-wise it should be a no brainer since you have seen how affordable the e-sim cards for Mexico are.

Uncountable times travel friends have asked me: “Tom, can I use your hotspot? My data roaming plan is so slow, it is barely working!” Trust me, get yourself an e-sim card or an international prepaid sim card for traveling to Mexico.

Spend a couple dollars extra and be connected all the time instead of begging for WiFi or a hotspot from friends. 

Where to buy an e-sim card for Mexico? 

You can buy an e-sim card for Mexico on the internet through an e-sim card provider. There are multiple e-sim card providers for Mexico. Traveltomtom compared 6 e-sim card providers and concluded that the above mentioned ones ( SimOptions , Airalo and Nomad ) are the best e-sim card providers in 2024.

When buying an e-sim card for Mexico through one of the above recommended e-sim providers you only need your email address and the e-sim card is instantly ready to use after installation. There is no ID registration needed.

On arrival in Mexico

There are 3 main mobile internet provider in Mexico: AT&T, Movistar and Telcel. Unfortunately as per April 2024 none of the mobile internet operators in Mexico offer e-sim cards for tourists. They only offer physical prepaid sim cards for tourists.

For more info about buying a prepaid sim card for tourists in Mexico in 2024  click on the link to read my complete guide and comparison of all the mobile internet providers in Mexico, including a comparison of the 4G/5G network. In that comparison you will clearly see the difference in network strength between AT&T, Movistar and Telcel.

Flying into Mexico and landing at Mexico City Airport then you can buy a tourist sim card for Mexico on arrival at the airport. Click on the link to read Traveltomtom's complete guide on where to buy a local prepaid sim card at Mexico City Airport .

At the international airports in Mexico you will find several sim card shops and phone stores that sell all kind of tourist sim cards. If you can't see any phone shops you can try your luck at the convenient stores. They randomly charge you something but if you are lucky they help you set up the sim card.

But as mentioned before the sim cards shops and convenient stores in Mexico only sell physical prepaid sim cards for tourists, no e-sims.

When to order/activate an e-sim card for Mexico?

You can order an e-sim card for Mexico pretty much any time you want. Most e-sim cards have to be installed on a phone within 1 month after purchasing, some even within 1 year, so you have time.

More important therefore is when do you instal/activate the e-sim card. The validity of some e-sims start straight after the installation, other e-sim cards only start their validity when they connect the first time to a supported network.

Traveltomtom advices to instal your e-sim card on the day of departure to Mexico or before. You will need a stable internet connection to instal your e-sim card. Pretty much all the international airports in Mexico have free public WiFi which works ok most of the time, so you could use that to install your e-sim card.

Just make sure it is a stable internet connection. Therefore just to make sure Traveltomtom advices you to install/activate your e-sim card in your home country. 

My personal advice is to instal your tourist e-sim card for Mexico before you get into the plane, because then as soon as the plane lands you will be connected to the internet without any problems. 

How do I know all this? Traveltomtom has visited Mexico 5 times and traveled all around the country. Check out my list of the best places to visit in Mexico .

How to activate an e-sim card

Installing and activating an e-sim card is made as simple as possible. Everyone can activate an e-sim card and the instructions on how to are very detailed and will be send to you instantly by email. But wait, it gets even easier. Just scan the QR code. 

When you order an e-sim card plan for Mexico you instantly receive a summery of your order including a QR-code after the payment is processed.

You will see a summary of your e-sim card order including a QR code on your screen and at the same time you will also receive an email with the same QR code. The email contains instructions on how to instal and activate your Mexico e-sim card. 

But installing an activating an e-sim card is as easy as scanning the QR code with the same phone where you want to activate the e-sim card on. The QR contains all the information about your Mexico e-sim card. 

Once you scan the code you will be guided through a couple simple steps and within less than 1 minute your e-sim card is successfully installed.

Very important is that you are connected to the internet when installing your e-sim card otherwise you will get an error and issues can occur. 

Tip: if you order an e-sim card with the same phone where you want to instal the e-sim card on then ask a friend or someone nearby to take a photo of the QR code and then you scan the QR code from his/her phone and start the installation.

Things to know before ordering an e-sim card for Mexico 

Here are some general tips and FAQ’s for using e-sim cards when traveling abroad. These tips do not only apply for Mexico e-sim cards, but are things you have to know before buying an e-sim card in general.

Make sure your phone is unlocked

To make sure you didn’t miss this, let me say this again: e-sim cards only work in UNLOCKED phones. If your phone is unlocked then you can use any e-sim card without any problems.

If your phone is locked then ask your mobile internet provider from your home country to unlock your phone before your trip to Mexico. It is likely that your mobile internet provider will charge you a fee for unlocking your smartphone. 

If you are unable to unlock your phone you can look into getting a portable WiFi for staying connected when traveling to Mexico or better… bring a second unlocked phone on your trip to Mexico and use it as a portable WiFi device.

Which smartphones support e-sim cards?

Another very important thing you have to check before buying an e-sim card is if your smartphone supports e-sim cards. If you have any of the latest smartphones then there is no need to worry, all new smartphones of the well known brands support e-sim cards. 

The fastest way to find out if your phone is e-sim compatible is by asking Google the question: is my (your phone model) e-sim compatible? Simple as that!

Can I trust these e-sim card providers?

All the e-sim card providers for Mexico recommended above ( SimOptions , Airalo and Nomad ) are reputable e-sim card providers reviewed and tested by Traveltomtom. All of them are licensed third party companies and resellers that partner or work directly with the mobile internet providers in Mexico.

Traveltomtom has successfully partnered for several consecutive years with SimOptions and Airalo. Nomad is a fairly new partner of Traveltomtom, but has so far proven to be a reliable e-sim card provider as well. All e-sim card providers have their own Helpdesk which you can contact may you encounter any problems or in case you want to claim a refund.

Traveltomtom does NOT sell Mexico e-sim cards, only RECOMMENDS you to use e-sim cards for your next trip to Mexico.

Can I keep my phone number from home with a Mexico e-sim card?

Yes, you can and this is for many people a reason to order an e-sim card to stay connected when traveling to Mexico. An e-sim card can be used next to your physical or e-sim card from your home country at the same time. You do not need a dual-sim phone for using an e-sim card.

So you can have multiple e-sim cards installed on your phone? Yes, no problem at all!

For example: you can turn off the mobile data from your sim card from home but still use it for texting and calling. Your new Mexico e-sim card you can be used at the same time just for data to ensure you are not wasting money on high roaming costs.

This is also the trick to keep receiving sms for example for OTP (one time password) sms to login to applications.

Switching between physical and e-sim cards is a matter of turning them on/off in the settings. Just always make sure your sim card from home is switched off for data roaming.

Can I make phone calls with a Mexico e-sim card?

No, unfortunately all the tourist e-sim cards for Mexico available on the internet do NOT include calling and texting. The e-sim cards from SimOptions , Airalo and Nomad  are data-only e-sim cards and any outgoing calls/sms are not supported. 

If you buy a prepaid sim card for tourists on arrival in Mexico in a store or at the airport then you get (unlimited) calling and texting included.

Most hotels, restaurants and tour companies in Mexico have WhatsApp services, so you can easily give them a call through WhatsApp. There is no direct need for local calling minutes. 

Does a Mexico e-sim card come with a phone number?

No, most of the Mexico e-sim cards that you can buy on the internet do not come with a phone number, which also means you can not receive any phone calls or sms.

There is one exception and that is the Three HK international e-sim card that you can order via SimOptions . This e-sim comes with a Hong Kong phone number starting with +852.

Local prepaid sim cards that you can buy once you arrive in Mexico offer incoming and outgoing calling and texting.

In the above Mexico e-sim card comparison you can find all the specifications per e-sim card.

Can I use 5G on an Mexico e-sim card?

No, unfortunately none of the by Traveltomtom recommended e-sim cards for Mexico are 5G ready. Which means the max data speed on all e-sims is 4G/LTE. That said, AT&T and Movistar do barely offer 5G anyway and the 5G network from Telcel is also still fairly small. There is not much 5G in Mexico anyway.

Are there e-sim cards for Mexico with unlimited data?

None of the by Traveltomtom recommended Mexico e-sim cards for tourists include unlimited data.

Even if you would come across e-sim card providers that offer e-sim cards for Mexico with unlimited data then make sure the unlimited data is on max data speed. Mostly the data speed is capped after you used X amount of Gigabytes. 

Holafly is an e-sim card provider that sells e-sim cards with unlimited data, but does NOT specify what is the exact so-called Fair Use Policy (FUP). 

Traveltomtom does NOT recommend Mexico e-sim cards with unlimited data plans. There are always restrictions. And on Holafly sim cards I experienced a reduce in data speed after using more than 2 GB per day. When I contacted support they explained me that I had to wait for 24 hours until my data speed was restored to normal.

Those 24 hours were a nightmare as my data speed was barely enough to use WhatsApp. Social media apps were not even loading! 

Again, Traveltomtom does NOT recommend e-sim cards for Mexico with unlimited data. But if you think you will never use more than 2 GB per day, then this might be your favorite e-sim card. However, what is then the point of an e-sim with unlimited data is what you have to ask yourself.

An  Airalo e-sim card for $24.5 USD  gives you 10 GB data which for most travelers is more than enough for their trip to Mexico. IF this is not enough you can also order 2 e-sim cards and after one is done, you instal the second one.

There are a lot of different specifications per e-sim card. Another reason why I advice you to take a close look at my comparison of the best e-sim cards for traveling to Mexico in 2024 before choosing your favorite.

Are e-sim cards the best way to stay connected when traveling to Mexico?

E-sim cards are the easiest and fastest way to get data on your phone when traveling to Mexico, but what is the best way?

There are 3 ways to stay connected when traveling to Mexico:

Local prepaid sim cards

International prepaid sim cards, e-sim cards.

Let’s compare e-sim cards, local prepaid sim cards and international prepaid sim cards, for you to find out what is your preferred way of staying connected.  

In general if you use a lot of data then local prepaid sim cards are a cheaper way to stay connected, depending on the length of your trip. 

Mexico prepaid sim cards for tourists offer bigger data plans than tourist e-sim cards you order online. In fact local prepaid sim cards with data are fairly cheap for tourists in Mexico. For around $10 USD you get a physical sim card plan with unlimited social media and 3 GB data.

However, a local prepaid sim card can only be purchased on arrival in Mexico in a phone store or at the airport but NOT on the internet. 

Another big difference is that local prepaid sim cards have the advantage that they come with a local phone number and mostly with calling minutes and sms bundles. That means incoming and outgoing calls are supported.

More info about the best Mexico sim cards for tourists can be found in my complete guide for buying a prepaid sim card for Mexico in 2024 . 

If your smartphone is not e-sim compatible you can order an international prepaid sim card for traveling to Mexico. Some of them are great for Mexico as well as in all other countries in for example Europe, Americas and Asia and you can easily order them online.

If after visiting Mexico you are traveling onwards in Asia then check Traveltomtom’s list of the best sim cards for traveling internationally in 2024 .

international prepaid sim cards for mexico

As I mentioned before SimOptions also sells physical prepaid sim cards for traveling internationally.

A pre-activated physical sim card will be delivered to your door step before your trip to Mexico. You put this physical sim card in your phone and as soon as the plane touches the ground in Mexico and the sim card connects to a supported network you are online. Plug and play!

Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Mexico directly online via SimOptions .

As explained throughout the article there are two different e-sim cards:

  • E-sim cards that you buy on the internet through a third party
  • E-sim cards that you buy in Mexico in a mobile internet provider store

However, as of April 2024 the mobile internet providers in Mexico do not offer e-sim cards for tourists. They only offer physical prepaid sim cards for tourists in Mexico.

On arrival at the International Airports in Mexico the sim card stores only sells physical prepaid sim cards for tourists.

E-sim cards vs. local prepaid sim cards

Getting an e-sim card on the internet is the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Mexico, no doubt! You arrange everything online within just a couple clicks. Right here, right now and you are all set for your trip to Mexico.

You arrive prepared and there is no need to visit a sim card shop on arrival in Mexico. As soon as the plane lands, you are online!

But what is cheaper? An e-sim card or a local prepaid sim card for tourists?

When we compare the prices for Mexico e-sim cards with the prices for local prepaid sim cards in Mexico, it is an easy conclusion that local prepaid sim cards are much more affordable as you get many more Gigabytes for the same price.

In fact, for around $10 USD you can already get a prepaid sim card with unlimited social media and 3 GB data for 1 month. For more info check out my article about the best prepaid sim cards for Mexico in 2024 . 

But local prepaid sim cards can only be bought in Mexico on arrival in a sim card shop or at the airport and a tourist e-sim card for Mexico can be bought in 2 minutes on the internet before your trip to Mexico. 

Remember that some of the e-sim cards for Mexico also go down to only $2.45 USD per Gigabyte as well. 

After a long flight you just want to get to your hotel and it is often a big task to go to a sim card store and get connected. With e-sim cards you buy on the internet you are connected as soon as the plane lands.

For this convenience Traveltomtom definitely recommends to order one of the listed best e-sim cards for Mexico in the comparison above.

Many reasons why a lot of travelers simply get an e-sim card for Mexico. Faster, easier, less stress and even cheaper depending on how much data you need.

Another difference between a local prepaid sim card and an e-sim card is that e-sim cards are often through a third party, a so called MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). These MVNO’s operate on the network of one of the main mobile internet operators and basically buy bandwidth.

This may sound a little bit too technical, but what it means is that e-sim cards through an MVNO are the last ones in line when the line is busy. Especially during peak times, the performance of an e-sim cards is less compared to a local prepaid sim card from a mobile internet operator.

Bottomline: the data speed of e-sim cards can be less compared to a local prepaid Mexico sim card.

I am sure some of the above tips for finding the best e-sim card for your trip to Mexico were helpful. I hope that after reading through my comparison, tips and tricks it was easier to make a decision and order your e-sim card for Mexico right away.

If you still have any questions about e-sim cards then please leave me a comment below and I am more than happy to help you out.

Curious what the life of a full time nomadic traveler looks like? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along with daily updates from around the world about the good, the bad and the ugly about traveling.

Traveltomtom is on the road to 197, meaning I would like to travel to every country in the world. As of April 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries, still about 40 to go, but no rush.

Enjoy your trip to Mexico!

Some links in this article about the best e-sim cards for Mexico are affiliate links. If you buy any product after clicking on an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you!

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Travel Trip Ahead? Dodge Mobile Roaming Charges With These Tips

Adventure is out there, but don't let skyrocketing phone charges add to the danger -- just follow our advice.

travelling to mexico verizon

Traveling and want to avoid roaming charges? There are alternatives to racking up pay-per-text fees when vacationing abroad.

Modern travel sees great benefits from the tech tools in our pockets. Anyone can download a few smartphone apps (many of them free) to reserve hotel rooms, navigate cities, translate signs through the camera, and, with the latest AI-driven apps, even translate conversations in real time. 

But those fancy phone features require a data connection, which typically costs extra through roaming charges when you're outside your home network. Here's how to avoid such charges.

Read more: Best Phone to buy for 2024

First and foremost, you'll want to understand how pricey those extra charges are, or whether you'll be traveling to a region that's cheaper or free with your carrier. Some mobile carriers have partnered with carriers in other countries for more-affordable roaming or even free service, albeit with some restrictions. For instance, some plans, like T-Mobile's Essentials, have free service in Canada and Mexico, though only at slow "2G" and "3G"-like speeds, so don't expect to stream lots of video with that connection. 

But traveling to most countries will require you to pay mobile roaming charges if you try to use data services, make voice calls, or send text messages on your phone as normal. If that's your plan, check out our guide for the best travel phone plans. 

If you want to avoid mobile roaming charges, keep the following tips in mind.

A man and woman stand posed to take a selfie in front of a cathedral in Spain.

Set up mobile service ahead of time

Some carriers will let you pick traveling service options ahead of time, which can include daily, weekly or monthly flat fees to get service from partner carriers in other countries. You can wait until you arrive at your destination and wait to be prompted to select your chosen service, but you can set it up ahead of time. Note that some carriers will simply default you to these services rather than charge you higher roaming fees, though it's worth confirming before you travel.

These international plans are pretty convenient, though some may come with caveats like being deprioritized behind other carrier customers, meaning you'll get lower speeds during peak traffic times. Check the fine print of each travel plan to know its restrictions and what you may need to pay for extra service.

Verizon's international plans start pretty simple, with $10 a day getting you 2GB per day of high-speed data and unlimited 3G-speeds data thereafter, as well as free voice calls and texting, in over 210 countries. That plan is discounted to $5 per day in Canada and Mexico. 

If you have one of the carrier's latest plans, known as Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Welcome, you'll get these features included for Canada and Mexico. Folks with Verizon's top Unlimited Ultimate option will get this international data for Canada and Mexico as well as for more than 210 countries. 

travelling to mexico verizon

AT&T has a similar $10-per-day travel plan for unlimited data, voice calls and text. The data counts against your usual plan's allowance; going over will result in a charge and/or reduced download speeds of a super slow 2G-like connection. If you don't sign up for this plan, traditional roaming fees kick in, charging per text message, megabyte of data and minute of voice calling. 

Unlimited data for Canada and Mexico is included in AT&T's main Unlimited plans, while the carrier's Unlimited Premium PL and Unlimited Elite plans also allow unlimited data in 20 Latin American countries.

T-Mobile has its own international plans with unlimited calling, though they're pretty modest with data, starting at $5 per day for half a gigabyte of downloaded data. But keep in mind that the carrier's standard plans also include some international data allowances.

The basic Magenta and Go5G plans offer up to 10GB of high-speed data a month in Canada and Mexico, and once that's used up, get unlimited data at very slow 2G speeds (as previously mentioned, the cheapest Essentials plan only gets data in Canada and Mexico at 2G speeds). Go5G Next, Go5G Plus and Magenta Max plans have a small 5GB monthly travel allowance for high-speed data in over 215 countries, though that's subject to potential extra taxes and conditions. Standard Go5G plans get the same 5GB data allowance in 11 European countries.

Though it's possible to bump up your plan for the month (or more) you're traveling and return to your old plan thereafter, it's likely simpler to just pay for international data.  

A woman in a yellow all-weather coat sits on a rock perched over a lake surrounded by snow-covered mountains.

Getting mobile service directly from a local carrier

Before carriers got friendlier with their international agreements to support each other's customers, one of the better traveling strategies was to get service straight from the carrier in the country you were traveling in. Once you landed, you'd just walk into a local carrier's retail store and get a prepaid SIM card to last you the length of your trip.

That's still possible today, though it's a bit more complicated. If you have one of the many phones that lack a physical SIM slot, including the latest iPhone 15 series and Samsung Galaxy S24 series, you'll have to register service through one of the eSIM accounts on your device. It's pretty easy to do, and is in fact one of the benefits of having multiple digital eSIM slots -- so you can have one for domestic use and one for traveling -- but it requires you to register through the carrier in question. You can even load the eSIM before you travel, through apps like Airalo and Ubigi .

Unfortunately, there's something else to consider: whether your phone is unlocked, that is, not tied to a carrier and restricted in using eSIMs from other carriers (even international ones). If you bought your device unlocked, you're in the clear. 

If you're paying off your phone in installments from your carrier, it's complicated. Verizon users have it best, as their installment plans unlock phones after 60 days. AT&T and T-Mobile, however, require you to finish your installments and fully pay off your phone to unlock it. Since AT&T's plans have a minimum of 36 monthly installments, customers may be out of luck getting a local carrier eSIM unless they're nearing the end of their contract -- in which case it may make sense to pay the balance for more travel freedom.  

Relying on a hotspot and tethering

Another method to avoid roaming is a bit more roundabout and requires you to sign up for service with a local carrier anyway, but you won't have to fiddle with eSIMs. When you land in your country of travel, you can rent a mobile hotspot (or register service on one you already own), which is a handheld device that turns cell signals into Wi-Fi. 

Note that you'll still need to pay for service either from the hotspot maker or from a local carrier, and there's no guarantee that their networks will play nicely with a given hotspot device. Check that it'll work in the area you're traveling to. 

Once you've got one set up, you just connect to the hotspot's Wi-Fi using your phone as normal. While it's a bit more cumbersome, this also lets you get internet for your other devices, like tablets and laptops, pretty much anywhere you get a phone signal from a local carrier.

Read more: Best cheap phone plan for 2024

Another caveat is that you'll need to keep the hotspot itself charged, which is another device battery you'll have to worry about. It might be worth carrying an external battery to make sure your hotspot can last a full day while you're out and about.

Ultimately, whatever option you choose should fit your travel habits and where you intend to go. Some carrier partnership options will be more appealing but offer slower speeds than getting service straight from the local carrier. But don't worry about getting locked into a choice: You can always try out one way when you arrive and switch to another if a better choice presents itself.

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

travelling to mexico verizon

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The Maya Train Will Get You to All of Yucatán’s Best Spots. But Not Yet.

In December, the train began running on its first route through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. On a five-day journey a few months later, the author encountered enthusiasm, and scheduling hiccups.

A singular train track, with one short train, cuts through a lush deep forest.

By Elisabeth Malkin

Elisabeth Malkin has been visiting the Yucatán Peninsula for three decades.

I stepped off the platform at the gleaming new Maxcanú train station, eager to see the magnificent Maya archaeological site of Uxmal. All I needed was a taxi to take me there, a trip of about 30 miles away.

There are no taxis, said the stationmaster, as we stood on the polished limestone floors of the high-ceilinged station, which was cool and breezy despite the brilliant late-morning sun outside. And I was the third person in two weeks to get off at Maxcanú expecting to reach Uxmal, he said.

I was midway through a five-day trip to explore the brand-new Maya Train and several of its destinations in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico . Designed to run 965 miles (1,554 kilometers) around a loop of 34 stations when completed, the train will whisk passengers in cool comfort through colonial cities, archaeological sites, splashy resorts and tropical forests.

Now I was stunned. Wrangling a taxi has never been a problem in Mexico. But the drivers gathered in the main square of Maxcanú offered only beat-up vans that hopscotch through small towns, where I might or might not find a taxi to Uxmal. The next van was leaving in 45 minutes.

Yucatán’s layers of history have long held me spellbound. During earlier car trips, I have clambered up deserted Maya temples and palaces, stepped into the cool naves of massive 16th-century churches and visited restored haciendas, testaments of the ostentation — and hardship — of the peninsula’s 19th-century plantation economy. Traveling by train, I thought, would allow me to steep myself in more of that history.

But as I found in Maxcanú, a train won’t necessarily get you to where you want to go.

During my February trip, I traveled on the only route then available, an east-west leg that opened in December and runs from Cancún to Mérida, and then south through the port city of Campeche to the Maya site of Palenque (a short route between Cancún and Playa del Carmen opened last month, with three trains a day). I encountered scheduling confusion, unfinished stations and a dearth of trains — just two operating daily each way between Cancún and Campeche, and only one to Palenque. Overnight sleepers and special dining trains seem years away.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador considers the Maya Train his showcase development project, and wants to inaugurate the rest of the train before he leaves office on October 1. Based on my experience, that goal seems elusive.

A $29-billion route through the jungle

I started my journey in Cancún, where in the pre-dawn gloom the station hovered like a glowing spaceship. An attendant scanned the ticket I had bought online and a half-dozen more pointed me toward my tourist-class car, which was about a quarter full. I planned to go to Campeche, about 300 miles away, stopping once each day. At 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) an hour, the train covers the route in about six hours, the same as a car. (When construction is complete, the train’s speed should increase to 160 kilometers an hour.)

The car’s wide windows looked out at a wall of low jungle. The blue-green seats were comfortable and there was ample space between the rows. I bought a very good cappuccino at the snack bar, but declined the plastic-wrapped sandwiches. The rest of the merchandise was fruit cups, milk boxes and junk food.

The train will ultimately cost much more than the $29 billion budgeted so far, and it’s not the first time ambitious planners have alighted on the region. Cancún was once a tiny fishing village, selected half a century ago as a tourist hub. Last year 10 million international tourists flew into its airport, more than the airports of Mexico City, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta combined.

But uncontrolled growth has stressed the Caribbean coast’s fragile environment. The Maya Train, scientists warn , will push those problems south, threatening the area’s water supply, its unique system of underground limestone caves and its vast nature reserves.

Mr. López Obrador has charged ahead, handing the train over to the military , and arguing that it will spread Cancún’s wealth and attract new visitors. Mexico received more than 42 million overseas tourists last year and they spent almost $31 billion .

Local governments see an opportunity. “The train will allow people to disperse throughout the peninsula,” said Michelle Fridman, the tourism secretary for Yucatán state, which promotes dozens of attractions far beyond highlights like Mérida and Chichén Itzá .

Now that the train is operating, transport companies will begin to connect stations with lesser-known sites nearby, she said.

It’s fair to ask whether the train is the most effective way to develop the peninsula’s tourism. Tour companies already run trips to many sites from major cities, which are well served by buses. Driving a rental car through most of the area is considered safe , according to U.S. State Department travel guidance .

Route of Mexico’s Maya Train

Canceled trip.

It took two hours (and one time-zone change) to reach Valladolid, a colonial city of handsome streets and ancient churches, where I bought the rest of my tickets at the station. A tourist-class ticket from Cancún to Valladolid costs 472 pesos (around $28) for foreigners and 355 pesos (around $21) for Mexicans. First class, with wider seats, costs 755.50 pesos and 566.50 pesos, and discounts are available for older travelers and residents of the five states along the train’s route. (A first-class bus from downtown Cancún to Valladolid costs between 222 and 344 pesos, depending on the time of day, and takes half an hour longer.)

It was impossible to run the new Maya Train tracks into dense city centers and the Valladolid station, like the rest, was outside the urban core. A waiting bus took disembarking passengers downtown, a 15-minute ride for 35 pesos.

That day I toured Ek Balam , the site of a ninth-century Maya kingdom that is dominated by a 100-foot palace distinguished by a facade of carvings depicting winged warriors, stylized animal features and geometric patterns bordered by giant fangs. Admission to the site includes entry to the X-Canché cenote, one of thousands of limestone sinkholes that were sacred to the Maya.

Later that afternoon, I was wandering through the Museum of Ethnic Clothing, a private collection of traditional dress, embroidery and hats, when a WhatsApp message from the ticket office blinked on my phone. My train scheduled for the following day was canceled.

I decided to deal with the problem in the morning and enjoy the city. As I wandered past the antique shops and boutique hotels of the elegant Calzada de los Frailes, it was clear that Valladolid’s tourism, and the infrastructure to handle it, was well established. The Maya Train is simply an alternative way to reach a city that tourists discovered years ago.

‘We’re on the Tren Maya!’

In the morning, I found that my train had not been canceled, but the station for which I had a ticket, Tixkokob, was closed. I got off instead one stop earlier at Izamal, known for its ocher streets and the giant Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua, built atop the ruins of a pyramid.

During the 90-minute ride, I heard widespread enthusiasm among fellow travelers who expressed a willingness to give the train time to work out the kinks. “We’re an experiment,” said Oliva Escobedo Ochoa, 64, who was vacationing from her home in central Mexico.

Leticia Iliassich, 57, who is Mexican, was traveling with her Croatian husband along with relatives from Mexico and Croatia. They had initially been scheduled on an earlier train to Mérida that had been canceled. “We knew that it was a new project,” she said. “We don’t mind.”

The group had already sent a video to friends declaring, “We’re on the Tren Maya!”

At the Izamal station I hitched a 15-minute ride into the town center with a man who had asked me to take his photo alongside the train and his father. From there I negotiated a taxi to Hacienda San Lorenzo Aké, a working hacienda that still turns the fiber from an agave plant called henequén into coarse rope. Global demand for henequén, known as Yucatán’s “green gold,” brought fantastic wealth to the region in the mid-19th century, speckling the peninsula with more than 1,000 haciendas. ( Many are now sumptuous hotels.)

Where geometry, nature and the divine merge

It was during my third day that I found myself stuck in Maxcanú, after a 90-minute train ride from Izamal. The stationmaster, an army captain, offered me a ride to Uxmal, just as he had to the stranded tourists before me.

Eying Uxmal’s 4 p.m. final ticket sale, I accepted.

My situation made it clear just how distant the Maya Train’s promises are for tourists seeking to explore more of Yucatán. In time, that will change, said Ms. Fridman, the tourism secretary. “The idea is to have more hotels along the train line,” she said. “That will happen little by little.”

But Uxmal , among the most stunning of the Maya sites, made up for the inconvenience. Uxmal’s grand buildings are faced with intricate decorative masks as well as friezes in which geometry, nature and the divine merge. New plaques at each structure offer detailed information in English and Spanish, part of the government’s investment in improving displays at Maya sites for the train project.

Most tourists either take day trips by car or bus to Uxmal from Mérida or stay at one of three nearby hotels. As I finished dinner at my hotel, the dining room began to fill up: 47 Polish tourists had arrived.

Panama hats and a cramped van

My plan for the day was to go by taxi to Bécal, a town where Panama hats are woven in limestone caves to keep the fibers soft, and then pick up the afternoon train in nearby Calkiní for the port city of Campeche.

But I spent so much time watching the hat-making demonstration and then fitting my new hat and buying gifts that we set off with little time to reach the station. To my chagrin, I missed the train, the last one of the day.

On Calkiní’s central square, I found a van that was leaving for Campeche. Cost: 65 pesos. Time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes, similar to what I would have spent on the train. Of course, I was trapped in a cramped seat and had to listen to the driver’s choice of sentimental ballads, but I was dropped off in downtown Campeche, close to my hotel.

The next day, I toured the Museum of Maya Archaeology , an expertly curated collection that included haunting jade funeral masks, glyphs and delicate ceramic figures.

José Madrigal, 45, an engineer from Fremont, Calif., was trying to make Maya pottery interesting for his twin sons. The boys had just turned 5 and their birthday present had been a ride on the Maya Train. “They love trains,” Mr. Madrigal said. Then the family moved on, keeping up a brisk clip through the museum. They had another train to catch.

Should you take the train?

Yes, if you are traveling between larger stations. The train also offers a way to get to Palenque, which is harder to reach and has roads with security concerns. Travelers can stow bicycles on board.

To see train times, check the destinations on the website . You cannot buy tickets online more than a week in advance. But when you finally board, the ride is smooth — and the coffee is excellent.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees under new federal rule

A federal rule announced Wednesday will require airlines to quickly give cash refunds — without lengthy arguments — to passengers whose flights have been canceled or seriously delayed, the Biden administration said.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The rule from the Transportation Department says passengers who decline other reimbursement like travel credits are to get cash refunds.

Image: Salt Lake City travellers

It applies when a flight is canceled or has a “significant change,” the administration said.A “significant change” includes when departure or arrival times are three or more hours different from the scheduled times for domestic flights or six hours for international flights, and when the airport is changed or connections are added, it said.

Passengers are also to get refunds when their baggage is 12 hours late in delivery for domestic flights.

The new rule comes after promises to hold airlines accountable after major disruptions that made travel hell for passengers, including the 2022 Southwest Airlines meltdown , which resulted in almost 17,000 significantly delayed or canceled flights and a missing baggage nightmare.

The Transportation Department said that the new rule means refunds are automatic and that "airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops."

Also announced Wednesday was a rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose so-called junk fees upfront, such as surprise baggage or other fees, the department said.

It said that rule is expected to save fliers around $500 million a year.

The surprise fees are used so tickets look cheaper than they really are, and then fliers get the unwelcome surprise of fees on checked bags, carry-on bags or reservation changes — or even discounts that are advertised but apply to only part of the ticket price, officials said.

Airlines will also have to tell fliers clearly that their seats are guaranteed and that they don't have to pay extra to ensure they have seats for flights, according to the Transportation Department.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said that its member airlines “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers from first search to touchdown” and that they do offer cash refunds.

The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

“U.S. airlines are providing more options and better services while ticket prices, including ancillary revenues, are at historic lows,” Airlines for America said.

Left out of the federal changes announced Wednesday are those involving "family seating fees," but the Transportation Department said in a statement that "DOT is planning to propose a separate rule that bans airlines from charging these junk fees."

Travelers have complained to the Transportation Department that children weren’t seated next to accompanying adults, including in some cases young children, department officials said last year.

Fees on bags specifically have made up an increasing amount of airline revenues, the Transportation Department said Wednesday in announcing the new rules.

A Transportation Department analysis found that airline revenue from baggage fees increased 30% from 2018 to 2022, while operating revenue — which is from the flights themselves — increased by only half that amount, the department said.

Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.

travelling to mexico verizon

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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Despite a fortified border, migrants will keep coming, analysts agree. Here's why.

Headshot of Sergio Martinez-Beltran

Sergio Martínez-Beltrán

travelling to mexico verizon

Border Patrol picks up a group of people seeking asylum from an aid camp near Sasabe, Arizona, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Justin Hamel/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

Border Patrol picks up a group of people seeking asylum from an aid camp near Sasabe, Arizona, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

The U.S. southern border is as fortified as ever and Texas is carrying out its own enforcement to stop people from crossing illegally, yet observers and analysts agree on this: migrants not only will continue to come, but their numbers will likely increase in the coming months.

The expected surge can be attributed not only to seasonal migration patterns, but an increase of people displaced by war, poverty, and climate factors in all continents.

And why do these analysts say this?

They keep a close eye on the Darién Gap in Panama and the borders between Central American countries, two key points to gauge the number of people venturing up north.

"In most countries (outward) migration has increased ... particularly in Venezuela, and that's not really reflected yet in the U.S. numbers," said Adam Isacson, an analyst of border and migration patterns at the Washington Office on Latin America, a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization based in Washington D.C.

Despite Mexico's cracking down on migrants, Isacson said people are still making their way up north, even if they need to pause for months at different points during their journey.

"There must be a huge number of people from Venezuela bottled up in Mexico right now," he said.

The Darién Gap serves as a good barometer for migration flows.

This 100-mile-long tropical jungle between Colombia and Panama has claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants, according to a report from the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

Yet the dangers at this jungle are not a deterrent, said Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst with this organization. The majority of people migrating are from Venezuela.

"The reason why I referred to Venezuelans in particular is because they represent a key challenge for removals from Mexico and from the United States to Venezuela," Ruiz Soto said.

Mexico and the U.S. had been flying Venezuelan migrants back to the South American country . However, earlier this year, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stopped accepting flights from the U.S. in response to economic sanctions imposed by the Biden administration.

Panama reported a 2% increase in crossings through the Darién Gap in February compared to the previous month.

travelling to mexico verizon

Aerial view showing migrants walking through the jungle near Bajo Chiquito village, the first border control of the Darien Province in Panama, on September 22, 2023. LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Aerial view showing migrants walking through the jungle near Bajo Chiquito village, the first border control of the Darien Province in Panama, on September 22, 2023.

What the numbers show

Analysts are projecting the increase in the remaining months of the fiscal year, even though U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a 2.2% decrease in encounters with migrants along the Southern border in March. An encounter is every time a migrant is picked up by immigration authorities.

These numbers are consistent with cyclical patterns of illegal crossings that dip in the winter months, followed by more migrants attempting to get to the U.S. as warm weather arrives, said Ruiz Soto.

In a statement, CBP Spokesperson Erin Waters said the agency remains vigilant to "continually shifting migration patterns" amid "historic global migration."

Waters said the agency has also been partnering with Mexico to curb the flow of people migrating to the U.S.

Mexico has commissioned its National Guard to patrol its borders with Guatemala and the U.S.

"CBP continues to work with our partners throughout the hemisphere, including the Government of Mexico, and around the world to disrupt the criminal networks who take advantage of and profit from vulnerable migrants," Waters said.

Where are migrants crossing the border?

For the last few months, more migrants are attempting to cross through Arizona instead of Texas, according to CBP.

In 2023, the El Paso and Del Rio sector in Texas saw more crossings than any other place across the 2,000-mile Southern border. But this year the Tucson sector in Arizona has seen a 167% increase in crossings, more than any other.

Tiffany Burrow, operations director at Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition, an assistance organization for newly border crossers in Del Rio, said she has seen the shift.

"It's empty," Burrow said, pointing to her organizations' office. "There are no migrants."

In March, she helped only three migrants after they were released by CBP pending their court date. In December, they helped 13,511 migrants.

Burrow said that's how migration works — it ebbs and flows.

"We have to be ready to adapt," Burrow said.

travelling to mexico verizon

Texas Department of Safety Troopers patrol on the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border. Eric Gay/AP hide caption

Texas Department of Safety Troopers patrol on the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Texas' role

Burrow and other immigrant advocates are closely observing Texas' ramping up of border enforcement.

In 2021 Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star initiative and deployed the Texas National Guard. Last year the state started lining up razor wire in sections of the Rio Grande.

Texas is also asking the courts to be allowed to implement a law passed last year by the Republican-controlled legislature, known as SB4, which requires local and state police to arrest migrants they suspect are in the country illegally.

It might be too early to know if all these efforts will have an impact on migration patterns, analysts said, considering that Texas saw the highest number of illegal crossings last year.

But, Mike Banks, special advisor on border matters to Abbott, said the state's efforts are fruitful.

Texas has spent over $11 billion in this initiative.

"The vast majority of the United States' southern border is in Texas, and because of Texas' efforts to secure the border, more migrants are moving west to illegally cross the border into other states," said Mike Banks in a statement to NPR.

Ruiz Soto, from the Migrant Policy Institute, said the impact of Texas' policies on arrivals "is likely to be minimal over the long term."

Carla Angulo-Pasel, an assistant professor who specializes in border studies and international migration at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, said that even with Texas' policies in place, migrants are likely to continue to cross.

"You can't claim, as much as I think Gov. Abbott wants to claim, that Operation Lone Star is going to somehow mean that you're going to see less numbers in Texas because that hasn't held true," Angulo-Pasel said. "We could also argue that things are going to progressively get more and more as the spring months progress."

Announcing the Hot List Winners of 2024

By CNT Editors

Image may contain Architecture Building Hotel Resort Adult Person House Housing Villa Plant City and Couch

It’s inevitable: Every spring when we pull together the Hot List , our annual collection of the world’s best new hotels, restaurants , and cruise ships , a staffer remarks that this latest iteration has got to be the best one ever. After a year’s worth of traveling the globe—to stay the night at a converted farmhouse in the middle of an olive grove outside Marrakech, or sail aboard a beloved cruise line’s inaugural Antarctic voyage—it’s easy to see why we get attached. But this year’s Hot List, our 28th edition, might really be the best one ever. It’s certainly our most diverse, featuring not only a hotel suite that was once Winston Churchill’s office, but also the world’s largest cruise ship and restaurants from Cape Town to Bali. We were surprised and inspired by this year’s honorees, and we know you will be too. These are the Hot List hotel winners for 2024.

Click here to see the entire Hot List for 2024 .

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Angama Amboseli Kenya

North Island Okavango

Angama Amboseli

Jannah Lamu

Farasha Farmhouse , Marrakech

Kozo Kigali

Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island — Seychelles

SOUTH AFRICA

Nikkei Cape Town

Molori Mashuma , Mana Pools National Park

Image may contain Nature Outdoors Scenery Architecture Building Shelter Plant Tree Landscape and Vegetation

Pemako Punakha

Regent Hong Kong

Mementos by ITC Hotels, Ekaaya Udaipur

Naar , Darwa

Papa's , Mumbai

Cap Karoso , Sumba

Further , Bali

Locavore NXT Bali

Le Pristine Tokyo

The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza

Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park , Tokyo

Shinta Mani Mustang - A Bensley Collection , Jomsom

SOUTH KOREA

JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa

Pot Au Phở , Ho Chi Minh

Announcing the Hot List Winners of 2024

Le Foote , Sydney

Southern Ocean Lodge , Kangaroo Island

Sun Ranch , Byron Bay

Image may contain Leisure Activities Person Sport Swimming Water Water Sports City Urban Architecture and Building

MIDDLE EAST

Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain

SAUDI ARABIA

Six Senses Southern Dunes , Umluj

The St. Regis Riyadh

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Guild , Dubai

SIRO One Za'abeel, Dubai

Soul Kitchen , Dubai

The Lana, Dorchester Collection , Dubai

Image may contain Home Decor Lamp Architecture Building Furniture Indoors Living Room Room Couch Adult and Person

Koan , Copenhagen

Hotel Maria , Helsinki

1 Place Vendôme , Paris

The Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel , Cannes

Datil , Paris

Hôtel Le Grand Mazarin , Paris

La Nauve Hôtel & Jardin , Cognac

Rosewood Munich

Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino

Monument , Athens

One&Only Aesthesis , Athens

Lodges at Highland Base Iceland

Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll

Bulgari Hotel Roma , Rome

Trattoria del Ciumbia , Milan

Hotel La Palma , Capri

La Roqqa , Porto Ercole

Nolinski Venezia , Venice

Palazzo Roma , Rome

Saporium , Florence

Hotel Violino d’Oro , Venice

Mamula Island

NETHERLANDS

De Durgerdam , Amsterdam

Canalha , Lisbon

Andreu Genestra , Mallorca

Barro , Ávila

César Lanzarote , Lanzarote

Hotel Corazón , Mallorca

Grand Hotel Son Net , Mallorca

Palacio Arriluce , Getxo

Son Vell Menorca , Menorca

The Peninsula Istanbul

Image may contain Lamp Person Door Art Painting and Table Lamp

UNITED KINGDOM

Broadwick Soho , London

Chishuru , London

The Devonshire , London

Chelsea Townhouse, London

Estelle Manor , Cotswolds

Fish Shop , Ballater

Raffles London at The OWO

Image may contain Architecture Building House Housing Villa Summer Hotel Chair Furniture Resort and Palm Tree

Colima 71 , Mexico City

Maizajo Mexico City

Maroma, A Belmond Hotel , Riviera Maya

Riviera Maya EDITION

The St. Regis Kanai Resort , Riviera Maya

Puqio

SOUTH AMERICA

Casa Lucía , Buenos Aires

Trescha , Buenos Aires

Oseille , Rio de Janiero

99 Restaurante, Santiago

Our Habitas Atacama , San Pedro de Atacama

Puqio , Arequipa

Image may contain Summer Chair Furniture Person Plant Tree Palm Tree Fun Vacation Outdoors Nature and Beach

THE CARIBBEAN

Silversands Beach House

Image may contain Lamp Bed Furniture Indoors Interior Design Spa and Floor

UNITED STATES

The Celestine , New Orleans

Dawn Ranch , Sonoma, California

The Fifth Avenue Hotel , New York

Fontainebleau Las Vegas

The Georgian , Santa Monica, California

The Global Ambassador , Phoenix

Hotel Bardo, Savannah

Ilis , New York

Kiln , San Francisco

Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort , Kona, Hawaii

Maty's , Miami

Warren Street Hotel , New York

Yess , Los Angeles

Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Yacht Boat Ship Cruise Ship Nature Outdoors and Sky

World Voyager, Atlas Ocean Voyages

CRUISE SHIPS

Silver Nova , Silversea

Norwegian Viva

Seven Seas Grandeur , Regent Seven Seas Grandeur

Oceania Vista

World Voyager , Atlas Ocean Voyages

Scenic Eclipse II

Emerald Sakara

Celebrity Ascent

Seabourn Pursuit

Icon of the Seas , Royal Caribbean

MSC Euribia

Viking Aton

Resilient Lady , Virgin Voyages

This story appears in Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List issue. Never miss an issue when you subscribe to Condé Nast Traveler.

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IMAGES

  1. How to Use your Verizon Phone in Mexico Effortlessly

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  2. How to Use your Verizon Phone in Mexico Effortlessly

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  3. Things to Consider When Traveling with Verizon in Mexico

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  4. Verizon promueve plan para viajar a México

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  5. Does Verizon Work in Mexico? Easy Guide

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  6. Does Verizon Work In Mexico?

    travelling to mexico verizon

COMMENTS

  1. International Travel FAQs

    Connect with us on Messenger. Visit Community. 24/7 automated phone system: call *611 from your mobile. Traveling to Mexico, Canada or overseas? Learn how to add a Verizon international plan, about roaming, making calls and the rates charged for data usage.

  2. Verizon TravelPass FAQs

    You're only charged on days you use your device in a TravelPass country: $5/day in Mexico and Canada. Remember, calling, texting and data use in Mexico and Canada are included at no extra cost in our Unlimited mobile plans. $10/day in other TravelPass countries. If you travel to 2 countries within a single 24-hour session or have a layover in a ...

  3. International phone plans and travel services

    While in the US: (800) 711-8300. Travelling outside the US: 1 (908) 559-4899. 1. Dial your country's toll-free number. 2. Enter your 10-digit mobile number when prompted by the International Hotline.

  4. How to Use Verizon in Mexico: A Comprehensive Guide

    Now let's dig deeper into the tips and tricks for utilizing Verizon in Mexico: 1. International Travel Plan Activation: One straightforward way to stay connected while in Mexico is by activating an international travel plan through Verizon. They offer several options depending on the duration of your stay and data requirements.

  5. TravelPass Countries

    TravelPass. Countries. Now your wireless plan travels just like you do. For just $5 a day per line in Mexico and Canada and $10 a day per line in more than 210 countries and destinations you can take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you. You're only charged on the days you use your device abroad.

  6. International Plans: TravelPass

    International services support. While in the US: (800) 711-8300. Travelling outside the US: 1 (908) 559-4899. If your device is lost, stolen or broken, or you experience a device issue while you are traveling outside the US, please use the below. instructions to reach the International Support Team from a landline phone:

  7. Plan your trip overseas with our travel planner

    International. trip planner. Find the best International plan for your trip. Whether you're staying close and traveling to Mexico or Canada, going overseas or taking a cruise, we'll help you find the best plan to keep you connected.

  8. International services & pricing while traveling outside the ...

    You can use your Verizon device to make international calls from the US using our international long-distance service plans. ... Mexico. Micronesia. Moldova. Monaco. Mongolia. Montenegro. Montserrat. Morocco. Mozambique. Myanmar. Nambia. Nauru. ... International services & pricing while traveling outside the US Find available service ...

  9. How To Pick An International Plan For Your Phone

    International travel plans allow you to utilize your phone's apps, texting, maps, and other features while abroad. An international plan is a service that lets you use your phone in other countries. For instance, while most Verizon phones are global devices, some are not. If you have a Verizon plan, you can use the international TripPlanner ...

  10. PDF International Support Guide

    If you need toll-free Customer Service assistance or Technical Support for your device: While on a GSM or LTE Network • Dial +1-908-559-4899. While on a CDMA Network • Dial the exit code for the country from which you are calling. • Dial 1-908-559-4899. Last Updated 5/2015 International Support Guide.

  11. Verizon International Phone Plans

    All Verizon customers are automatically enrolled in pay as you go international data, texting, and calling. If you don't enroll in another plan on this list and take your phone out of airplane mode when abroad, you'll automatically be charged at the following rates: Talk: $0.99-$2.99 per minute, depending on the country.

  12. International Travel Coverage Map

    International Travel Plan required. International travel charges apply. These Coverage Locator maps depict predicted and approximate wireless coverage. The coverage areas shown do not guarantee service availability, and may include locations with limited or no coverage.

  13. Verizon Finally Upgrades Its International TravelPass

    First launched more than a decade ago, the U.S-carrier's TravelPass allows customers to use their standard, domestic data, text and calling plans for $10/day overseas or $5/day in Canada and Mexico.

  14. Verizon in Mexico: Your Ultimate Guide to Staying Connected in Cancun

    Prepaid International Calling Plans: For prepaid customers, Verizon offers three international calling plans specifically for Mexico: Global Calling ($5/month), Global Calling Plus ($15/month), and Global Choice ($10/month). All three plans include unlimited talk to Mexico, with varying allowances for other international destinations.

  15. The Best Verizon Wireless Plans For Traveling To Mexico

    When traveling to Mexico, it is the simplest way to use TravelPass from Verizon. In addition to the majority of Verizon international roaming plans, the company provides roaming services in a number of countries at varying rates. If you need a technical assistance number, give us a call at 1 (800) 559-4899.

  16. Exploring Mexico with Verizon: Your Ultimate Guide to Staying Connected

    Verizon provides coverage and services in Mexico through their TravelPass and International Plan options. With TravelPass, you can use your existing Verizon plan in Mexico for a daily fee, allowing you to make calls, send texts, and use data just as you would at home. The daily fee is only charged on the days you use your phone while traveling.

  17. What plan should I have for traveling in Mexico?

    Add TravelPass to each phone. This is $2 per day per phone and lets you use your US plan in Mexico. Use the hotspot on your phones to give access to the iPads. Keep iPads in airplane mode and only turn on wifi. If if you have new Verizon Plan and 12 GB data or more, the Mexico coverage is included, no $2/day fee.

  18. Roaming in Mexico: A Visitors Guide to Costs for Each Provider

    To activate the TravelPass with Verizon, text Travel to 4004. More information is available on their website here. From Canada. Roaming a Canadian cell plan into Mexico typically costs about $12 per day. This typically gets you either access to your monthly plan, or additional data, along with unlimited talk and text in Mexico and back to Canada.

  19. Verizon When Traveling to Mexico: Ensuring Seamless Connectivity

    Explore coverage, roaming options, tips, and FAQs for verizon when traveling to mexico. Are you planning a trip to Mexico and wondering how to stay connected with your Verizon phone? Look no further! In this article, we will explore Verizon's coverage in Mexico, discuss roaming options, provide useful tips, and answer frequently asked ...

  20. Travel to Mexico with Verizon: Stay Connected on Your Adventures

    Don't fret! With Verizon's international plans, you can travel worry-free and stay connected throughout your Mexican adventures. In this article, we'll guide you through everything you need to know about traveling to Mexico with Verizon. From activating your international plan to using Verizon's services, we've got you covered.

  21. How to Call Mexico from US Verizon: A Step-by-Step Guide

    A. Step 4a: Dial "011". Begin by dialing "011," which is Verizon's international access code registering your intention to make an overseas call. B. Step 4b: Country Code. Following "011," enter the country code for Mexico, which is "+52," signaling that you want to connect with a Mexican phone number. C. Step 4c: Area Code.

  22. Traveling Abroad? Here's How to Avoid Mobile Roaming Charges

    Folks with Verizon's top Unlimited Ultimate option will get this international data for Canada and Mexico as well as for more than 210 countries. AT&T has a similar $10-per-day travel plan for ...

  23. Best E-Sim Cards for Traveling to Mexico in 2024

    The best value e-sim card from Airalo gives you 10 GB data for $24.5 USD, which comes down to $2.45 USD per Gigabyte. Which is right now the best value e-sim card for Mexico as well. In the most popular places to visit in Mexico you will find a 4G/LTE signal and the data speed is pretty good these days.

  24. Travel Trip Ahead? Dodge Mobile Roaming Charges With These Tips

    Folks with Verizon's top Unlimited Ultimate option will get this international data for Canada and Mexico as well as for more than 210 countries. Watch this: Here's Why Your Phone Battery Still Sucks

  25. In Mexico, the Maya Train Will Get You to All of Yucatán's Best Spots

    In December, the train began running on its first route through Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. On a five-day journey a few months later, the author encountered enthusiasm, and scheduling hiccups.

  26. Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees

    The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

  27. Correct answer: Community Forums

    What is recommended for ones plan while traveling to mexico. We will be using our phones, but only sparingly. However 3 of the 4 phones on the plan will be going with us. ... They can be reached by dialing 800-922-0204 or *611 from your Verizon phone. Does that help? VanetrisC_VZW. 0 Likes Latest Articles. Maximum number of WiFi connections?

  28. Migrants will keep coming to the U.S., analysts agree. Here's why. : NPR

    The number of people coming from South and Central American is rising and they will eventually arrive at the U.S. Southern border, analysts say.

  29. Announcing the Hot List Winners of 2024

    The best new openings in travel, from the fresh hotels we'd plan a trip around to the dining and cruise ships to travel for next. ... MEXICO. Colima 71, Mexico City. Maizajo Mexico City. Maroma ...

  30. Cargo check in southern New Mexico turns up with hundreds of pounds of

    The New Mexico State Police said a transportation inspector asked for help during a cargo inspection on Sunday around 1:15 p.m. The trailer was locked, and the driver didn't have a key.