Note: This article is part of a series on Using an American iPhone in Europe… without Going Broke.
Verizon customers heading to Europe with their smartphones have similar options to AT&T customers. Verizon offers two main international bundles, priced at $10 a day (per line) or $100 per month (per line).
Verizon’s two bundles
| No plan (“Pay as You Go”) |
Daily bundle |
Monthly bundle |
|
| Price | – |
$10/day |
$100/month |
|
Messages sent (Text, picture, video) |
$0.50/text message sent, $.05 received $.25/multimedia sent or received |
Unlimited |
Sent: 1,000 texts Received: Unlimited |
| Talk (from Europe) |
$1.79 to $2.99/min | Unlimited | 250 minutes included |
| Data | $2.05/MB | Same as your plan limit | 5GB |
| Wi-Fi | Free | Free | Free |
Some notes
A few notes on these international bundles:
• For trips longer than 10 days, the monthly plan can be a better deal but will have more limits on texts, calls, and data.
• If you plan to use any data at all during your trip (even quick email checks), we’d strongly suggest at least getting the daily bundle, as the data charges for “pay as you go” are very expensive.
• Note that prices are per line, so if you’re traveling with a significant other or family, the costs will quickly go up when you add more people.
• For the daily plan, you are only charged on days you use your phone to call, text, access data, or listen to voicemails.
• Check out this page on Verizon’s website for more information on these plans.
• Prices and plans above, as of October 14, 2021
Will your phone work in Europe?
Before leaving home, you should contact Verizon to make sure that your phone is able to work abroad. Some older phones (specifically those that are “CDMA only”) are not “global ready” and therefore will not work on Europe’s network. If your phone is built with global-friendly technology (for example, 4G LTE), it will be able to work, once it’s activated.
To determine whether or not your phone will work, answer these questions on Verizon’s trip planner website.
Note: Even if your phone is technically “global-ready”, you’ll still need to call Verizon before you leave to make sure that it’s been activated for international dialing. Don’t just head to Europe assuming that you’ll “pay as you go”. Call first to make sure your account has been cleared for international use.
Help, I can’t use my phone!
If you’re one of the unlucky ones who can’t use your Verizon smartphone in Europe, we feel your pain.
However, using Wi-Fi networks will still work. The best bet is to put the phone on “airplane mode” and turn off data roaming just in case. Then, surf away on free Wi-Fi networks. I know, it’s not great (you can’t really text or make calls, except on Skype), but it’s something.
Verizon’s “Trip Planner”
The best bet is to use the trip planner service on Verizon’s website for exact rates, plans and availability.
Also, remember to cancel the monthly international plan as soon as you return. The daily plan should only activate when you use your phone in Europe, but check for any surprise charges upon your return home. Otherwise you could be paying a hefty price for services you aren’t using.
Scrap all this… and buy a SIM card in Europe
Instead of buying a special international plan for your phone, you could also buy a SIM card in Europe (a small electronic card that’s inserted into your phone that controls your phone number). Buying a SIM card from a European carrier is a very cost-effective way to use your phone abroad, although it requires an unlocked phone (most Verizon smartphones are unlocked, but you should check) and will mean that your phone number will change (unless you bring along another phone specifically for use with the SIM card).
Read all about this in our guide to buying a SIM card in Europe.
Our Guide to using an American iPhone in Europe
Using an American iPhone in Europe… without Going Broke
Tips for Windows, Android and Blackberry Customers