For three years I traveled the world using only Wi-Fi to contact people. I was never satisfied with my phone plans and the hassles they required in foreign countries. I’ve switched to Google Fi and I love it! I get off the plane and my phone just works. Sometimes it works better than it does in the USA! I don’t pay an expensive premium for data or text messaging. The only extra charge is for phone calls, and they’re at a reasonable rate. Texts are free and data is either still unlimited or the same reasonable rate they charge in the United States.
Click here to see Google Fi plans and phones
This is a referral link. It’s the plan I rely on when traveling. The first 5 people to sign will have 20 dollars of credit applied to both mine and your future bills.
Why this plan many not be for you
Support
Support is quick to respond to problems. The support staff on chat connect almost instantly. That said, they aren’t always the most helpful. Be prepared to troubleshoot on your own.
Heavy data users will want to get the unlimited plan
As data gets quicker, their price seems more expensive. Ten dollars a GB wasn’t bad a few years ago, but it’s a little steep today, especially for people who use lots of data. Still, compared to a mainstream phone company, you can have an unlimited plan with tethering and international travel for a fraction of the cost.
It can’t run on what isn’t there
Google Fi is only as reliable as what it has to work with. Since they lease their networks from other carriers, their cell phone service will be as terrible as everyone else’s if a category 5 hurricane hits those towers. Companies typically give leased plans lower priority than original tower owners, so your phone’s data and priority may be throttled.
Why this is the best international phone plan
Voicemail to text
This is one of my favorite features. When someone leaves you a message, a text message will pop up a few seconds later with a voice-to-text translation of the voicemail! There’s no charge for this.
No contract
I’ve never been a fan of getting stuck in a contract. You can cancel the plan at any time.
Pause your service
If you’re going to a country that isn’t one of the many covered on their international phone plan then you can pause the service.
Bring your own phone
With Google Fi, you can bring your own device or buy one on their site. Some phones are “designed for Fi” and switch to better networks automatically. You can check out their phones or your device’s compatibility here.
It’s a fraction of the cost (even when I travel!)
My average bill is thirty to fifty dollars a month, even when I am traveling. For most people, using their travel plan means spending an extra ten to fifteen dollars, or more, a day just to send a text message. For me, I can text as much as I want, make calls at a reasonable rate, or use my data plan for the same price I pay in the United States.
I’m pretty good at using free Wi-Fi when it’s available. However, with unlimited plans and Google Fi bill protection (you’ll only get charged for up to 6 GB of data) you can be the hotspot for your team as you travel! Or keep it to yourself if you want to. It’s up to you!
Many countries’, maybe even most countries, phone plans are significantly cheaper than in the United States. However, signing up for a new carrier can be both time-consuming and complicated. Pre-paid sim cards often require more work than before and need an email address, a physical address, and sometimes even legal documents (I’m looking at you Germany). Sure, in the end you saved thirty dollars by swapping out a sim, but now you can’t get it to connect and the help messages are all in a foreign language. Oops.
It just works
A minute or two after I’m on the ground, my phone has already connected to the local country’s network. There are no extra hoops to jump through. Previously, I’d rely on the airport Wi-Fi (a very scary thing sometimes) to let work and family know where I was. Google Fi is so much better!
If you’d like to try out their plan, use this link here and each of us will get twenty dollars off our next bill. Enjoy your travels!
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