US carrier roaming vs eSIM: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile prices abroad
On our 4 two-country routes (10 to 21 days, standard use), the cheapest paid roaming option of each carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) costs $50.00 to $120.00 for one line, against $15.00 to $28.29 for the cheapest eSIM. If your plan already includes international data (Verizon Unlimited Ultimate, AT&T Elite 2.0, T-Mobile Experience Beyond, T-Mobile Experience More), roaming costs nothing extra up to its monthly high-speed allowance. Carrier prices checked October 24, 2026 on the carriers' own pages.
One line, before taxes and fees · read from each carrier's own page · eSIM prices from our route pages · no affiliate links · How we count
Our routes: carrier roaming against the cheapest eSIM
| Trip | Cheapest eSIM | Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile | Plans that include enough data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France and the UK 10 days, 8 GB | $15.00 | $100.00 International Monthly Plan | $120.00 International Day Pass | $50.00 International Pass | AT&T Elite 2.0, Verizon Unlimited Ultimate, T-Mobile Experience Beyond |
| Turkey and Greece 21 days, 16.8 GB | $28.29 | $100.00 International Monthly Plan | $120.00 International Day Pass | $75.00 International Pass | AT&T Elite 2.0 |
| Italy and Turkey 10 days, 8 GB | $15.50 | $100.00 International Monthly Plan | $120.00 International Day Pass | $50.00 International Pass | AT&T Elite 2.0, Verizon Unlimited Ultimate, T-Mobile Experience Beyond |
| Japan and South Korea 14 days, 11.2 GB | $27.99 | $100.00 International Monthly Plan | $120.00 International Day Pass | $75.00 International Pass | AT&T Elite 2.0, Verizon Unlimited Ultimate, T-Mobile Experience Beyond |
All carrier options we track
| Option | Price | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon TravelPass | $12 a day $12 per line for each day you use the phone in a TravelPass country, plus taxes and fees | Your plan's data; after 5 GB of high-speed data in a 24-hour session, 3G speeds | Verizon — TravelPass Verizon — TravelPass countries checked October 24, 2026 |
| Verizon International Monthly Plan | $100 a month $100 per line for one month, plus taxes and fees; a 1-month plan or renewed each month; 210+ countries and destinations | 20 GB of high-speed data, then unlimited 3G; 250 minutes, unlimited texts | Verizon — International Monthly Plan checked October 24, 2026 |
| AT&T International Day Pass | $12 a day, max 10 fees per bill $12 a day for one line on land, $6 a day for each additional line on the same account the same day; no more than 10 daily fees per line per bill period | Your domestic plan's data | AT&T — International Day Pass details AT&T — international destinations checked October 24, 2026 |
| T-Mobile International Pass | 1 day $10 · 10 days $50 · 30 days $75 One pass for the trip: 1 day $10 (2 GB), 10 days $50 (15 GB), 30 days $75 (30 GB); works in 215+ countries and destinations | High-speed data of the pass, free calls | T-Mobile — International Pass checked October 24, 2026 |
| Verizon Unlimited Ultimate plan | $0 extra | 15 GB of high-speed data per month in 210+ countries and destinations, then unlimited at 1.5 Mbps; 2 GB more for $10 | Verizon — Unlimited Ultimate FAQs checked October 24, 2026 |
| AT&T Elite 2.0 plan | $0 extra | 20 GB of data per month in 210+ destinations, then up to 512 kbps | AT&T — Unlimited plans and international features checked October 24, 2026 |
| T-Mobile Experience Beyond plan also Go5G Next | $0 extra | Up to 15 GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, then up to 256 kbps | T-Mobile — International Pass checked October 24, 2026 |
| T-Mobile Experience More plan also Go5G Plus, Magenta MAX | $0 extra | Up to 5 GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, then up to 256 kbps | T-Mobile — International Pass checked October 24, 2026 |
How we count
- The trip and data need are the standard scenario of each route page: days split between the two countries, 0.8 GB a day.
- Day passes: the daily fee times the days of the trip, with the carrier's cap on daily fees per bill period if it has one (this assumes the trip falls in one bill).
- Travel passes: the cheapest single pass that is long enough and has enough high-speed data.
- Monthly add-ons: counted for trips of up to 30 days with enough high-speed data.
- Plans that include roaming data cost $0 extra; we show whether their monthly high-speed allowance covers the trip's data.
- All prices for one line, before taxes and fees. Additional lines, cruises and flights are priced differently. We recheck carrier prices at least every 30 days and do not publish older ones.
Questions
Is Verizon TravelPass cheaper than an eSIM?
TravelPass is $12 per line for each day you use the phone abroad, so a 10-day trip costs $120. For trips of 9 days or more, Verizon's International Monthly Plan ($100 a month, 20 GB high-speed) is cheaper. On our routes (10 to 21 days) the cheapest eSIM costs $15.00 to $28.29. Prices checked October 24, 2026.
How much is AT&T International Day Pass for a two-week trip?
$12 a day for one line, but no more than 10 daily fees per line per bill period, so $120.00 for 14 days if the trip falls in one bill. Each additional line on the same account costs $6 a day. Day Pass uses your domestic plan's data. Checked October 24, 2026.
Which T-Mobile International Pass do I need for 10 or 14 days?
T-Mobile sells 1-day ($10, 2 GB), 10-day ($50, 15 GB), 30-day ($75, 30 GB) passes. For 10 days the 10-day pass is enough. For 14 days the 30-day pass ($75) costs less than a 10-day pass plus four 1-day passes ($90). Checked October 24, 2026.
Does my US phone plan already include international data?
Some do: Verizon Unlimited Ultimate plan (15 GB of high-speed data per month in 210+ countries and destinations, then unlimited at 1.5 Mbps; 2 GB more for $10); AT&T Elite 2.0 plan (20 GB of data per month in 210+ destinations, then up to 512 kbps); T-Mobile Experience Beyond plan (Up to 15 GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, then up to 256 kbps); T-Mobile Experience More plan (Up to 5 GB of high-speed data in 215+ countries and destinations, then up to 256 kbps). Other plans need a day pass, a travel pass or a monthly add-on. Checked October 24, 2026 on the carriers' pages.
Sources: Verizon — TravelPass · Verizon — TravelPass countries · Verizon — International Monthly Plan · AT&T — International Day Pass details · AT&T — international destinations · T-Mobile — International Pass · Verizon — Unlimited Ultimate FAQs · AT&T — Unlimited plans and international features. Data: us-carriers.json (CC BY 4.0). Corrections: [email protected].