Overseas travel - phone usage

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

isukendall

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2006
2,446
581
113
Fort Collins, CO
I'm traveling to China for two weeks. Would like to bring my smartphone (Motorola Razr Maxx HD) and use only for calls and texts, but no 3G/4G data. I would plan to use free wireless when available for my internet needs. I've heard horror stories about people going overseas and getting totally screwed because their phone is still pinging for data sources, even if they don't knowingly use data or try to turn it off. I've heard airplane mode can be an option - but then I can't receive calls, which I will need for business. I do have a User Controls app that turns off 3G/4G (supposedly), but it's hard to tell if it shuts off everything in the background.

Any suggestions/ideas on this? I'm hoping someone has experience with this and a simple solution. Thanks!
 

Judoka

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2010
17,542
2,645
113
Timbuktu
What is your cell phone provider? If you have a CDMA phone it might not work at all regardless of how much you are willing to pay.
 

Cloned92

Member
Nov 9, 2010
122
2
18
Ames, IA
You really need to call your provider. I always call Verizon before I travel internationally and they will email/text me the exact rates for calls/txt/data in the country I am travelling to. Also, they will tell you the exact steps to turn off data on your specific model of phone so that you do not screw it up. Whatever you do, make sure you turn data off before you depart.

When I went to China about 6 months ago the rates for Verizon were $1.99 per minute, 50 cents to send a text, 5 cents to receive. Data was $20.48/MB.
 

Judoka

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2010
17,542
2,645
113
Timbuktu
Most Verizon phones won't work internationally. The first thing you want to do is find out if your phone is one of the ones that does.

If your phone does work I'd recommend just shelling out the $25 for 100 mb of data. That'll allow you to not have to lose sleep about getting a huge bill because you didn't get everything turn off properly.
 

NickTheGreat

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jan 17, 2012
10,442
4,296
113
Central Iowa
I'll be interested to hear what you find. I'll be going overseas at about the same time and plan to purchase a local SIM for my Verizon S4. And then just turn off the mobile data toggle on my phone.
 

ISU4ME

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2007
1,720
150
63
Download the app Viber it is free. When connected to wireless (hotel/cafe) you can text and call for free to anyone with the same app.
 

jbhtexas

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
14,126
4,077
113
Arlington, TX
For work, I have a Verizon Droid Razr M, which is an "international" phone (both CDMA and GSM). My company provides model specific instructions for switching off data when travelling internationally. I've followed those instructions and have never gotten dinged with data charges. I would guess Verizon can provide you with proper instructions for your phone to disable data overseas.

One thing that may save you some grief...when I go overseas, I usually have to do a *228 to get a new PRL. Otherwise, the phone doesn't find any service.
 

bugs4cy

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2009
1,029
81
48
Story County
A couple years ago we got an international phone from Mobal. Worked great. Pay for only what you use. Stick in a drawer at home when you're not traveling. Since we weren't traveling for work we weren't using it for email or keeping in contact with home.
 

CYme

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2011
4,009
734
113
Pella, IA
Go To Settings

Under Wireless & Networks
Go to More...
Go to Mobile Networks
Uncheck Data Enabled

Also, under Gloabal data roaming access check Deny data roaming access

You may get questioned by the phone if you want to enable data, just say no.

I have traveled to Canada, Mexico and Jamaica with these settings and had no issues. Used wi-fi, texts and voice. No problems whatsoever. Droid Razr XT912
 

hawkclone11

Member
Dec 13, 2008
114
6
18
My wife and I both have Droid Razrs on Verizon and when we went to Australia in January, we just got local SIM cards through one of their major carriers. Ours were prepaid for 2 weeks and we had unlimited calling as well as unlimited data the entire time we were there and loved it.

The Razrs are all global phones though so you should have both GSM and CDMA antennas if you do want to switch carriers while overseas. And you don't need to do any contacting or notifying Verizon in this case because for all they know, you just have your phone switched off since their SIM is inactive. It was as easy as swap out the SIM card, change some settings for the GSM antenna and pop the Verizon card back in once we got back to the US. Just do some research on local carriers and what plans they offer for prepaid customers. We went with Optus in Australia and just had to bring our passports to a local store and they had us set in about 10 minutes. Had a local number and everything so we could call in the country and text each other.

Here's a good link from other Razr owners confirming this works and troubleshooting some issues you might run into in case you're interested too.

International travel with Razr Maxx
 

ExCyment

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2013
1,683
790
113
Crescent, IA
My wife and I both have Droid Razrs on Verizon and when we went to Australia in January, we just got local SIM cards through one of their major carriers. Ours were prepaid for 2 weeks and we had unlimited calling as well as unlimited data the entire time we were there and loved it.

The Razrs are all global phones though so you should have both GSM and CDMA antennas if you do want to switch carriers while overseas. And you don't need to do any contacting or notifying Verizon in this case because for all they know, you just have your phone switched off since their SIM is inactive. It was as easy as swap out the SIM card, change some settings for the GSM antenna and pop the Verizon card back in once we got back to the US. Just do some research on local carriers and what plans they offer for prepaid customers. We went with Optus in Australia and just had to bring our passports to a local store and they had us set in about 10 minutes. Had a local number and everything so we could call in the country and text each other.

Here's a good link from other Razr owners confirming this works and troubleshooting some issues you might run into in case you're interested too.

International travel with Razr Maxx

Definitely this. getting a local SIM card is almost always your best bet.
 

jsb

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 7, 2008
30,269
32,744
113
A couple years ago we got an international phone from Mobal. Worked great. Pay for only what you use. Stick in a drawer at home when you're not traveling. Since we weren't traveling for work we weren't using it for email or keeping in contact with home.

Thanks for this? I assume that you can make calls out on the phone and people can call you? What model did you get.

We've run into this situation several times when traveling. We just want something to use in case of an emergency or to confirm various reservations. And something that people at home could use to call us in emergencies. For a trip to Ireland we wanted a phone since we were driving there and we rented one from Verizon. And on a trip to France, Belgium, and Amseterdam, we used a phone I bought here, but I couldn't figure out how it worked.
 

isukendall

Well-Known Member
Nov 30, 2006
2,446
581
113
Fort Collins, CO
I don't plan to do a ton of international travel and my trip is only for two weeks, so I probably won't get a SIM card. I called Verizon and they pointed me to settings that disable any out of country digital roaming, so if I'm out of the US any mobile data should be disabled. We'll see if it works.
 

bugs4cy

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2009
1,029
81
48
Story County
Thanks for this? I assume that you can make calls out on the phone and people can call you? What model did you get.

We've run into this situation several times when traveling. We just want something to use in case of an emergency or to confirm various reservations. And something that people at home could use to call us in emergencies. For a trip to Ireland we wanted a phone since we were driving there and we rented one from Verizon. And on a trip to France, Belgium, and Amseterdam, we used a phone I bought here, but I couldn't figure out how it worked.

We bought it in 2010. I looked at the current models on their website and I think ours is just the budget-basic model. I think we looked at renting vs buying and it was a toss up forthis one trip, but if we bought we'd have a 'free' phone for future trips. We used it in Ireland to call ahead to a B&B each afternoon to make our evening reservations. Mobal was helpful at giving us the right country code, etc., so we had a little cheat sheet made up before we went over. If I remember correctly, we could get incoming texts for free. So, we left the number to the phone with family back home so they could text or call us in an emergency. It worked perfectly and had a good experience with Mobal customer service.