Using Your Cell Phone in Europe-The Ultimate Guide

Are you overwhelmed with what to do with your cell phone in Europe on your upcoming trip? Should you keep your U.S. carrier or get a SIM card? Should you get a local or global SIM card? If you’re renting a car, should you get GPS? You’ve heard about offline maps, but how do they work? You know data is expensive, but how do you know how much data you use?

The Travel Honey team had these questions and more, but we couldn’t find one place to go for answers. So after learning from our experiences and others, endless hours of research, and many calls, Travel Honey has created this comprehensive guide to using your smartphone in Europe. NOW UPDATED WITH EU ROAMING RULES IMPLEMENTED JUNE 2017.

What’s in the Ultimate Guide to Using Your Cell Phone in Europe?

To start, learn your options for using your cell phone in Europe. In making your choice, you’ll need to know whether you can unlock your cell phone and about the international plan offered by your U.S. cell phone carrier. If you decide to get a SIM card, we analyze whether a local or global SIM card is best for traveling in Europe. As almost everyone will need help navigating on their trip, we’ll give you the skinny on whether to use offline maps, how to use offline maps, and which offline maps are the best for traveling in Europe. And if you’re renting a car, learn whether you should rely on your smartphone, a portable GPS device or in-car GPS. Finally, as data is typically the most costly when using your smartphone abroad, this guide provides 14 tips for reducing your data usage when traveling.

Want the guide in one easy to read PDF?  We just need your email below. You may also like one of our awesome itineraries for FranceGermany, BudapestIceland, Italy, PortugalSpain or the United Kingdom.

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At Travel Honey, we find savvy travelers and share their trip recommendations with you through awesome guides and interactive maps. We provide all the information you need in one place, give you trip advice you can trust, simplify logistics, and save you time.