The Best Mobile Plans With International Roaming

If you’re heading overseas sometime in the near future, then it’s a good idea that you travel with a mobile plan that has an international roaming service. Depending on your mobile plan, you could be slugged with pay-as-you-go roaming rates, which tend to be exorbitant and can stack up very quickly. Thankfully, a few telcos offer add-on roaming packages for their mobile plans, which have fairly decent value when it comes to data, talk and text caps.

If you want to avoid a travel SIM and keep your local number while heading overseas, these mobile plans will help you out when it comes to international roaming.

This article has been updated since its original publication.

Amaysim’s international roaming plans

Amaysim’s international roaming packs are available as an add-on to its mobile plans. This will let you maintain your current phone number, and keep you connected in over 90 select destinations.

In terms of pricing, there’s a $20 plan that includes 100 minutes of talk (for both incoming and outgoing calls) and 100 texts, a $25 plan that includes 50 minutes of talk, 50 texts and 1GB of data, and a $70 plan with 100 minutes of talk, 100 texts and 5GB of data. If you don’t need any voice or text credit, there’s a $50 option that’ll give you 5GB of data. All of these packs are valid for 365 days once activated.

Amaysim is powered by the Optus mobile network.

Boost Mobile’s international roaming plans

Boost Mobile, an MVNO on the Telstra network, offers three international roaming packages.

Its smallest pack will set you back $20 and will give you 1GB of data, 15 texts and 15 minutes worth of calls, which is valid for three days. For $30, 3GB of data, 30 texts and 30 minutes worth of calls, which is valid for seven days. Boost’s biggest roaming pack is $40 and will get you 5GB of data, 60 texts and 60 minutes worth of calls while being valid for 14 days.

All three of these packs are available to use in up to 40 countries.

Here are Boost’s prepaid plans:

Felix Mobile’s international roaming plans

Powered by Vodafone’s network, Felix Mobile has a surprisingly good roaming offer. While most smaller providers don’t do roaming or charge pay-as-you-go rates, Felix has a $20 travel pack. This gets you 4GB of international data at speeds up to 20Mbps, 100 minutes of talk, and 100 texts. It has a one-year expiry but is only available in 40 or so countries.

Felix Mobile has just one plan: you’ll pay $35 per month for unlimited data, with speeds capped at 20Mbps. That’s still fast enough for most online activity. New customers can also get 50 per cent off the first three months of their plan with the promo code FELIX50.

Kogan’s international roaming plans

Kogan has three international roaming packages, which all have different capacities and expiry periods.

The $10 one-day plan will get you 50 minutes of calls, 50 texts and 1GB of data. The three-day plan will get you 100 minutes of calls, 100 texts and 2GB of data for $25. And, finally, the seven-day roaming plan will get you 150 minutes of calls, 150 texts and 45GB of data for $45.

Kogan‘s roaming packs are available in 30 countries, and you’re able to have up to five packs active at any given time.

More’s international roaming plans

More’s international roaming service is a once-off add-on, which comes in the form of two different travel packs.

First up is the seven-day plan will set you back $35 and will net you 5GB of data, 30 texts and 30 minutes of voice calls. Then there’s a 14-day plan for $55, which will double all of the international roaming services. So you’ll get 10GB of data, 60 texts and 60 minutes of voice calls

Optus’ international roaming plans

Customers on the Optus Choice Plus, Optus Plus Family or Optus Plus Promo postpaid mobile plans can buy roaming add-ons through the Optus app. For $5 per day, you’ll get 5GB with a 24-hour expiry, along with unlimited talk and text.

Optus’ international roaming add-ons work in what it calls “Zone 1” countries. These include large parts of North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. If you’re in a Zone 2 country – destinations predominantly in the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America – you’ll pay as you go.

These Optus postpaid SIM-only plans are compatible with roaming add-ons:

Tangerine’s international roaming plans

Tangerine’s international roaming service is identical to what More is offering. With Tangerine’s seven-day travel pack, you’ll get 5GB of data, 30 texts and 30 minutes of voice calls for $35. Meanwhile, its 14-day travel pack includes 10GB of data, 60 texts and 60 minutes of voice calls for $55.

These packs are available as add-ons to Tangerine’s mobile plans:

Telstra’s international roaming plans

Telstra isn’t your best option for roaming, but still a big improvement over pay-as-you-go rates. On Telstra Upfront plans, you’ll roam using the International Day Pass system.

With Telstra‘s Day Pass, you’ll pay $10 per day which will get you 1GB, as well as unlimited talk and SMS. If you’re in New Zealand, you’ll pay $5 per day instead. If you go over your roaming data cap, you’ll be billed an extra $10 for another 1GB. This top-up data will stay active over the following 31 days.

Telstra’s roaming works in over 70 destinations, and includes unlimited calls and SMS.

Here are Telstra’s Upfront plans:

Vodafone’s international roaming plans

Last, but certainly not least, as Vodafone is our top pick for international roaming plans. For just $5 per day, you can use your local inclusions while travelling. Instead of relying on separate travel data, you can use your plan’s regular allowance. If you go over your allowance, you’ll be charged $5 per 1GB.

You’ll only be charged $5 on days when you make a call, send a text, or use data. Vodafone’s $5 per day roaming currently works in over 100 destinations and can be used for up to 90 days in a given calendar year.

Here are Vodafone’s postpaid SIM-only plans with $5 roaming:

Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.