Travel Abroad with Your U.S. Phone and Pay Roaming Charges
Keep Your U.S. Number or USe A UK Cell Phone Number
The actual phone (handset) you use in the U.S. is not likely to work abroad. However, your cell phone provider will send you a GSM model that works internationally and bill the per minute international roaming charges to your cell phone bill. Often there will be an option to forward calls to your U.S. cell phone. However, under this option you will be responsible for all international roaming charges for incoming calls to your U.S. phone number.
Roaming Rates Exceed Local Rates, but Covers Multiple Countries
Alternatively, your U.S. carrier may refer you to a trusted third party rental company, In those cases, the billing might be done through that company using a credit card you provide. Either way, whether you are assigned a UK “international” cell phone number, or your are able to use your US based cell phone number. The advantage of this is that you are able to travel across multiple countries with one phone number and on one bill (final amount to be settled at end of trip, see below).
Pros and Cons - Roaming Internationally with Your U.S. Cell Phone
PROS
Keep Your U.S. Phone Number
Under this scenario you will likely keep your U.S. cell phone number or have the option to forward your U.S. cell phone number to the international phone.
This method allows you to maintain your U.S. based cell phone number at no additional cost to the caller. In fact, callers will not even know you are out of town, or out of the country, unless you tell them (the drawback to this feature is that you pay international roaming rates, see below).
Convenience, Familiarity & Support
Major U.S. based mobile phone companies offer 24-hour, English language customer service support for their customers using cell phones overseas.
There is also the convenience of working with a familiar company. A call to your regular wireless carrier is much easier than searching the internet for a rental cell phone company, and then having to trust an unknown entity with your overseas communication needs.
Easy, Itemized Billing
Often the international roaming call charges will appear on your regular cell phone bill. If your U.S. carrier refers you to their third-party cell phone rental company, that company might bill the calls to a credit card. You do not need to worry about running out of call credit or “topping up” your account as is the case when using a local pre-paid SIM card.
Additionally, large U.S. carriers or their surrogates are very likely to provide with a detailed record of calls made overseas which is helpful when submitting travel expenses to work or clients.
CONS
High International Roaming Rates
International roaming rates are similar to those of a traditional cell phone rental company; about $1 to $2.00 a minute for all incoming and outgoing calls in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and up to $5 a minute when using the phone in Asia, India, South America and other lesser traveled countries.
No Free Incoming Calls
Also, when you use your U.S. cell phone overseas, you are roaming on the local network. This means you will not receive the free incoming calls (in most Western countries) or lower outgoing rates the locals receive, as you could by using a local pre-paid SIM card.
Post-Vacation Bills
Since all the calls are billed to your account or credit card and the rates are a dollar a minute or more, it’s possible to come home to a very large and unexpected cell phone bill.
Roaming Charges on Unimportant Incoming Calls
Also, if ALL calls to your U.S. cell phone number are forwarded to your cell phone while overseas, you will end up paying international roaming charges for every call you receive no matter how mundane or unimportant. You’ll likely receive calls from people who don’t realize you are away, and it may cost a Dollar (or more) to quickly explain that you are out of the country.
