Destinations
Roaming in the United States: prices, zones and alternatives
The United States sits outside European roaming and is usually one of the priciest zones. How to check your plan and what to do before boarding.
Irene Salazar 7 min Photo by Michael Heise on Unsplash The United States is, along with Japan, the destination that produces the most roaming stories on the way home. Not because it is the dearest per megabyte, but because it is where the phone gets used most: long distances, constant navigation and everything handled by app.
What your home plan covers there
The roaming included by regulation is the European Union and European Economic Area one. The United States is not in it, so your plan treats it as an international zone and applies its own terms, which range from a daily pass to pay-as-you-go.
Some higher tiers include days of data in international zones, and others include nothing at all. That is a big difference, and you do not find out until you look.
How to check it in five minutes
- Open your operator's app and go to the roaming section.
- Find which zone the United States falls into.
- See what your plan includes in that zone: nothing, a bundle, or a few days a year.
- Check and adjust the data spending cap you have set.
The usage you do not see, and there it is greater
A trip around the United States uses a phone in a very particular way: navigation for hours, music in the car, looking for somewhere to sleep as you go, and photos that upload themselves. That is exactly the profile that sets off a pay-as-you-go bill.
- Photo backup is the first suspect: you take hundreds on a trip and they upload as soon as there is a connection.
- App updates fire off if they are not set to wi-fi only.
- Streaming music on the drives adds up more than it looks.
- Video calls home, with six or nine hours of difference, get made from the hotel and from the road.
What to do before boarding
- Turn off data roaming on your home line.
- Leave the line active for calls and texts: that is what brings in your bank's codes and the airline's alerts.
- Set backups and updates to wi-fi only.
- Download the maps for the route and the music for the drive.
If the trip is by car, what is worth preparing is in internet on a road trip across the United States.
And a note on emergency calls
911 works from any phone with coverage, whether the line is active or not. What needs data is roadside assistance, travel insurance and almost anything to do with the rental company, because over there all of that goes through an app.
Frequently asked questions
Is roaming free in the United States?
No. The roaming included by regulation is the European Union and European Economic Area one, and the United States falls outside it.
How much does roaming in the United States cost?
It depends on your operator and your plan: it may be a daily pass, a few days included per year, or pay-as-you-go. You check it in your operator's app before travelling.
How do I avoid paying roaming in the United States?
Turn off data roaming on your home line and use an eSIM for the destination. Your number stays active for calls and texts.
Can I call 911 without data?
Yes. Emergency calls work from any phone with coverage. What needs data are the insurance and roadside assistance apps.
Does the same plan work in Canada and Mexico?
Only if it is a regional plan that includes them. A United States plan covers the United States alone.
