Traveling Internationally with TravelPass: Unlimited Calls, Text and Data

A few years ago, I went to the Bahamas and tried to use my phone for about an hour one day. I just wanted to get on Facebook, post a few pictures, and check my email. I thought that surely just using it for an hour wouldn’t cost too much. I was severely wrong. Once I got back home and checked my bill, it was over $300!! Needless to say, I haven’t used my phone in a foreign country again without getting an international plan on it. And these international plans usually limit your calling, texting, and data to next to nothing. I’m thrilled to announce that Verizon Wireless is changing all of that thanks to their new TravelPass program!

I recently tried out TravelPass during my trip to Israel and Verizon was even kind enough to hook me up with a new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Both the phone and TravelPass worked like a charm and made my trip much more enjoyable.

 

 travelpass verizon tips review

 

So what is TravelPass?

TravelPass allows you to keep your current phone plan, and use your phone just as you normally would back home, while in a variety of foreign countries. So if you have unlimited calling and text, and 16 gb of data per month at home, that’s exactly what you will have abroad. Pretty cool, huh?

There are some costs added to your bill to use TravelPass, but it is very reasonable compared to other international calling plans. If you are traveling within Mexico or Canada, it’s just $2 per day, and if you are traveling to almost any other country (such as Israel) it’s just $10 per day.

It’s also extremely easy to set up TravelPass. When I landed in Israel, I turned on my Galaxy S7 Edge and immediately got a text message from Verizon. It asked if I would like to use TravelPass during my trip, and I quickly responded back with a resounding “Yes”. It was as simple as that. From then on, I was free to call, text, and use data as much as I wanted to.

 

Using my Galaxy S7 Edge at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Using my Galaxy S7 Edge at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

 

As a travel blogger that basically lives on social media, I LOVED TravelPass! It allowed me to post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as much as I wanted to, and I was even able to make some pretty epic Facebook Live videos. This would have cost a fortune to do internationally without TravelPass. I also called family back home and told them all about how much fun I was having in Israel. It was so nice not having to worry about overages.

 

Benefits of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

To be honest, I am a loyal iPhone user. I have had an iPhone since the very first iPhone came out back in 2007. However, for this trip to Israel, Verizon asked if I’d like to try out a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I was hesitant at first, but thought it might be fun to try a new phone for a couple weeks. And surprisingly, I ended up loving it and I’m even considering switching over to a Galaxy. Here are some things that I really liked:

 

 travelpass verizon tips review

travelpass verizon tips review

1. The Camera

Whether I was photographing the sunrise during a hot air balloon ride or the Old City in Jerusalem, this phone took incredible pictures. With a 12 gb camera, all photos were crystal clear and I couldn’t believe how much better the photos were from this Galaxy S7 than on my iPhone 6.

2. Water Resistant

Since the Galaxy S7 Edge is water resistant, I was able to freely use it at the beach and in the desert. There was no fear of it getting damaged and that was a good feeling, since I tend to be pretty rough with my iPhone usually.

3. The Screen

The Galaxy S7 Edge has the clearest screen that I’ve ever seen. It’s a perfect size, and a bit larger than my iPhone 6, but the phone is still small enough to fit in your hand. Since the screen wrapped around the edge (hence the name of the phone), it was also easier to view videos or just surf the Internet.

These were only a few of the many reasons why I loved using the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I think that it may be the perfect phone to travel with, especially because of the fantastic camera and when I get my next upgrade, I might have to switch over to #TeamSamsung.

travelpass verizon tips review

I’m looking forward to using TravelPass (and possibly a Galaxy phone) on many trips in the future. Finally, there is a wonderful international service available that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Thanks Verizon!

 

Have you used TravelPass already or will you in the future??

 

 

*Thanks to Verizon Wireless for letting me use TravelPass and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for this trip. While it was complimentary, all opinions are authentic and my own.

13 Comments

  • I love that Verizon finally came out with this! As full-time travelers without any place to call home, we ditched our plans long ago, but now we rely only on wifi (which can sometimes be a nightmare!). Being able to add Travelpass to an exisiting plan would be fab!

  • This is awesome and I’m so happy to see, but $10 a day is pretty steep. I’m going to be is Southeast Asia for nearly a month, that means my bill will be over $300! I can buy a prepaid SIM card for less than $50 to get me through the trip.

  • Linda Bibb says:

    Unlimited data while traveling? Priceless.

    I’m not dissing the plan but Verizon’s plan is better for people who don’t travel a lot, and it would add up if we were in countries like Israel for a whole month. I’d like to offer a Plan B for those who prefer a constant monthly bill. My husband and I have an international plan with T-Mobile that allows unlimited data in 176 countries (including the U.S.) for one flat fee (our joint bill is about $112 per month). As a business owner, I can’t imagine doing without it.

    For us it’s a tradeoff, because IMO no other company matches Verizon’s coverage in the U.S. Still, we have adequate coverage in our area and it’s nice not having to stress about data overages. I guess no plan is perfect.
    Linda Bibb recently posted…Visiting Andorra la Vella’s Old Town – Worth It?My Profile

  • LeAnna Brown says:

    Do you know if you need a different SIM card to use it in a foreign city (and if so, does it work in any phone?) Also, can you choose the amount of days (you mention $2/day) or is it for a set plan (aka 1 month). Sounds very promising as a great way to stay in touch when traveling!
    LeAnna Brown recently posted…We’ve Got an Announcement….!My Profile

  • Now that is one sweet deal! How do you think the Galaxy S7 Edge holds up against the mighty new iPhone 7 out of interest? (We are an iPhone v Samsung type couple and constantly arguing over this!)

  • It’s good to see Verizon making some improvements in this area. As much as I love Verizon at home, I’ve found the international calling plans cumbersome to use. I’ll have to check into this, especially for those shorter trips where doing the SIM card thing ends up being more of a hassle.
    Jackie Sills-Dellegrazie recently posted…Comparing the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum vs Citi PrestigeMy Profile

  • Natalia says:

    Thank you for sharing this opportunity, Cory. I guess this offer might be helpful for people on a short term vacation/traveling. For stays longer than 10 days I think it’s better to take local SIM with international calling especially if you travel to Asian countries)

  • I’ve heard it has a great camera, but I opted for the iPhone 6+ anyway, which has a pretty good camera, too. Still, this made me tempted. $10 a day could add up, but we’re so addicted to social media and staying connected it would be worth it.

  • I am terrified of making any call while traveling. I completely rely on wifi and things like Skype calling and what not. Having a plan where I could text or call away from wifi would be cool, especially in emergency situations.
    Kimberly Erin recently posted…How to Survive long bus trips while travelingMy Profile

  • I used TravelPass in Mexico recently and it was a lifesaver when our driver didn’t show up! I’m a loyal Samsung girl myself, would love to try out the new S7.

  • Christina says:

    What an amazing deal! I wish we had something like this available to us in Canada. It is so nice not to have to worry about rising data costs when traveling overseas and still be able to stay connected.
    Christina recently posted…What you Need to Plan International Family VacationsMy Profile

  • Noelle says:

    I actually used to work for Verizon Wireless but definitely felt one of our downsides was that we didn’t have any good international plans – I’m so glad to hear this now exists! I will definitely consider using it in the future – it’s a bit easier than buying a SIM card as I do now when visiting countries.

  • Sounds amazing – I turned my roaming on recently for literally 2 minutes to download emails, my credit took a dive by like $40. So ridiculous!!! So something like Travel Pass I would welcome!

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