How to Avoid Roaming Charges While Traveling: Optimize Data and Save Money
, by Sim Du Lịch AVIRO, 5 min reading time
Are you still worried about roaming charges every time you travel? Don't let unnecessary costs affect your experience. In this article, Aviro will help you understand what roaming charges are, why they are so high, and especially how to effectively avoid them with helpful solutions.
What is roaming?
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When you leave your local network's coverage area (for example, from Vietnam to Thailand), your phone will connect to a foreign network. This is called international roaming. When roaming, you can still make calls, send texts, and use data, but you will usually have to pay very high fees.
Understanding roaming charges
Roaming charges are fees you pay when using mobile services outside the network provider's country. This includes calls, texts, and data usage. Depending on the network provider and country, the fee can be several hundred thousand dong per GB of data or tens of thousands dong per minute of call.
But why are roaming charges so expensive? The reason is that domestic network providers have to "rent" infrastructure from foreign network providers. Therefore, intermediary costs such as currency conversion, international taxes, connection fees, etc., will be added to your bill. If you're not careful, you could end up spending millions of dong in just a few days of travel.
6 ways to avoid roaming charges when traveling.
For many travelers, receiving an unexpected phone bill with exorbitant roaming charges after a trip is an unpleasant experience. Below, Aviro has compiled effective and simple methods, suitable for all international trips, to help you avoid roaming fees while traveling.
1. Purchase an international travel SIM or eSIM.
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If you want to avoid roaming charges while traveling and still maintain a stable connection, buying a local SIM card or using a travel eSIM is the best solution. This is a smart choice to get cheap internet data, avoid unexpected charges, and enjoy flexibility depending on the country.
Specifically, a physical SIM card is the traditional option. You simply insert it when you arrive in your travel destination and enable data roaming. However, with a single-SIM phone, you need to remove the main SIM. eSIMs, on the other hand, are a more modern and flexible choice: no need to remove or insert, easy remote activation with a QR code, and you can keep your main SIM to use in parallel. Furthermore, using an eSIM abroad is very simple – you just choose a data plan for the country and activate it quickly in just a few minutes.
You can check out Aviro's travel eSIM packages right here!
2. Turn off data roaming completely.
This is the most basic way to avoid roaming charges that anyone should do before leaving their country. On iPhones and Androids, you can access network settings and turn off data roaming to prevent your phone from automatically connecting to an international network. This helps you proactively control data consumption and avoid unexpected charges. Alternatively, you can tap on your primary SIM/eSIM and completely turn it off.
Note: If you only turn off mobile data but leave roaming enabled, your device may still incur hidden charges from background apps.
3. Turn on airplane mode and use Wi-Fi.
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One of the most effective and popular ways to avoid roaming charges while traveling is to use free Wi-Fi. You can turn on airplane mode on your phone to ensure no mobile data is used, then connect to a Wi-Fi network at your hotel, airport, cafe, or shopping mall. This allows you to continue using communication apps like Zalo, WhatsApp, and Messenger to make calls and send messages without incurring roaming fees.
However, using public Wi-Fi also comes with security risks. Free access points can be exploited by malicious actors to steal personal information. To stay safe, you should limit logging into sensitive accounts such as banking or work emails on public Wi-Fi.
4. Turn off features that consume data in the background.
Even when you're not using your phone, many apps silently consume data in the background. From automatically syncing emails and updating apps to refreshing content in the background, these are factors that generate roaming charges or quickly deplete your data plan.
To save data while traveling abroad, you should follow these steps:
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Turn off automatic app updates via mobile data:
On iPhone: Settings > App Store > Turn off “Automatic Downloads” when using cellular data.
On Android: Google Play Store > Settings > Automatic app updates > Select “Wi-Fi only” -
Turn off background app refresh:
On iPhone: Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Turn Off
On Android: Settings > Apps > Select individual apps > Turn off background data - Disable automatic syncing of photos, emails, and cloud files unless necessary.
5. Turn on data saver mode on iPhone and Android.
Both iPhones and Android devices are equipped with a Data Saver Mode, a useful tool to help you control your mobile data consumption – especially important when traveling internationally and wanting to avoid roaming charges.
How to activate data saver mode:
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Cellular > select the SIM you are using > Data Mode > turn on Low Data Mode.
- Android (may vary by manufacturer): Go to Settings > Network and Internet > Data Saver > turn on Use Data Saver.
6. Sign up for an international roaming plan from your mobile carrier.
If you still need to keep your primary phone number while abroad, consider an international roaming plan from your local network provider. However, carefully check the terms and conditions, data limits, and duration to avoid incurring extra charges. This is not an ideal solution for those who want to save as much as possible.
In short, if you're planning an international trip and want to stay connected while saving money, buying an international travel eSIM is the best investment option right now – especially for young people, backpackers, or those who frequently travel between countries.
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