The best international roaming plans in Australia

International roaming can be expensive, but it doesn't have to break the bank. Some plans have affordable international roaming built in (or as an add-on), so you can avoid expensive pay-as-you-go (PAYG) fees that can bump your travel bill beyond $1,000 if you're not careful.

Data roaming is likely more important than calls and messages because it gives on-the-go access to maps and GPS, and lets you do a quick google to help plan your day's adventures without being tied to free WiFi. Plus, you can use free audio, video and text services online.
Local calls can still be useful, particularly for emergency services. But texts are likely not going to be a priority.

If you need help picking out the best international roaming plans, we’ve got you covered with this round-up of the more affordable SIM-only (postpaid) and prepaid options in Australia.

Travel SIMs can be handy when travelling, but require a fair amount of organisation and you might not feel comfortable using unfamiliar brands.

Roaming means you get to stay with a company you know, while also keeping your number. You're also going to be more familiar with how the Aussie telco market works when it comes to inclusions and billing vs. getting to grips with an overseas one or with how travel SIMs work.

Choosing the best international roaming plans means picking one that's right for your needs. For the most part, calls and texts aren't generally as important as data (though you'll be the best judge of what you need). Data is useful for maps and navigation, researching your next steps, checking opening hours of establishments, uploading photos and anything else you'd generally use a phone for online.

Calls can be good for checking hotel bookings and emergency services, but for the most part you likely won't find yourself making regular use of them – especially if you don't speak the language. This goes doubly so for SMS. Essentially, the best international SIM card for most people will include generous roaming data at a reasonable price.

We'll cover some of the stand-out providers more further on, but for now here are some SIM-only plans from mobile providers in our database that offer international roaming, ranked by their popularity with our readers over the last seven days:

Optus roaming charges are simplified for SIM-only users on Choice Plus plans: $5 per day for 5GB of data, plus unlimited standard talk and text in 150+ Zone 1 destinations. The $5 fee and 5GB of data kick in as soon as you use an overseas network in an eligible country. At from that point, you have 24 hours to use your data. If you go over 5GB, you get charged another $5 for 5GB. If you don't, your data expires at the end of 24 hours and you're not charged until you use the cellular network again.

If you’re a postpaid customer without a Choice Plus plan, it costs $10 for an Optus Roaming Pass, which gives you 1GB of data as well as unlimited talk and text for 24 hours.

The same Zone 1 destinations are included for the Optus Roaming Pass. Optus Zone 1 locales include Aeromobile in-flight data on selected airlines, plus the following destinations:

Is Optus roaming expensive?

For shorter stays, Optus' new $5 roaming can be pretty good value. However, if your needs are more data-heavy or you're looking at a longer trip abroad, it might not be the best choice.

Vodafone global roaming comes from a straightforward $5 daily add-on or via a few choices of prepaid plan add-ons that range in price from $5 to $35.

Vodafone roaming charges are straightforward for SIM-only customers. Pay $5 per day and get access to your local plan allowance in terms of data, calls and messages. Note that any data used while overseas is deducted from your local allowance in Australia. And if you go over your data cap, you’ll be charged $5 per gigabyte. The only other disclaimer is postpaid users are restricted to 90 days of Vodafone $5 roaming per calendar year.

The Vodafone $5 roaming countries list includes 110+ places, including participating in-flight roaming airlines.

If you’re overseas roaming with a Vodafone prepaid plan, there are three add-ons to choose from. The $5 Vodafone prepaid roaming add-on has 24-hour expiry and comes with 200MB of data, 25 standard call minutes and 30 international texts. For $15, Vodafone prepaid users can use a three-day roaming add-on with 750MB of data, 90 call minutes and 120 texts. Spend $35 to get seven days of roaming with 2GB of data, 200 call minutes and 300 texts.

Call minutes include outgoing and incoming calls, and the Vodafone prepaid roaming add-ons work in 80+ destinations.

Is Vodafone roaming expensive?

Vodafone can be expensive or very cheap, depending on how you use it. If you plan on mostly using Wi-Fi and only connecting to cellular networks when you need it, it can be a cheap and highly versatile option.

If you plan on using your phone regularly, $5 a day can add up quickly. But given you get to use your normal plan's full amount of data, that's a lot of roaming data compared to some other options out there.

International roaming with Telstra is available for SIM-only and prepaid customers. Telstra postpaid customers can spend $5 a day or $10 a day for roaming, while prepaid users will spend between $10 and $25 for international roaming with Telstra.

If you're a prepaid customer looking to take advantage of Telstra roaming, things are slightly different. Instead of a single add-on, you've got three travel packs to choose from.

• $10 for 400MB of data, 15 texts and 15 minutes of calls with 3-day expiry
• $15 for 2GB of data, 25 texts and 25 minutes of calls with 7-day expiry
• $25 for 4GB of data 50 texts and 50 minutes of calls with 14-day expiry

Telstra prepaid international roaming is also only available in a smaller selection of 35 destinations.

Telstra international roaming for SIM-only (Upfront) customers is separated into three Day Passes that all expire after 24 hours. The first Telstra international Day Pass costs $5 a day for 2GB of data, plus unlimited calls and SMS in Zone 1 destinations. The next Telstra roaming Day Pass costs $10 a day for the same inclusions in Zone 2 destinations. And the last Telstra Day Pass is also $10 a day, which has no data but does have unlimited calls and SMS.

If you go over the 2GB allowance in Zone 1 or 2 destinations, you’ll automatically be charged $10 for an additional 2GB of data, except it has 31-day validity instead of just 24 hours. Note that each MMS is charged at 75 cents apiece while you’re travelling.

Telstra roaming charges for prepaid customers are different to SIM-only users, and you’ll need to buy a Telstra international roaming data pack. The first Telstra prepaid international roaming pack costs $10 for three days, with 400MB of data, 15 call minutes and 15 SMS or MMS. It costs $15 for a seven-day roaming pack with 2GB of data, 25 call minutes and 25 SMS or MMS. Or it’s $25 for 14-day validity with 4GB of data, 50 call minutes and 50 SMS or MMS.

Is Telstra roaming expensive?

With a starting price of around $10 per day, Telstra's roaming can seriously add up during the length of a trip. But its 24-hour system means you can be flexible about where and when you get charged. If you stick to mostly using WiFi and only falling back on cellular when you need it, it can be a stress-free option that doesn't hit your wallet as hard as more-expensive PAYG alternatives.

Amaysim international roaming is available for its prepaid customers in 130 destinations via four travel pack add-ons. Check out the Amaysim roaming packs below.

Kogan international roaming is done via roaming packs, which you add to an active plan. Each roaming pack has a different expiry length, data allowance, and call/text inclusions. The value doesn't increase linearly, so have a think about works best for you (e.g. do you prefer more data or more calls/texts) vs. the effort of topping up more regularly.

For example, the one-day pack is $10 and comes with 1GB of data, 50 call minutes, and 50 texts. On the other hand, the seven-day roaming pack is $45 for 5GB of data, 150 minutes of calls and 150 texts. This makes the seven-day plan better value for data, but worse for calls and texts. Here's a closer a look at what each pack includes:

Tangerine Telecom international roaming is available to its SIM-only customers via three International Roaming Travel Packs that cover 60+ destinations. Here’s what’s included in each Tangerine roaming pack.

Felix Mobile simplifies its international roaming with a single add-on, which supports 40+ destinations. Here’s what you get:

More Telecom offers two international roaming add-ons for its SIM-only plans, both of which cover 60+ destinations. Here’s what’s included in the More International Roaming Packs.

ALDI Mobile international roaming is available in about 70 countries for prepaid customers who activate it via your account.

That said, ALDI uses PAYG roaming, so it's not something we'd advise because of how expensive it can be. For most countries on the list, it's $1 per minute when making or receiving a call, 50c per SMS, and 50c per MB. This last fee translates to $500 per GB, which can quickly turn into thousands of dollars if you're not careful.

And all these costs can be up to double in some countries.

Belong international roaming is available to its SIM-only customers via a single travel pack. The Belong roaming travel pack is eligible for 40+ destinations, though note roaming in India doesn’t include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh East or West Bengal, and data is excluded in Guernsey.

Travelling with an eSIM can be handy for a couple of reasons, depending on how you go about it.

If you have an eSIM-compatible phone that also has a SIM card slot (which most do), you effectively have a dual-sim handset. This means you can keep your Aussie plan for emergencies, while also running a local or travel SIM at your destination. You can disable cellular data per SIM in your phone's settings, so you can deactivate your Aussie SIM's network access and avoid accidentally triggering expensive roaming costs.

There are other benefits, but it depends whether your Aussie number is active via your eSIM or a physical SIM card. Whichever it is, your overseas SIM card would use the opposite.

If you want to use eSIM as your travel option, this means you don't have to find a physical SIM card when you arrive at your destination. Or you can easily sign up to a travel SIM, which is often available in eSIM format.

With eSIM, you can sign up online and be ready to go, without waiting for delivery. However, not all providers support eSIM, and it might be rare or even non-existent where you're headed. You also need internet access to activate it. On top of this, eSIM can be a pain to transfer between providers, once it's set up. So if you plan on hitting up multiple countries, it might be more hassle than it's worth.

If your Aussie plan is via eSIM, that means you can easily pick up a local SIM card at your destination. You don't have to worry about eSIM compatibility wherever you travel – and you can easily swap out SIM cards if you visit multiple countries. The main downside with this option is that not all providers in Australia support eSIM, so you'll need an Aussie mobile plan via an eSIM before you head overseas.

Here's a look at Aussie eSIM plans in our database, ranked by their popularity with our readers over the last seven days:

While some smaller providers offer international roaming, many are be bad options. The travel packs are far more expensive than the competition, or you're stuck with pay-as-you-go rates that can end up costing between $500 and over $1,000 per gigabyte. 

While MVNOs are a great pick for keeping your bill down locally, this doesn't necessarily translate to overseas usage. If you're with a smaller Aussie provider that only offers PAYG international roaming, use the savings you get from having a cheaper phone plan to purchase a travel SIM or a local SIM overseas when you arrive at your destination instead. 

No matter what provider you go with, roaming costs add up quickly. With an Optus or Vodafone postpaid plan, a week of using your phone overseas will cost you $35. With a Telstra postpaid plan, you’re looking at $70 for a week, unless you’re travelling to one of seven Zone 1 countries (then it’s $35).

If you really need to keep your local number to be contactable while away, you’ve really got no choice but to pay the telcos their blood money. But if you’re going away on a holiday and don’t need your local number, a local SIM can often be the better choice than a travel-friendly phone plan.

If you’re staying overseas for more than a week, local SIMs at your destination should typically cost less than what you’d pay in roaming fees. This will naturally vary from destination to destination, but it’s definitely worth doing the maths before you commit to spending a whole lot of money on roaming. Alternatively, buy an eSIM before you arrive from places like Airalo or Jetpac.

International roaming refers to a feature offered by some telcos that lets you stay connected and use your local number while travelling overseas. It allows you to make calls, send texts, and/or use wireless data even when you’re beyond the boundaries of your carrier’s network outside of Australia.

Generally, international roaming isn’t included for SIM-only or prepaid mobile plans. Instead, you’ll have to pay extra. Postpaid plans from telcos like Optus and Vodafone offer daily fees for a data, call and text allowance. Other SIM-only telcos like Telstra, Tangerine and Everyday Mobile offer multiple international roaming packs to choose from. It’s a similar story for prepaid telcos, though some like Aldi Mobile, iiNet and TPG only offer PAYG roaming, which we advise against because it can lead to a hefty bill.