AARP Hearing Center
A few months ago, my family of four, including two predictably connected teens, went on a relaxing trip to Aruba. Our five days there left us with surprise international usage fees that more than doubled our monthly bill.
This came despite my due diligence: I had secured international plans, and I could swear I turned off roaming.
The experience, combined with our family’s mobile service challenges at home, revived my search for a better-fit carrier with more foolproof international options.
If you, like me, are among the 45 percent of 50-plus people considering traveling internationally in 2025, according to AARP’s Travel Trends Survey, you’d be wise to at least be aware of your carrier’s international offerings, too. Especially if you’re on a fixed budget, as many mature travelers are, or, like me, simply don’t love that kind of financial surprise.
The plan’s regular monthly rate and your destination are key puzzle pieces, too.
“International is a pretty big place, right? Are you going to Mexico and Canada? Are you going to the Caribbean? Are you going to Mongolia?” says Roger Entner, telecom analyst at Recon Analytics in Boston. “If you go with lower-cost plans, then you might not even have an option to use your phone in Mexico, Canada or wherever. You get what you pay for.”
Consider these basic comparables for the top carriers’ international plans:
AT&T
International Day Pass Plans are categorized by land and sea options. A new cruise-focused land and sea package launched in April 2025. Also of note, AT&T debuted an unlimited plan for consumers 55-plus on June 3.
• $12 per day on land in more than 210 destinations, with unlimited talk, text and high-speed data. It is $6 for each additional line used on the same calendar day. The cost is capped at 10 days per line in one billing cycle.
• $20 per day for land and sea, on more than 400 cruise ships, for limited talk and text. The pass covers all lines.
• Unlimited Plans don’t include roaming charges in Canada and Mexico.
T-Mobile
The carrier has three unlimited plans: Essentials, Experience More and Experience Beyond. All have discounts for users who are 55 and older. International features are automatic; there’s no need to sign up ahead of time.
