Title: How to Use Smartphone and Data Plans in Europe
Headings: How to Use a Smartphone and Data Plans Abroad
How to Use a Smartphone and Data Plans Abroad
The Basics: PHONES AND DATA PLANS IN EUROPE
Will Your Phone Work Abroad?
Ways To Use Your Phone In Europe
International Roaming (Easy But Expensive)
International Data Plan (Easy But Slightly More Affordable)
Pre-Paid SIM Card w/ Data (A Hassle But Most Affordable)
Where To Buy SIM Cards
A Look At US Carrier Plans and Options
T-Mobile
Sprint
Verizon
TravelPass
Monthly International Travel Pricing
Pay as You Go pricing
AT&T
AT&T International Day Pass
AT&T Passport
Do You Even Need a Data Plan?
So Should You Get A Data Plan?
Tips For Using Only WiFi and/or Lowering Your Data Usage
OTHER TIPS AND ADVICE
No Funny Business

Content: For reference, you can burn through 100MB of data by streaming a few Youtube videos, so it really isn’t very much. However, if you just want to send a few emails and do very minimal web surfing, this could be a viable option. Voice and text are still fairly expensive but it isn’t too outrageous — especially if you use them sparingly. If you’re on a budget and you’re cool with trying to use free Wi-Fi as much as possible, this is a pretty reasonable option. Check your provider’s website for details. Pre-Paid SIM Card w/ Data (A Hassle But Most Affordable)
The SIM card in an iPhone. The cheapest option is purchasing a pre-paid SIM card in Europe from a European mobile carrier. To do this, you’ll most likely need to “unlock” your phone so it can accept SIM cards from other carriers. The problem is that most phones sold in the US are “locked” to your mobile provider — which means that your phone won’t work if you install a SIM card from another carrier (this is basically a way for mobile companies to keep you from switching carriers)
Before you do anything, contact your carrier to see if they’ll unlock it. Tell them you’re traveling overseas.