Cell Phone Service Options

Cell Phone Service Options

Summary

There is no “one size fits all” solution for cell phone service when traveling to Israel.
If you have a premium plan with your provider, using their roaming service is the easiest option. If you don’t have a premium plan, it’s probably the most expensive option.
If you have a phone with a SIM card (iPhone 14 or newer does not), SIM cards offer the most comprehensive option.
If you have a newer phone, like the iPhone 14, that doesn't have a slot for a SIM card, then your only other choice is eSIM. That generally only includes a data plan, not a phone number.

WhatsApp is the go-to app for text, voice and video calls while traveling

Current Requirements

Since TBA’s trip in 2008, requirements for connectivity have changed dramatically, since nearly all people have smartphones and they are used for much more than phone calls; and the data component of service is actually what most travelers are interested in. As the devices have become more complex, so have the options available to travelers, but the basic requirements are, typically, to use your own smartphone and have a data plan that enables you to use your apps while you are traveling. Calls can mostly be handled by voice-over-IP (VoIP) apps like WhatsApp, using a data plan.

Calling and Data Plan Options

International Calling and Data Plans

U.S. cell phone providers offer international calling and data plans to their customers, which is the easiest option, but they tend to be more costly, depending upon which plan you subscribe to. If using an international plan, you need to activate it before leaving the U.S. These are the basic plans for the most common carriers:

AT&T

Pay per day: International Day Pass

$10 per day, per device to call, text or use data.
Unlimited texts
Can only be used for 10 days per monthly billing cycle.

For longer trips: AT&T Passport Plan

Phone calls for $0.35 per minute, unlimited texts.
2GB of data for $70 per month or 6GB for $140 per month. $30 per GB of usage over plan’s allowance.

Verizon

Pay per day: TravelPass Plan

$10 per day, per line
Calls back to the U.S. are included, but calls to another country will incur additional international long-distance rates.
Uses your domestic talk, text and data plan.
For longer trips: International monthly plan
$100 per line, per month.
Unlimited data – 20GB of high speed, 3G speeds after that.
250 minutes of talk, unlimited texting. Overages charged at $0.25 per minute.

T-Mobile

Pay per day: International Day Pass

$5 per day for unlimited calling.
512MB high-speed data.

For longer trips:

Magenta MAX Plan - unlimited texting and data.
Magenta Plan - Unlimited texting, 5GB high speed data, then 128kbps after that.
Both plans include international calls at $0.25 per minute.
Essentials Plan - Unlimited texting, no data.

SIM Cards

SIM cards come in many varieties, including local vs. international SIMs and have been the go-to option for smartphone users, as they are generally inexpensive and widely available. For the SIM to work in your phone, you need to do the following:

Unlock your phone, if it isn’t already. This may require a call to your provider.
To have service when you land:
- Purchase the SIM ahead of time
- Replace your existing SIM with the one for Israel, after you have left the U.S. This requires either a paper clip or a tool, usually included with your phone.
- Don’t lose your original SIM. You’ll need it when you get back home!

The recommended SIM card retailer is SimToIsrael. SimToIsrael sells Israeli SIM cards that you can have shipped to your home, before leaving for Israel. The SIM cards are offered for different durations, starting with 7 days for $25.00, and offer the following features:

Israeli phone number - unlimited local phone calls and texting
Local USA number - Unlimited incoming USA calls
150GB data
Outgoing international calls

eSIM

eSIM is the next generation of mobile connectivity. There is no physical SIM. eSIM uses a chip built into your phone, so you can purchase a plan and set it up, before you leave, and then activate it when you arrive in Israel. The possible drawback is that eSIMs for travelers are generally data only.

Retailers

These are some of the retailers that sell eSIMs, all with similar plans:

VoIP Apps

If you need to make regular phone calls using a data plan, the following apps allow you to do that. Calls to people using the app are free. To make calls to landlines, credit packages and calling plans are available.

Here are some popular VoIP apps:

Skype

Viber

Note: Check that your provider has enabled Wi-fi calling on their end, and set your phone to enable Wi-fi calling. This will enable you to make regular phone calls, using the eSIM data plan.

Probably the single most important app for text, voice and video messaging while traveling is WhatsApp and it is used extensively in Israel. Most individuals and businesses use the app and the service requires a mobile telephone number to sign up, so if you know someone’s mobile phone number, you can probably reach them on WhatsApp.

If all you want to do is communicate from the hotel or anywhere else with a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can use WhatsApp without a data plan. If you want to use your phone on-the-go, then you’ll need one of the plans above.

To facilitate communication within our group, we will be setting up a WhatsApp group. The group should be set up well in advance of our departure for Israel.

Click here to download WhatsApp.