How to Save on International Roaming: 5 Essential Tips 2026

International travel is synonymous with so many decisions — flight, hotel, itinerary, currency exchange. Among them, one of the most surprising is the roaming bill upon return. Many Brazilians come back from their trips with R$ 500, R$ 1000, or even R$ 2000 of "surprise" charges on their bill.

In this guide, we’ve gathered 5 practical tips for you to save up to 90% on connectivity during your trip without going offline.

Tip 1: Never leave your carrier's roaming active "by accident"

Many Brazilians board without deactivating roaming, thinking they "won't use it." But as soon as the phone connects to a foreign network at the airport — the charges begin.

Solution:

1. Before boarding, open your carrier's app and turn off roaming or the automatic international package.
2. Alternatively, put your phone in airplane mode during the flight and only activate the eSIM/Wi-Fi upon arrival.
3. Disable "background app refresh" for heavy apps (iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox) before traveling.

Tip 2: Use an international eSIM

This is the #1 tip for modern travelers. Instead of paying R$ 50-100/day for roaming, you pay ~$5-$15 for the entire trip plan.

Advantages:

• Installation before the trip with Wi-Fi
• No SIM card swap (keeps your Brazilian number active)
• Flexible plans: 3 GB / 7 days, 10 GB / 15 days, unlimited
• 4G/5G coverage with local carriers

See eSIMs by country or regional eSIMs (e.g., Europe 39 countries).

Tip 3: Use public Wi-Fi safely

Cafés, hotels, and airports offer free Wi-Fi. You can save data from your plan by using these Wi-Fis. But be careful:

• Use a VPN (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, ProtonVPN) on public networks.
• Avoid logging into banks or conducting sensitive transactions.
• Disable file sharing.
• At the airport, be cautious of Wi-Fi networks with similar names (e.g., "Aeroport-Free" vs "Airport_Free") — they could be traps.

Tip 4: Download content offline before the trip

Some apps work offline if you download the content beforehand. This drastically reduces data consumption while traveling.

• Google Maps: download the map of the entire city/country. Works offline for routes.
• Google Translate: download the language. Instant translation via camera offline.
• Spotify/Apple Music: download your favorite playlists.
• Netflix/Disney+: download episodes for the flight and hotel.
• Wikipedia: the Kiwix app allows you to download the entire Wikipedia offline.

Tip 5: Disable unnecessary push notifications

When your phone receives notifications (email, social media, apps), it consumes data. While traveling, every MB saved is money.

Before traveling:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications.
2. Disable notifications from non-essential apps (games, promotions, shopping).
3. Keep only WhatsApp, phone calls, and email active.
4. On iOS, disable "Background App Refresh" for apps like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.

Bonus: free tools that help

• Maps.me: offline maps from around the world.
• XE Currency: real-time currency exchange rates.
• Rome2Rio: how to get from A to B (train, bus, plane).
• Google Fi (USA): if you live in the USA, Google Fi offers reasonable international roaming.

Summary: how to save on roaming

1. Turn off automatic roaming from your Brazilian carrier
2. Purchase an international eSIM before boarding
3. Use public Wi-Fi with a VPN
4. Download content offline
5. Disable unnecessary notifications

With these 5 tips, you can save hundreds of reais on each trip. Check out our eSIMs by destination and travel worry-free in 2026.