How to avoid roaming charges when traveling: Optimize your data usage

Are you still worried about roaming charges while traveling? Don't let unnecessary fees ruin your travel experience. In this article, Aviro will help you understand what roaming charges are, why they are so expensive, and how to effectively avoid them through practical solutions.

What is Roaming?

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When you leave your carrier's domestic coverage area (for example, traveling from Vietnam to Thailand), your phone connects to a foreign carrier. This is called international roaming. While roaming, you can still make calls, send text messages, and use data, but you'll usually incur higher charges.

Understanding roaming charges

Roaming charges are the fees you pay when using mobile services outside your carrier's country. These include calls, text messages, and data. Depending on the carrier and country, these fees can range from a few hundred dollars per gigabyte of data to tens of thousands of dollars per minute of calls.
But why are roaming charges so high? It's because domestic carriers must "rent" infrastructure from foreign carriers. Consequently, intermediary fees like currency conversion, international taxes, and connection fees are added to your bill. If you're not careful, you could end up losing millions of Vietnamese dong on just a few days of travel.

6 Ways to Avoid Roaming Charges When Traveling

For many travelers, receiving an unexpected phone bill with high roaming charges after a trip is an unpleasant experience. Aviro has compiled a list of effective and simple ways to avoid roaming charges when traveling internationally.

1. Buy a SIM card or eSIM card for international travel

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If you want to avoid roaming charges and maintain a stable internet connection while traveling, buying a local SIM card or using an eSIM is your best option. It's a smart choice, giving you access to low-cost internet data, no unexpected charges, and the flexibility to choose from a variety of countries.
Specifically, a physical SIM card is the traditional option. Simply insert the SIM card and enable data roaming upon arrival in your destination country. However, for phones with single SIM support, you'll need to remove the primary SIM card. An eSIM is a more modern and flexible option: no removal required; it can be easily activated remotely using a QR code, and you can keep your primary SIM card. Furthermore, using an eSIM abroad is simple—just select a data plan based on the country and get started in minutes.
You can check out Aviro’s eSIM travel plans here!

2. Completely turn off data roaming

This is the most basic way to avoid roaming charges, and everyone should do it before leaving their home country. On iPhone and Android devices, you can go into your network settings and turn off data roaming to prevent your phone from automatically connecting to international carriers. This helps you control your data usage and avoid unexpected charges. Alternatively, you can tap the primary SIM/eSIM and turn it off completely.
Note: If you only turn off mobile data but keep roaming enabled, your device may still incur hidden charges from background apps.

3. Turn on airplane mode and use Wi-Fi

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One of the most effective and popular ways to avoid roaming charges while traveling is to use free Wi-Fi. Turn on airplane mode on your phone to ensure you don't use up your mobile data plan, then connect to Wi-Fi networks in hotels, airports, cafes, or shopping malls. This way, you can continue to use messaging apps like Zalo, WhatsApp, and Messenger to make calls and send messages without incurring roaming charges.
However, using public Wi-Fi also carries security risks. Free hotspots can be exploited by criminals to steal personal information. For safety reasons, you should avoid logging into sensitive accounts, such as bank or work email, on public Wi-Fi.

4. Turn off background data consumption

Even when you're not using your phone, many apps are silently consuming data in the background. From automatically syncing emails and updating apps to refreshing content in the background, these actions can result in roaming charges or quickly deplete your data plan.
To save data usage when traveling abroad, you should do the following:

To turn off automatic app updates over mobile data:
On iPhone: Settings > App Store > Turn off Automatic Downloads when using cellular data
On Android: Google Play Store > Settings > Auto-update apps > Select "Only over Wi-Fi"
To turn off Background App Refresh:
On iPhone: Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Off
On Android: Settings > Apps > Select a single app > Turn off background data
Disable automatic syncing of photos, emails, and cloud files unless necessary.

5. Enable data protection mode on iPhone and Android

Both iPhones and Android phones come with Data Saver Mode, a useful tool that can help you control your mobile data usage—especially when traveling internationally and want to avoid roaming charges.
How to enable Data Saver Mode:

iPhone: Go to Settings > Cellular > Select the SIM card you're using > Data Mode > Turn on Low Data Mode.
Android (may vary by manufacturer): Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data Saver > Turn on Use Data Saver.

6. Sign up for an international roaming plan with your carrier

If you need to keep your primary phone number while traveling abroad, consider purchasing an international roaming plan from a local carrier. However, be sure to carefully review the terms of use, data limits, and time limits to avoid overage charges. This isn't ideal for those looking for maximum savings.
In short, if you're planning an international trip and want to stay connected while saving money, buying an international travel eSIM card is the best investment there is – especially for young people, backpackers, or those who frequently travel between multiple countries.