Mobile phones are going to be one of your most important tools while traveling to Israel, so you need it work and you need it to not cost you a fortune. Fortunately, for you, we’ve done the research and have all the information you need to keep your calls coming in, your Whatsapp working and your family happy.
The Easy Way
The first way we are going to share, is the easiest way to have a mobile phone, without having to switch SIM cards or carriers….however, it’s the most expensive way to do it. Most major mobile services offer a travel plan, which allows you to continue using your phone without the need to put in a different sim card. You will need to activate this service BEFORE you leave so it works when you arrive. Essentially, once you activate this service with your service provider, once you turn on your phone outside of America, your service will automatically start working by using Israel’s cellular network. Most major providers charge about $10 per 24 hour period (or day) for this service. Once activated, it will use the same plan you are using in America. So, if you have unlimited talk, text and data, you will have that in Israel as well for $10 per day.
If you have the international plane turned on, you will get instantly charged as soon as you land in Israel or maybe even before you land. So be sure to have your phone off or the sim card removed while you are in the air, or those $10 charges will add up. Now, if you are are staying in Israel for 10 days, that’s $100 per phone – so, if you have a family of 4 all with phones, that can add up quickly to a hefty surprise when you return home.
The Less Expensive Way
Ok, so the $400 isn’t something you want to deal with. No problem…well a little headache to be exact. This option works well (most of the time) but there are a few steps to take to ensure smooth talking and texting. With this process, you will be purchasing a new SIM card from an Israeli cellular provider and inserting it in your phone and saving your existing Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile card for when you return. Sound easy? It’s not rocket science, but does require a few steps to ensure it works well.
- Make sure your phone is unlocked
- Purchase a SIM card
- Deal with new phone numbers
The first step is to make sure your phone is unlocked. Not all phones are unlocked when you got them, so you need to contact your mobile phone provider to unlock your phone. Essentially a locked phone will not allow a different SIM card or cellular network to work on your phone. Some phones come unlocked when you purchase them, however, if you aren’t sure, contact your provider to discuss how to get it done. Some service providers will not allow you to unlock the phone until you pay off the purchase or have owned it for 1-2 years, others will unlock it, by just asking nicely.
The next step is to purchase a SIM card. There are several places online that you can contact to order a SIM card to be delivered to your house before you leave. Service prices vary, but typically can be $40-80 for 7-21 days. This is a lot better than the $10 per day option, but you have to follow all the steps correctly, or you will arrive without a working phone. Of course, you can always put your American SIM card back in and use that until you figure things out…
Lastly, something to remember when putting in a new SIM card, is that your phone numbers will be different. This means that you have to provide your new phone numbers to anyone who needs to get in touch – your tour company, hotel, friends, family etc.
What many people do, in order to make the phone number switch a bit easier, is they forward their American phone to the new SIM card phone number before they leave. This way if anyone tries calling you on your original American number, you can still receive the calls. Just don’t forget to turn off call forwarding when you return.
Whichever way you choose, be sure to take care of it in advance, just to make sure you don’t run into any issues.