HOW I SET UP MY iPHONE BEFORE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

My iPhone 17 Pro does a lot of work when I travel—Maps, photos, boarding passes, train tickets, reservations, translations, and probably way too much Googling. I’m not sure how I traveled before smartphones.

Before leaving the country, there are a few things I always check, change, and download. I like adventure, but landing in another country with a phone that doesn’t work is not the kind of adventure I’m looking for.

In the past, I’ve traveled using only Wi-Fi to avoid paying for an international cellular plan. It worked—and saved money—but only having internet when I could find Wi-Fi wasn’t always convenient.

These days, there are more options, including international plans and eSIMs. Since phones, carriers, and plans are all different, think of this as my guide, not the guide. Check with your carrier and make sure you understand how your own phone and plan work before you leave.

Is this the exciting part of trip planning? Absolutely not. I’d much rather be researching restaurants or figuring out how many things I can reasonably squeeze into one day.

A little work before I leave can save me a whole lot of time—and frustration—once I get there.

📈INTERNATIONAL DATA OPTIONS: MY PHONE NEEDS A TRAVEL PLAN TOO

First things first: I need to figure out how I’m going to use my phone once I get there, because landing in another country and then deciding how I’m going to get cell service sounds like a problem I want to avoid.

I start by checking what my carrier offers for international service and, most importantly, what it’s going to cost me. Depending on where I’m going and how long I’ll be there, I can use my carrier’s international plan or consider a separate travel eSIM.

My iPhone 17 Pro supports eSIM, which means I can activate cellular service digitally without buying and physically swapping SIM cards when I arrive. Many newer iPhones support eSIM, but I always recommend checking your specific phone before assuming yours does.

Then I contact my carrier and ask what international options they offer for the countries I’m visiting. I want to know how much it costs, what’s included, when charges begin, and exactly what settings I need to change when I arrive.

This is one of those times when I’d rather ask too many questions at home than stand in an airport overseas thinking, “Okay...now why doesn’t my phone work?”

🛫DATA ROAMING: AVOID THE SURPRISE ROAMING BILL

Data Roaming is one of those settings I don’t just turn on and hope for the best. Whether I need it on depends on the international plan or eSIM I’m using, so I make sure I understand exactly what needs to be turned on—or off—before I leave.

This is especially important if I decide to travel Wi-Fi only without cellular data, which I’ve done on previous trips. Turning off cellular data and data roaming helps prevent my phone from quietly using mobile data in the background and potentially racking up charges while I’m completely unaware. With Wi-Fi, I can browse the internet, use apps, send messages through internet-based services, and—depending on my carrier and settings—make calls and send texts using Wi-Fi Calling.

The downside is that when I leave the Wi-Fi, I leave my connection with it. That can be a little inconvenient when I’m standing somewhere trying to use Maps and the nearest Wi-Fi is back at the hotel. 

That's why I decide how I want to stay connected before the trip and make sure my settings match that plan. I’d much rather spend my travel money on a great meal or a glass of wine than come home to an unexpected roaming bill.

💵BACKGROUND DATA USAGE: STOP MY APPS FROM USING DATA BEHIND MY BACK

Some apps on my iPhone can continue doing their thing in the background—even when I’m not using them. Normally, I don’t give that much thought. When I’m traveling internationally and trying to control my data usage, I definitely do.

Before I leave, I check Background App Refresh and turn it off for apps I don’t need updating behind the scenes. This can help cut down on unnecessary data usage, especially if I’m trying to be careful with an international data allowance.

If an app wants my attention while I’m in Europe, it can wait until I open it.

🗺️OFFLINE MAPS: BECAUSE "I THINK IT'S THIS WAY" IS NOT A PLAN

I rely heavily on Maps when I travel. I’m all for wandering, but there’s a difference between wandering and being lost.

Before I leave home, I download offline maps for the places I’ll be visiting. (Google Maps is my favorite, but there are other choices.) Even if I’m planning to have cellular data, I like knowing I have a backup if I lose service, have a bad connection, or find myself somewhere my phone has apparently decided doesn’t exist.

It’s also really helpful if I’m trying to conserve data or traveling somewhere with spotty coverage.

Will downloading offline maps prevent me from ever taking a wrong turn? Absolutely not. I’m still perfectly capable of doing that all by myself. At least I’ll have a fighting chance of figuring out how to get back on track.

💺TRAVEL APPS & ENTERTAINMENT: DOWNLOAD NOW.  THANK MYSELF LATER.

Before I leave, I download and log into anything I think I’ll need—airline apps, train and transportation apps, hotel apps, rideshare apps, translation tools, currency converters, and anything specific to my destination.

The logging-in part matters. There’s nothing quite like standing in a train station trying to remember a password you created six years ago while your train is about to leave. Using a password manager or Apple’s Passwords app can make this a whole lot easier.

I also download some entertainment before I go. Most international flights offer plenty of movies and shows, but if there’s something specific I want—music, podcasts, books, or movies—I make sure it’s downloaded ahead of time.

Eight hours into a flight is not when I want to discover that my carefully chosen playlist requires Wi-Fi.

🎟️TICKETS, RESERVATIONS & DOCUMENTS: SCREENSHOTS ARE MY BACKUP PLAN

I love technology. I just don’t trust it enough to let my entire trip depend on having an internet connection.  Before I leave, I save my boarding passes, train tickets, hotel reservations, transportation confirmations, itinerary, travel insurance information, and anything else I might need somewhere I can access it offline.

Yes, I usually have screenshots of the really important things too. Is it overkill? Maybe. But when I’m standing at a train station with no service and my ticket is already sitting in my photos, I’m not going to regret it. 

I’m a planner. We’ve established this.

🧳FIND MY & AIRTAGS: IS MY SUITCASE COMING WITH ME?

Before leaving, I check Find My iPhone and make sure any AirTags traveling with me are connected, working, and have a good battery.

I put an AirTag in my luggage because once I hand that suitcase over at the airport, I’d like some reassurance that it plans on taking the same vacation I am. There’s something very comforting about landing, opening Find My, and seeing that my suitcase decided to come along too.

Hopefully, I never need Find My for a lost phone or missing luggage—but it’s one of those things I’m very happy to have set up just in case.

A few minutes checking everything at home gives me one less thing to worry about once the trip begins.

🧭LOCATION SERVICES: LET'S NOT REPEAT WHAT HAPPENED IN LONDON

Since Maps and I are going to become very close friends during the trip, I make sure Location Services are turned on and my mapping apps have the access they need. I don’t mind wandering around a charming little town and seeing where I end up. Accidentally wandering around because I can’t find my hotel is a completely different story. 

Yes, I learned this one from experience.

It happened to me in London. I couldn’t get my location to work correctly, couldn’t figure out where I was, and therefore had no idea which direction I needed to go to get back to my cousin's flat. “I think it’s this way” isn’t a particularly reliable navigation system. Full disclosure, Kim was with me and she was lost too!

Lesson learned. Now I check my Location Services before I leave home.

🤳🏼iPHONE & APP UPDATES: FUTURE TRAVELING ME WILL THANK PAST PLANNING ME

Before a trip, I make sure my iPhone and all the apps I know I’ll be using are up to date. It’s a simple thing to do at home with good Wi-Fi—and one less thing to deal with once I’m traveling.

I really don’t want to discover that my airline app needs an update when I’m trying to pull up my boarding pass, or that my train app suddenly needs one while I’m standing on the platform watching the minutes tick by. That’s an unnecessary level of stress. 

It’s one of those boring little pre-trip jobs that “Future Traveling Me” is always grateful “Past Planning Me” took care of.

📸STORAGE: CLEAR STORAGE FOR THE 6,793 PHOTOS I PLAN TO TAKE

This one might actually be the most important. I take a lot of pictures when I travel. And by a lot, I mean there may be 17 photos of essentially the same view because obviously one of them has slightly better lighting. And no, I will not know which one until I get home and look at all 17. 

Before I leave, I check how much storage I have available, clear out anything I don't need, and make sure my photos are backing up properly. The last thing I want is to finally get to a place I've been dreaming about seeing, pull out my phone, and get the dreaded “Storage Full” message.

I already know I'm going to say “just one more picture” approximately 37 times a day, so my phone needs to come prepared.

6,793 vacation photos aren't going to store themselves.

🔐SECURITY & BACKUP: JUST IN CASE MY PHONE HAS OTHER PLANS