Most modern phones (and all modern iPhones) can use both, but check your Verizon or Sprint phone at to make sure. (Option 2 won’t work either!) Iceland uses the GSM network protocol, which is also what AT&T and TMobile use. This option won’t work if your phone doesn’t work on the cellular network in Iceland.
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This will give you lots of high speed data for less money than just about any international plan (well, except for the free but slow ones.) The downsides: You need to have an unlocked phone, and you’ll have an Icelandic phone number instead of your own. The third option is to buy a SIM card from an Icelandic company. We’ll cover all of the specifics for each of the major carriers below. But that’s much better than an expensive bill. On the other hand, if you have Sprint or TMobile as your carrier, international data might be free (depending on which plan you have) though at slow speeds. If you’re browsing a lot of web sites and maybe doing some video chat with people back home, it would be easy to burn through a gigabyte of data in a week. Our article about planning your trip would cost about $1.50. How much is $2.05 per megabyte? Well, the homepage at is about a quarter of a megabyte, so it would cost you 50 cents to load. For example, AT&T will charge you $2.05 per megabyte of data you use while roaming internationally, unless you have an international data plan. The second option is to pay for an International plan with your cellular provider, or use one is included with your current plan (Sprint and T-Mobile only.) Do not just start using data when you arrive in Iceland. Option 2: Adding an International Data Plan See below for more carrier-specific information. Android: Settings–> Data Usage) Your AT&T and Verizon plans won’t have free data T-Mobile and Sprint often do. And unless you know you have free international data on your current plan, turn off cellular data on your phone just to be safe. But you might have to pay a dollar or two a minute to send or receive phone calls, unless you call over Wifi, or use a service like Skype.
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Google Maps will also save portions of the Icelandic map for offline use. There are mapping programs that store all data on the phone (like ) you could use for navigation. Option 1: Becoming a Wifi nomadįirst, you could disable roaming and just use your phone when you have Wifi most hotels and restaurants will have free Wifi, though it will be harder to find when you’re driving. If you are from the United States and visiting Iceland, you have several options for cell phone service let’s look at the major four. The four options for using your cell phone in Iceland If it’s £5 or more, read on to see what some other options are.) Or check out our detailed post about preparing for your Iceland trip! And don’t forget that you’ll need a power adapter to charge your phone. At first, these were in the £2 per day range, and at those levels, your best bet its to grudging pay the new fees. But with the UK leaving the EU, UK residents are starting to see roaming charges again.
If you’re in the EU, you can stop reading: The new “Roam like Home” law implemented in June of 2017 allows you to use your plan in any EU country just as if you’re still at home. But if you live in Canada, the options are very similar to AT&T and Verizon: expansive roaming rates. We’ll walk through all of the details below to help you decide whether a cell phone from an Icelandic company like Siminn, Vodafone, or Nova makes sense for you.īefore we dive in, let me note that this information is mostly for people from the United States. (But be careful-if you’re on AT&T or Verizon, you’ll need to do a little bit of work to make sure you don’t get charged what I consider to be exorbitant data rates.) And the option of renting a mobile hotspot has gotten less expensive and more convenient. And all major US carriers now have options for service that are somewhat reasonably priced, and Sprint and T-Mobile now have totally free choices. eSIMs are a great option if you have an unlocked phone.
In 2022, that’s still a pretty good option, but other options have improved for travelers wishing to use their cell phones in Iceland or other countries.
The latest updates: SIM card purchases and WiFi devices are now easy to get at the Keflavik airport when you arrive in Iceland!įor the last couple of years, I have been recommending visitors to Iceland purchase an Icelandic SIM card, even if it meant you had to purchase a new unlocked cell phone.
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This post is continuously updated the last update was in March 2022. Traveling without kids? Check out 100 Tips for Visiting Iceland, and our custom itinerary planning services for anyone visiting Iceland! For more help planning your Iceland vacation with kids, check out our travel guide book, Iceland With Kids, or our fully customized Iceland trip planning services.