Staying connected in today’s technology-heavy world is becoming more and more a necessity than creature comfort. Most travelers want to stay in touch with family and friends while they’re gone.
So, can you use your phone in Israel? Will it work? Yes, it will work, but you will need either 1) an international plan with your US phone company; or 2) an Israeli SIM Card. Option 3) is to use any available WiFi network. And option 4) is to rent a phone with an Israeli phone number.
The question you need to ask yourself before choosing is this: what is your goal? Are you looking to stay in touch with people back home? Or are you looking to make local phone calls in Israel? Or, do you just want internet so you can Facetime or Skype?
Can I use my phone to make international calls back to the US?
Yes, the purpose of an international calling plan is to allow you to call back to the United States from a foreign country with your phone. All of the major carriers have global or international plans for their customers. AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile have either included international coverages or add-on plans you can purchase.
If your goal is to stay in touch with people back home, you will want to look into your carrier’s international calling plan.
AT&T International Plans
AT&T offers 3 add-on packages that include voice, text, and data. Texting is unlimited and free. Voice is 35¢ /minute (including local calls in the country you are in), but Wi-Fi calls to the US are free. The difference in price for the packages is due to the amount of data in the plans. 2GB versus 6GB.
WiFi calls to local numbers in the country you are in are treated as long distance international calls from the US. Pay-per-use rates apply.
They also offer a $10 /day Day Pass that draws from your domestic plan.
Verizon International Plans
Verizon also offers 2 add-on plans. Unlike AT&T; however, Verizon focuses its plan on voice rather than data. Where AT&T offers 2GB of data and 35¢ /minute calls, Verizon offers 100 minutes of voice and .5GB of data.
WiFi calls to local numbers in the country you are in are treated as long distance international calls from the US. Pay-per-use rates apply.
Like AT&T, Verizon offers a day pass that draws from you domestic plan.
T-Mobile International Plans
Unlike AT&T and Verizon, T-Mobile has international benefits already included in their plans. For all their plans, unlimited texting is included. Of the three carriers, T-Mobile’s international plans are probably the best. You can call, text, and use data for pretty low rates.
Sprint International Plans
If you have Sprint and an LTE/GSM phone, you can text and use data at no additional charge. Phone calls are 25¢ /minute though. Sprint has been bought out by T-Mobile, so customers can refer to the T-Mobile information.
Can I get an Israeli SIM card for my phone?
Yes, If your phone us unlocked, you can buy or rent an Israeli SIM card.
If your goal is to make local phone calls, buying a SIM card is 1 of 2 options you should consider. Not all phones are capable of doing this though.
What does it mean for a phone to be locked? It means that the phone will only work with a specific telecom carrier’s network. If you switch carriers, your phone cannot be transferred over unless it is unlocked.
When you buy a phone through the carrier and sign a 2-year contract in which you make payments on the phone, the phone is locked. Another way to get a locked phone is to buy through a third party, like Amazon, for a specific carrier.
When you buy a locked phone through a carrier, normally, the carrier does not require you to pay for it up front. You make payments. When you buy an unlocked phone, you will pay for the whole thing up front.
There are more phone options when buying an unlocked phone as well. But, for the most part, many people don’t need an unlocked phone.
To determine if your phone is unlocked and/or if it is compatible with the network in Israel, talk to you telecom carrier.
Buying a SIM card in Israel.
In order to use a SIM card, your phone needs to work on a SIM card.
Also, keep in mind that you will get an Israeli phone number. You will not be able to make or receive calls/texts from or to your US phone number while the Israeli SIM card is installed.
The second option is to rent a phone in Israel. We’ll get to that in a moment.
What is a SIM card? A SIM card is a small data card about the size of your pinky fingernail. It’s configured with a phone number and a specific telecom carrier’s network digital signature information.
Some phones don’t use a SIM card. They have the digital signature information installed in their firmware. In this case, you would need rent a phone.
Where can I buy an Israeli SIM card?
You have two options. 1) buy a SIM card online before you travel. Or, 2) buy one when you get to Israel.
The advantage to buying before you travel is having everything ready to go. You won’t need to waste time when you arrive. The advantage to buying upon arrival is the ability to go to a store to get help.
But as we will see in a moment, some of the buy-before-you-travel options have both advantages.
The following websites are certainly not the only sites that offer SIM cards, but they are a great start.
Talk-N-Save specializes in SIM card and phone rentals in Israel. Their Jerusalem store is open to the public. They also have locations in the United States.
Cellular Abroad does not cover as many countries as Travel Cell, but they have more options with their phone rentals.
Travel Cell is a strictly internet business. They specialize in SIM card and phone rentals in numerous countries. Travel Cell is the more expensive of the three, but offers the most for your money.
All three companies off various plans and can ship you your SIM card prior to your travel date. Above is a simple breakdown of their rates. Check out their websites for more options.
You can also buy pre-paid SIM cards and plans at any telecom store or third party vendor. I recommend buying from a mobile phone vendor. Although many tourist shops sell SIM cards, you aren’t going to get any customer support.
The reception area of Ben Gurion Airport has a few vendors where you can do buy as well.
Where can I buy an Israeli phone?
The second option for having a local phone number is to get what I call a burner phone. Better put: a cheap phone with a pay-as-you-go or rental plan. It’s a second phone, but you won’t have to go through the pain of changing out the SIM card on your phone.
Like SIM cards, you can buy or rent phones at any telecom store or third party vendor.
All of the websites I mentioned above (Talk-N-Save, Cellular Abroad, Travel Cell) offer phone rentals. Here is a basic breakdown of their plans. Visit their websites for more options.
The 4 telecom carriers in Israel are Orange, Cellcom, Pelephone and Hot Mobile. I provide this information not to recommend any one over the others, but so you are familiar with them.
Does Israel have WiFi?
Yes, Israel has WiFi. It’s like the United States in that businesses, malls, hotels, and restaurants often have free WiFi.
If you just want internet to stay connected back home, this is the option for you.
You can use free services like Google Hangouts, Facetime, and Skype to do voice or video chat.
The constraint here is that you need to have a Wi-Fi connection. I can’t speak for every hotel in Israel, but every hotel I’ve been to has had Wi-Fi.
Some tour buses are equipped with Wi-Fi as well. Though, they are sometimes limited to a small number of users at a time and often have data limits.
If you can wait until you get to your hotel room to call home, this is the best option for you. And you won’t have to worry about extra charges on your phone plan.
The downside here is that you won’t be able to make local calls.
One thing you will want to do though, is get a VPN, or Virtual Private Network.
A VPN can protect you and your device from being hacked while you are logged into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Think of a VPN as a sheath for your data. It wraps your data in a protective shield while it transits through the internet. In order to do this though, a VPN will use some of your data. If the download speed is slow, a VPN will make it even slower.
The two top VPN services on the market today are:
Express VPN and Nord VPN. Both services have 1-month, 6-month and 1-year plans. A 1-year plan with Express VPN costs $100. And a 1-year plan with Nord VPN currently costs $60.
