Affordable Phone Plan for Travelling
Calling, texting, and data anywhere you go, for less!
You’re heading on a trip — of course, you need to be able to use your phone while away, but do you really need to pay for an expensive roaming plan or struggle with finding a local SIM provider when you arrive?
The answer is no! The Fongo Mobile app can provide you with calling and texting wherever your trip takes you, and if needed, an eSIM provider like Airalo can provide you with an international data plan at a very low cost. Calling, Texting, and Data – no roaming charges, no surprises.
Read on to find out how to stay connected anywhere in the world—without breaking the bank.
Affordable Phone Plan Features – Pick What You Need
A phone plan comes down to four essentials: your number, calling, texting, and data. But what if you only care about some, not all? With Fongo Mobile, you get the basics for free and only pay for the extras you need.
Below, we break down each feature—how it works and what it costs.
Phone Number
FREE – Choose a new phone number from any location for free when you create a Fongo Mobile account. This will be your phone number to use for calling and texting. Since it’s a Canadian number local to your chosen city, friends and family can reach you, and you can reach them, without long-distance or international fees, no matter where you are.
PAID – Transfer your existing number to Fongo Mobile for a one-time fee of $25, replacing the free number you chose during signup (mentioned above). This is ideal for long-term travellers as your friends and family can reach you, and you can reach them, without long-distance or international fees, no matter where you are.
By transferring your number to Fongo, you:
- Avoid paying for your existing phone plan (which you’re not using while you travel)
- Keep ownership of your phone number
- Avoid paying for a roaming plan, which is the only other way to use your number while travelling
Simply transfer your number to Fongo Mobile, cancel your old plan, then when you’re back, move your number to any provider to resume service. Easy!
Number Transfer Cost: $25 one-time fee
Calling
FREE – With Fongo Mobile, you can make unlimited calls to any Canadian number* (plus select U.S. border cities) from anywhere in the world! It doesn’t matter where you are, you can call Canadians for free. You can also receive calls from anyone, anywhere—your friends and family won’t pay long-distance or international fees since your Fongo number is Canadian.
*excluding territories
PAID – To call international numbers you will need to add Calling Credits to your account. Your calling credit balance will decrease as you make international calls based on the rate for each country you call.
Example: Calling a phone number in India 🇮🇳 costs 2¢ per minute.
Purchase calling credits within the app or login to your account online.
- $5.49 – $5 Credit
- $9.99 – $10 Credit
- $19.99 – $20 Credit
- $49.99 – $50 Credit
Texting
FREE – You and other Fongo Mobile users can text, share media, and start group chats from anywhere in the world. Fongo-to-Fongo messaging is global, unlimited and completely free.
When it comes to texting with non-Fongo users (regular cell phone users), you can receive text messages from anyone for free, but sending texts is a paid feature. Read below for further details.
PAID – Add a Canadian or Global texting package to your account to send & receive unlimited text or media messages with regular cellphone users. You will also unlock the ability to receive verification texts from most platforms.
Of course, the Canadian texting package limits you to texting with Canadian cellphone users, but you can be anywhere in the world while you do it! The Global texting package allows you to text with any cellphone user in the world.
Purchase texting packages within the app or log in to your account online.
- $2.79 – 1 Month
- $5.49 – 3 Months
- $9.99 – 6 Months
- $17.99 – 12 Months
- $3.99 – 1 Month
- $8.49 – 3 Months
- $14.99 – 6 Months
- $27.99 – 12 Months
Data
All of the above-mentioned Fongo Mobile services can be used on Wi-Fi, but perhaps you want to use your Fongo Mobile app while on-the-go, along with other apps on your phone that require internet. International data is not something Fongo provides, but services like Airalo provide an inexpensive eSIM that allows your device to connect to cellular data networks in the country of your choice and provides you with internet access while away from WiFi. Pay-per-use eSIMs are usually data-only and do not provide a phone number or the ability to text & call, which is where the Fongo Mobile app comes in.
How eSIMs Work
Simply download the Airalo app, purchase an eSIM data plan of your choice for the specific country you’re travelling to, then activate it when you arrive to your destination. There’s no physical SIM card. Upon activating the data plan, the Airalo app will guide you through the settings on your phone that need to be changed in order to connect to the eSIM network. Once connected to the network, your device will have an internet connection wherever cellular data service is available in that country, just like a regular SIM card connection.
Summary
= talk, text and data – wherever you want to go!
If you’re heading on a trip, you don’t need to pay for an expensive roaming plan or scramble to find a local SIM card once you arrive. With Fongo Mobile, you can create a fully functional and affordable phone plan for travelling using just two things:
-
Fongo Mobile App – Gives you a Canadian phone number, free calling to Canadian numbers, and free messaging between Fongo users – All this can be done from anywhere in the world. If you need to text with non-Fongo users or call internationally, low-cost add-ons are available in-app. You can even transfer your existing number to Fongo to avoid paying for a Canadian phone plan you won’t be using while abroad.
Tip: Download Fongo Mobile while in Canada before your trip. It’s not free in international app stores. -
eSIM Data Plan – For mobile internet access while you’re on the go outside Canada, download an eSIM app like Airalo. You can buy a low-cost data plan for the country you’re headed to, then once you arrive, activate the plan and your phone will connect to local cellular networks without needing a physical SIM card. This allows all your apps — including Fongo Mobile — to work seamlessly wherever you are.
Tip: Download an eSIM app and purchase a data plan before your trip. The data plan will not begin until you activate it in your destination.
With this setup, you get everything a phone plan should offer: a number, calling, texting, and data, but at a fraction of the price of traditional travel/roaming plans. Whether you’re travelling short-term or long-term, it’s a smart and flexible way to stay connected without breaking the bank.
Pricing
The cost is up to you based on what you need. See below for what you can get for free, then see what’s available as add-ons to make the perfect phone plan for your trip!
Available for Free!
Available Add-Ons
eSIM Prices
eSIM plans vary based on the data you need, the country you’re travelling to, and the duration you need that data for. Here are a few plans we pulled from Airalo to give you an idea of the pricing:
- U.S. 🇺🇸 – 3GB, 30 days of connectivity – $16 CAD
- Italy 🇮🇹 – 3GB, 30 days of connectivity – $14.50 CAD
- China 🇨🇳 – 3GB, 30 days of connectivity – $12.50 CAD
- Mexico 🇲🇽 – 3GB, 30 days of connectivity – $16 CAD
- Portugal 🇵🇹 – 5 GB, 7 days of connectivity – $8.50 CAD
Getting Started With Your Phone Plan for Travelling is Easy!
Download App
Sign Up
Choose Number
Start Calling
