Many across the U.S. welcome a white Christmas season, but there’s always those that prefer to lounge in the sun than layer up on scarves and sweaters. You’ll find some of these sun seekers traveling across state lines for their Vitamin D fix, while others travel to tropical countries for the genuine feel of summer.

While travelling, most people don’t want to go completely off the grid. Most would never leave behind their smartphone, tablet or laptop; they still want to connect with people they left behind by sharing their sunny escapades. The question is, is it wise to use your service abroad, or will it leave you with a huge international roaming bill?

Here’s a comparison of what top carriers offer for international travelers.

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AT&T

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Call rate in Canada and Mexico: $1 per minute.

Monthly call package available for Canada and Mexico: $30 for 80 minutes, $60 for 200 minutes and $120 for 500 minutes. Overage is at $0.50 per minute.

Call rate in Europe: $1.50 per minute.

Monthly call package for Europe: $30 for 30 minutes, $60 for 80 minutes,and $120 for 200 minutes. Overage is at $1 per minute.

Call rate for the rest of the world (over 140 countries supported): $2.50 per minute.

Monthly call package for the rest of the world: $30 for 15 minute, $60 for 40 minutes and $120 for 100 minutes. Overage is at $2 per minute.

Messaging: Send text, picture or video messages while traveling in over 150 countries. Text message rate is at $0.50 for sending, while standard domestic messaging rates apply for messages received. For videos and picture messages, sending one costs $1.39 while standard domestic messaging rates apply for receiving them.

Monthly messaging package: $10 for 50 messages, $30 for 200 messages and $60 for 600 messages. Excess messages sent will cost $0.40, $0.35,and $0.25 per message, respectively, for the plans.

Data rate: A monthly cellular data allotment for smartphones, laptops and tablets available when traveling in over 150 countries. Pay-Per-Use rate is at $0.015/KB or $15.36/MB in Canada, and $0.0195/KB or $19.97/MB for the rest of the world.

Monthly data package rate: $30 for 120MB of data, $60 for 300MB of data, with an included 1GB of Wi-Fi allowance for iOS and some Android devices in select countries, and $120 for 800MB of data with an included 1GB of Wi-Fi allowance for iOS and some Android devices in select countries. Overage for data is at $30 for 120MB of data.

Verizon

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Global Voice Plan: $4.99 per month.

Global Messaging Rates: $0.50 for each message sent, $0.05 for each message received, and $0.25 for each multimedia sent and received.

Global Data feature: $25 per 100MB.

Global Data pay-as-you-go: Canada – $0.002/KB or $2.05/MB; Mexico – $0.005/KB or $5.12/MB; Rest of World – $0.02/KB or $20.48/MB.

Canada/Mexico Share Everything: $15 per month for 1,000 minutes, overage is at $0.35. For small businesses, the rate is at $25 for 2,000 minutes with overage at $0.35.

Cruise Ship Rates: $25 for 100MB of data or the pay-as-you-go rate of $0.02.KB or $20.48/MB, $2.49 for call minutes, $0.50 for each message sent and $0.05 for each message received.

T-Mobile

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T-Mobile offers Simple Choice plans which automatically cover unlimited data and texting in over 100 countries at no extra charge. 500MB per month costs $50, 2.5GB per month costs $60 and unlimited costs $70 a month. T-Mobile has no overage charges, but if you have reached your limit, the service will be significantly slowed until the next billing cycle. As for international calls, the rate is at $0.20 per minute, available in over 100 countries.

Sprint

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Sprint’s international offering is a bit complicated as it mostly relies on the phone a person is using. In other words, even if you are on Sprint, there’s a possibility that you can’t use your device internationally. Also, voice, call and data rates vary by country. And if you’re going to travel, its international data package is an add-on to your existing plan which means you’ll probably be paying more.

The verdict

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Based on the plans, it seems T-Mobile is offering the best international roaming package with its Simple Choice plans. The plans already include unlimited data and text, and even if you go abroad, there’s no extra charge. Plus, its call rate is also cheaper compared to other networks.

The only downside to what T-Mobile offers is that its service is available in fewer countries. So, before signing up for a T-Mobile Simple Choice plan, make sure the country you are travelling to is supported by the network.

photo credit: Pepe Pont via photopin cc