AT&T Launches New Talk + Text Plans For Globetrotters

If you'll be traveling overseas soon, it's probably about time to start planning just how exactly you plan to stay connected. It's not as easy as just turning your smartphone on and roaming internationally. Well, it is, but you'll pay through the nose to do it. For those who plan ahead, AT&T is offering new talk + text plans for overseas yappers. The new discount roaming packages for calling and messaging, as well as new Wi-Fi capabilities on select AT&T Data Global Add-On packages, offer much better rates than you'd get if you didn't sign up for a plan ahead of time. Joining the AT&T Canada and Mexico Travel Minutes package, which was introduced earlier this year but will now be available at a better value, are AT&T Europe Travel Minutes and AT&T Rest of World Travel Minutes. Customers planning a trip abroad, who would like the convenience of being able to place and receive calls at a discounted rate on the same number as they use at home, will simply select the appropriate Travel Minutes package based on the country or countries they will be visiting, and then select the amount of calling minutes that will best meet their needs.

Canada and Mexico Travel Minutes, which covers voice calls made and received while traveling in Canada and Mexico, includes:

80 minutes of talk time for $30/month ($0.38 per minute effective rate)
200 minutes of talk time for $60/month ($0.30 per minute effective rate)
500 minutes of talk time for $120/month ($0.24 per minute effective rate)
Overage rate is $.50/min.

Europe Travel Minutes, which covers voice calls made and received while traveling in more than 40 European countries, includes:

30 minutes of talk time for $30/month ($1.00 per minute effective rate)
80 minutes of talk time for $60/month ($0.75 per minute effective rate)
200 minutes of talk time for $120/month ($0.60 per minute effective rate)
Overage rate is $1.00/min.

Rest of World Travel Minutes, which covers voice calls made and received in most of the countries not covered by the other two packages, includes:

15 minutes of talk time for $30/month ($2.00 per minute effective rate)
40 minutes of talk time for $60/month ($1.50 per minute effective rate)
100 minutes of talk time for $120/month ($1.20 per minute effective rate)
Overage rate is $2.00/min.

In addition to the Global Messaging 600 package, AT&T also offers Global Messaging 200 for $30/month and Global Messaging 50 for $10/month. It's not as if any of these options are "cheap," but compare it to non-plan rates and you'll certainly see it as "cheaper."