The cheapest roaming abroad. Affordable mobile Internet abroad - an overview of operators

While abroad, it is important to have access to mobile communications and the Internet. They may be necessary for business or personal communication, will allow you to share new experiences. Before the trip, you need to connect and activate MTS roaming abroad and one of the profitable services for savings.

How to activate roaming abroad MTS

Access to mobile communications when traveling abroad will be provided by MTS after adding 2 services to its tariff:

• "International and national roaming";
• "International access".

When adding the 1st service, the 2nd one is automatically connected. You can connect them separately only in MTS stores or when contacting a call center.

Only if you have 2 options, while abroad, you can make outgoing calls and send SMS, including to Russia.

There are 3 ways to activate roaming services:

• USSD command *111*2192# ;
• in a mobile application;
• through a call center;
• at the MTS office.

When connecting, the following conditions must be met:

• The subscriber must be an MTS client for at least six months. The amount of accruals for this period should be more than 650 rubles.
• The subscriber is a client of MTS for more than a year, the amount of accruals for none of the 12 months of the last year should be equal to 0.

When adding international roaming services, the mobile number must be active and have a positive balance. Both options are connected for free and no money is charged for their maintenance.

If none of the above conditions is met, then it is recommended to activate the "Easy roaming" service.

MTS tariff for calls and Internet abroad. Smart Zabugorishche

Tariff "Smart Zabugorishche" is currently not possible to connect! Tariff archive. Use Zabugorishche service instead of this tariff.

MTS options for calls and Internet abroad

To establish mobile communications abroad, the subscriber must determine what to connect while in roaming, which MTS option will be most beneficial.

Option for roaming abroad "Zabugorishche" MTS

Option price from 320 rub/per day of use.

When connecting the Zabugorishche service to the tariffs Tariffishche, Smart Unlimited, My Unlimited, Our Smart, Smart, Smart+, Smart NonStop, X, Smart Top, "Ultra" MTS subscriber will be able to use roaming abroad at home rates. Within this service, one should distinguish between the “Popular countries” and “Other countries” options.

Popular countries: USA, Armenia, Abkhazia, Australia, Great Britain, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Denmark, Egypt, Italy, Israel, India, Spain, Canada, Qatar, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, UAE, Portugal, Romania, Turkey , Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, Finland, France, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, South Korea

• Incoming calls.
  
• Outgoing calls.
  
• Internet.
  

The "Zabugorishche" option is connected by the number *111*771*1#. It is not necessary to turn it off when returning home. The fee for it is charged only when you are abroad.

Option "Zero without borders" MTS

A similar option to "Zabugorishche" is the service "Zero without Borders".

The cost of using the service is 125 rubles per day.

You can connect it:

• on the territory of Russia by the number *444#;
• MTS offers roaming abroad in 2018 by command *111*4444#

Option "Free travel" MTS

When using the "Free travel" option for all calls, communication during the first hour will be free, then a tariff of 10 rubles per minute is set. You should pay 190 rubles per day when using the "Free travel" option.

It is no longer possible to activate the service, it has become archived.

Outgoing calls from 19.9 rubles. abroad MTS

The cost of a call while abroad will be 19.9 rubles per minute if the subscriber enters *137* before dialing the number. This tariff is set only for the CIS countries, Europe and popular places visited by tourists. All other states are paid at the rate of 79 rubles per minute.

Options for MTS Internet abroad

It is important to have access to the Internet abroad. This will be of particular interest to the younger generation.

Internet option "Zabugorishche" MTS

When activating the Zabugorishche service, the subscriber will be able to use the Internet as part of a home package in countries that are popular with tourists.

Option price from 320 rub/per day of use.

Internet option "Bit Abroad" MTS

If a subscriber, going abroad, intends to actively use the Internet there, then for him MTS recommends connecting one of the following options to the main tariff:

• "BIT Abroad" is designed for social networks and e-mail. 100 Mb per day is provided at maximum speed and then unlimited at a speed of 128 kbps. The cost is 450 rubles per day. You can connect or disconnect *111*2222#
• "Maxi BIT", in addition to the services included in the "BIT Abroad", it is possible to use maps and navigation. 200 Mb per day is provided at maximum speed and then unlimited at a speed of 128 kbps. The cost is 700 rubles per day. You can connect or disconnect *111*2223#

Internet option "SuperBit Abroad" MTS

Russian citizens began to travel abroad more often — in the first half of this year, the number of such trips increased by 24%. The most popular destinations were Turkey and European countries. The Internet project "Be Mobile" decided to find out how much mobile communications cost in international roaming at popular resorts and holiday countries, and how you can save money.

The number of citizens of the Russian Federation who go abroad, according to the results of the first half of 2017, began to grow. This is largely due to the stabilization of the ruble against other currencies, as well as the opening of a number of holiday destinations, the same in Turkey. People are more and more willing to travel outside of Russia. It is clear that no one wants to be left without communication while traveling. Just in time for the holiday season of 2017, the Be Mobile Internet project analyzed the tariffs for international roaming of the largest Russian operators.

Beeline

By default, all subscribers of the Beeline operator traveling outside of Russia are served at the rates of the "Most profitable roaming" service. Of the features of this proposal, it is worth noting the absence of the usual per-minute billing. The subscriber pays immediately for the package of services upon their use.

If you travel to the CIS countries, including Georgia, Abkhazia and Ukraine, then at the first incoming or outgoing call you will be charged 100 rubles. For this amount, by the end of the current day, you will be provided with a package of 10 incoming and outgoing minutes. In addition to this package until the end of the day - 10 rubles per minute. With the advent of a new day, the billing scheme is repeated. Thus, if you talk no more than 10 minutes a day, you will spend 700 rubles during the week.

If you are traveling to Europe, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and a number of other countries (see the table), then the first incoming or outgoing call you will be charged 200 rubles. For this money, 20 incoming and outgoing minutes will be provided until the end of the day. With the advent of a new day, 200 rubles will be debited from you again when using voice services, etc. Over a block of 20 minutes per day, there is a tariff of 10 rubles per minute until the end of the current day. Thus, if you talk no more than 20 minutes a day, you will spend 1400 rubles during the week.

Mobile Internet is charged at 200 rubles per 40 MB per day upon the first access to the Network, then until the end of the day at 5 rubles per 1 MB.

Sending SMS regardless of the host country - 20 rubles.

Beeline operator tariffs in international roaming

In countries such as Afghanistan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands, East Timor, Vietnam, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Cameroon, Kenya, Congo, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi , Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, about. Reunion, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Samoa (Western), Swaziland, Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan, Tinian), Tonga, Uganda, Uruguay, CAR, Chad, Ecuador, about. Mayotte, Monaco, Kuwait, Jordan, Iran, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Haiti, Guatemala, Guiana, Guernsey, Honduras, Jersey, Curacao, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, China, Mongolia , Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Morocco, South Korea, South Africa voice communication is charged differently. Here, each incoming call will cost 25 rubles per minute, and outgoing - 100 rubles per minute. Mobile Internet - 90 rubles per MB (except China, Mongolia, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Morocco, South Korea, South Africa).

For China, Mongolia, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Morocco, South Korea, South Africa, mobile Internet is charged in the same way as in the CIS countries, Europe and North America - 200 rubles per 40 MB per day upon the first access to the Network, then until the end of the day at 5 rubles per 1 MB.

Also, Beeline subscribers have access to the service of unlimited mobile Internet in roaming. If you connect it, you will be charged 350 rubles per day upon using the mobile Internet. This price includes a package of 100 MB of traffic per day with no speed limit, then until the end of the day the speed is limited to 128 Kbps. The service is available in 90 countries around the world.

Megaphone

MegaFon has the usual tariffication of communication services in international roaming. For example, in Europe, Turkey, all incoming calls cost 79 rubles per minute. Outgoing to Russia and numbers of the host country - 79 rubles per minute. Outgoing SMS - 25 rubles per message. Mobile Internet - 350 rubles per day after the first access to the Network (70 MB of traffic is provided for this fee). The quoted prices clearly do not meet the goals of economy. In this regard, the company allows you to connect several options that reduce communication costs in international roaming.

Thus, the "Whole World" option allows you to receive 40 free incoming minutes per day for a monthly fee of 59 rubles per day. Tariffication of other destinations and services takes place at base prices.

MegaFon subscribers also have access to packages of voice minutes. 25 minutes of incoming and outgoing minutes in Europe and the CIS countries will cost 329 rubles, 50 minutes - 495 rubles. For other countries, a package of 25 minutes - 829 rubles, 50 minutes - 1429 rubles.

For travelers to Abkhazia, there is a special option "It's like being at home in Abkhazia", ​​which allows you to use communication services at home tariffs. Activation of the option - 30 rubles, subscriber chamber - 30 rubles per day.

There are two options for mobile Internet users in roaming. The first one is "Vacation - Online". It allows you to access the Web for 15 rubles per 1 MB in a number of countries, including Austria, Armenia, Belarus, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, UAE, Portugal, Romania , Turkey, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Estonia, South Africa. There is no subscription fee. The cost of connecting the option is 30 rubles.

The second option is "World Online". It provides unlimited Internet in roaming - 1 GB per day without speed limit, then the speed is limited to 64 Kbps. At the same time, for p2p connections, the speed limit is always in effect. The option does not work when using the device as an access point for distributing Internet traffic via Wi-Fi. The subscription fee for unlimited Internet in international roaming is 600 rubles per day. A list of countries where the option is available can be found on the operator's website.

MOTIVE

MOTIV has the usual tariffication of communication services in international roaming. For example, in Turkey, all incoming calls will cost 26 rubles per minute, and outgoing calls to Russia - from 334 to 400 rubles per minute. SMS - 35 rubles per message.

Subscribers of "MOTIV" can save on calls in international roaming with the help of "Roaming NON-Stop" service. It reduces the cost of incoming calls to 7.7 rubles per minute in all countries of the world. Activation of the service will cost 12 rubles. The subscription fee is 5 rubles per day.

MTS

MTS has the usual tariffication of communication services in international roaming. For example, in Turkey, all incoming calls cost 60 rubles per minute. Outgoing to Russia and numbers of the host country - 60 rubles per minute. Outgoing SMS - 19 rubles per message. Mobile Internet - 450 rubles per day upon first accessing the Network (for this fee, unlimited Internet is provided 100 MB of traffic per day without traffic limitation, then the speed is limited to 128 Kbps). These prices cannot be called economical, rather, on the contrary.

Among the tariff options it is worth noting "Zero without borders". For 95 rubles per day, the subscriber receives 10 free incoming minutes with each call. However, you can use no more than 200 free minutes per month. If this volume is exceeded, all incoming calls are charged at 25 rubles per minute.

The "Free travel" option allows you to receive and make calls within 60 minutes per day for free for 190 rubles of a monthly fee per day. Free minutes within the "Free Travel" option are provided when you are in international roaming in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, UAE, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, USA, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, France , Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Japan. Thus, a weekly use of the option will cost 1330 rubles, while the client will be able to make and receive calls with a total duration of up to 60 minutes per day.

Three options are available to mobile Internet users in international roaming. The first is "BIT Abroad". The subscription fee is 450 rubles per day. This price includes unlimited internet. The first 100 MB per day without speed limit, then the speed is limited to 128 Kbps.

The option "Maxi BIT abroad" is provided for 700 rubles per day and also provides unlimited mobile Internet. True, in this case, the package without speed limit is 200 MB per day.

There is also a full unlimited mobile Internet in international roaming in the MTS line - the “Super BIT in roaming” option. The subscription fee for use is 1600 rubles per day.

It is also worth noting the new MTS Zabugorishche tariff, which is valid in 29 countries: Abkhazia, Australia, Armenia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Israel, India, Spain, Italy, Canada, Malta, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Romania, USA, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland, South Africa. Subscribers can continue to use packages of included services for an additional fee of 290 rubles per day in addition to the subscription fee of the basic tariff.

Tele2

As in the case with other operators, international roaming at Tele2 is charged per minute. For example, in Europe and Turkey, all incoming calls cost 15 rubles per minute. Outgoing to Russia and numbers of the host country - 15 rubles per minute. Outgoing SMS - 6 rubles per message. Mobile Internet - 25 rubles per MB.

You can save on international roaming with the Calls Without Borders service. When the service is activated, all incoming calls are charged at 5 rubles per minute. Outgoing - according to roaming tariffs. The subscription fee for using the service is 5 rubles per day. The service is valid in all countries of the world except for the following: Algeria, Angola, Andorra, Iraq, Lebanon, Maldives and Seychelles, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan.

You can save money on mobile Internet in international roaming using the "Internet Abroad" service. When you connect the service, you will be charged a fee of 100 rubles per day. For this money, a package is provided - 10 MB per day, then in addition to the package, billing is 10 rubles per MB.

In conclusion, we note that tourist and special international SIM cards can become an alternative to international roaming. An overview of tariffs and offers for them can be

In our reviews, we have already talked about tourist SIM-cards - an interesting thing, but not always convenient. Many people never even think about buying them. It is easier for them to choose the most suitable tariff from their operator. It will be more expensive, but more convenient. In this review, we will tell you which tariff plan is best for sending on a trip where international roaming is available. We will try to find one of the most profitable offers from each operator (or maybe two).

Connecting international roaming

Before you go on a trip, you need to choose a suitable tariff plan and activate international roaming. On Iota, it is available in automatic mode - no additional services need to be connected. The same applies to the Tele2 operator. On MegaFon it is available automatically. But if you are going to travel to a country where online billing is not valid, you need to activate the Extended International Roaming service.

Everything is transparent on Beeline - international roaming for prepaid system subscribers is available automatically, provided that online roaming is available in the country of destination. Otherwise, you must have at least 600 rubles on your balance. As for the subscribers of the postpaid settlement system, in both cases they will need to activate the International Communication service.

On MTS, we are waiting for some difficulties. Two services must be activated on the traveler's number at once - "International and national roaming" and "International access". They are connected through a personal account, contact center or service offices. You can also dial the USSD command *111*2192#. For countries with online roaming, you need to activate the "Easy roaming and international access" service - dial *111*2157#, visit the office or look into your personal account.

Online roaming (Camel-roaming) – international roaming with real-time billing of services. If there is no agreement between the home and guest operator, billing is carried out with a delay of several days (as bills arrive).

If you would like to disable international roaming, please contact your carrier. Although it is not necessary to turn it off. Shutdowns require only additional options that reduce the cost of communication services while traveling - in the home network they can lead to unnecessary debiting of subscription fees.

Roaming abroad from MTS

We will meet the cheapest international roaming with the MTS operator on the Smart Zabugorishche tariff plan. It provides for the weekly allocation of service packages - 7 GB of Internet traffic and 350 minutes to numbers in the home region per week. And these services are available even when you are abroad. Or rather, in popular countries. Their list includes India, Armenia, UAE, Czech Republic, Thailand, Germany, Taiwan, Greece, Israel, Hungary, Canada, Italy, USA, Malta, Egypt, Netherlands, Australia, Portugal, Ukraine, Romania, Switzerland, Spain, France, Turkey, Abkhazia and Great Britain. The subscription fee is 250 rubles / week.

Roaming abroad from Beeline

Favorable international roaming on Beeline is represented by two tariff plans:

• "All for 1800 + roaming" - the offer includes 15 GB of internet, 3000 minutes of national calls and 3000 SMS. True, only the Internet package is valid in international roaming, but this is also a plus. The subscription fee is 1800 rubles / month.
• “Absolutely EVERYTHING” is a premium and therefore the most expensive tariff plan. It includes service packages for foreign trips and separate packages for spending on the territory of the Russian Federation. Abroad, subscribers receive - 100 Mb of traffic, 100 minutes of outgoing calls and 100 SMS per month, as well as 30 incoming minutes every day. On the territory of Russia, 60 GB of traffic, 6000 outgoing minutes, 600 minutes to foreign numbers, unlimited within the network and 6000 SMS within Russia are provided. The amount of the subscription fee is 6000 rubles / month.

If both offers seem too expensive, use any other Beeline tariff. Here you will find the “Most profitable roaming” service, which includes call packages from 100 rubles / 10 minutes, traffic packages from 200 rubles / 40 Mb and inexpensive incoming calls - from 10 rubles / min. The cost of traffic after the package is exhausted - from 5 rubles / MB. The service is provided without a subscription fee.

Roaming abroad from MegaFon

We will not wait for tariffs for international roaming from this operator. It just doesn't have specialized offerings. Therefore, you can choose any tariff plan and connect one of the options to it:

• "All the World" - free incoming calls abroad, 40 minutes for 99 rubles / day.
• "Around the World" - incoming and outgoing calls from 13 rubles / min with a monthly fee of 9 rubles / day.
• "Packages of minutes" - a family of package options, from 329 rubles for 25 minutes of incoming and outgoing minutes.
• "It's like home in Abkhazia" - the option keeps home billing in this developing direction. The subscription fee is 30 rubles per day, the one-time cost of connection is 30 rubles.
• "Vacation-Online" - the cost of traffic to popular destinations will be 15 rubles / MB. Connection fee - 30 rubles, no subscription fee;
• "World Online" - unlimited traffic in 69 countries for 600 rubles / day.
• "SMS packages" - inexpensive packages of text messages from 195 rubles for 50 pieces.

Thanks to the options, you can make your current tariff more profitable.

Roaming abroad from Tele2

Yes, there are no specialized tariffs for international roaming on MegaFon. But it has a lot of options. But Tele2 has neither one nor the other. But there are still pluses - this operator initially has low prices for calls abroad. Additionally, we note the service "Unlimited Internet abroad" for 350 rubles / day. It only works on popular destinations.

Roaming abroad from Iota

And here again we are faced with the lack of special tariffs for international roaming. The operator boasts of initially low prices for calls and Internet when staying in other countries. But in general, the prices are even more expensive than on Tele2. But subscribers receive the following benefits:

• Traffic control every 40 Mb - the network controls the consumption, preventing overspending and wild spending of money;
• Half an hour of uncharged incoming calls for 39 rubles/day;
• Free messengers - you heard right, the most popular messengers work in international roaming from Iota for free. You just need to restrict Internet access for other applications and services on your smartphone.

Thus, roaming from Iota also boasts a certain benefit.

What to choose in the end

Make your choice according to the carrier you use and the country of destination. In the most popular destinations, cheap calls and inexpensive internet will always be waiting for you. The easiest way in this regard is with MegaFon - with the help of many additional options, you can make almost any tariff plan profitable. And remember that you can change your carrier at any time without parting with your number.

Can you imagine your life without a mobile phone today? These gadgets have literally become necessary attributes of our existence. Therefore, mobile communication abroad is as necessary as at home.

In addition to the fact that phones give us the opportunity to communicate with friends via the Internet, we do not refuse the opportunity to call them from other countries. How can this be done in the most profitable and economical way?

At present, and as it has been since the advent of mobile communications, if you cross the border, then your operator automatically transfers you to roaming. In fact, this is one of the most convenient ways to stay abroad for a short time.

• Do not miss:

The advantages are obvious:

• no need to buy a new sim card;
• no need to download additional software.

It is especially important to note that roaming rates are quite bearable, given the short conversations without too much chatter. The main advantage in this choice of mobile communication abroad is getting rid of the problem of finding a profitable option for calls. You just do not waste time on this, enjoy a good rest and occasionally call home to say that everything is fine with you.

Additional services of operators

In addition to the fact that you get into roaming, often a message comes from the operator listing additional features. They allow you to save a sufficient amount of money while in roaming. For example, these could be sentences like this:

• free incoming calls;
• discounts for a tariff plan in a certain country;
• special offer for frequent Internet users;
• packages of sms or mms messages.

Each operator has a different list of services provided in roaming, but still, it must be said that this type of mobile communication abroad always turns out to be the most expensive. Therefore, if you want to communicate within a new country, you will have to look for another option.

Local type SIM cards

• use of a favorable tariff within the country;
• often unlimited internet;
• ease of use on long journeys.

However, there are a number of disadvantages here:

• you cannot keep your old phone number;
• a sufficient amount of time will be spent searching for a new operator;
• if you do not speak a foreign language, it will be problematic to use the tariff plan.

If all of the above circumstances are not a problem for you, feel free to buy a local type SIM card. The only thing to remember is that you will have to look for another way to call home.

Travel SIMs

Perhaps, one of the most popular ways of communication among avid travelers is calls on tourist sim-cards. They give you the following benefits:

1. Possibility to save the number.
2. The cheapest calls of all the above options.
3. Different operators provide different opportunities, which gives you the right to choose the best option for you.

It is important to note that not all operators provide tourist SIM cards. For some, they even work only at strict certain tariffs. Therefore, be careful when issuing such a card and carefully study all the conditions of the tariff plan.

SIM cards are the most popular among tourists. Designed specifically for travelers, they offer the best rates for connecting with friends and family.

In general, today SIP-telephony is considered the most progressive and economical way of mobile communication abroad. It works on voice signals coming through the Internet. And in order to use it, it is enough to download a special application and register in the provider's network.

Skype, Viber and other applications

Today, you can hardly surprise anyone with the presence of these applications on your phone. But for some reason, when a person goes abroad, he instantly forgets about them and starts to panic. Leave worry! Getting internet abroad is easy. There are at least two easy ways to do this:

1. Wi-Fi network of any establishments, taxis and sites.
2. Local provider for home use.

The first method will be the most profitable, convenient, and most importantly - free for you. You will have to pay for the second one, but, nevertheless, the amount is not very different from the standard rates, and depending on the required number of megabytes per day, you can choose the tariff that suits you.

Skype and Viber applications allow you to call family and friends simply over the Internet. Therefore, if they also have these programs installed, calls from abroad will not become a problem. The call quality is excellent, and a nice bonus is added to everything. You probably already guessed that this is a video call from Skype.

Take advantage of all the achievements of the 21st century, when choosing a mobile connection abroad, give preference to modern technologies and you will always have a profitable connection between countries. Then your vacation will pass without any hassle, and you will enjoy it 100%!

The most frequent need for international roaming is short-term. An “ordinary” call or message to relatives about a successful landing or check-in to a hotel is unlikely to ruin, but on vacation and on vacation, many are faced with the high cost of calls, messages and mobile Internet. High-profile “roaming” cases immediately come to mind, like the one about the TV series “Interns” downloaded in roaming, for which the operator asked for more than 1 million rubles.

With your samovar

According to a survey by the online travel agency Tripsta, more than half of Russians use the services of Russian mobile operators when traveling abroad, and only 12% of respondents, while abroad, prefer not to use the phone at all. What to do for those who need communication while traveling? Changing the tariff for a short period, of course, makes no sense. Of course, local Wi-Fi, instant messengers and pre-downloaded city maps save some of the communication costs. And yet, what solutions do our mobile operators offer in international roaming?

Operator/tariff/option	Subscription fee, rub./day	Cost of incoming calls, rub./min.	Cost of outgoing calls, rub./min.	SMS cost, rub.
Option "Zero without borders"	95	0 first 10 minutes, then 25	25 from the 2nd to the 5th minute, the rest - according to the roaming tariff	19
Free travel option	250	0 first 60 minutes, then 10	0 first 60 minutes, then 10	19
Outgoing calls from 11.9 rubles/min. via code *137*	0 rub.	according to roaming tariff	11,9-79	19
Service "Planet Zero"	60 (when receiving incoming)	0 first 20 minutes, then 10	20	7
Service "My Planet"	0	25	25	9
Tariff "Around the world"	0	13	13	11
Worldwide option	39	0 first 30 minutes, then according to the roaming tariff	according to roaming tariff	according to roaming tariff
Service "Conversations without borders"	5	5	15	6

Rates, options and services apply in many, but not all, countries. Specify the list of countries on the operator's website.

It is worth noting that Tele2, which has recently entered the market of the Moscow region, even without additional services, is ready to compete with the “big three” operators, offering to pay 15 rubles per minute for incoming / outgoing calls in roaming (in Europe and the CIS) and 6 rubles at basic tariffs for SMS and MMS in the absence of any additional services.

The same basic incoming / outgoing calls for Europe and some other countries will cost 49 rubles for Megafon, 69 rubles for Beeline, and 25 to 115 rubles for MTS. respectively. The basic cost of SMS is the same for all three operators - 19 rubles. MTS and Megafon have separate packages to reduce the cost of sending short messages in roaming (195-700 rubles / month), but we dare to assume that most visitors to Sravni.ru successfully replace SMS and MMS functions of online messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Skype, Facebook, etc.).

The cost of a minute of conversation for an outgoing call is most advantageous for MTS with the "Free travel" option - 4.17 rubles, but taking into account conversations for 60 minutes a day. After all, for 60 minutes you will have to pay 250 rubles a day, whether you pronounce them or not. Yes, indeed "Free travel" for a limited number of European countries, plus Australia, Armenia, Israel and the UAE.

SIM card of the world

For frequent travelers, roaming by Russian operators, even with connected options, is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, many of them buy international SIM cards that are valid in a large number of countries. Travel agencies (Globalsim group of companies) can offer such a SIM card to some tourists, and those flying through Moscow airports don’t even have to think about purchasing it in advance - Simtravel Mobile SIM cards are sold in Hellobox machines, Euroset and Svyaznoy salons » in Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo respectively. Also in Euroset, Svyaznoy and some travel agencies you can purchase an international SIM card from Goodline.

Tariffs for international SIM cards do not differ much from each other, unlike the offers of national operators. So, all the tariffs analyzed by Sravni.ru do not involve the collection of a subscription fee, in almost all cases you will not have to pay for incoming calls, and only 10 cents are charged for SMS. True, messages will have to be sent not in the usual way, but through the SIM menu and in Latin letters. The cheapest outgoing calls to landline numbers in the two capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg - are offered by Goodline and Simtravel mobile. A minute will cost the subscriber 0.05 USD. Calls to Russian mobile numbers at the rates of the same companies will already cost 29 cents (22.13 rubles at the exchange rate of the Central Bank on February 2, 2016). For calls to mobile numbers, WellTell tariffs are more profitable - 20 cents per minute (Contact package) or 16.67-13.89 cents (Worldwide packages).

Company/Tariff/Option	SIM card cost	Cost of incoming calls, USD	Outgoing call cost	SMS cost, USD
Tariff "Planet-Good"	350 rub.	0 in 146 countries	0.05-0.49USD/min	-
Package "Contact"	10 USD	0*	$0.20/min	0.10 (in Europe)
Worldwide Packages	10 USD	0*	25 USD/14 days/150 min. 45 USD/30 days/300 min. 125 USD/90 days/900 min. 175 USD/30 days/unlimited	0.10 (in Europe)
SIM card «GlobalSim»	800 rubles (the amount on the account is 10 USD)	0	0.39 USD/min. (for European countries)	0.10 (via sim menu)
Tariffs "Europe", "Whole World" and "Whole World Plus"	350 rub.	0	0.05-0.15 USD/min. to landline numbers of the Russian Federation; $0.29/min to Russian mobile numbers	0.10 (via sim menu)

* - when attaching a Russian number - incoming numbers are counted as outgoing numbers due to the call back function.

All the indicated tariffs do not provide for the collection of a monthly fee and are valid in many countries of the world, but in some conditions they may differ from those indicated. Check the operator's website for exceptions and tariff surcharges for various countries.

Given the current floating exchange rate of the ruble, the cost of calls and SMS for Russians at the rates of international SIM cards has risen significantly, since they are denominated in US dollars. But even at the current rate, this option is more profitable for travelers than the roaming tariffs of the Big Three. The same applies to mobile Internet - packages of international SIM card operators are usually more profitable, however, full-fledged mobile Internet in roaming will definitely cost less when buying a local SIM card.

I will move to London

But what if you plan to move to another country for a long time, while the “home” number of the Russian operator is needed to receive calls from work partners, relatives, friends, or colleagues, in whose address books it has been recorded for many years? Or you want to keep the number and continue using it upon returning from a long-term “business trip”. In this case, it is unlikely that the subscriber will use the mobile Internet, often call or send messages - for this he probably has a local SIM card. But if you leave the number in working condition, then it should be possible to receive incoming calls and messages.

Only MegaFon offers a special tariff for such subscribers (Vokrug sveta tariff with calls from 13 rubles per minute, without obligatory monthly or daily expenses, but only with a prepaid advance payment of 300 rubles). Other operators are limited to special services and options more suitable for short-term travel. But the international SIM cards mentioned above have the ability to bind a Russian number. That is, the Russian number remains active, they can continue to call, but the calls will go to the international SIM card. True, in this case they will be regarded as outgoing (not for a Russian, but for an international card), which means they will not be free. If in a simple way: both forwarding and the auto-call function work simultaneously.

These are the main options for saving on cellular communications abroad. Given the possibility of switching with your number to another operator, the functions of linking a Russian SIM card to an international one, everyone can choose convenient offers for their own purposes. The main thing in the pursuit of savings is not to forget about the tariffs of your operator and replenish your phone balance in a timely manner. While abroad, this can be done using a bank card in the personal account of the telecom operator or through the Internet bank.