AT&T's separate US and North America passes
AT&T lists visitor passes for one, seven, 15 and 30 days. At the time of checking, US data-only cost $3.99 for one day or $15.99 for seven; seven days with US talk and text cost $20.99. A separate seven-day data-only pass for the US, Mexico and Canada cost $24.99. These are the operator's displayed prices and country lists. Its one-day North America option is unavailable for Mexico or Canada, so check the selected row before a border crossing.
AT&T advertises unlimited data but may slow speeds while the network is busy. Passes include 5 GB of hotspot data; afterwards AT&T states a maximum 128 kbps hotspot speed. Extra time is available through its app. Treat laptop sharing separately from phone data.
The operator says the phone must be 5G-capable, unlocked, dual-SIM enabled, have an open eSIM slot and an international phone number. It performs an eligibility check before purchase. Its current page asks users to download the app, enter a phone number, get verified and choose a plan, but does not explain which identity document is required or establish a US-only activation rule. Check those steps in the live app before flying, especially if the first connection is needed immediately at arrival.
Verizon prepaid: a month of calls and data after arrival
Verizon presents its prepaid eSIM as a visitor option with a new US number, domestic calls, texts and a full month of service. Its My Verizon app checks phone compatibility and verifies that the device is physically in the United States before activation. Travellers can download the app and browse plans abroad, but Verizon says the eSIM activation itself waits until arrival. Keep another connection available for the app, payment and any verification step on landing.
Verizon accepts a US credit or debit card, Apple Pay or PayPal and says a foreign SIM can remain for calls. At the time of checking, first-month prices were $45 for 15 GB, $60 for Unlimited and $70 for Unlimited Plus, before later Auto Pay discounts; taxes and fees may apply. The displayed $35, $50 and $60 figures include Auto Pay, so are not first-month prices.
Hotspot terms differ even between Verizon plans. The 15 GB plan uses its data allowance for hotspot, the standard Unlimited plan lists 5 GB of mobile hotspot and Unlimited Plus lists 25 GB of premium hotspot. Verizon says Auto Pay savings begin after the first month. If the trip is only a few days, a month-long prepaid line may be more service than needed; if a US number and ordinary SMS matter, its voice features can be useful.
Read the FCC map as an outdoor prediction
The Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map compares each provider's reported 3G, 4G and 5G mobile coverage. Select the Mobile Broadband tab and filter by provider and technology for the places on the route, such as a national park entrance, an interstate rest stop or a hotel outside Los Angeles. The FCC says its mobile layers describe where a connection should work outdoors or in a moving vehicle; they do not show indoor service. A coloured area is therefore not proof of reception inside a concrete hotel or subway station.
Providers submit coverage generated by radio propagation models. Terrain, handset and cell-site capacity can change actual reception. The FCC tool separates two 5G performance thresholds and outdoor stationary from in-vehicle service. Check the layer and date, since a 5G label alone does not tell you which threshold was mapped.
For a drive through desert, mountains or forest, save offline navigation before the remote leg. AT&T's claim of over 99 per cent US population coverage is its own claim; it cannot replace place-specific FCC mapping of a lightly populated road.
A first connection at LAX and on the train
Los Angeles International Airport says free Wi-Fi is available in public areas of every terminal. Its free service runs in 45-minute sessions with a short advertisement before access. Select the official _LAX Free WiFi network, open a browser and choose the free option. That can provide a connection for a Verizon activation or an AT&T app check after landing. LAX also describes a separate Mobile Passport Network for the customs area; it is limited to the relevant application and does not provide general browsing, so ordinary eSIM setup must wait until another connection is available.
Amtrak says onboard Wi-Fi depends on mobile carriers' towers along its routes, and its bandwidth can be limited. Its page tells passengers to download large files before boarding. On Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner trains the named network differs from the standard Amtrak_WiFi. This makes a train from an arrival city a poor place to discover that a new eSIM still needs an app download or payment verification. Activate and test while airport or station access is reliable.
Amtrak says its public Wi-Fi needs no secure pass code. Use the official network name, protect sensitive account details and keep the first ticket and address offline.
Keep the right profile for Mexico or Canada
AT&T publishes distinct US-only and US-Mexico-Canada travel rows. Its North America data offer can suit an itinerary that crosses the land border, while the lower-priced US-only row should be treated as domestic. Verizon's prepaid page lists Mexico and Canada talk, text and data among plan features, but the precise plan and fair-use conditions should be checked at checkout. Do not generalise one operator's country list to another line in a dual-SIM phone.
Before departure, confirm that the phone is unlocked and the exact model passes the intended carrier's compatibility check. AT&T specifically requires a 5G-capable dual-SIM handset and an international number. Verizon lets its app check compatibility and keeps the existing foreign SIM in place. Decide whether the home line must remain available for bank messages, then choose the US eSIM for data in settings after activation and review the home provider's roaming charges.
Follow the selected operator's identity and payment flow. AT&T says its app verifies applicants but does not specify a passport on the page checked. Verizon sets a location and payment requirement. Do not assume that a document requested for a tourist SIM in another country is also required here.
Emergency calls and the final arrival check
The US National 911 Program says all wireless phones can call 911, including those without an active carrier plan. It warns that an uninitialised phone may not transmit its location and the call centre cannot call it back if the call drops. This is a reason to state the location clearly, not to rely on a data-only eSIM as a documented voice plan. Confirm the handset's actual emergency-calling capability and keep a voice-capable line if ordinary calls are needed.
Before leaving LAX or another arrival airport, confirm that the app has finished eSIM activation and open a map over mobile data. For Verizon, the location check and payment belong to this arrival stage. For AT&T, check the chosen territorial row, the 5 GB hotspot allowance and whether the plan includes talk and text. Save 911, accommodation details and an offline route for the next drive or train. Our United States plan page offers another data route to compare with these operator products.
Networks our United States plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for United States, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- AT&T5G
- T-Mobile5G
- T-Mobile USA5G
- T-Mobile USA Inc.5G
- US Cellular5G
- Verizon5G
- Verizon Wireless5G