How To Get High-Speed Wi-Fi While Traveling

There are a bunch of ways you can get high-speed Wi-Fi while you’re traveling. Your smartphone’s personal hotspot is the easiest and most reliable option, giving you Wi-Fi access for multiple devices, whether you’re on a long drive, staying at a vacation home, or even traveling abroad.

If you’re getting close to your data budget on your phone plan, hotels and restaurants often have free Wi-Fi for customers.

If you need high-speed, low-latency connectivity from anywhere (and have the budget for it), satellite internet from Starlink is a game changer. You could also get portable Wi-Fi from a built-in car hotspot or fixed wireless plan from T-Mobile. We’ve stopped recommending portable Wi-Fi hotspot devices for most folks, though.

Best ways to get Wi-Fi while traveling:

• Best for short trips: Personal smartphone hotspots
• Best for international travel: Travel hotspots and SIM cards
• Best for budget travelers: Hotel or restaurant Wi-Fi
• Best for road trips: Your car’s built-in hotspot
• Best for RVs and digital nomads: Starlink Mini satellite internet

Best for short trips: Smartphone hotspots

The hotspot on your phone is the easiest and quickest way to get Wi-Fi while traveling. As long as you have a data plan and network coverage, just switch on the Wi-Fi hotspot to provide internet access for your laptops, tablets, and phones.

Most phone plans come with hotspot data, so using one doesn’t tax your wallet. If you use this capability often, invest in two things to improve your experience: a premium mobile phone plan with lots of hotspot data and a portable charger that can keep your phone powered up while it acts as a mini-router for your other devices.

It’s worth noting that you’ll only be able to use your phone as a hotspot if you can get a strong 4G LTE or 5G signal. This may be difficult or impossible in remote areas, but mobile coverage in 2025 is better than ever. Don’t stress it.

Premium smartphone plans offer huge buckets of hotspot data these days—more than you need, if we’re being honest. You’ll likely do just fine with the hotspot data on the plan you already have.

If you plan to use your phone’s hotspot as a temporary home internet replacement, however, consider premium smartphone plans from Verizon or T-Mobile. Their hotspot data will get you through a week or two of moderate internet usage for a few devices, or up to a month if you budget your data wisely.

Best for international travel: Your phone or local eSIM cards

Like with domestic travel, the phone you already have is the best way to get Wi-Fi while traveling internationally. Just make sure you call your carrier before you leave the States to find out about rates and coverage.

If you discover there won’t be any coverage where you’re planning to go and you really need internet while abroad—for example, if you’re working remotely or need to make regular Zoom calls to family back home—we recommend getting an eSIM card from a local phone carrier in the country you’re visiting.

Best for budget travelers: Hotel and restaurant Wi-Fi

Nothing beats hotel Wi-Fi, am I right? Most hotels and restaurants nowadays offer free Wi-Fi with their services, and anyone who’s ever spent a long layover in Paris or Istanbul knows how convenient free Wi-Fi can be.

See below for a list of places where you can find public Wi-Fi (including lots of free options).  You will be safest on Wi-Fi hotspots that require a password, especially if you follow standard security practices. But consider investing in a travel router to boost your signal range or a VPN to increase browser security if you’re handling sensitive data or plan to visit websites you can’t trust completely.

Popular restaurant and retail chains with free Wi-Fi:

Use a travel router to give your travel Wi-Fi a boost

A travel router is a small device that improves your connection and increases your security while you’re plugged into a public Wi-Fi network.

It lets you set up a private network using an Ethernet connection from a public hotspot. So if you’re at a hotel, you can plug the travel router into a hotel-provided internet access point like an Ethernet port or hub. When you run the Wi-Fi through your travel router, it lets you bypass encryption and firewalls, connect more devices, and increase your signal range.

Best travel router

Best for road trips: Car Wi-Fi and built-in hotspots

Many newer vehicles—especially deluxe models and family sedans—have onboard Wi-Fi hotspots that give you internet access on the go.

Wi-Fi can be useful for maps apps while you’re driving a car—please don’t use it to catch up on the latest episode of Love Island behind the wheel. But so long as you’re paying attention to the road, an in-car hotspot is great because it lets your friends and family enjoy Wi-Fi access on long drives and road trips to watch movies, play games, and even get work done if necessary.

Best car internet plans

Many cars with built-in Wi-Fi hotspots need a data plan from AT&T. Prices and features vary based on the make and model of your vehicle, but expect to pay around $20 to $25 per month for a data plan (with additional savings if you bundle with an AT&T mobile phone plan).

Best for digital nomads: Starlink Mini satellite internet

RVs and Sprinter vans typically have built-in systems for utilities like water and gas, but if you’re living on the road, then you need to figure out a separate system for Wi-Fi.

The best solution on the market is the Starlink Mini. It requires a separate power source, but fits in a backpack and can easily be mounted on a sunroof or rear window. The cost is high at startup, and monthly service fees are required. But if you need fast internet from absolutely anywhere, Starlink can’t be beat.

If Starlink isn’t your style, check out other great portable Wi-Fi options like the T-Mobile AWAY or a standalone hotspot.

FAQ about getting Wi-Fi while traveling