The Basics

A “Secret” Benefit of Google Fi for International Travel

8 years ago
6 Comments
by Charlie
a colorful letter f
Written by Charlie

Find out about a “secret” benefit of Google Fi that can help you with your web access while you are traveling internationally. Google Fi is, again, very helpful!

I am a huge fan of Google Fi! I have written about this great tool for travel many times and find it to be better all the time. But, recently, I found a secret benefit of Google Fi that can help you when you are traveling internationally.

A Secret Benefit of Google Fi for International Travel

benefit of Google Fi

A benefit of Google Fi for international travel is the US-based servers – great for getting around some geo-blocking.

It is no surprise that I cannot stand Southwest’s refusal to allow their customers to visit the website from outside of the US. It is a big pain, especially for people without a VPN.

Another issue is when trying to visit various retail websites which block international visitors. It is also something that varies with Netflix based on the country you are in as to what content is available to you.

Google Fi Uses US Servers for SIM Cards

Well, there is a way to work-around these issues! The Google Fi sim card uses US servers for the IP address – no matter where you are! I tried this out in Greece, Turkey, and Germany recently and each time, it showed that I was accessing the web from servers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. This meant that I could again access the websites that I am normally blocked from!

How To Do This

You do not have to do anything special. As long as you have a Google Fi sim card in your device, your device will appear as if you are connecting from the US – no matter where you are!

This “secret” benefit of Google Fi is a great help for international travel. If you have not had issues being blocked from some sites when traveling before, you do not realize how great this benefit of Google Fi is.

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About the author

Charlie

Charlie has been an avid traveler and runner for many years. He has run in marathons around the world for less than it would cost to travel to the next town - all as a result of collecting and using miles and points. Over the years, he has flown hundreds of thousands of miles and collected millions of miles and points.
Now he uses this experience and knowledge to help others through Running with Miles.

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6 Comments

  • Another secret benefit is that when you travel in authoritarian countries, you bypass local internet censorship with a U.S SIM card.

  • how is the coverage in Athens? , looked at map n can not fig out what kind of coverage to expect – I live in greece and states – wondering if this would allow me to have one phone

  • this is the same as tmobile. data is routed back to US. thats why ping times are a bit slower

  • Cool tip, Charlie.
    What’s your real-world download speed internationally? As advertise (4G)?

  • Hmm…Having had Project Fi for more than a year, I’ve ALWAYS had problems in China. No one else has?