How to use unlocked iPhone 14 Pro with European eSIM while avoiding roaming charges on locked iPhone 16 Pro?

Should I just deal with a 2nd, temporary European phone number on my 14Pro

That would be your only option since the iPhone 16 is locked to your current carrier.

The big question will be what kind of plans will be available over the timeframe for your travels. In other words, you would not want to lock the iPhone 14 to a long term plan.

If you could list the countries that you plan to visit, other users may be able to help with some suggestions on picking the right carrier that may offer services in all of the countries you plan to visit with no roaming charges.

This question can go in different directions, depending on equipment brought, equipment left, carrier plans, and total trip duration.

if the (carrier-locked) iPhone 16 is a canard and is not coming along, and you bring the (carrier-unlocked) iPhone 14 with a local eSIM or with a low-cost international eSIM carrier (maybe Roamless), or with an international plan from your current carrier, you’ll get the quoted rates.

If the (carrier-locked) iPhone 16 is coming along, then this is a carrier question. Some carriers offer international plans, which makes the roaming charges (somewhat) more predictable.

If this is related to (longer-duration) traveling and unrelated to (transient traveling) roaming (roaming and roaming charges can happen entirely within one country or region), an Apple Account is perfectly fine with multiple phone numbers from different carriers.

Where the limit for an Apple Account being out of its local country or region might be (unrelated to carriers and roaming charges), Apple does not document. Traveling (weeks, presumably?) is fine, but a travel duration approaching residency (months, presumably?) is not. Where that limit is, AFAIK, we don’t know.

Past that Apple away-from-home limit, you’ll need to transfer your Apple Account country or region, and establish a local payment method associated with your Apple Account, too.

How often an Apple Account can be re-homed, per year? i don’t know that off-hand, but for some reason twice comes to mind. If this is a factor, having an Apple Account in each country or region is probably the least-bad of bad choices, for longer-duration traveling such as for a “digital nomad”.

Another potential wrinkle arising here is how long your (carrier-locked) iPhone 16 can be turned off (when left at home) without your carrier potentially cancelling your plan, or how long your (carrier-locked) iPhone 16 can be out of the carrier’s country or region without your carrier cancelling your plan.

And then there’s taxes and tax residency. 🙄

I do wish this were better documented.

I’m usually not overseas for that long, maybe two to three weeks. I use Holafly. I find it considerably less expensive than the weekly plans. The service is good. Call forwarding from AT&T is spotty at best. It works perfect for a few days, then may not work for a few days to week. I’ve never bothered troubleshooting the issue, so not sure whose fault it is.

Thanks, so I can’t or it’s not worth forwarding my main number to the one I’ll get with the eSIM?

I don't know. That would be a question for your iPhone 16 carrier.

Vodafone might be worth investigating for your trip.

https://travel.vodafone.com/?c_code=sea_131_pf_VG_24_11_P_C_J_E_X_US-NB-GNR-Google&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=%7Badname%7D&utm_campaign=%7Bcampaignname%7D&utm_content=%7Badgroupname%7D&utm_keyword=esim%20travel&utm_matchtype=b&campaign_id=20754838923&ad_group_id=173707960444&ad_id=725320747918&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAqPxYcFjYOkSeygNY9Yy7yj27bNUK&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhMryrMeMjQMV5iFECB2nNio3EAAYBCAAEgL7L_D_BwE

nkdp wrote:

Thanks everyone for trying to help. I think when the moderator changed the title of my post, it confused everyone. This is just a one month vacation. I'll use my old phone like a burner phone (with a great camera and iCloud), but was wondering about the phone numbers, and forwarding.

Apple Accounts deal with two associated numbers just fine, the rest of that is a discussion with your carrier.

I completely understand my carrier's plans, etc, and this is just one of many vacations I take, so not problem with phones being turned off or such. I'll use my live phone on wifi, with data roaming turned off.

Yep.

About cellular data roaming options for your iPhone and iPad - Apple Support

Some carriers can require cellular connection to use Wi-Fi offload, too.

Probably should add an account recovery contact, and Stolen Device Protection should probably be enabled.

Set up an account recovery contact - Apple Support

About Stolen Device Protection for iPhone - Apple Support

For roaming charges contact your network/carrier provider.