Can I Text and or iMessage internationally?

So me and this girl have been talking and we go to different school right across town from each other like 20min apart. She got accepted to do this 3 month international study program where she is traveling with a group all around Europe, and studies and local schools and online. We have been emailing back and forth. I was wondering if we can text and iMessage we both have iPhones. I already sent her a text and it went through as an iMessage and sent another and that one went through as a text message. Will I be charged for the text for international rates? Any advice will help she gets back early June so we're just trying to keep touch so we can pick up right where we left off when she gets home

Thanks any information will be appreciated I just don't want my parents wondering why they got charged for a text to Italy.

If you don't have international messages with your carrier, then you will be charged. EX. TMobile

You can't be charged extra for sending a text to someone who happens to be abroad when they receive it. Think about it, you have no control over where the recipient is in the world.

For them though it's different. They shouldn't be charged for receiving a text, because once again they have no control over texts being received automatically on their phone. However, if they are abroad and reply to your text then they will be charged the roaming rate (more expensive cost per text sent) for all the texts they send.

It's the same for you in iMessages. They're sent as part of your data allowance, and once again you can't control where someone is when they might read the message, so there's no extra cost for you if the recipient is in their home country or abroad. But if they are abroad and download your iMessages then it will count towards their data usage which will be at the premium "roaming" rate.

Basically, being abroad and using a mobile phone for calls/texts/data is a lot more expensive for the user.

There's one time where it will cost you a lot more, and that's if you phone them. You get charged extra per minute for making an international call, and the recipient gets charged a load per minute for receiving the call.

The smart way around the charges is for your Girlfriend to switch to Wi-Fi. If she's somewhere she can get get access to a wireless network then iMessages should be free for her to receive and send. In fact, any web based chat should be free. The TelCo can't charge if she isn't using the 3G/4G network or texting.

The other alternative is to have the phone unlocked and buy a Sim card that includes calls and data use. That works okay if staying in one country, but isn't so good if doing a European tour.

The text message will cost $ internationally, imessage is free.