Cell phones

[pommib2002]

We are from Australia and will be travelling to various parts of the States by Amtrak. We are wondering about purchasing cheap cell phones that we can keep in contact with friends we wil be visiting along the way. I heard that 7-11Stores sell a cheap phone and we can get a SIM card to top up as we go. Would we be able to use it in Canada?

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks, Alan.

 

[Shanghai]

You can rent cell phones. I have seen notices at car rental station offering to rent cell phones for days or weeks.

Perhaps you can Google to find if there are stores that rent cell phones in the areas where you will be traveling.

Depending on the carrier, there a many places where signals are not available due to lack of coverage.

I have experienced on the Cardinal, there is a long stretch through West Virginia where cell phones lack coverage.

I suspect that the same condition may exist in the west.

 

[caravanman]

If you own a 3 band Aussie phone (unlocked), you should be able to use it in America, and just buy a cheap pay as you go sim card. Actually on the train in the middle of nowhere you won't get any signal, but as you pass through towns and cities you can make contact. Cheap phones are also available to buy from Radio Shack, Walmart, etc. It might be worth renting, but you could need a deposit, etc, so a cheap purchase might be the way to go.

I should add that using my mobile phone in Alice Springs to "phone home" was a big thrill for me!

Eddie

 

[transit54]

As Ed mentioned, you should be able to use any standard GSM tri-band phone here. You'll be covered by either AT&T or T-Mobile. If you have concerns about your phone working, let me know the model and your carrier and I'll be happy to check it out. You'll just want to get a prepaid SIM card. Something like this will work. You should be able to pick them up at any cellular store for AT&T or T-Mobile (I haven't seen many SIM cards in convenience stores, just full phones).

If you'd rather not bring along your phone and instead just purchase a phone for the trip, you can do that at many convenience stores or cellular stores. TracPhone and Virgin Mobile are both popular prepaid providers. If you're looking for the most coverage possible, I suggest trying to pick up an AT&T GoPhone or Verizon's equivalent prepaid package. AT&T and Verizon are the two largest carriers in the US, and if you're out in rural territory on the train, they're by far the most likely to have service.

 

[amamba]

I would suggest just picking up a cheap AT&T go phone (prepaid phone).

 

[Ryan]

As Ed mentioned, you should be able to use any standard GSM tri-band phone here. You'll be covered by either AT&T or T-Mobile. If you have concerns about your phone working, let me know the model and your carrier and I'll be happy to check it out. You'll just want to get a prepaid SIM card. Something like this will work. You should be able to pick them up at any cellular store for AT&T or T-Mobile (I haven't seen many SIM cards in convenience stores, just full phones).
If you'd rather not bring along your phone and instead just purchase a phone for the trip, you can do that at many convenience stores or cellular stores. TracPhone and Virgin Mobile are both popular prepaid providers. If you're looking for the most coverage possible, I suggest trying to pick up an AT&T GoPhone or Verizon's equivalent prepaid package. AT&T and Verizon are the two largest carriers in the US, and if you're out in rural territory on the train, they're by far the most likely to have service.

This is great advice, I'd only add on that Verizon has the advantage in area covered, so if everything else is equal between the two of them, they'd be the better choice. You should be able to check out both companies offerings on the web and then either order online and have it shipped to where you're going to begin your journey (if that's feasible) or just allot an hour to stop by a store and take care of it once you arrive in the States.

 

[Guest]

The best coverage is through CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint. The easiest and very cheap way to get this coverage on prepaid is through Net10. All you get is talk and text though, but it doesn't sound like you need data anyway. It is 10 cents per minute and you can roam on pretty much any CDMA carrier in the US. The phones are essentially free as well if you get a cheap one. The only thing to remember is that you have to find a hole in the GSM coverage since that is their default. The zip code of 29685 is a CDMA only area so it will bring up the phones for that series. You don't have to ship to that zip code or activate the phone with a number from that zip either, just input the zip when shopping.

Now personally I dislike Net10, but for a foreigner coming over it is probably the most hassle free way to get the best coverage and decent rates.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I would suggest Walmart over 7-Eleven, if you want to buy a phone.

Also, if you are interested in Verizon, I would look at Page Plus. They use Verizon's network, but much better prices for a brief or casual user.

 

[Guest]

I would suggest Walmart over 7-Eleven, if you want to buy a phone.
Also, if you are interested in Verizon, I would look at Page Plus. They use Verizon's network, but much better prices for a brief or casual user.

I use Page Plus, but wouldn't recommend them to a foreigner. It is great for my purposes, but having to put money out to buy a CDMA phone negates the savings of Page Plus over Net10 in the short term as in the case of a foreigner on holiday.

Also if someone is not very familiar with what places are where they may end up in roaming territory and having to pay a premium for calls. I am very familiar with the areas I travel so I know where I will be roaming and how to plan for it. With a Net10 phone all you have to do is dial and it is a flat rate wherever you have signal.

Now if the OP's American friends have a old Verizon phone laying around they could borrow it might work out.

 

[transit54]

The best coverage is through CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint. The easiest and very cheap way to get this coverage on prepaid is through Net10. All you get is talk and text though, but it doesn't sound like you need data anyway. It is 10 cents per minute and you can roam on pretty much any CDMA carrier in the US. The phones are essentially free as well if you get a cheap one. The only thing to remember is that you have to find a hole in the GSM coverage since that is their default. The zip code of 29685 is a CDMA only area so it will bring up the phones for that series. You don't have to ship to that zip code or activate the phone with a number from that zip either, just input the zip when shopping.
Now personally I dislike Net10, but for a foreigner coming over it is probably the most hassle free way to get the best coverage and decent rates.

The only problem with Sprint and prepaid carriers that use their network is that their coverage is pretty limited, especially in rural areas. If you have a postpaid (i.e. not prepaid) Sprint account, you have roaming privileges on Verizon, so that's not something you'd really notice. However most prepaid phones that operate on Sprint (especially non-Sprint branded, like Virgin Mobile) only allow access directly to Sprint's network, not Verizon's, resulting in tremendously decreased coverage in non-urban areas. Sprint operates a 1900 Mhz only network, which has much less limited range than Verizon and AT&T who own substantial licenses in the 850 Mhz spectrum.

In short, I'd stick with Verizon or AT&T if you want the best coverage. Depending on the part of the country you are in, one or the other may be superior, but both are good bets.

Also, there's nothing inherently better about CDMA as far as range goes. If Verizon (a CDMA carrier) has 850 Mhz spectrum in your area and AT&T (GSM) doesn't, yes, you will have much better coverage on Verizon. In some states where the situation is flipped, AT&T offers the better service. Both have a roughly equivalent number of towers and coverage area.

One benefit that CDMA has over GSM is it's much easier to implement 3G, which is why you see all the ads of Verizon touting their 3G coverage over AT&T's. GSM/WCDMA 3G can offer much faster speeds if equipped to do so, though. In any event, all this applies to data coverage, so it wouldn't affect the OP.

I tend to see AT&T's prepaid phones in more stores then Verizon, but again, either will be a good choice.

 

[Guest]

The best coverage is through CDMA carriers like Verizon and Sprint. The easiest and very cheap way to get this coverage on prepaid is through Net10. All you get is talk and text though, but it doesn't sound like you need data anyway. It is 10 cents per minute and you can roam on pretty much any CDMA carrier in the US. The phones are essentially free as well if you get a cheap one. The only thing to remember is that you have to find a hole in the GSM coverage since that is their default. The zip code of 29685 is a CDMA only area so it will bring up the phones for that series. You don't have to ship to that zip code or activate the phone with a number from that zip either, just input the zip when shopping.
Now personally I dislike Net10, but for a foreigner coming over it is probably the most hassle free way to get the best coverage and decent rates.

The only problem with Sprint and prepaid carriers that use their network is that their coverage is pretty limited, especially in rural areas. If you have a postpaid (i.e. not prepaid) Sprint account, you have roaming privileges on Verizon, so that's not something you'd really notice. However most prepaid phones that operate on Sprint (especially non-Sprint branded, like Virgin Mobile) only allow access directly to Sprint's network, not Verizon's, resulting in tremendously decreased coverage in non-urban areas. Sprint operates a 1900 Mhz only network, which has much less limited range than Verizon and AT&T who own substantial licenses in the 850 Mhz spectrum.

In short, I'd stick with Verizon or AT&T if you want the best coverage. Depending on the part of the country you are in, one or the other may be superior, but both are good bets.

Also, there's nothing inherently better about CDMA as far as range goes. If Verizon (a CDMA carrier) has 850 Mhz spectrum in your area and AT&T (GSM) doesn't, yes, you will have much better coverage on Verizon. In some states where the situation is flipped, AT&T offers the better service. Both have a roughly equivalent number of towers and coverage area.

One benefit that CDMA has over GSM is it's much easier to implement 3G, which is why you see all the ads of Verizon touting their 3G coverage over AT&T's. GSM/WCDMA 3G can offer much faster speeds if equipped to do so, though. In any event, all this applies to data coverage, so it wouldn't affect the OP.

I tend to see AT&T's prepaid phones in more stores then Verizon, but again, either will be a good choice.

I never said to get a Sprint prepaid, I said get Net10 which is able to roam at regular rates on both Verizon and Sprint. Roaming is the key. And it is not about 3G coverage, the CDMA carriers have better voice coverage as well. My brother has a Net10 on GSM and I have Page Plus with CDMA. When we go out to the sticks I have coverage for 20 miles farther than he does.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

get a tracfone i use that its great when it works correctly.

 

[ThayerATM]

We are from Australia and will be travelling to various parts of the States by Amtrak. We are wondering about purchasing cheap cell phones that we can keep in contact with friends we wil be visiting along the way. I heard that 7-11Stores sell a cheap phone and we can get a SIM card to top up as we go. Would we be able to use it in Canada?
Any information would be helpful.

Thanks, Alan.

A few years ago somebody ran a contest to come up with a phrase similar to "As American As Apple Pie", but using "As Canadian As ........"

If I remember correctly, the winner was: "As Canadian As Possible Under the Circumstances."

My guess is that if the phone works in the USA, it'll work in Canada too.

 

[pommib2002]

Thanks for the info you guys have posted, it has iven me plenty to ponder.

Alan.

 

[Trainut]

It has been a couple of years since I was in Canada, but as I remember the cost was VERY high from my US based phone. It was over $1.00 a minute plus roaming charges, so keep an eye on that part.

I don't know much about the other questions you have. Have a good trip.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

one thing i forgot about tracfone. they don't have service in canada. neither does net10 which is owned by tracfone.