Calling the U.S. from Mexico

[GringoZona]

As long as you keep your smartphone in Airplane Mode (any network) just as you are crossing the border and turn it back while you come back to the US, you won't get any roaming charges. I bring this up as many use their cellphones to take photos--and to play mp3s--these days, and it'd be a shame to have to leave it in your hotel room for fear of getting zapped by a big phone bill.

Furthermore, when you are at a bar or hotel that has wi-fi, you can use your phone just like you would with your 3G, etc., to check email, get on the internet, etc., you may just have to type in a password that your waiter or bartender will be glad to provide. Most places in Mirador or on the Malecon have something in use.

 

[GV Jack]

Whoopsies !! GV made me do it.

You'd better watch it there young whipper snapper.

I'll come down there, run you over with my scooter store scooter and beat you with my new folding cane.

 

[GV Jack]

How much is to buy a Telcel Sim Card in RP? Do you buy it at Telcel or do other places sell them?

I am going to make an assumption here and we all know what happens when one makes an ASSumption. I'm assuming you are unaware of the difference between a sim card and a prepaid card.
If you do, I apologize in advance and suggest you move on to another post. Sim cards are a chip that you put into a slot, usually inside the phone near the battery. It allows the phone to
connect to a system, ie: AT &T, Telcel, etc. If you buy a Telcel sim card you can use it both in Mexico and in the states, but there is a large roaming charge in the states and visa versa. That is why
you would need to buy both cards. The Telcel store in RP will sell sim cards and I guess an AT & T store in the US wil do the same. OK Now you have the cards, you need accounts for both.
You can set up any type account you want, prepaid to regular and they will activate the account to get the phone working. One thing. You MUST have an unlocked phone to be able to do this.

Dezracer is absolutely right. It is the most flexible option. In fact I took an old Blackberry, unlocked it and use a prepaid Mexico AT & T sim card in it. Calls to the states are .25 / minute.
I use a whole different phone and system here in the states. Now once you have the account, you can buy a prepaid card that you buy airtime minutes, although telcel calls them pesos. x# of pesos
equals x# of minutes. You can buy those at the Telcel store or oxxo or Cirkle K.

That is a neat flexible option. When in Mexico slip in the Telcel sim card and when in the states slip in the AT & T card.

Again, if you already knew this I apologize, but it did give me something to do this afternoon.

 

[GV Jack]

Still, the simplist and cheapest answer is the Walmart AT&T Prpeaid Go Phone. The option above is most flexible.

 

[GV Jack]

As long as you keep your smartphone in Airplane Mode (any network) just as you are crossing the border and turn it back while you come back to the US, you won't get any roaming charges. I bring this up as many use their cellphones to take photos--and to play mp3s--these days, and it'd be a shame to have to leave it in your hotel room for fear of getting zapped by a big phone bill.

Furthermore, when you are at a bar or hotel that has wi-fi, you can use your phone just like you would with your 3G, etc., to check email, get on the internet, etc., you may just have to type in a password that your waiter or bartender will be glad to provide. Most places in Mirador or on the Malecon have something in use.

It's twu. It's twu.

 

[tequilatodd]

Just to tack on to this...
I might have already mentioned it. I have service with cricket. All I needed to do is add the abilty to make and receive calls while in Mexico and then purchased 60 min of talk time. All for under $20. Now this only lets me call US numbers....which is all I need for this trip. Hope this helps someone...

 

[dwig222]

Another option for me would be to buy a phone card in Mexico and see if the resort where we are staying has a phone I can use. I know back when we camped at Playa Bonita they had a phone in the office. I think they had one at the Reef too. The condo where we stay at Sonoran Sun has a phone in the condo, but I would hate to run up a big bill on it if I don't know what I'm doing. If nothing else, I can email her at work on Wednesday to see the outcome of the trial. I'll have my laptop.

Thanks for all the responses! I love that I come here and get so many good ideas!

 

[playaperro]

Sim cards are $14 at the super ley, you will also have to buy some airtime for the card you can buy as little as 5 bucks but if your always checking your email or
your facebook you better buy $20 bucks of airtime works great on att phones I never had an Iphone so i don't know if they have a sim card.

 

[Seadweller]

My daughter has a very important court date on the 28th and we will be in Rocky Point that day. I want to call her to hear the outcome, but Verizon wants 99 cents a minute. Even if I buy a phone card Verizon will still charge me if I use my cell phone. What is the best way (and cheapest) to call the U.S. from Mexico if I just want to pay enough for one 20-30 minute call?

If you only need to call your daughter to find out the outcome of her court case you are welcome to use our phone to call... we have Vonage so it don't cost a thing and since we have been with them from day one... we get a special rate and only pay $9.99 a month...

 

[Mexico Joe]

I have been using a telcel cell phone that I bought a number of years ago in Rocky Point. I believe I bought this little LG for 300 pesos and and then every time down I would put a $10 telcel prepay card on there. It worked great, Im even talking middle of the desert between Sonoyta and RP which is nice because even my working verizon phone doesnt get coverage in those parts. It worked well for making local calls and calling the states. However, a little while back I was fishing and took the mexico telcel phone with me in the drink. Needless to say its not working anymore so thats why I wanted to know what is the better way to go. I think I will go to a Telcel store and see what kind of phones they have these days.

 

[mis2810]

I am going to make an assumption here and we all know what happens when one makes an ASSumption. I'm assuming you are unaware of the difference between a sim card and a prepaid card.
If you do, I apologize in advance and suggest you move on to another post. Sim cards are a chip that you put into a slot, usually inside the phone near the battery. It allows the phone to
connect to a system, ie: AT &T, Telcel, etc. If you buy a Telcel sim card you can use it both in Mexico and in the states, but there is a large roaming charge in the states and visa versa. That is why
you would need to buy both cards. The Telcel store in RP will sell sim cards and I guess an AT & T store in the US wil do the same. OK Now you have the cards, you need accounts for both.
You can set up any type account you want, prepaid to regular and they will activate the account to get the phone working. One thing. You MUST have an unlocked phone to be able to do this.

Dezracer is absolutely right. It is the most flexible option. In fact I took an old Blackberry, unlocked it and use a prepaid Mexico AT & T sim card in it. Calls to the states are .25 / minute.
I use a whole different phone and system here in the states. Now once you have the account, you can buy a prepaid card that you buy airtime minutes, although telcel calls them pesos. x# of pesos
equals x# of minutes. You can buy those at the Telcel store or oxxo or Cirkle K.

That is a neat flexible option. When in Mexico slip in the Telcel sim card and when in the states slip in the AT & T card.

Again, if you already knew this I apologize, but it did give me something to do this afternoon.

GV Jack - Thanks for your response, I appreciate it. I do know what a Sim card is. I guess I should probably explain what I want the cell phone for so that it makes sense. My AT&T iPhone works perfectly well in RP to call the US and to call elsewhere in Mexico (local and long distance) - but it's expensive. My husband has family in Mexico City that he's in touch with quite a bit and always calls them while we're away.

So, what I'm wondering is which is the best option for calling not only the US while in Mexico, but for use in Mexico:

1) Buy a Mexican cell phone that we can recharge while we're down there in RP and Mexico City for use only in Mexico.

2) Buy an unlocked cell phone on eBay liked someone suggested here and buy a Telcel Sim card.

Let me know if that doesn't make sense! LOL

 

[GV Jack]

Go use Mark's magicjack.

I wish I were a Magic Jack.

 

[rockyptjoe]

GV Jack - Thanks for your response, I appreciate it. I do know what a Sim card is. I guess I should probably explain what I want the cell phone for so that it makes sense. My AT&T iPhone works perfectly well in RP to call the US and to call elsewhere in Mexico (local and long distance) - but it's expensive. My husband has family in Mexico City that he's in touch with quite a bit and always calls them while we're away.

So, what I'm wondering is which is the best option for calling not only the US while in Mexico, but for use in Mexico:

1) Buy a Mexican cell phone that we can recharge while we're down there in RP and Mexico City for use only in Mexico.

2) Buy an unlocked cell phone on eBay liked someone suggested here and buy a Telcel Sim card.

Let me know if that doesn't make sense! LOL

A couple years ago, I bought one of the "Gophone" type phones from AT&T....it was about$30 and included some money for calling for a month. After that I had it unlocked, and bought a Telcel sim card and have been using it on their Amigo plan. I get charged 1 peso per minute for calls within the Penasco area (638). I did the same for my daughter, this time getting a phone from T-Mobile. Again, had it unlocekd, got a Telcel Sim. If you have an ATT phone already, and are past your contract period, they will give you the unlock code for the phone. They may be willing to give it to you earlier.

 

[Roberto]

There was a line at Marks yesterday to use the phone so I had to wait !! Woof woof.

 

[GV Jack]

I saw something interesting on Ebay. They have dual sim card cell phones for sale there. They are already unlocked and you can put in two sim cards, say one for Telcel and one from AT & T,

When in Mexico, use the Telcel line and when in US us the AT & T. I assume (Uh OH there I go again) you can switch cards in the settings and don't have to do it manually.

 

[playaperro]

Deal of the day on best buy.com unlocked lg phone internet ready...remember you can also use the internet on the cell phones too..
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Misc/null/pcmcat248000050016.c?id=pcmcat248000050016