Most carriers have a international package you can add for your trip. Don't leave without adding the package, or you'll have one hell of a surprise when you get your bill.
I have Verizon and use the international package, soooo much cheaper. The group uses my phone to check in on their kiddos.
I have US Cellular so international package isn't available. What SIM card do you use? I just bought an AT&T Avail phone for $20 for our trip. Now I need a SIM card for Internet. AT&T has a 1000 minute Mexico phone package for $10 that I will get. Looking at amazons I see there is a pay as you go sims card for $25 and a 1.5G for $50. Thoughts on those?
I have Sprint, and they do have an international package for Cancun, but I don't really need to talk to anyone, so I just text with the free wifi from the bar down the beach to the left. But calling is available and does work in Cancun, just call or online chat with them to set it up before hand. Here's what their site says: International Rates: Calls: Regular $2.29/minute Included with Worldwide voice add-on $4.99/mo. Text: Send: $0.50/recipient; Recv'd: $0.15/msg Data: $0.004/KB This is for the Iphone 4S, not sure if price varies by device.
We are on Rogers in Canada, I get the 75 buck package, allows me 200 text messages and 60 minutes of talk time I believe. I leave it in the safe all day and only check it twice a day. I am on vacation after all.
The carrier we use here at home is US Cellular. They had the best local coverage out here in the sticks at the time we signed up, but they do not have an international roaming plan. So, the last 2 times we have made the trip south of the border, I just bought a $15 ATT GO Phone off the rack at WALMART and put $20 worth of time on it. I set it up to the Charge Per Call plan. I gave that new phone number to a couple emergency contacts here at home and shut my normal phone off when we got on the plane. I figure that way we are still reachable in case of serious emergencies and I am not tethered by the digital leash when I should be focusing on re-applying sun screen to the Mrs. and getting another round of drinks. I didn't want to get the group texts or meeting requests bleeping up my vacation. That, and we didn't tell most people we were leaving town so they wouldn't know not to call or text me. We bought the week long WIFI package on the tablet while at Temptation but honestly, I spent way more time checking in here on CCC waiting for Marshe to come drink the two bottles of fireball I smuggled into Mexico, than I did using to the check work email. Some folks couldn't use the WIFI in their rooms, but we didn't have any trouble in the 1350's. Speed was good. I could remote into my work PC. I hope this method helps someone else have a good trip while staying in contact for those real emergencies.
Sorry invoice me on that and next year make sure you actually book thru Halloween. you left just as the real party was kicking in. By the way I hope you didn't smuggle those bottles back home. (I was hoping you might 'pay it forward' and I would have a welcoming gift) Get yourself back there in 38 or 48 days and we will slay some dragons