Chaz is correct...I think the texting rates are something like $0.50/each, which is incoming and outgoing. When traveling to Germany for an extended period of time recently, I needed my BB, but of course you can't control the incoming texts for which you are also charged. I had 150-200 incoming texts (luckily some people respected), so it made for an interesting phone bill...which was on top of the $1 or so per minute for phone usage. As described in the message I just submitted, the international data plan is a good idea, at least on AT&T. For other AT&T users, you can send a text by sending an e-mail to ##########@txt.att.net. I'm guessing there is something similar for Verizon/Sprint users...but the BB Messenger is definitely the easiest...
Yea, I would get too many texts that it would be frightening. Most importantly, I would describe myself as a blackberry addict. I am always in contact with people, whether via computer or my phone. If I go anywhere without my phone, I feel weird. It's a nice break spending a week free from contact with the world. It's actually quite liberating I think. I enjoy not having my phone with me for the duration of my trip. If I need to use the internet for mail or whatever else, I just use the computers at Oasis, I usually log on for about 5 min a day anyway.
I have sprint. Unlimited blackberry international plan is $69.99/month but it's prorated (you only pay that for the days you have the plan, not for the entire month). So you switch to it right before you leave for Cancun and you switch back to your normal plan when you get back to the US. It ends up being just above $1 more per day. I do it on every trip. SMS doesn't work internationally for Sprint anyway.
That's why you use BB IM instead of calling and txting. You only pay for the prorated internation blackberry plan instead of international roaming.
just now starting to hit me that I will not be going anywhere this march, for the first time in a LONG time!!! I hope all of you have fun, Im actually thinking about possibly returning in 2011........... maybe! I have 2 big trips planned for this summer, 2 weeks in england and 1 week in ibiza. But for 2011, I might make a return, we shall see!
Using the email address will still incur txt charges for the person recieving it whereas BB IM is free with your international data plan.
Good point - I guess this is a great trick for texting people back in US when traveling, but not for texting another person also out-of-country...
