Heading out to USA soon with my UK mobile for a 3 week break, would like to keep in touch with the family and goings on.

What’s the best way?

I have a mobile phone with Vodafone contract. Nokia 1600 but not sure if it works in USA.

Or are there any other better ways to do it and keep costs down down down?

Thanks.

Found it best to buy a long distance calling card when you’re there and use a payphone. Mobile may work but will cost a packet, save it for emergency use only..

Skype

Cheap, unlocked PAYG handset and an International SIM. You’ll need to make sure it’s triband or quadband or something too.

Your mobile probably won’t work – I think the bands it works on are European only.

Cheapest way just to keep in touch is probably internet cafes every so often. If you want to talk to them, just buy an international phone card and use it (you need to find a pay phone to do this – local calls are usually really cheap on payphones – and you can get phone cards that are local numbers in most cities. Even in hotels local calls are often cheap or sometimes even free).

Joe

If you are buying an international sim, and want to buy a cheap phone in the US to put it in, be aware that many of the phones in the USA don’t have SIM cards and hence won’t work with the international sim. It depends what network they are on.

Joe

vast majority of mobiles are quad band now so will work in the states

i use skype. i divert my uk mobile to my skypeIn number and collect messages/return calls from a computer (this assumes you’ll have readily available wireless). you couls also leave your skypeIn number as a voicemail message in this country

failing that what woody2000 said

If you have access to a PC while you’re travelling, you could use voipbuster. It can make connections between two phones (small setup charge per call) so you can dial your phone where you are and the destination number.

vast majority of mobiles are quad band now so will work in the states

Yup, but not the Nokia 1600.

I suggest Skype too.

If you get a decent connection then you could use the Skype video calling.

I just bought a $20 mobile from Wallmart over there, it even came with $15 credit on it & lasted a week without needing a top-up
Hard to think of a cheaper way of doing mobile comms in the States

What woody2000 says, It’s what I do and I pay about 4/5p per minute with a lebara international sim card, don’t have to mess about finding an internet connection, just use the phone.

The sim cost me a 20 quid with 10 quids worth of credit on it from vodafone shop, cheapy hand-set cost me 20 quid. Costs a lot less than using a UK service provider as far as I can tell. Might be able to get cheaper but I can’t be bothered looking as I’m happy with the service and coverage etc, used it in India, Israel, the US, Tanzania, Panama…. all over the place really without any problems, and I can top up online if needs be as well.

And for the US, if you try keepspeaking.com, they do us sim cards and will even rent you a handset for use while y’there.

I bought an LG NET 10 no frills phone from Walgreens pharmacy for $30. Came with 300 US or 200 UK minutes. Branches nationwide. Google Target, Walmart, Bestbuy, Kmart for similar offers.