Cell phone use from state to state?

[peridot62]

We're getting ready for a road trip from Canada to Disneyland and I thought I'd pick up 2 inexpensive cell phones at a Walmart with a couple of phone cards to use while down south. My question is: Should I get the phones once we get to California or can I buy them in say, Washington state and have them work without roaming charges once we're in Disneyland?

I know for my canadian phone the long distance and roaming charges were close to $200 once we got back home on our last trip there.

 

[iKristin]

This is my area of expertise lol, I would recommend a track phone at any department stores (walmart). You can buy them at Walmart and they usually come with 100 minutes and then you can buy more minutes on a card. You can buy the phones in Washington but if you're looking for something with excellent signal you won't find any pay-as-you-go for cheap like the track phones are really inexpensive

But here's their coverage map:

 

[Barbday62]

One thing I learned is if you get Verizon prepaid phone (at any walmart or kmart) The mobile to mobile minutes are free between Verizon phones. You can get a plan that cost only a doallar a day when used. (Its a pre paid phone so no contract.)

 

[iKristin]

but downside with most major company prepaid plans is you still have to pay an activation fee (around 30 bucks) then you have to buy the phone

 

[VivekB]

I bought 2 AT&T Go phones for $30ish each, no activation, plus they came with $15 in credits. They're available in many stores, including Best Buy.

No worries, get them in WA if you want.

 

[iKristin]

Yep those are awesome, they usually sell them alongside the TracPhones and the TMobile go phones. Guess I should have worded that better lol, what I meant about major companies was their in-store prepaid services

 

[peridot62]

Thanks so much for the info everyone! I guess once we buy the phones, we're able to re-use them for future trips - even just going to Bellingham to shop would be worth it to not having roaming charges between me and my kids.

 

[iKristin]

yep! just buy a card and they usually last a year before the minutes expire

 

[skiingfast]

Thanks so much for the info everyone! I guess once we buy the phones, we're able to re-use them for future trips - even just going to Bellingham to shop would be worth it to not having roaming charges between me and my kids.

No not nessarily. Some prepaid phones expire after a certain term. I've seen some that are only good for a year from when they are activated. I've seen others that expire after non use.

Are you only going to call each other? You could get walky talkies for that. They can reach from park to park.

 

[iKristin]

ya the minutes only last a year, the phones can always be reactivated when you buy new minutes

 

[VivekB]

IIRC, AT&T only lasts (30? 60? short) days unless you use the phone. Make a 1 min call 1x/month and I think it's fine.

 

[peridot62]

So glad I asked on here - we are using the phones for calling not only each other in the parks, but to my cousin who lives nearby and is driving back up to Canada with us (in her own car).

Thanks you guys!

 

[specialks]

I recommend cell phones over walkies in DL. We have some really great walkies and still have trouble with interference and finding a clear channel.

As the OP said, see if you can get a pair of phones that have free calls to each other; then you can save on minutes.

 

[NancyHawaii]

Tracfone usually comes with only 20 minutes and 60 days of service, unless you buy phones (or cards) that comes with a year of service. Be sure to google for bonus codes that will give you extra bonus minutes when you add minutes. You can purchase the phone in one state and activate with a different state's area code.