Mobile Phones

[Mumof2]

Hi

Just done a search on mobile phones. While my hubby and I both have tri band phones, on looking at previous threads on this, I think we may be cheaper to buy two pay as you go phones in the States. We will text but we will probably also want to call each other and it means that we can give the number(s) to family in the UK for them to contact us etc.

We'll land in Orlando on 30 June. Where should we buy our phones? We're staying in International Drive (Marriott Grande Vista) - and I'm thinking we should buy the phones en route from the airport.

Also what is a good network to use out there - ie what works out cheapest?

Any thoughts and views welcome.

Thanks in advance.

 

[edinburghlass]

Are both your phones unlocked? If they are you could just buy US simcards and use them. There are websites where you can buy foreign simcards before you go and that way you would know the numbers but you mustn't put them in until you reach your destination

 

[Mumof2]

I'm not sure about my husband's but I know my phone is.

Can you give me the names of the websites?

 

[layzphil]

There are a few for sale on ebay, this one for AT&T Wireless looks okay:
http://tinyurl.com/975cv

Can you pick-up SIM cards in grocery stores like you can in the UK? Do they sell them in Walmart?

 

[edinburghlass]

That ebay link looks like the cheapest way to go.

This is the website I was thinking about but for a US simcard its nearly £40!!

http://www.0044.co.uk/america.htm?source=google

I did wonder about ebay.com and if you read more of that seller's info he tells you quite a bit about buying, using a mobile in US.

Having yet to sample the delights of Wallmart I'm not sure but it may well be the best route to buy a couple of cheapie phones.

 

[Scottish_Maleficent]

We bought a phone in WalMart, a TracPhone, which was $30-ish I think this is the cheapest you can get, to keep in touch with others in the Orlando at the same time as us. It worked ok, and only used the 10 units that came with the phone.

The only thing I didn't like about it was it cost you money/ units to send and receive texts and calls. And the top up cards were minimum $18 value.

Depending what your network is, it may be just as cheap to take your own phones with you if you're just going to be texting. I was Vodafone, so it cost me 49p to text with my own mobile. But nothing to receive a text.

HTH