BajaNomad

Recommended cell phone options during Baja travel?

Whale-ista - 2-28-2013 at 08:05 AM

What's cell service like in central Baja these days? What options would work well for travelling for a week?

Is a Prepaid account worthwhile?

Wondering if I will have any problems (besides costly roaming charges) if using my US mobile phone or if there are better options while travelling for a week or so and needing to stay in touch.

Thank you for your recommendations.

fourninerpapa - 2-28-2013 at 08:23 AM

I use the prepaid ATT&T Go Phone. It costs .25 per minute from Mexico to the US. There are no other charges. I found it works anywhere in Baja or the mainland that has cell service.


Norm

CortezBlue - 2-28-2013 at 08:31 AM

I have ATT Viva Mexico plan. Check it out

roundtuit - 2-28-2013 at 08:41 AM

AT&T pay as you go (go phones) Been using this for 3 yrs. In BCS Verizon doesn't work. Most towns have cell service

Whale-ista - 2-28-2013 at 08:44 AM

Thank you both for recos

CortezBlue, I will check the AT&T option. is it prepaid also?

Just realized I probably can use wi-fi in many places also.

Alan - 2-28-2013 at 09:04 AM

Stop by a Telcel store and buy a pre-paid phone then add minutes as you need them at any OXXO.

roundtuit - 2-28-2013 at 09:33 AM

oxxo are hard to find in small towns.. AT&T you can fill minutes on computers

tripledigitken - 2-28-2013 at 09:39 AM

The growth of wifi access in Baja over the past 3 years is incredible. Most hotels have wifi, some restaurants, and most towns at least as big as Mulege will have internet cafes. We do carry an Amigo telcel phone for the rare occasion that we need to use it, but mostly email suffices.

Have a great trip.

Ken

mtgoat666 - 2-28-2013 at 10:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
What's cell service like in central Baja these days? What options would work well for travelling for a week?

Is a Prepaid account worthwhile?

Wondering if I will have any problems (besides costly roaming charges) if using my US mobile phone or if there are better options while travelling for a week or so and needing to stay in touch.

Thank you for your recommendations.


if going for just a week for vacation, i like to leave the phone off. if you need to periodically call home, you can buy a calling card and call from hotel phone or other public phone. and easy to find wifi of intertube cafe to periodically check email from your own laptop or a public 'puter.

MitchMan - 2-28-2013 at 11:37 AM

If you are in Baja frequently, the Telcel prepaid is a good way to go for local calls, texting, and calls to the USA ($11.43 pesos for 10 minutes to USA).

If you have a wireless laptop, Skype to Skype calls are fantastic because they are FREE from and to anywhere in the world!

FWIW, regarding which phone to buy for use in a foreign country, different countries use one or two of 4 possible frequency bandwidths. MOst phones you buy at lower costs have one or two frequencies which conform to the country of your intention. You can buy a quad band that will work in any country as it will have the band that any given country uses. When I went to Italy, I researched quad phones and they cost around $250 USD on up, BUT, I found one Motorola quad band that only cost $54 USD...bought it and it worked flawlessly. Note that which ever country you go to, you have to purchase and install the "chip" with that countries frequency band, around $20 USD back then. The good news is that the phone cost $54 USD and for a $20 chip I can use that phone anywhere in the world...that has phone service.

[Edited on 2-28-2013 by MitchMan]

Bajaboy - 2-28-2013 at 01:36 PM

We use Google Voice from our computer wherever we have wifi service...about a penny per minute. Otherwise, we have ATT service and it costs .99 cents per minute with excellent coverage.

David K - 2-28-2013 at 05:12 PM

Of course a lot of Baja California ... specially central Baja (El Rosario to Guerrero Nero) has no cell towers, so a satellite phone is the only sure way to get out... Places rent them... the Iridium style I recall as being the best... anyone? There is a fiber optic cable running along the Transpeninsular Highway... and you will see signs at some roadside ranchos and villages that have a 'rural' phone... ie. a public satellite phone or connected to fiber optic line?

CortezBlue - 2-28-2013 at 05:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista
Thank you both for recos

CortezBlue, I will check the AT&T option. is it prepaid also?

Just realized I probably can use wi-fi in many places also.


I don't think so, it is offered in my cell plan, but it allows me to go to mexico and pay no roaming and just use my normal minutes. It does not work with texting, so be careful.