iPhone usage in Mexico/Intl

[imac abuser]

Hello,
My wife is going to Mexico CanCun, and then Puerto Vallarta. She uses an iPhone 2G. If it's on, and checking for email, and all that does anyone know if we are going to get whacked for fees from AT&T. She doesn't plan to call out on it except for emergency.

I just know when I was on a Royal Carribean Cruise ship, and I used my AT&T cell phone they advertised as use as you would at home I had over 300.00 in INTL charges from checking voicemail and a handfull of calls.

Thanks
Chris

 

[tasset]

Yeah make sure in the iPhone's Settings under Network that data roaming is off, that is what would kill you the most. Then especially on a cruise ship limit phone calls to a minimum cause they are even MORE extortionate.
My other suggestion would be to download Skype for the iPhone and find out if the cruise ship has wifi. You can make calls back to the U.S. at your leisure that way. When I was in Cancun on the mainland our resort had wifi and was awesome on the iPhone sending emails and making calls over the internet without the crazy fees.

 

[imac abuser]

Hey Thanks that sounds like a good idea.

 

[cellocello]

Ya ... if I were you (and I kinda was when I went to Chile to visit the fam in November), I'd put it in Airplane mode with WiFi turned on.

I can't speak for at&t, but I know Fido would bone the hell out of me on some accidental roaming charges the second they had the chance.

Besides ... she's traveling! Calls can wait

 

[pbateman]

I am on a similar boat so to speak, I will be traveling to Europe at the end of the month for a bout a week and a half. I am torn whether I should get a Gevey sim adapter from ebay for 9 bucks and then use a prepaid card while in Europe..or if I should just leave the phone as is and just leave it on airplane mode and activate wifi.
Anyone know if prepaid cards in Europe work only for voice? or do they work for data as well (eg. even with a prepaid cad i should turn data roaming off)

 

[tasset]

Prepaid cards work just fine for data, assuming you add the necessary internet features to the prepaid card you buy.
I've been torn in the past whether or not to unlock phones and buy prepaid. It really depends on how much you need to use the phone or how long you will be traveling if it is worth the effort. I hate paying the roaming charges as much as the next guy, but if it's a few minutes then I just shrug it off.
If you don't expect to be traveling to areas with many options for wifi it may be worth it to investigate the prepaid sims/gevey/unlocking/etc etc.
One final tip that is ages old now, put your phone into airplane mode before you depart. If you turn on the cell function at anytime while traveling and you register to a cell tower, than all calls that go to voicemail essentially dial back to the U.S. and you get charged a phone call to voicemail. So basically no texting either...

 

[Aaleck]

Eh, just to be safe I wouldn't use it...

 

[jeniferkey]

I went to Europe last year. I have the 3G iPhone. I contacted AT&T and had them turn off my voice mail (didn't want to be charged if people decided to leave a long message). I paid for the International calling package, which lowered the per minute cost a little. I have Truphone on my phone, so any time I was in a wifi area, I could call back home cheaply. I mostly did texting at .50 a text. With calls at 1.00 a minute, we could get more across in a text for less.
I had roaming for data turned off, and only used it for data was I was in a wifi area. There was a package I could have bought for data, but I didn't see the need.
I mostly used the phone for music, some games and mainly all my travel info. I did very few calls. Still, I was glad to have it on me for the few important calls I ended up needing to make.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I was just on a royal carribean cruise over spring break, and even though they said they had cellular access i kept my iphone on airplane mode. I didn't want to pay out the butt. But my friend didn't turn off his blackberry and he sent and received several text messages and email (mosting from the gf). I'm not sure if he ever actually called her. I'm still waiting to see his bill

 

[diemos]

It will be huge, Just don't use your phone whenever you are leaving the country.

 

[MzLtna]

Solution

I was in Cabo last September. I'm with AT&T, call them and add the international plan for $4.95 a month. I kept the fetch new data setting off!
I kept the phone off but would turn it on periodically to check for voice messages. Text messages were free for incoming and outgoing was only .03¢per text. phone calls were $.59¢ per minute, still cheaper than what the hotel charges. Another option for calling out would be to buy a phone card in mexico, to use in hotel room or public phones.

I would go to a cyber cafe and check email messages there. It was free if you purchased anything, so i would go everyday and order my iced latte, so it worked out great =)

Hotels have interent access but much more expensive to get with them, best bet is a cyber cafe in town.

GOOD LUCK!