Best way of making calls from USA?

Soldato
Joined
11 Jan 2008
Posts
5,193
Location
Nowhere
So I'll going to the USA for a while later this year and have got plenty of things to sort out.

I'm trying to find the best way of calling home, currently got an mobile on the Orange network here, wondering what my options are in the USA.

Do I get a USA compatable SIM?
Buy a phone in the USA?
Get a calling card or whatever?

I really have very little clue because google gives me so much information.
 
Wise Guy
Soldato
Joined
23 May 2009
Posts
5,748
T-mobile or Boost mobile prepaid and calling cards. Or skype if you'll have a computer.

Most phones don't even allow outgoing international calls unless you specifically request it on your plan.

eta: check coverage maps first because it can be spotty.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
22 Mar 2009
Posts
4,450
Location
Georgia, USA
Skype, unless your rich cause it'll cost a fortune on mobile. Ohh and make sure you turn roaming off if youve got a smart phone. If your phones using a uk sim and you connect to the internet, you'll get a shock when you get your next bill
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Sep 2003
Posts
4,104
Location
Radlett
anyone found an efficient way of using an iphone over in the usa? Best I can find is a pre-paid sim card with a few hundred meg of data but that is no use as a few hundred meg will not last long...

Best you can do (last time I checked) is AT&T pre-pay, which gets you 100mb for $20.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Oct 2005
Posts
8,706
Location
Nottingham
It depends on weather you need to make calls when you are out and about or it can be just where you are staying.

If its just where you are staying, and that has internet access, then skype is a good option. I used it when I was delayed in Tokyo last month and it worked out significantly cheaper than Orange's roaming charges to call back tot he UK ... but I did have my netbook with me and was in a hotel with free internet access.

If you need to make calls when out and about then a calling card or local sim (assuming your phone is unlocked to take sims other than those from your provider) is probably the best bet.
 
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