Using my iphone(AT&T) in Canada

[nupe]

Traveling to Canada soon. Want to use my iphone in wifi mode only for email etc. Don't want to be hit with any intl charges. Is my best option to pop out my sim card? Or forward my calls? Or both. I think I'll have a land line most days to make calls to check in with work.

Unpleasantly suprised last month to find out that texts sent within the us to a Canadian phone number then located in the us were charged at intl rates! Didn't know there was a difference!

And if I "need" to use a mobile while in Canada, are there inexpensive prepaid ways to go? Or should I "borrrow" someone's phone?

Also looking for other tips!

[AnnieW625]

My co worker traveled in Canada a year or so ago and he just called AT&T and they put him on an international plan for the time he was in Canada, which he said was cheaper than had he just used his regular US plan and gotten charged international phone, and web rates. He has an Iphone 3G.

[mom2binsd]

When I go home to Canada I add a Canada plan to my service for that month, saves a lot of extra charges.

[bubbaray]

You'll want some sort of plans. Cell phone, text and date rates in Canada are amongst the highest in the world! Significantly more expensive than US rates (well more than double). Definitely get a plan.

[DebbieJ]

I have a friend that lives in WA and goes into BC now and again.

Her last AT&T phone bill was $9k because of checking email/FB while in BC.

I'd call them and add an int'l plan.

[bubbaray]

Um, wow. $9k. That might be a record. LOL.

[wendibird22]

DH and I are going to Toronto tomorrow. I called ATT about adding a Canada plan. You can add voice for $5, text and data are all separate. You still pay long distance but at 0.20$ less per minute (my plan is $0.79/min w/out plan, $0.59/min with CA plan). We are only going for 2 days and don't plan to make or receive many calls so we decided to skip it, but if we knew we needed to text, surf, etc we'd have added the plans. I think the CA data plan was $10.

[nupe]

I ended up skipping adding any plans. Ended up paying for a few texts. Decided I would pay .79/min for calls for emergencies. Wasn't worth getting the canada plan for me.

The most important thing I learned was to go into settings and turn CELLULAR data off! I didn't realize so many apps use data even when the apps are not in use. Furthermore, just bc I am so paranoid I kept the phone in airplane mode most of the time, so the kids wouldn't turn on data by accident somehow while playing games. The data charge would be $15/MB!

I did have access intermittently to a desktop with internet. Still very liberating to know that I could go a whole week sans iphone/internet on smartphone!