When you holiday in US, what do you do for a mobile phone?

We live in Greater London (I'm American, hubby is Brit). I have a rather new Samsung Galaxy SIII mini; hubby has an iPhone. Our network provider is 3.

When we holiday in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, 3 provides a brilliant 5 Euro/day deal for phone and internet...but their US plan is quite expensive.

I've been away from the states for 3 years now, so am not up on any good pay-as-you-go phones over there.

Suggestions or tips, anyone? Thanks!

-Denise

Since you have 3 as a network provider I believe you can just use your data/texts/calls in the US.

I don't use 3 so you'd have to check with them on a specifics of the Feel At Home program....but here's the press release

http://www.threemediacentre.co.uk/Press-Releases/Three-brings-Feel-At-Home-to-USA-34c.aspx

For your phones-- both the samsung galaxy sIII mini and iPhone will work on the mobile frequencies used in the US. (I have an SIII mini, which connected to AT&T network while I was out there at Christmas)

As for 3, they recently started offering free roaming in the US, as Alex posted.  So I think you'll be fine, as long as you've been with 3 for > 30 days.  (Further information can be found here)

I'm hoping to switch to 3 when my current orange plan runs out!

Since you have 3 as a network provider I believe you can just use your data/texts/calls in the US. I don't use 3 so you'd have to check with them on a specifics of the Feel At Home program....but here's the press release
http://www.threemediacentre.co.uk/Press-Releases/Three-brings-Feel-At-Home-to-USA-34c.aspx

Hi, and thanks for this. We had seen the FEEL AT HOME thing on the 3 website, but it seems to contain contradictory information from what it says on other parts of their website. We're going to go into a 3 store and ask before we leave. :-)

I'm not sure if I'm doing things as efficiently as possible, but this is what we do (simple & not overly expensive)...

I have an unlocked iPhone that I use in England.  A while back, I bought a pay as you go sims card from AT&T.  Whenever we visit the US, I just log onto AT&T online & add minutes to the US sims card & put the sims in the iPhone.  There are diff't PAYG plans. 

If the trip is short, I put $25 on the card & choose the plan that deducts $2 a day any day that I use the phone (unlimited talk/text, but no data...I just use wifi).  If I don't use the phone that day, there's no money deducted.  If there's unused money on the acct when I go back to England, the balance stays on the acct for quite a few months.  Either way, it's not a huge sum of money if I don't return to the US before it expires.

If the trip is long'ish, I pay $25 for 30 days of use (unlimited text, ~2 hrs of talk, no data).  The phone number on the sims stays the same as long as I use it a couple of times a year.  If too much time lapses b/w use, AT&T reassigns the phone number to another customer & I get a new temporary US phone number on that sims when I use it next (no biggie).  For example, AT&T told me my current assigned PAYG phone number expires on June 12 if I don't use the phone b/w now & then.  So, I can either let that number go OR I can contact them ~June 11 & ask them to extend the time it's assigned to me by a few months (they'll do it if you just ask....but they can't extend forever if you aren't using it, so you just have to negotiate).  I can communicate with them via online chat on their website when I'm in England. 

I don't have an ongoing AT&T phone plan.  I just have an acct that lets me add money to the sims card as I need to. 

I'm very dumb about Skype, but I do know enough to use it when I'm in the US for making 800 phone calls.  That doesn't cost anything & I don't have to use my PAYG minutes.  It's good when making mind numbing calls that involve being put on hold for 300 years. 

I'm sure savvier people have better options, but that's what I do.  It's nice to have that sims card all loaded up & ready to go when I land at the airport in the US.  I think there's a gadget that lets you put two sims in one phone at the same time (so that it could still make/receive UK calls using your UK sims), but that's not really an issue for me. 

I'm with 3 as well and about the ONLY good thing about being with them is that you can use your monthly min/texts/data in a few countries including the US.  I used that when we went back for Xmas this past year.  No higher bill upon returning so it was exactly as it states. 

The only thing to keep in mind is that texts and calls to a UK mobile number is included (as it would be if you were calling within the UK anyway). You'll still be charged if you use your phone to call a US number.  To get around that, I used Viber to call my friends and family as needed.  Just make certain the person you want to call has the app as well (it's a free app and uses data to make calls/texts...also iMessage uses data as well, but that is iPhone to iPhone).  Hubby has a UK number so I was able to call him directly as I would at home using my monthly minutes.

Hope that helps!

Such good information everyone, thank you.

I guess I should have been more clear, my mobile phone needs whilst in the States will be for US calls.   Sorry. We will be at Disney for 2 weeks and I want to be able to ring my family up in Charleston (as well as other US family whilst I'm there), and when I am up there visiting for a few days, I want to be able to ring my husband who is staying behind in Florida. That's why I was wondering about just purchasing a pay-as-you-go 'throwaway' phone when we arrive stateside, although having been away for 3 years I'm not sure what they are selling over there now.  

 

I used this on my recent visit home-

http://www.mrsimcard.com/iphone.html

I used this on my recent visit home-

http://www.mrsimcard.com/iphone.html

Hi Lisa, Thank you for this. Will definitely take a look at it!

I have a cheap-ish Virgin Mobile LG phone that I can activate anytime for one month periods. It gives me unlimited data, text, and 200 min of calls for $35/month. Before I fly back to the U.S., I call them to activate it then it's good to go when I land. It ends automatically after 1 month unless I call to pre-pay for another month.

If you'll have a laptop or computer in the U.S., you can also make totally free calls within the U.S. using a Google Voice number.