Cell phone usage in Mexico? (ten pointssss!)?

Question

Well, my family and I are taking a vaction to Mexico for a week and we use t-mobile, I was wondering if text messages are extra per message (even if you have unlimited) like I have heard, as well as minutess? Thankk youu!

Answer 1

Cynfully delicious Has the best Answer!! so follow her instructions, she deserves the 10 points.

Answer 2

it would be easier and cheaper for you to use mexitel.net they send you a phone to rent while in mexico. its one dollar for every 20 minutes of talk time. if people call you its free. they will even send you a postage paid box to send the phone back when done. we always use this when we go.

Answer 3

i had a T-Mobile, and I was using it like crazy... because I had unlimited minutes..... yeahhh right....

when i get home  I had a big bill.

Answer 4

you need to get an international plan, just call your provider and they will switch it for you,  once this is done you can call the US but its usually pricey.  if you dont switch to the international plan  you wont be able to make any calls to the US

Answer 5

Voice over IP is going to be your cheapest bet. I live in Acapulco and struggles for a few months before I went that route. by far the cheapest way to call back home.

Second cheapest is getting a calling card - stateside or here not that important.

You will have a huge bill when you get home on T mobile

Answer 6

You will need to call your provider and ask them to give you international roaming capability.  Be sure to do this a few days before you leave...it's not automatic.  

Calls within Mexico will be fine, but if you try to call or text the states, you will be charged extra.

Answer 7

I hate having more than one phone.

just call your provider and tell them you will be in Mexico during that week and to sell you a plan that allows you to make and receive international calls and texts.

my brother is with AT&T and for only $10 he added that featcher for one month while he was in mexico and he even used the phone like a local phone with only minmal extra charges...it was worth it.

Answer 8

That MexiTel option is pretty good but here's something else you could do:

If you're using TMobile chances are your phone can be unlocked. Right now your phone is programmed to catch the TMobile network, but if the manufacturer gives you a code your phone can catch onto any network, anywhere in the world. Call TMobile customer help and request they email you the code. They do it by request only and get it to you in a couple of business days.

You could unlock your phone and buy a SIM chip in Mexico that'll allow you phone to be part of the TelCel (that's the best  for your case) network. Cell phones in Mexico work on a "pre-paid" model meaning you buy air time and punch a code into your phone to activate it. The SIM chip will cost you around $10 US, and air time depends on how much you talk/text (you will have a mexican cell phone number, but that's not a big deal in terms of connectivity to US telephone systems) so you can control your costs pretty well. Plus, you can re-activate the SIM chip the next time you go to Mexico.

Oh yeah, and your TMobile phone will work just fine when you return to the US and put in the TMobile SIM chip.

I do this when I travel to Mexico (granted I'm there more than a week per year) and I find it works pretty d**n swell.

Now... ehem... how bout those 10pts?? :)