USA: Best options for multiple trips?

petkow · **USA: Best options for multiple trips? -** 10-11-2007, 18:23

It's been a while since I've looked at North American mobile options but I may have a few short trips coming up to the US and after a quick look around am still completely unimpressed by whats available in terms of prepaid SIM's. In the past I have always roamed with a UK contract, but was really hoping that things may have developed enough to finally swing me for a US prepaid.

Briefly, I will state my requirements, and was wondering if any of you North Americans (or anyone else) had and tips or tricks:

5 trips all in 1 year (all East coast). Staying 3 to 5 days max. Would ideally need to have the same phone number on all trips. I will mainly use both international and domestic SMS and stick to short domestic calls as well as receiving the odd call from overseas. Any longer calls I will be able to do on VOIP/WIFI when I get a hotspot. I will also want to use my own handset (i.e. no bundles). Ideally, the odd bit of data would also be useful.. (GPRS is enough!)

Now here's the killer: I do this sort of stuff all over the world, and my max. outlay (including SIM cost, credit, calls, validity for the period I need etc.) for a setup like the one I have descibed is around €20. (Occasionally another €10 max. for a subsequent topup). Now from initial research, I can't see anything even remotely close on price in the US, especially with regards to the validity over subsequent trips? I know it's not a caller pays model, so I have a bit of an extra allowance for that but anyone hint at what sort of a baseline price I should expect to pay for the setup I described?

	(#1)
petkow (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Pioneer Posts: 696 Join Date: 01 Aug 2006 Location: Madrid Country:	USA: Best options for multiple trips? - 10-11-2007, 18:23 It's been a while since I've looked at North American mobile options but I may have a few short trips coming up to the US and after a quick look around am still completely unimpressed by whats available in terms of prepaid SIM's. In the past I have always roamed with a UK contract, but was really hoping that things may have developed enough to finally swing me for a US prepaid. Briefly, I will state my requirements, and was wondering if any of you North Americans (or anyone else) had and tips or tricks: 5 trips all in 1 year (all East coast). Staying 3 to 5 days max. Would ideally need to have the same phone number on all trips. I will mainly use both international and domestic SMS and stick to short domestic calls as well as receiving the odd call from overseas. Any longer calls I will be able to do on VOIP/WIFI when I get a hotspot. I will also want to use my own handset (i.e. no bundles). Ideally, the odd bit of data would also be useful.. (GPRS is enough!) Now here's the killer: I do this sort of stuff all over the world, and my max. outlay (including SIM cost, credit, calls, validity for the period I need etc.) for a setup like the one I have descibed is around €20. (Occasionally another €10 max. for a subsequent topup). Now from initial research, I can't see anything even remotely close on price in the US, especially with regards to the validity over subsequent trips? I know it's not a caller pays model, so I have a bit of an extra allowance for that but anyone hint at what sort of a baseline price I should expect to pay for the setup I described?