How to communicate in the USA and Canada?
This is a big question that scares a lot of people who travel there.
Horror stories about bills running into thousands are all over the internet. On that basis, I was pretty cautious. Having used Skype for nearly 10 years, and many of them with a paid subscription, I knew what this would give me.
Skype
Unlimited UK, Ireland landline call and US and Canada including landlines and mobiles costs a massive £4.99 +vat in the UK for one month. This was enough for us, so just before we left the UK, I subscribed. What a bargain.
I installed the Skype app on the iPhone and laptop and we were away. They also have apps for most other platforms including Android and even the PSP, so you have lots of choices. Skype was so good in fact, that with the plethora of wifi hotspots in fast food chains, hotels, motels and even in the street, you really don’t need a phone contract unless you want one for car breakdowns or emergencies.
So once we arrived in the US and Canada, I could call hotels, family and anyone else I wanted. Because this also works for the UK, I could also contact family at home and even show them videos of where we were!
On my return, I just cancelled the subscription before the end of the month, so the total cost was £5.74!
Once I arrived in the US, I was planning to buy a local sim card which would enable making phone calls. After visiting Walmart, it became clear that might not be so simple as they no longer stocked them. The guy was really helpful and suggested visiting a Verizon store.
I decided to do that, but as there wasn’t one nearby, was going to wait until we found one. By the time we did eventually find one a few days later, I was finding it so easy with Skype, I never bothered.
Technology Tip – Unless you need it for emergencies or some other reason, you can probably make it round with Skype. All hotels and motels we visited had free wifi with a great signal in every room. Many restaurants also have it so when you stop for a driving break you can make your calls.