rwwhite29b
FL
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Joined: 10/10/2009
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DW and I are planning to spend 4 - 6 weeks touring P.E.I, N.B. and N.S. in a few weeks. Our cell phone provider does not cover Canada at all and we are looking at renting/buying a cell phone that does. I've located several companies that provide this service. Does anyone have any experience going this route or do you just wing it and do without cell phone service while traveling in Canada?
rwwhite29b
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bldrbuck
one or the other
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I guess it is dependent on how important you feel the need for a cell phome. We buy phone cards and use the local phone systems.
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Fortkentdad
Alberta Canada
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Interesting that the US company has no add on feature for international use. I have the opposite need as I'm a Canadian traveling into the US for four weeks. I was able to buy a US Roaming package fore 30 days for $20, and then 25 cents per minutes for calls and $3 per mega byte for data (we will only use data when we get wifi and then its free). I also havea Blackberry and messages sent via the Blackberry network (PINS) are free in Canada and the US.
If you have email you can access by phone or laptop just tell your friends you will check that periodically and do so when you get free WIFI hotspots (sadly these are far fewer in Canada than the US - local libraries often have PC's you can use at no cost.)
And if you must call the prepaid calling card is your best bet.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi,
The "best buy" on cell phones for occasional or emergency use in Canada is from the 7-11 stores. The minutes are "good" for an entire year.
Find more information here:
speak out wireless 7-11
They operate under the Rogers network so rural areas are not covered. Here is the Speak Out (rather optimistic) coverage map:
Speak Out Coverage
That may make something that operates under the Bell network a better buy for an Rv.
Regards, Don
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dieharder
Ottawa, ON
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Well, touring through NB, PEI and NS, if a breakdown occurs, you have a good chance of it being 'in the middle of nowhere' with nothing much around you. While I don't feel a NEED to a cell phone, I sure feel better with one.
Visit here, enter a city that's along your route and see if there are any Atlantic Superstores along your route. I'd give them a call and see if they sell the PC Mobile phones. They have some very inexpensive phones (here) and they use the Bell Mobility network, which will give you probably the best coverage in the area. In the long run, I'll bet it'll all be cheaper than any rental you'll get.
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Gruffy
monominto mb ca
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In eastern Canada find a Loblaws supermarket. They sell a PC Mobile phone for less then $50 and an air time card for $25. They run on the Bell Canada system so have the widest possible coverage and charge 0.25 a minute to talk. About as cheap as they come.
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lookinin
Southern British Columbia
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 Yep, Speakout from 7-11 is good enough for us and... we're Canucks, too! The minutes are good for one year, you're piggy-backing on the Roger's Network (great coverage), but you can't top-up online. You have to go to a 7-11 store and buy the minutes there. However, it's only 10 cents/min for local calls and 20 cents/min for long distance. Now, as far as always having cell service available in parts of Nova Scotia... let's just say it can be "patchy" at times. We just travelled the area about 2 months ago and that's what we discovered.
Happy Travels!
Cheers,
Kevin
On the road again...
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Little Kopit
TheMaritimes.ca
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Look at all these people naming their company as the 'only' company. Well, when I got my cell neither Bell/ Aliant, nor Rogers covered as many spaces as Telus.
Go to http://www.google.ca/ and search for cell phone coverage map for each of those 3 companies. Then it depends upon where you are going.
As to where to buy. Many stores have cell phone cards which lots of folks have found covered the need. Chances are if you drive past a reasonably sized convenience store, there will be a sign in the window indicating cell phone cards are available.
& tons of us won't touch Aliant with any pole, never mind a 10 foot one.
But no company is perfect.
& I, I took the road less travelled by.
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TEO
Inverness, FL, USA
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We bought a Canada phone and service when we went to Alaska this year because we were going to be on the Alaska highway and our U.S. phone didn't work in Canada. Every time we tried to call ahead for a reservation we had no signal. If we were in a campground with wifi, I could call out through my laptop. It was a complete waste of money because I never needed it in an area with coverage.
Paul
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi,
Here are the coverage maps for the "big three" in Canada
Bell
Telus
Rogers (optimistic)
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