Best communications option

[Eoiny]

Hi all,
My girlfriend and I are taking a 2 week trip around the south east in late sept/early October. Planning half camping, half motels. We are non-US, and as such would end up paying expensive roaming rates for any cellphone calls we make. We may need to make enough calls (booking ahead for accom, arranging to meet up with friends etc.) to warrant getting a cheap sim card. Any suggestions for a suitably cheap pay-as-you-go type sim for a cellphone for a short stay?
Thanks,

Eoiny

[GalaxyRanger]

I've heard the concept of SIM cards is unheard of in the US? Is that true?

If you're German by any chance, I could point you to exactly what you're looking for, but I'm confident other European countries have companies similar to Germany's "Cellion".

[Eoiny]

Thanks Galaxy ranger. I have done a bit of searching, it seems different states have different roaming charges, so this option may not be the best. I.e if I buy in GA and register there, then when I go to MS or LA I will be paying roaming charges anyway. Anyone know anything more about this?
Im Irish by the way.
Thanks

[Midwest Michael]

The SIM card just isn't a widely used option in the US. You're probably going to be better off just buying a new phone with one of the many prepaid companies that are in the US. Its likely going to be far cheaper and easier than any other option.

[glc]

The only major cell providers in the US that use GSM (sim cards) are AT&T and T-Mobile.

I'd recommend you buy a cheap prepaid phone, major companies that have this are AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Tracfone, Alltel, Net 10, and Virgin Mobile. You are not going to find prepaid sim cards to use in your European phone.

A Net 10 example - pay $40 for the phone, you get 300 minutes and 60 days service, service is 10 cents a minute incoming and outgoing from and to anywhere in the US. Refill cards can be bought anywhere. Coverage with any provider is going to be very spotty in the West and mountainous areas of the East when you get off the Interstate highways.

Another non-cellular option for communication is wifi and Skype.

[GalaxyRanger]

Michael's idea sounds good, I'll just tell you a bit about Cellion so you can compare it.

Cellion gives you a SIM card to put into your cell phone, calls inside the US cost 0,29€/minute, calls to Germany cost from the US 0,39-0,55€ - absolutely no additional charges, you just pay for the calls you make.

I found the company via google and I'm pretty certain that an Irish equivalent exists somewhere, just try different google searches

[Lifemagician]

If you will be carrying a laptop try Skype... I have been making most of my calls through Skype.

Skype to Skype is free, arrange for family and friends to download it. The quality of the calls is amazingly good.

Most accommodation places have freecall numbers, and rare is the place where you cannot get wifi. You can call freecall numbers through Skype.

Lifey couldn't live without it