Phone plan while in Vegas

I'm sure this question has been answered but I couldn't find it. Essentially I'll be in Vegas in 2 weeks with a brand new phone and no phone plan at all. I'd like to have a number where I can be reached (just texting or email is really all I want).

Can I just go to a place like Walgreens and pickup some short term sim card? How does that work, I pay $20/$50/$100 and get a temporary number? Sorry for the newb question but I have always just used my current plan back home which I won't have until a week after vegas.

 

It wouldn't be a "short term" sim card (a month, maybe X number of minutes?)

There's some good info in these threads also:
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91876
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76671

 

just a couple things to note here:
1) does your phone except any sim card- some devices only want to accept the original company's sim card or needs to be unlocked to accept other sim cards.
2) a lot of the big carriers will do a $40-70 pay as you go plan for the month. (simple mobile, tmobile, net10)
3) you can go with a basic just pay by the minute plan but if you do that they might gouge you on the internet usage, some also have a
4) I don't know if walgreens sells just the sim card. You might need to get the phone too. (but usually they have $20 phones for most carriers and you're just gonna activate the sim card and put it in your phone).

I know you said you have a phone, but if you don't mind spending a couple bucks on a you can also go with virgin mobile (virginmobileusa.com) These are CDMA technology so they don't use sim cards and that's why you would need one of their phones. They have a plan for $35 for 300 minutes, unlimited internet and text. Virgin mobile uses Sprint towers and I've never had a problem getting service in vegas with my sprint phone

 

"A brand new phone and no phone plan at all?" How does that happen?

 

eBay

This might be the best, cheapest way to go.

 

I am addicted to these boards and have NEVER seen this come up. Ever. Apparently it has.

I am totally confused as to why you would have a phone and no phone plan. Or why you only need phone coverage while in Vegas. vs. at home, while traveling, etc.

Sure is confusing to a guy that thinks he is somewhat techie type. (me).

They do sell cheap phones at walmart with minutes.

 

If you plan on doing any illicit activity then a “Burner Phone” would be the way to go!

Just Kidding!! All I can tell you is that my AT&T service really sucks out in Las Vegas.

 

I'm moving from Australia back to Toronto (permanently). I will be stopping in Vegas for 6 days or so, with a brand new blackberry that my wife gave me (in Australia). But I'm stopping in Vegas BEFORE I get back home to actually buy a plan, and obviously buying an australian plan doesn't make sense.

Once I'm in Toronto setting up a phone plan is easy, but for the time being I literally have a phone and no plan or sim card, and I can't sign up for a plan because I think I need to be in Toronto to do that.

All I really want it for is so if I'm playing poker my family can text me and say "Come to such and such for dinner at 6:30pm".



Edit: I just thought of something. If a building has free wifi could I connect to it and use "WhatsApp" (a blackberry messenger program?). Maybe a disposable phone is the way to go - I basically just need it for random text messages.

 

Ah... knowing a bit more about your situation sheds light on things. Small details are sometimes big details.

As to getting a plan, I have done many without going to the store. They would of course need a HOME address to set up billing, etc. If you need a new sim, that of course would need to get to you before you hit Vegas.


Not sure about call costs from Canada to Vegas, but going the other way it is not cheap. Okay, just not cheap. And, doing intl calling could make a disposable phone an issue.

 

Check out crackberry.com, its a Blackberry user group. You would need to buy a SIM card and prepaid minutes, I'm not sure how difficult it would be to have these shipped to Oz. It's possible to make an online purchase on Walmart.com for pick up at a local store.

Or, for about $50, you could buy a cheap Net 10 phone and minutes at Target, or Wal Mart. Net 10 uses the AT&T or Verizon network and I found their service to be very good. For international calling, I buy prepaid minutes from cloncom.com.

 

Ive been researching for ways to get out of the crazy roaming fees myself. I have unlocked my Android. My needs are mostly Data, but the best looking option for myself is a Sim Card from Readysim. They will ship to your home, and the activation process looks really easy. Readysim is run by Roammobility, and almost everything I have read seems positive about them. I will be giving them a try next time I am in the US, as I regularly go there for work.

I want to be able to use my phone in Vegas on Vacation , without any worries(of gigantic bills) or hassles of finding free wifi, etc.

www.readysim.com