Canada - what about phone calls in Canada for US travelers?

how can my wife travel from Toronto to Niagara Falls Marriott Gateway on the Falls 6755 Fallsview Blvd · Niagara Falls, Ontario L2G 3W7 Canada?

She doesn't drive, any bus or train service that will take her to or very close to the hotel?
we are originally from US, we would like to take our phones with us, but it is too costly due to roaming, long distance and many other charges.
Our phone is tmobile GSM phones.

Can I carry my phone to canada, leave the sim here and buy Canadian sim and prepaid phone cards?
Where can I get sim card and phone cards to use for our canadian trip?

Thank you

VIA runs trains and there are several bus possibilities. The most convenient would be one of the casino buses but they usually don't take passengers with luggage. Greyhound and Coach Canada have regular service. For a GSM card, stop at any 7-11 and get their Speakout SIM card, which is a pre-pay that requires at least $25 plus the $10 cost of the SIM. It expires after one year and cannot be used outside Canada. There are long distance charges for calls to places outside the home area of the SIM card.

VIA runs trains and there are several bus possibilities. The most convenient would be one of the casino buses but they usually don't take passengers with luggage. Greyhound and Coach Canada have regular service. For a GSM card, stop at any 7-11 and get their Speakout SIM card, which is a pre-pay that requires at least $25 plus the $10 cost of the SIM. It expires after one year and cannot be used outside Canada. There are long distance charges for calls to places outside the home area of the SIM card.

so this wont work to call US but within canada only? didn't know there is 7-11 in canada. can I find this sim & prepaid card in Buffalo?


Do you recommend we stay a night or two in Toronto? Whats there to see for people like us from Chicago? if i stay in downtown toronto, I don't need to rent a car to travel/see things around right?

I was in Montreal and Ottawa a few weeks ago, and Verizon confused me so much when I asked about their Canada plans that after a few futile attempts to get my phone to work on the Telus network in Montreal, I ended up buying a new phone with a SIM card. I have a feeling you'll have much more luck with your GSM phone.

If you'd like to spend a night or two in downtown Toronto, I don't think you'll need a car. I can probably help you figure out things to do if you tell us what you like.

(I'm going to Toronto in 50 days, not that I'm counting or anything.)

so this wont work to call US but within canada only? didn't know there is 7-11 in canada. can I find this sim & prepaid card in Buffalo?


Do you recommend we stay a night or two in Toronto? Whats there to see for people like us from Chicago? if i stay in downtown toronto, I don't need to rent a car to travel/see things around right?

In YYZ I use the bus, but beware, they are very crowded (even more than the ones in YVR, JFK, HKG!)
Go with Rogers (that's what I use)
If possible, to save 8%, I know a contact in YYC that buys credit for me to save 8%.
IMO YYZ is a dump.
天马 has a bus that goes to Niagara Falls.
So does 泰安

even more than the ones in YVR

There are no transit buses at YVR - You can walk between the terminals and there's a rapid transit train out to YVR from the city. No buses to YVR - Not since 2009.

There are no transit buses at YVR - You can walk between the terminals and there's a rapid transit train out to YVR from the city. No buses to YVR - Not since 2009.

whats YVR?

whats YVR?

YVR is the airport code for the Vancouver International Airport, in the same way YYZ is the airport code for Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, YUL is Aeroport International Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau de Montreal etc.

So if you're flying from YYZ to YVR then you're flying from Toronto's airport to Vancouver's airport.

There are no buses at YVR though, which was what I was clarifying.

Just a note about buying a SIM card up here. Be sure that your cellphone is compatible with the services and SIMs offered by the companies in Canada. My old LG from several years ago (AT&T unlocked quadband GSM phone) won't work with either Telus or Rogers SIMs. Just check on their websites to see if you have a compatible phone before you buy the SIM. Don't know about other providers, but I got it to work with a 7-11 Canada SIM. Also the one from 7-11 Canada is different from the 7-11 service and SIM from the States, so you have to buy it up here. There are other cellphone companies in Canada (Bell, Fido, etc.) but be sure your phone will work with their SIM.
Most large cellphone companies have either stores or booths in the larger malls in the Toronto area.

Train service from Toronto to Niagara Falls is inexpensive and usually takes about one and a half hours each way. Then a cab ride to the hotel. Check the VIA Rail website for fares and schedules. Coach Canada or Greyhound is slightly longer. I don't think the casino coach trips are meant for overnight stays in NF, as most are only meant for direct trips to or from the casinos and a later, or late night, return. Getting around the downtown area of Toronto is easy and walkable or not more then a subway or trolley ride if needed, so you really won't need a car as parking in downtown is expensive, even for short periods.

bj-21.

YVR is the airport code for the Vancouver International Airport, in the same way YYZ is the airport code for Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, YUL is Aeroport International Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau de Montreal etc.

So if you're flying from YYZ to YVR then you're flying from Toronto's airport to Vancouver's airport.

There are no buses at YVR though, which was what I was clarifying.

i am flying to Buffalo NY and than taking bus or whatever there is that would take me to MARRIOT GATEWAY in Niagara Falls,Ontario.

My wife is traveling from Toronto to NF in the same morning to join me for our 2 days stay. after that, I think I should go visit Toronto for a day or 2 before I return to chicago. Both of us are from chicago, she is traveling 3 days before me to canada for her bro's wedding.

ok
i am looking for a canadian sim card and canadian cell phone prepaid cards to calls within canada and US,
is below what i need?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/North-America-SIM-card-prepaid-calling-in-Canada-US?item=130576144434&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D2%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6715824123039967390

so this wont work to call US but within canada only? didn't know there is 7-11 in canada. can I find this sim & prepaid card in Buffalo?


Do you recommend we stay a night or two in Toronto? Whats there to see for people like us from Chicago? if i stay in downtown toronto, I don't need to rent a car to travel/see things around right?
You can call the US from Canada but you cannot use it outside Canada to make a call to anywhere.

ok
i am looking for a canadian sim card and canadian cell phone prepaid cards to calls within canada and US,
is below what i need?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/North-America-SIM-card-prepaid-calling-in-Canada-US?item=130576144434&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D2%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D6715824123039967390
That's a reseller. They don't say who their provider is. T-mobile sim cards work with Rogers in Canada. But see post #2.

That's a reseller. They don't say who their provider is. T-mobile sim cards work with Rogers in Canada. But see post #2.

i am not stupid to take my tmo sim card in my phone to use in canada, i will get hundreds of $ in ROAMING and long distance charges.
need a canadian sim and prepaid to to call within canada and US.

Check out http://www.prepaidgsm.net ... they will list all the prepaid options in Canada and most other countries in the world.

For occasional use, T-Mobile's roaming rate in Canada may not be terrible. Phone and ask, or check their website. I know that T-Mobile prepaid's roaming rate in Canada is $0.59 and includes US long distance. That's per minute, but for occasional calling it's quite livable.

Most Canadian prepaid is going to require $.25-.30 in long distance charges to the US, so you can see that the T-Mobile rate is not too bad.

Just a note about buying a SIM card up here. Be sure that your cellphone is compatible with the services and SIMs offered by the companies in Canada. My old LG from several years ago (AT&T unlocked quadband GSM phone) won't work with either Telus or Rogers SIMs. Just check on their websites to see if you have a compatible phone before you buy the SIM. Don't know about other providers, but I got it to work with a 7-11 Canada SIM. <snip>

That's kind of interesting because 7-11 just rides on Roger's network IIRC. Curious what the compatibility issue was.

i am not stupid to take my tmo sim card in my phone to use in canada, i will get hundreds of $ in ROAMING and long distance charges.
need a canadian sim and prepaid to to call within canada and US.

BTW, do you need data functionality or strictly voice?

BTW, do you need data functionality or strictly voice?

strictly voice. i just need for few days, i have just unlocked my quadband tmobile phone

That's kind of interesting because 7-11 just rides on Roger's network IIRC. Curious what the compatibility issue was.

Tried the Telus network's compatibilty checker online as I use Telus for my local cell service, and the unlocked phone I got wasn't compatible. Tried verifying that at a Telus store where they loaned me a SIM to try, and it wouldn't work in the unlocked phone. I thought I had seen a compatibilty checker on the Rogers website but I couldn't find it again with a recent check there. Bell's checker was also a no-go for that phone.

7-11 (Canada) SIM works in the unlocked phone with no problem other then some features (as mentioned on their website for a phone not bought from them) are not available. The phone works well with the U.S. h2o wireless SIM which I use when we're down there.

bj-21.

As a Canadian, when I travel to the US, I have to pay >$1/minute roaming.

Depending on your call habits, also consider just having short conversations on your mobile phone. Buy yourself a decent calling card, and make longer or leisurely calls from a payphone.

Not elegant, but my roaming charges on all my US trips are now only a couple of bucks.

I'd say relax and just call Tmobile to confirm your roaming+LD rate from Canada to the US. If you're only there for a few days it won't cost you much considering you'll have to buy a sim (~$10US)+put credit on.

I went to School in Buf and when we were in Niagra Falls (Canada) if we got hit with roaming we'd just call and say we were on the US side and the ATT (Cingular at the time) service should have been the priority. They'd void the roaming charge. Not the most ethical thing but broke college students need drinking money.