Mobile data recommendation
 

Hi there,
What suggestions do posters have about getting mobile phone plan for a brief 2 week stay in BC? And where can I pick up that suggested plan?
For example, is there a wireless router option available say at the airport?

Thanks!

YVR and many hotels and restaurants have wifi.

What is your usual mobile company at home? I have Verizon; their current plans for adding Canadian service are reasonable. Your provider might be similar.

VZW TravelPass to Canada lets you use your existing plan limits and costs $2/day (or 24 hour period, actually) in CA and MX. You have to explicitly turn it on in your account, but my wife used it for a week long trip (not every day) and it cost us $8. Mine is covered by work. For a 14 day trip, it should cost <$30, which is fairly reasonably.

If you have TMO, then there is no extra charge to use your phone internationally.

The AT&T Mobile Passport and Sprint International Data Pack plans are terrible (low data limits and expensive) and I'd just get a local SIM.

Older thread, but might give you some ideas.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...im-canada.html

One option is the SIMs and phones available from Petro Canada Mobility (Petro Canada is a large gas station chain here) -

http://mobility.petro-canada.ca/

Conveniently, there is a Petro Canada Station right at the airport and according to the link above they do sell the service. Alternately, you can buy a SIM online and ship it to you, or to your hotel.

The other option is "Speakout" which is sold by the 7-11 convenience store chain:

http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/

Same deal - Either buy from the store or order online.

Both services are Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) operating on the network operated in Canada by Rogers Mobility.

Are you asking if there is WiFi at YVR? The answer is yes - It's ubiquitous and fast.

I think OP is asking about the mobile data "pocket" wifi routers that are common in Japan and Europe. I've never seen anything like this in Canada.

For a short trip, you may come out ahead buying a roaming plan from your home operator rather than buying a SIM card in Canada as the prepaid options are fairly expensive come with fairly small data allotments.

Ah, right. I see them occasionally here in Vancouver, but most people just turn their phone into a WiFi mobile hotspot.