www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I travel quite a bit. Whenever I arrive in a country I find a place to buy a prepaid cellular SIM card and slip it into my existing phone and pay the local prepaid rates. (A fraction of international roaming charges, even when calling USA, and reciving calls is usually free).

For this to work, you must have a GSM phone and it must be "unlocked", meaning it can be used on any gsm network. My question. Anyone know where the easiest place to by a prepaid SIM card in Costa Rica is? In most countries these are usually easily available in airports, train stations, cellular kiosks, etc. Anyone know about availablity in CR?

Thanks.

CR is a monopoly country so one of few where the local SIM card trick doesn't work. Do a search it's been touched on many times.
https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/vi ... highlight=
If I'm wrong someone please correct me on this.

deleted

Thanks for the info. I've read every thread on the board pertaining to cellular service but none has been on this specific point. The only way it wouldn't work is if CR cellular does not use GSM. Any unlocked GSM phone can use any GSM sim card world wide. The network recognizes and authorizes the sim, not the phone, as long as the phone is unlocked.

Can anyone confirm that CR cellular uses the GSM network and sells prepaid cellular?

Floridalongrun wrote:



CR has two networks TDMA phone number starts with a 3 and GSM phone number starts with an 8.

The problem is that the phone service in the country is a government monopoly operated by ICE. They are the only providers of SIM chips and they will only install them in cell phones purchased in CR by either a citizen, a legal resident or an officer of a Costa Rican corporation.

There are cell phones available for rent.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Floridalongrun

I got a contract with T-Mobile when I purchased a Motorola V-Rzr last April and arranged through Customer Service to activate the International Call access feature.

I've been to CR twice since then and had no problems making local as well as calls to the US. For local calls I dial the seven numbers. For calls to the US I dial the ten numbers.

I can receive calls from the US but to receive calls made from local phones the person calling must have the International Call access feature.

I guess you get what you pay for...
Good luck.

Muffdiver

_________________
Respectfully,

Muff

___________________________________

Thanks guys. Sounds like its a no go. Aprreciate all the info.

Yeah, know what you're saying. That's what I usually do when I'm in Asia.

No such luck in CR. Panama has prepaid cell sim card but not here in CR.

Planning to be in San Jose 5-23 to 5-28. Just checked with T-Mobile and if you get one of their GSM To Go phones (cheapest is Nokia 6030 at 29.99 or Nokia 6101 at 49.99), I was told by T-Mobile that they will work in Costa Rica. I had them check with tech support to verify this. The 6101 comes with a $25.00 free calling card ($0.56/min on calling card and 1.99 if not on calling card). I was told that the SIM card in it was world wide capable. I anyone knows differently please let us know.

Looking forward to my first trip.

Greenfangs.

Unless you need to be available on a moments notice there really is no reason to bring a cell phone on a mongering vacation. If you need to be available it is easier to rent a phone here for your relatively short, 5 day, trip. If you only want to be able to make calls back to the US to family and friends a 199 calling card from ICE is a much better deal.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Thanks Irish Drifter, probably will rent in San Jose. Is there a good place at the airport to rent?

Thanks, Greenfangs

contact Rico at www.cellulartelephonerentals.com

I use them every trip, they will deliver to your hotel or will meet you at the airport

While Rico has a checkered past to some old timers here and I always count my fingers after shaking hands with him his cell phone service has always gotten top marks from everyone I know who has used it.

He has come a long way. When he was my neighbor he drove a beat up old jeep now he has a limo service. Got to give him credit.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Was not aware of the checkered past, but myslef and several wingmen have rented cel phones from him on 3 separate ocassions soon to be 4 and have yet to have any problems whatsoever.

But thanks for the head up ID, just curious, any other options for me regarding renting, every other place I have researched are MUCH more expensive.

Sorry was a reference to the CRS days not any other business venture of his. On a positive note CRT most likely would not exist if Rico had minded the store with CRS.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine