The only cell phones that work there are GSM phones, so Verizon and Sprint are out. The company formerly known as AT&T

The only cell phones that work there are GSM phones, so Verizon and Sprint are out.

There are 2 different phone cards available here--domestic (197 cards) and International (199 cards). however DO NOT use the flashy blue phones found in some hotel lobbies activated by credit card--pure scam and outrageous fees--maybe someone here can expand further on this. There's been a thread on this that I can't find right now.

Actually wrong on Verizon. You just make sure you have a World Phone from them. Doesn't matter the brand, just make sure it is a World Phone. They are CDMA and GSM and auto switch depending on the network. Soon as I hit CR my phone grabbed a ICE signal and I called back to the US.

I remember the thread Jazzbo. It was Orange that reported it over a year ago, and I believe it was the phone in the lobby of the SL. It cost about $12 or $14 per minute. Total rip-off!

The other thing you should know about is the issue of "locking". Any GSM phone can work in CR but you may be restricted to using your US carrier with its high per minute rates (such as AT&T's ridiculous $2.29/min rate or only slightly better $1.99/min if you signed up for their international roaming). To avoid that you also need to have a phone that is "unlocked" so that you can switch the SIM chip. AT&T will only give you their unlocking code if you've been a customer for more than 2 years and even then will often make you jump through hoops before they'll give it to you. Alternatively, depending on what model phone you have you can get the unlocking code for anywhere from $9-10 on-line to $50 or more if you have to send it in somewhere to get it unlocked. Once you do that you can purchase an international SIM card for another $50 or so (depending on how many initial minutes you get with it) that will bring your per minute rates to mere pennies and you can reload it as many times as you want. Obviously, that added expense may not be worth it for those who don't plan on making many calls or visit CR only irregularly. But if you'd like to use your phone a lot (and even not have to worry about leaving it on) then the savings can quickly add up.

Alternatively, if you don't have a GSM phone or don't plan to use a phone much, then the calling cards can be pretty cheap per minute too with much less upfront cost. The drawback to them versus using your own phone is that you do not get a number where people know they can reach you (e.g. you want your buddies or novias to be able to call you locally while you're in CR or you want folks back home to be able to get a hold of you instantaneously with out the delay of when you might make it back to your hotel to retrieve messages). A cell phone rental will also take care of that problem but comes with pretty hefty per day costs (ie only pays if you plan to use the phone a real lot each day) and, of course, unlike your own cell and SIM, your local CR number will be different each time you go to CR and rent a new phone.