Cell phone service while traveling in Canada

Stop at the first WalMart you see avross the border and buy another disposable phone with maybe 50 minutes.

You could try Speakout, it is available up here too at 7-11. They seem to be consistently one of the cheapest options for Pay as you go up here.

My AT&T GoPhone worked well in BC, AB, SK and ON... didn't appear to cost anything extra either... $0.02/min USD for voice, $0.25 per text... to Canadian or US numbers.

My Verizon phone was eager to work, but the rates were shocking

I believe Verizon has a plan for $2 a day that is only charged the days you use it. It supposedly gives you everything you have in the US but allows you to use it in Canada. That's much better than the Global plan we had to use last Summer while in Calgary and the Canadian Rockies. Every time I go to My Verizon they nag me about it.

Thank you all for your responses. I had already considered the option of purchasing another phone+plan, but would like to avoid that if possible. I already have three unused Trac phones in a drawer due to my "need" for a different phone. I have requested that the company unlock one of these phones but they claim that they cannot do that. I guess I don't understand the technology well enough to question their resistance to my request.

I use Tracfone prepaid in USA and Telus prepaid in Canada. Wireless rates in Canada are horrendous regardless of which company / plan you use.

We did not bother with phone service for Canada and had our Verizon phones off. We informed family and friends that the phones would be off and that we would check email whenever we had free wifi which was frequently. We were traveling to Alaska and much of the Yukon does not have phone service (at least in 2014). We had great Verizon service in Alaska. If you do not get a plan that includes Canada, be careful when crossing back to the US. If you are too close to the border, the phone will ping on a Canadian tower and cost you a chunk of money.

Verizon has several plans that allow you to use your phone. Price varies on useage.

Check you carrier - I believe they all offer some International calling plan when OUT of the US and calling IN. Good luck

OP (ron4adams)...if you're using a smartphone, you might want to take it along. You can still use the camera, and if you have wifi (hotels, restaurants, libraries), you can always use Skype. My wife went to Europe and Mexico last summer and we used Skype every day to stay in touch. No cost.

Use of a compute for phone calls. Get a Google Voice number in USA and have your phones call forwarded to it.
Burner phone in canada, only works in big cities.
We purchased a SIM card for our UnLocked phone and use that for emergencies. Bu again cities only. Best thing is if you tow a car, ensure fuel is full and drive it for emergencies