Best cell phone and hotspot coverage for traveling

[tjplus]

We're looking for opinions on the best cell phone and hotspot plans from your experiences. Currently, we have Sprint and are finding out there are many dead spots.

[switz]

I have been with Verizon since 1988 and they have had the most comprehensive coverage when driving cross country over the years.

[Glenritas]

iPhone and Verizon ... "the only way to fly" As your main phone.

A pre paid flip phone with ATT as a back up.

[Lily&Me]

Verizon.


Maggie

[uncle_bob]

Hi

If you are out west, the answer has always been Verizon. In the east (like Pennsylvania), AT&T is the better bet.

Bob

[Thiss]

I have Sprint out west because I like to not have service when camping

[Protagonist]

I've only been to one campground— Lake Bruin State Park, St. Joseph, LA— where neither Verizon nor AT&T had any coverage. Zero bars for both. And at the time, I had both, an AT&T phone and a Verizon jetpack.

But since I pretty much quit carrying my laptop on camping trips, I got rid of the Verizon service, and just use the AT&T phone. Since then, except for the aforementioned Lake Bruin State Park, I've never been out of touch anywhere I traveled to date. So my vote has to be for AT&T.

[spenfolder]

At&t phone service that I can use as a "hotspot," and a Verizon hotspot. Anymore I can usually get both services, or neither when I'm truly out in the boonies. I'm not sure it's true, but At&t seems to be faster with data when both have the same number of bars.

[AnnArborBob]

Sprint is all but useless outside of the bigger cities.

Verizon is the hands down best all over the US. AT&T is the second best with T-Mobile a close third. Those three (plus Sprint) are the only US carriers. All the others (e.g., Cricket, U.S. Cellular, etc..) are re sellers of one of the four.

Look for an iPhone and Android app called "Coverage?" This is a great tool for projecting where you will have coverage with the four carriers.

http://www.twostepsbeyond.com/apps/coverage/

[urnmor]

I have been using the iPhone and Verizon for many many years without to many complaints. One thingI would recommend regarding a cell phone is to purchase one that will integrate with your other systems. That is why I like the I phone. As to Version it does have some dead spots however from what I have been told a lot less then other services. Again I have no complaints about their service.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AnnArborBob

Look for an iPhone and Android app called "Coverage?" This is a great tool for projecting where you will have coverage with the four carriers.

http://www.twostepsbeyond.com/apps/coverage/

Just loaded the app on my AT&T Android phone, to check coverage for my planned route to Salem, OR next year for the WBCCI International Rally. Purely by dumb luck, my planned route already avoided any of the vast dead areas in the western states, so I'll have coverage the whole way there.

Maybe not the whole way back, since I may take a different route then…

[moosetags]

We travel extensively throughout the United States. We are in Pueblo, Colorado this morning. It has been our experience that Verizon has the best chance of a signal. We use a hotspot from an Android phone using an app called FoxFi. We run an Internet business while Airstreaming, and have found this the best combination for our needs.

Brian

[tjplus]

Originally Posted by moosetags

We travel extensively throughout the United States. We are in Pueblo, Colorado this morning. It has been our experience that Verizon has the best chance of a signal. We use a hotspot from an Android phone using an app called FoxFi. We run an Internet business while Airstreaming, and have found this the best combination for our needs.

Brian

Thanks, Brian. We'll check it out. Safe travels. Tom

[wimpy]

Should you decide to use a re-seller, PagePlus & Straight Talk both use the Verizon network. No contract, unlimited service pricing available from both, SE Asia customer service which can be a huge negative should you have a problem. Currently using Straight Talk with no service issues, dropped calls or no signal issues.

[Mollysdad]

When I travelled for work I liked Verizon. Best coverage.
However, now being retired, I don't like paying $100/ month for something I hardly use.
Maybe I'll check straight talk. (I still like my i-phone 5)

[SagaCapt]

We use Google Fi.

Great coverage, pretty comparable to Verizon since it uses a combination of all Sprint, T-mobile, and US Cellular networks. Way cheaper than Verizon.

Comes with lots of hotspots and built in VPN when using public hotspots.

Outside the USA, it out shines everything. Our phones just worked overseas. We didn't do anything over than add the country code when dialing. Data worked just fine too, in fact the data was often faster than some European hotspots.

The only downside is that iPhones don't work. The upside is that Google Pixel is a great phone. Motorola is bringing out a Google Fi phone in the mid-price range early this fall.

[DougnJanet]

My wife and I use Tracfone with unlocked CDMA phones which puts us on the Verizon network. This pay as you need it plan works well for us. Good coverage in the northwest. I had Tracfone account on unlocked GSM phones on AT&T and coverage not as good. Straight Talk uses both AT&T and Verizon depending on whether you have a GSM or GDMA phone.

[charlesk]

We full time and drive coast to coast. Two devices - one on ATT and the other on Verizon. We both of their unlimited data plans, it's worked great. When one does not have service we simply use the other and hotspot.

[jtwind]

Had Verizon and liked them except they weren't that great at my house in downtown Madison WI, just a bad spot for coverage for them. Switched to AT&T for awhile, better at my house but that was all! Never found them to have more coverage than Verizon. Switched back and on a recent two month trip to the Texas Gulf coast, Big Bend, Southwestern New Mexico, Southern AZ and Utah Verizon worked everywhere except Big Bend NP and I don't think anyone works down there!

[NickCantwell]

Originally Posted by Thiss

I have Sprint out west because I like to not have service when camping

Although rarely mentioned, there is an on/off switch on the phone..and you still have emergency communications if needed. Wow.