I am travelling to the US in October and would like to know what some of you have done for phone usage while there. I currently have an Iphone 3 and have read differing reports on the best thing to do while I am in the states so that I am not paying exhorbitant prices for calls/roaming while there.
I have looked on the US threads but would like to know how fellow aussies have used their phones to their advantage and not come home to a huge bill from Telstra a month later.
I am not terribly up on technology and I was hoping to use the iphone to send emails /facebook updates to children so they can follow our trip and know we are ok and get information we may need and airline checkins etc.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

If you don't find an economical way to use your iPhone in the U.S., there's another option. Most hotels in the U.S. have "business centers" or computers in the lobby which are for use by the guests. You could use these computers to send emails to your kids, check in for flights, etc. Then, just buy a "throwaway" phone from Virgin Mobile or TracPhone when you get to the States for any phone calls you might have to make on the road. These phones are sold at discount stores such as Target or Walmart and at drug stores such as Walgreens, Rite Aid or CVS.

I took an old mobile & bought a local SIM for local calls and used Skype/Viber on my iphone for calls home.

Remember to unlock your mobile if it's locked into an Australian carrier, so you can use a US SIM

Yes, get a local SIM card. I did that and my partner contacted me via SKYPE but I had to pay a fortune when I got back as I did not have skype! So get a local card and you can communicate with each other but don't use skype!

Peteralan

I have never used skype. I will be keeping contact with the kids every couple of days with an update on facebook for them or an email here and there. I wont be making calls back to australia unless its urgent. Sounds like a sim or a cheap throwaway may be the way to go.

thanks

We've just got back from North America. We took a computer notebook and used that to communicate with family in Australia - didn't have to worry about time differences. Plus of course we could use it to check flight times, hotel rates, tourist information etc. All the hotels and motels we stayed in had free WiFi so it didn't cost us anything. We always leave the mobile phone at home as we have heard at first hand the horrendous bills that can mount up by using it overseas.