How can I use I Phone in Canada without too much expense?

Where are you traveling from/who is your current wireless provider? Is your phone unlocked? How will you use it - just voice/text or data too? For how long?

If you are a customer in the US... using any phone will rack up Roaming charges for using the Canadian Wireless system... fees start at 83 cents per minute or message and can add up quickly...on top of your regular charges.

the only way to save money is to turn off the phone...

You cannot. Using your US based iPhone in Canada will cost you above and beyond your current US plan, and, depending on how much you use it, could cost you more than $100 per day.

This amazes me. I am Canadian, and when I travel to the US, I contact my carrier and get. Roaming package, which has always brought the cost down to minimal levels. You decide the amount of talk, text, data you will need and pay accordingly. Do U S carriers really not have any international plans? I would certainly call and ask.

I have verizon and am heading from the US to Quebec in mid Oct. They added a canada plan for 15 dollars for one month.This will give me 1000 min of talk time. Texting is free. I will turn data off unless I am in a wifi zone where it will be free. I have a droid, but I am assuming that the I phone will be under the same rules. Call your carrier. (My phone is a US phone and is not unlocked)

Final report: I was really stupid on this one,a nd I racked up a lot inf charges. I put the iPHone (ATT) on rairplane mode, and thought that would take care of all charges! Ha! Did I say stupid? After all the trouble I go to when traveling to Surope, what made me think Canada would be any different?

Fair warning to others: at least get a roaming PLAN; it will save some money!!Thanks to those who tried to help!

Thanks for letting us know, Taconic, and for taking the responsibility for your mistake rather than ranting at the provider. Certainly this is an area where confusion reigns, and due diligence is in order. I don't own a smart phone and have no data plan but I have heard that a phone with GPS will rack up charges even if you are not actively using it. Also, mobile phone charges in Canada tend be higher than is the case south of the border: one of those things we Cajuns gripe about.

I turned off data while in Canada.I left the WiFi on. So when in the hotel I was able to use internet on WiFi for free. I did get Verizon's Canada plan for 15 dollars for the one month period which was free texting and 1000 min of talk time.