I noticed that it's possible to rent a cell phone while you are in Rio. The one rate I was quoted was $6 a day. If you go the apartment route, my understanding is that this is your only phone option. Question is do I really need a phone in Rio ?

Just a followup here. I got a few e-mails saying that if you go the apartment route the cell phone is a good idea. Most of the apartments don't have phones. During a week stay you are likely to meet a girl or two that you want to have call you.

I'd agree with Gitano that unless you're in an apartment that you probably don't need a cell phone.

You can get cell phones thru either Kenn
http://www.EZ-RioRentals.com/cellular.htm

or Bobby
http://www.blameitonrio4travel.com/

You really don't need a cell phone , all the girls have them and are more than happy to give you their number. You can buy a phone card for the public phones for 2, 3, and 6 Reals giving you 20,30 and 60 min. You buy these card from guys on the street , they ware orange and sometimes white vest and written on them says "Cartaos" with the prices listed. These guys are everywhere but there are always 2 or 3 hanging around Mea Pattaca. If you do rent a cell phone you don't want to give the number out to any of the girls as they will drive you nuts calling you at the worst possible time. These girls are very possessive and will try to monopolize your time.

I would suggest that you only buy phone cards in stores. I have purchased 3 or 4 cards from people in the street, and all of the cards purchased from street vendors would not work.

Another option on cell phones is the Tudoefacil internet cafe. They have StarTAC's for 10 reais per day plus your calls.

Need info here. I'm trying to be discreet. When I call a person(who is also in Rio) with a cell phone while I'm in Rio would they know under all circumstances where I'm calling from. For instance, if I call from a public telephone in Rio, would they know?

Thanks in advance.

If they have callerID then they know..

Don't they have GSM cards that you can just slide into your tri mode phones?

Stayawayjoe,,
all cell phones here have caller ID.... so if you call someone on their cell phone they can see the number you are calling from..
If you call to a land line it would depend on weather that person had caller ID and you will never know..

Dickjohnson,,
"TIM" the new phone service here has the chips for the GSM phones at 45reais.. you will have to give them your passport number, an address and a phone number of someone here in Rio..

anyone know how that works? I just bought a GSM phone here in the states (the new Motorola T720) but I was curious, if I bought a GSM card in Rio, will it automatically bill to my U.S. AT&T account? Will my number stay the same, or will the GSM card in Rio provide some sort of local Brazilian number? If my number stays the same (ie. my current U.S. cell phone number) will the incoming calls to my phone from Rio (since the point would be to give the number to girlfriends) be billed as a long distance call for the chicas or at local rates? Any insight would be appreciated...

I have one of the new AT&T GSM phones. When I was in Rio last month it worked there, and in Macae. I was able to direct dial the USA, and receive calls.

It is not cheap to use your phone down there, but it will work if for some reason you need to be able to receive calls from the US, or anywhere else for that matter.

What does a At&t GSM phones go for? Was wonding
if it would just be cheaper to buy a pre-paid
GSM in Brazil. I got a phone for my sweetie in
Recife for $R299 (GSM pre-paid) about $75 at the
time. I should have picked up one for myself.

Prices are all over. Typically, about $100.

THey have a great current plan which lets you talk anywhere in the US you want, no long distance charges, and talk as long as you want (no 2000 minute limit, or worry about night and weekend minutes), and the cost is only $99 / month.

CP

Whoa...$100 US for a GSM phone thru AT&T? That's cheap... The new motorolas are going for $300+ but it does have some cool features (full color, pda, online browser/email access, etc)

I have a motorola star tac (TDMA) that I dont use anymore. Can I bring this phone to Rio to have it program and used with a pre paid card?
who gives the best rates for phone rental?
I think it's Tudo Facil

thanks

I have a GSM AT&T phone. Who can provide me for a GSM chip while in Rio?

Anybody know the costs.

spam follows:

You can rent cellphones from me. I also have a Vesper portable land line for rent (much better than cell phone). Also rent a room in my apartment 3 blocks from help, with free advice, occasional orgies, sybian fucking machine, dsl internet etc.

I am willing to buy a gsm chip, but last time a guy wanted a chip he found out his phone was locked to his provider.

If you bought the phone at a discount together with your chip from your provider, then probably no other chip will work. You also probably need a tri-band phone with no sim lock!

(PS: all the commercial stuff is just a little sideline so I have an excuse to show other mongers around ....)

oh my email is 1234567@innocent.com

and yes, you can buy a cellphone yourself, usually for about 300 R$ for the cheapest models. Afterwards you can give it to your girlfriend

But the Vesper phone is better, you dont pay 1R$ every minute, you can chat for half an hour with it without breaking your budget

I want to bring my Motorola Star Tac TDMA phone that I dont use anymore to Rio for usage.
I was told by someone I must bring the reciept and get it declared by customs.
Well, can I get this phone activated when I arrive in Rio.

Ceenotes, I really think it's better to rent a phone when you are there very cheap and sometime your phone from the states will cost your a lot of $$$, Ceenotes just check with the guides on this site, they will be more then happy to help you, All you will need to do is just buy a phone card and you will be just fine, when you go threw custom you can fine stands that will rent you a phone or check with some of the guides service and they will rent you a phone sometime they will give you the phone for free, all you will have to so is pay for the phone cards they are very cheap.

Ceenotes, if you are anything like me by your second day you should have the girls let you hold one of their extra phones, but be careful I have one crazy girl check the phone numbers I called and went off on the girls on the phone.

The person that you are renting your apartment from just e-mail them and they should be able to have your phone ready for you by the time you get off the plane in RIO.


KidCisco

Thanks KidCisco,

How does it work down there? Each phone comes with a number then the phone cards provides minutes, When I get a phone for free by my apt. agent, it's not going to be a phone with the same number some other tenant was giving out?
and what will my apt. agent charge me if I lose the damm phone?

Ceenotes, all of the above the phones come with numbers and all you need to do is buy mins with a phone card.

Ceenotes, just make sure if you get a cell phone from your agent that you rent your apartment from that he reactivate the phone and you get a new number so you aren't getting calls from the last person and wasting your mins, most cell phone programs have it set up were your 1st min is free or your incoming calls are free you will be charge on the calls that goes out the (locals calls), the out of range calls will cost more $$ and your overseas calls will be more I think it better to get a phone card from one of the newspaper stand for your overseas calls it will save you $$$ check in see if there a SAM warehouse were you can buy some phonecards before you go to Brazil just make sure you can make calls from Brazil to the USA.

Ceenotes, just about of the places want you rent your phones from will want your to put down a deposit on the phones that would include your(mins/phone/etc.)

But, to be honest with you my man I would wait for a few days to see if you really need a phone with going to the termas and clubs you want be have time to take any incoming calls because you will be fucking on top of that the phone in your room the front desk can take all of your phone messages for you, if you need to make a call buy phone cards from the newspaper stands and used the phone on the streets to set up appointment with the girls.

Ceenotes, I have seen guys spend a lot of $$$$ on cell phones and mins when they get down to RIO and never have time to use the phones you will be at the: termas/barbarella's/clubs/bars/malls/help you want even be thinking about or have time to make calls.

Rio Sul mall have cell phone stands inside the malls that you can get hook up with a program if you need one, on top of that the girls that work at the stands are hot also.

KidCisco

The purpose of the cell phone is to receive calls. When calling out, I will most likely use a pay phone.
Last time in Rio with no cell phone, none of the girls could get a hold of me so they would just show up at my apt. while I'm having a session.
I knock myself in the head last time for not getting one.
I think it's just better to have, than not to have. I think the only place where I cant pick up the phone is in the thermas.


Let's say one of the girls at the thermas wants to see me later, without the phone your fucked


CN

Ceenotes, That's a good point and your case you should have one.

Good luck on your up coming trip.

KidCisco