Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Calling Cards and Cell Phone Rental on Roatan

Country forums / Central America / Honduras

Hi- We leave for Roatan in a couple of days and have two questions
1- CALLING USA- Can we purchase prepaid calling cards on Roatan? Idea of cost per minute? Is it cheaper to call from internet cafes?
Our rental house has a phone that can be used for local calls or with prepaid card. Can only find an ATT card online for calls FROM HOnduras to USA and it is $1.10 per minute.

2- CELL PHONES TO RENT or BUY WHILE ON ROATAN
Anyone have idea if this is possible and the price? We are traveling with our teens, and would like to be able to keep in touch as we go our separate ways over the course of the day.

Any info, much appreciated!

You can purchase a cheap pay-as-you go cell phone here for about $15, and then the minutes are $0.26, whether you're calling someone next to you or calling up to the States or Canada. Sending texts are very cheap, so you and your kids could text each other to save minutes. I think there are a few places that rent cell phones, but with the purchase price so cheap, you probably are just as well buying one- you can always make a new friend by giving it to someone when you go to leave :)

Cheaper still to make calls from internet cafes, particularly in Coxen Hole (West End is pricier, but I think cheaper than a cell phone).

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Thanks!

Where on Roatan can cell phones and minutes be purchased?

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You might like to watch a short Youtube video made by a Roatan realtor... he's doing a frequent video blog on different items of interest to people considering Roatan... this one is on wireless coverage and talks some about phones...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE_UKfPtYrY&feature=player_embedded

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The grocery store in Coxen Hole (used to be called Casa Warrens, now called Sun, but everyone still calls it Casa Warren) sells Digicel phones, which are usually the cheapest ones. Just a couple minutes past there, on the left hand side of the road in the building that's just past the municipalidad (City Hall) is a store that sells Tigo phones- I like the Tigo network, I find it most reliable. Pretty much all little shops sell minutes- a lot of the little convenience stores as well as Paradise Computers, all over the island. For sure Tigo minutes, not sure how easy it is to get Digicel, as I don't have one of their phones.

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I am going to Roatan for 6 months....can I use my Internet provider here in Canada which I am going to keep as I will by skyping home every once in a awhile.... or do I have to get a service provider on the island...bit confused and probably stupid daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Thanks Anyone???????

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