DIRECTIONS AND MAP TO CROSS BORDER FROM MEXICALI (WEST) TO CALEXICO
Cell Phone Service In Mexico And Making Phone Calls
Check if your cell phone carrier already provides service in Mexico
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Check with your mobile carrier before you use your phone in Mexico. Many providers/plans will have no additional charges while others will be abusively expensive, especially when it comes to data usage. You might be able to buy a "day-pass" that saves a lot of money, make sure you check with your provider first.
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T-mobile and Verizon both offer common plans that come with free coverage in Mexico but not all Verizon and T-Mobile plans do. Just having Verizon or T-mobile is not enough and getting it wrong can cost over $1,000. Check carefully or leave it in Airplane Mode.
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If you are unsure, just leave your phone in Airplane Mode and use WiFi only. Not using apps on your phone is not enough to avoid using data. Background apps on your iPhone or Android still use a lot of data, with some providers charging $100/GB!
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Below is how to make a phone call in Mexico using a US cell phone
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*On August 3, 2019, Mexico got rid of all of the prefixes (01, 045, 044) and goes to standard 10 digit numbers: 3 digit area code + 7 digit phone number. Trust me, this is easier than the weird old way of doing things.
From a US cell phone, first you have to dial the exit code which is 011. Then you dial the county code which is 52 then dial the number.
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For example if the phone number is 777-555-1234 you would dial 011-52-777-555-1234.
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If you are using a cell phone, you can use the plus + sign instead of dialing the exit code. If you notice on your cell phone key pad, there is a plus + sign sharing the "0" key. Press down on the "0" key until the plus + sign appears. Now you don't have to enter the exit code.
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So in the above example you would dial +52-777-555-1234
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When you dial it will ring/sound differently than in the United States. You will hear a beep every second or so (no ringing).