I'm going to Vegas in May and I'd like to have a phone.

From past experience roaming on a long weekend (never mind 8 days) can cost HUNDREDS. I'll have wi-fi in the hotel so all I need is phone/text messaging to keep in touch with friends who'll be there.

Fido has a lame (and expensive) $50/100 minutes (50 cent/minute overage) and $25 for 100 text messages or $50 for unlimited... is there something better that I can't find online? I'm also thinking about getting a "burner cell phone" instead when I get there. Anyone have experience with them? Will they make calls and text messages? How costly are they?

Thanks!
Mike

Check out Tracfone. You can buy them for as cheap as $10-20 at Walgreens, Walmart, etc.

Do you have an unlocked phone?

Walk into a T-Mobile store and buy a prepaid SIM (get the $30 welcome kit, it comes with $30 of airtime).

$2/day for unlimited nationwide talk, text and 2G data.

You only pay that $2 if you use it that particular day.

It costs $10/90 days to keep the account active.

Used it in Cali last week, amazing.

TTYL

Furthermore to the T-Mobile recommendation, once you put $100 into the phone, $10 more keeps it alive for a full year.

Maybe double check, not sure the $2/day plan does that, but the Pay as You Go plan where you pay by the minute for all calls certainly does that. I have one.

Works in Canada too (at $0.50/minute) if you need a spare phone in a pinch.