Depending on what type of service you need, you can get a PREPAID phone when you arrive for much less (depening on how much usage you think there will be).

For a very lost cost phone option, the phone itself will be about US$99. From there, you will pay between US .10 cents and US .25 cents per minute for use, depending on the carrier and the plan you elect to go with. Long distance will be additonal, but billed at about the same rate, so assume worst case about US .50 cents per minute (100 cents = USD$1).

So...if your usage will be enough to cover the intial capital outlay for the phone, and you don't mind having to take a new number (one differnt than the number you have loaded into your UK phone) then this is the way to go.

Another down side...roaming. If you plan to travel to multiple US cities, you will have to get aplan that allows that. Not all of the pre pay plans do, and it will also cost additonal, though nothing like the rates you've been quoted.

When you are done and ready to return to the UK, just throw the phone in the trash. This is probably better anyway...if you gave out you're UK number, you'd have blokes trying to reach you for the rest of your natural life looking to hear that darling accent again!!  :^)

You can buy a PREPAID phone from AT&T.  That would work great for calls you make and receive within the US but it could still be high for your lon distance calls to the UK.

Ask your carrier as to options. I'd be asking if you can take your chip with you and rent a phone here, and pay local rates.

If I remember correctly, if you're going to be visiting here quite frequently, your best bet is to use Vodafone as your carrier, so you can hook up on the Verizon network in the US. T Mobile also might have something similar as well.

As an aside, as someone who is infatuated with Latina nd Asian talent, I enjoyed your website and found you to be a most lovely young lady. Good luck on your visit in the USA.

First off, US uses a different frequency band than Europe.  Unless you have a tri-band cell phone, your handset would not work in US.  You may inquire with your EU operator if they have loaner program for handsets.  Typically they exchange the handset at the airport when you depart and return.

Second, GSM system uses SIM card which is removable from handset to handset.  The SIM card tells the network who you are and if you are paid up, etc.  If your EU operator has roaming agreement with the US operator, most likely T Mobile or VoiceStream for GSM phones, your SIM card will be recognized in US and can receive and make calls.  You get to use the same phone number over here, but it will be costly.  Anyone calling you in US, even you are next door, place a long-distance call to EU (toll on him/her), which is routed back to you in US (toll on you) and every minute you are on the call you pay air time on top of long-distance toll.

I think you are most cost efficient if you go for the pre-paid card.  The US operator will give you a SIM card for your handset (with the US frequency) and you are treated as a local user in the US network.  But you will have a different number from your EU one.  Good thing is that US operators now have the national networks which by and large do not charge for US domestic long-distance call, i.e. it is always a local call no matter you are in NY or CA.  When your pre-paid card run low on remaining value, you can recharge it by adding value to it.

BTW, I travel out of US a lot and have used a pre-paid service overseas for a long time.  The good thing is I don't pay for the monthly fee when I am not in the network and get to keep the same number so long it has some remaining value on the SIM card for max 6 months.  The bad thing is that I pay a higher per-minute cost, e.g. about 3 times higher compared to the regular monthly services.  This goes back to the point how you use the phone and your frequency of traveling to US.

Hope these help.