Cell Phone information and Do Not Rent A Cell Phone At The Airport!!

[PeruBound]

Claro store on Av Larco is the best place to go.

Address: Av. Larco # 652, Miraflores. Just north of Av Benavidas.

Hours: MON to FRI: 10:00 to 19:00 hrs. SAT: 10:00 a 14:00 hrs.

The staff who helped me spoke very good English, not sure if all staffs speak English.

However, if you arrived in Lima on Sunday and need a phone ASAP, Metro (Supermarket) or Ripley (department store) are the places to go.

I got my mini SIM at Ripley for 15 soles (no airtime or credit) , once the number is confirmed, I had to charge the card (put money in the card) in Metro. Go directly to the check out cashier, give he / she your phone number and the amount you want to put in. 60 soles was enough for 4 weeks, including 3G internet access.

Metro.

Address: Calle Shell Nro. 250, Miraflores.

There is a Claro table on the left hand side as soon as you enter the door. I think you can get a SIM card there but I got mine already at Ripley before I went there.

Ripley is practically next to Metro.

Internet access:

Send the following text to 779.

1D (1 sole 10MB 1 day)

3D (3 soles 50MB 3 days)

5D (10 soles 200MB 5 days)

10D (35 soles 700MB 10 days)

15D (69 soles 1500MB 15 days)

30D (119 soles 3000MB 30 days)

Long distance call 0. 49 soles per minute for the following countries:

USA, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, China, Puerto Rico.

1912+00+country code+phone number.

Example; to call USA, you simply dial.

1912 00 1 123-555-1234.

Not sure how long the 1912 prefix is good for, but it is working now.

Getting a SIM with internet access was definitely worthwhile.

[BlueSkyOne]

Just to add to what David mentioned below:

I checked with the Claro office at Airport and their SIM card cost 65 Sol while I got a SIM card at their office in Miraflores for only 8 Sol. They charge. 49 Sol / Min based on the pre-paid plan that you can add as low as 10 Sol.

I also check the rental phone at airport, they charge 11. 99 (or 12. 99 if I remember it correctly) for processing fee and $.50 cent / min (which is about 1.36 Sol).

So your best options to go to the Claro office and get the SIM card right there. The accepted a copy of passport to process the order. You might have to wait 10-20 min to get the service. Not all of them speak English.

Good Luck

Where is "here"? In the USA I think you can forget about just going out and buying a SIM card for practice. Just go to a Claro store or kiosk (NOT IN THE AIRPORT) once you arrive in Peru, and buy a SIM and 50 soles of credit. Any girl will be happy to showyou how to use your phone.

[Miami Bob]

1900 mghrtz is the 3g frequency in Buenos Aires and Venezuela.

[Member #4351]

Where is "here"? In the USA I think you can forget about just going out and buying a SIM card for practice. Just go to a Claro store or kiosk (NOT IN THE AIRPORT) once you arrive in Peru, and buy a SIM and 50 soles of credit. Any girl will be happy to showyou how to use your phone.

[Stones]

I would appreciate some information. I bought an unlocked quad band phone for use in Peru. I would like to learn how to program and use the phone and e-mail etc. Before I go. I want to buy a SIM card here to learn how to use the phone. Where do I buy one and what do I actual buy. I assume I need one that has data also. The phone I bought has slots for two SIM cards if that makes any difference.

Anybody got any suggestions?

[Cab Driver]

I am amazed at the amount of PMs I get from guys who are considering renting a cell phone at the airport. Its a giant rip off. How do you think they pay for all the girls who accost you when you enter the baggage area? They block your number so no one can see it when you call, and have outrageous per minute charges.

If you have an unlocked phone you can get a SIM chip for around $3. 00. If you don't, you can purchase a cell phone with line for from $30. 00 on up. Just give it to a chica when you leave if you don't plan on returning.

The chip and phone can easily be purchased at the Claro store on the intersection of Ave. 28 de Julio and Ave. Larco in Miraflores (near most apts. And hotels) , or at any Claro kiosk (found in most large stores; grocery, department, etc.). No hassle like in Colombia or Bs As. Remember to bring your passport with you.

David is right, I fucked up, got the phone and it won't let me send a text.

[Member #4351]

Good news for visitors. As you leave customs at the airport go past all the people waiting with signs and head to the left a little. In about 10 meters you will see a Claro Kiosk. It is open 24 hours a day. Sim chips cost about $5. 00. They also sell phones for you guys who haven`t gotten it together and purchased an unlocked phone for your trips. You will need to show your passport.

[Fred Gold]

A good phone on ebay is a NOKIA 6555- with bluetooth, gps and internet 3G. When I used it in Peru I used google maps to help me get around. It's also a quad band good anywhere in the world where gsm rules. No wifi, but used the 'internet'. Cost. Used <50usd

added: I also used the 'clinic' around the corner from Claro. It took him forever to get the phone's google maps to work, but he kept his price and apologized for being so long. Sid he was unfamiliar with the phone as it was then a pretty new model.

Just down the street on the opposite side is a GREAT and cheap bakery- not as sweet as the chicas, but a good start.

[BMz69]

While at the Claro store I faced the dilemna of buying a throw-away 2 band cell phone for $20-$35, a triband phone for $50-$70 that I might be able to use elsewhere, or their cheapest smartphone with internet and wifi access for $150 (including some free calls / messages. 1 week of unlimited data access, additional data at s / 1-s / 3 per MB). It was a tough choice but I wanted data access as my home phone costs $20 / MB and that adds up fast when ISG and airline webpage refreshes are 300-500kb each.

I can't say I really like the phone but after a learning curve it does what I need. The bad news is that I took it around the corner to CMT to be unlocked (see address information below) but the guy said (as best I can tell) that the model is too new and can't be unlocked yet. Bummer. I'll try one more time before I leave or hopefully someone can do this up north eventually. At least the phone paid for itself on this trip. A better option probably would have been to buy a used unlocked android phone ahead of time.

As you leave the Claro store take a right out the door until you reach the corner. On the corner of Ave 28 de Julio and Ave. Larco look across Ave. 28 de Juilo to the right and an 1/4 down the street you will see a medium sized outdoor centro comercial with a big arch set a bit back from the steet.

Walk over and go in until you see CMT. Clinic of Mobile Technology. On your left. A guy in there named Cesar Munoz will now unlock your Claro phone for approx. 10 dollars. Might have been less.

Now when you go to Colombia or another country all you have to do is get a new SIM card and you are ready to go. I just got back from Cali and Comcel hooked me up with a SIM card for the phone for 7 bucks. I still have my Claro SIM card when I go back to Peru.

Cesar Munoz.

CMT Ave. 28 de Julio 462 Of. 104. Miraflores

Telf 243. 3518 Cel: (9) 9748. 8711/ (9) 9840. 0303

[Steven Jones]

Picked up a Huawei phone for 60 sols, basic, but does the job, well worth the investment, you wouldn't get locals calling you, or have to deal with roaming charges if the do.

[Dtaylor1972]

My 3c ... Just buy a cheap phone there.

You can pick up a bottom line phone for about $25 +/- ... That way you don't run the risk of having your nice phone jacked !

Claro worked for me - and I went from Lima - Trujillo - Chiclayo no problems.

Thanks! That sort of confirms the earlier report about Movistar being the "country" phone, but Claro ruling in Lima. It seems like close to a draw, close enough that I'll just let fate decide: When I see my first store/kiosk/whatever I'll jump on it.

Should be really entertaining: My home cell is CDMA, so I have an unlocked quad-band GSM for travel.

[Oosik]

Thanks! That sort of confirms the earlier report about Movistar being the "country" phone, but Claro ruling in Lima. It seems like close to a draw, close enough that I'll just let fate decide: When I see my first store/kiosk/whatever I'll jump on it.

Should be really entertaining: My home cell is CDMA, so I have an unlocked quad-band GSM for travel. Problem is that I use it so rarely that it takes me days just to figure out how to get the SIM in and add minutes, all the time looking like a total boob as I ask the sales rep questions:

"So what is this? An SD card?"
"It's awfully small... how am I going to add any minutes to it?"
"How do I dial an out of town number? Do I add the zero?"
"How do I dial your number?"
"Do you swallow?"

[Kngdf5]

If you have a GSM phone, you can buy a Peru sim chip for 15 sol ($5). There are shops everywhere that sell Claro and Movistar prepaid ("prepago"). 120 sol ($42) for a simple Nokia + sim + I think that includes about 100 sol credit for calling. Claro is more popular, so I recommend that. But the 2 are similar. Both work nationwide.

[Rick52]

As long as they can actually connect, I'm going with Claro because of the convenience. I read both their websites (well, I LOOKED AT both of them... my Spanish is essentially non-existent) and saw that they both just charge more when calling a competitor or a land line.

I tried to make out whether Movistar had international roaming, but my aforementioned limitation thwarted me at every turn. They can certainly call outbound internationally - they had the rates for that - but I couldn't find the roaming information

I brought my Movistar phone to Medellin Colombia & Florida USA and it didn't have service at all. I don't have a claro cell so I can't say if its different with Claro. But in Junin, I noticed I had better signal than claro when I traveled away from the citys (the girl I traveled with had Claro). Both Claro and Movistar have great service near and in the citys. Hope this helps a bit.

[Oosik]

As long as they can actually connect, I'm going with Claro because of the convenience. I read both their websites (well, I LOOKED AT both of them... my Spanish is essentially non-existent) and saw that they both just charge more when calling a competitor or a land line.

I tried to make out whether Movistar had international roaming, but my aforementioned limitation thwarted me at every turn. They can certainly call outbound internationally - they had the rates for that - but I couldn't find the roaming information