All incoming calls are free with U.S. Cellular,
including those from international carriers. If the phone rings, it's free. Same with text & picture messages.
If you call your Quebecois family, you'll pay international dialing rates, but it will cost you nothing when they call you. Zilch. Nada. Gratis.
You will get coverage with US Cell everywhere you get Verizon coverage. VZ is their main roaming partner. So, in US Cell areas, you're on them, but elsewhere you're usually on Verizon. But if VZ isn't available you'll roam on Sprint or whatever
CDMA carrier their is.
I do a fair amount of travelling and I've never had any issues with roaming, and my US Cellular phone always has signal in the USCC markets, even when others do not.
The LG 260 is pretty good if you're looking for a texting phone. You also might like the Motorola Hint.