Of course those of us in the USA would use our regular phone - and, supposedly it is illegal for us to go to Cuba. Travelers have to go hours out of the way via Mexico (or Canada), even though Cuba is only about 150km away! Cingular and T-Mobile, for that reason, don't allow their customers to roam there.

Many of us forward all incoming calls to our cell when we are away from home or office. We don't want people to have to dial an intl. number. Most friends, clients etc. won't do that. The rates charged for intl. calls vary quite a bit. One problem is that a majority local landline companies don't allow you to forward to intl. numbers. I now use VoiceStick to do that. That is one reason Yackie and CelTrek are interesting to U.S. customers.

...mike

Of course those of us in the USA would use our regular phone - and, supposedly it is illegal for us to go to Cuba. Travelers have to go hours out of the way via Mexico (or Canada), even though Cuba is only about 150km away! Cingular and T-Mobile, for that reason, don't allow their customers to roam there.

Many of us forward all incoming calls to our cell when we are away from home or office. We don't want people to have to dial an intl. number. Most friends, clients etc. won't do that. The rates charged for intl. calls vary quite a bit. One problem is that a majority local landline companies don't allow you to forward to intl. numbers. I now use VoiceStick to do that. That is one reason Yackie and CelTrek are interesting to U.S. customers.

...mike

Yes, I realise that. But the "thread starter", Teothx is from Italy and is interested in the entire world...

Yes, again I know about that - it has been mentioned by US forumers here. After all, I agree that being accessible under one national number worldwide is one the main ideas (and advantages) of international roaming - the "only" issue is the price for that "pleasure" :-P. But again, the thread was started by a European who may think different (but I don't claim I know what he really thinks :)).
Somehow OT - if the Americans don't like int' calls so much, how do they avoid calling to Canada or Carribean/Pacific nations which also use +1 NANP numbering??? Does anybody know "at a glance" that the given 3-digit area code is from USA or not???

For a moment I thought you meant Italy mobile, so I checked

USA - Italy 20 cents; USA - Italy Mobile 50 cents

compare (1st figure US mobile - Italy; 2nd to Italy mobile)

Enlinea (US cents) 6c 28c

Mywebcalls (US c) 2.7c 22-25c

Voipbuster - 1.2c 28.6c

Vyke - 3.36c 25.7c

Voxalot + Voipcheap - 1.2c 14.3c

So, some of us could call an Italian mobile cheaper than Hiboo could reach a landline; that's why I said it is not cheap. 60 or 70 cents between 2 European mobiles is poor (GSM2world is 30c, Voxalot + Voipcheap can be less), and 20 cents between 2 landlines is atrocious. The 40c rate for Iceland mobile only beats 09 Mobile's own 39c tariff by saving the connection fee.

Don't forget that using callback with a US mobile, you'll still be paying for the incoming call, so using a callthrough arrangement is likely to be as good.

I'm try to understand what's the best rate to Italy: with international sims or prepaid card, it's not important how...

I say that Hiboo it's cheap because I'll make only (or maybe) mobile to landline (Usa to Italy).
And I don't understand if pingo.com and others works by mobile phone...because I think that are the very best alternatives to international sims ;)

We can NOT tell at a glance if an area code is intl. (like Canada). It isn't a problem, usually, because when the old Bell system was broken up, you have to pick a separate carrier to handle LD calls. Calls to Canada are cheaper on some carrier than calls to U.S. numbers - because termination rates are cheaper in Canada.
Egregious exceptions are there. Eg. Our office in the S.Eastern U.S. in Bell South territory has a plan for the landlines with unlimited local and LD (within U.S.) for $50/mo. IF, unknowingly, you dial a Canadian number, you pay over 50 cents/min.
To avoid that happening, we pd. them $5/line extra to block intl. cals. Their own system doesn't recognize calls to Canada as being intl and they show up on the bill. Each month someone has to call them to have the charges removed.

...mike

Hope we don't "have a failure to communicate".<G> Just to repeat, you can use pingo.com and others from ANY phone - landline or cell. You can call ANY number from landline or cell including toll free (what you may call "free call") numbers from landline or cell. With a cell you pay for airtime no matter what kind of number you call.
You are right - a MUCH CHEAPER alternative to intl. SIMS.

...mike

Thanks! :)

But with Pingo.com, onesuite.com, tel3advange.com, if I call the toll free number by mobile, I'll pay for receive in USA, because it's a call-back number, so it's not so cheap...or there are a possibile to make a direct call?

And I see that pingo, for example, as a montly tax.....

So...what's the best to call from a mobile phone to...the world?

I've lost track of what you are doing. Are you going to be using a U.S.. SIM, like from Cingular or T-M.?

...mike