Holiday in USA, how to call home

[Motel75]

There are several cheap calling cards available. Have a look at www.cheapphonecards.com -- I have used both the Mega Clean Pinless and the Voyager Pinless, and both were cheap to Europe and easy to use. You could combine these with a T-Mobile To Go prepaid SIM (calling Europe from TMO otherwise costs $1.50 a minute). AT&T Go Phone is overall, not as good as TMO, but its international calls are cheaper (I think 36 cents/min to Europe) -- but still too expensive for other than occasional use.

Be aware that many phone cards charge extra for calling from a payphone, and that some phone companies charge astronomical international rates from landlines unless the user has ordered an "international package." So be sure to ask first before placing international calls from a friend's house. OTOH, the two calling cards I mentioned have a toll-free number, so you can call from someone's home phone without worrying that they'd be charged.

[snaimon]

There are calling cards you can buy in Europe that will also work in the states. These card have US access numbers. I think that would be my first stop, especially if you have a need @ home for such a calling card.

If you are staying in hotels, BE SURE TO CHECK THE TELEPHONE POLICY. Many finer hotels charge hefty fees even for toll-free outbound calling. Each hotel is different. You will find, however, that most US hotels will have FREE internet access, either wireless or ethernet. Go figure!

As Motel75 wrote, it is best if you can call from a friend's or relative's home or office phone. Payphone fees can also be high as he described. It is a bit of an inconvenience to dial extra digits; some cell phones allow you to program those digits and the pin.

Stan