Another tourist question from my wife

[AZ Pete]

Ok, now she knows about spending money in GB, but she would like to know now about buying a telephone card, when she get's there so that she can call home to the US of A. Is there a coice of carriers, and if so who would be recommended?

Again, thanks in advance for the helpful advice.

Pete

[the_lone_wolf]

Does she not have a mobile? Not sure what the equivalent of roaming charges are in the US but they can't be that dramatic unless you want her to read you a chapter of À la recherche du temps perdu each night :cool:

[BoltonSte]

Does she not have a mobile? Not sure what the equivalent of roaming charges are in the US but they can't be that dramatic unless you want her to read you a chapter of À la recherche du temps perdu each night :cool:

From what I remember they are quite steep. You pay for airtime not calls made like here so on PAYG both parties paid (well did) it may have changed now though, that's not for roaming btw, just the way the system was. The good thing was that you didn't get a 'mobile' number. Just one with a standard area code, so could call from any land line and not be charged above a standard call rate.

I wonder if it is worth getting one of those cheap number. card thingy's (somone will know the correct term) where you dial in a code before ringing the number and get lower rates for international calls. I have no idea if this can be done without an existing phone line, but one of the lads at work uses it to phone India for a fraction of a pence a minute.

[AZ Pete]

Thanks for the reply, she does have a mobile, but was advised that frequency band wasn't compatable. She was recommended to get a phone card, but no suggestion as to which card might be best.

[L3nny]

Any post office or newsagent/corner shop will sell phone cards to use in a public payphone. I think there may even be coin operated payphones in major cities. Unfortunately as everyone in the UK has a mobile (cell) phone, public phones are very expensive to use and normally stink of wee.

You can buy a card which lets you use a UK mobile or regular landline at a cheaper rate (popular with immigrants calling home) this isn't much use unless she wants to buy a UK mobile when she gets here (which she could from and large supermarket for about £20)

If it's just a quick hello I am still alive then she's probly best off using her mobile. If her phone is less than 5 years old chances are its tri or quad band and can be used in Europe as well as North America.

If she wants to talk for longer then try an internet cafe as they often have Skype or other VOIP services you can use.

[Berlin]

Definitely DON'T use mobiles! They'll charge you about £1.30 a minute. Buy a phone card from a Post Office. There is a reason "Immigrants use them for calling home"! :)

As a regular visitor to Canada I know what you are looking for and my first purchase is always a $20 card from a gas station. I get a rate cheaper than a penny a minute back to the UK and I presume you want the same the other way. They are readily available here.

C

[Paul the 6th]

cheaper option might be to find an internet cafe and skype/msn webcam home at pre-agreed times of the day? Couple of £'s for an hours access would see you right and the better internet cafes/gaming centres should have headsets with headphones & microphone so you can keep the call relatively private?

[Bibio]

cheaper option might be to find an internet cafe and skype/msn webcam home at pre-agreed times of the day? Couple of £'s for an hours access would see you right and the better internet cafes/gaming centres should have headsets with headphones & microphone so you can keep the call relatively private?

good idea. but tell her to bring a laptop and go into any macdonlads. its free internet access.

[RichT]

cheaper option might be to find an internet cafe and skype/msn webcam home at pre-agreed times of the day? Couple of £'s for an hours access would see you right and the better internet cafes/gaming centres should have headsets with headphones & microphone so you can keep the call relatively private?

+1

Or use interantional calling cards. You dial a local number, enter a pin and then dial your international call. I believe only large supermarkets carry them now however.

[metalmonkey]

+1

Or use interantional calling cards. You dial a local number, enter a pin and then dial your international call. I believe only large supermarkets carry them now however.

There are plenty of tescos and sanisburys around London, so you should be able to find one...where I work is full of tourist and the above stores are everywhere!

[Jdubya]

Or buy a cheap handset and sim card from 3 and use skype that way? AFAIK skype is free on 3 and all you need is the handset and £10 recharge...simples!