Karen

Can I use a prepaid phone from Sams to make calls out of Italy on a payphone? That way I can call home whenever I wanted. Are these AT&T prepaid cards good outside of the US? I would rather do this if it is possible. I really don't want to carry a cell phone around for two weeks just in case my kids(they are 16, and 17) and are staying with relatives want to call and chat.

Gretchen

Yes, you can. There is a card enclosed that tells the access number for various countries. You get about 1/3 of the total minutes.

Sherry

Hi Karen. On the reverse of the phone card, you can call the customer service number and ask them precisely how many minutes it uses to make a call from Italy. Also, if you use a pay phone, there may be a usuage just because it is a pay phone. I know there is a nine minute charge for using them in the States from a pay phone. But not from your hotel.<BR>Just dial the access code for that country before you dial to the States.<BR>The last time I checked, they were only 3.5 cents per minute.

Shanna

Karen, Clark Howard (saving money guru) recently discussed using cards from Sams and Costco's overseas. You might want to check his website - which I believe is clarkhoward.com - to see if he has any information on the cards. Good luck - the idea of telephoning from overseas scares me: in Venice, I called home and had to give personal calling card information to an operator. $3000 later the phone company assured me I wasn't responsible for the charges. Apparently the operator sold the information. The prepaid cards are a great idea.

Lee

You can buy a prepaid card in Italy for hardly anything. These cards are cheaper to use than the prepaid cards you get here in the States.

JimF

Karen - I second what Lee says. You can get a phone card at any magazine stand or tobacco store. I normally get 3 good calls back to the states for a card that cost USD5.00. Keep it simple and buy them as you go.

Barbara

Karen,<BR> Make sure the card works before you get over there. I purchased 2 prepaid AT&T calling cards from Sav-On for my trip to Italy only to have one not work so I bought a card over there, cheaper & functional!!

Jason

THe phone cards are very cheap at the shops and all you have to do is insert the card, then dial 001, then the US number area code first.

zoe

The 5 euro phone card I bought at the cafe in Rome lasted me at least an hour in phone calls home! I had time left on it, so handed it to an airport guard as we left.