We will want to call the US from either Spain or France. What would be the least expensive way? <BR>Thanks, Ralph

Buy local phone cards, in relatively small denominations since they won't work in countries other than where they're issued. Using the AT&T or Sprint etc. local access numbers, while convenient, can be a budget-buster.

I agree with John. Last year I bought a phone card and use it from the public phone booths that are easy to find. <BR>I did not figure out cost per minute, but it was a lot, lot cheaper than using a calling card. I called once from Switzerland with my ATT card and ended up paying something like $3.00 a minute. I was so angry that I haven't used AT T since then -- for anything. <BR>The same is true in Switzerland. I actually came home last year with time on my card. I will take with me this year!! The cards are neat because the public phones have a meter on them that shows you how much money is left on the card and how fast it is leaving you. <BR>If not the cheapest, it certainly is easy.

The information regarding phone rates was very interesting. Where can you buy the phone cards? Thanks

Although I travel in Europe only for pleasure, two years ago, I found myself suddenly having to do quite a bit of correspondance either by fax or phone back to the US. Oddly enough, the best deals I got on both were from simply sitting at my hotel phone and calling direct. Unlike in the US, where big hotels jack up those prices, some hotels even seem to have volume rates that they pass on to the customer (at least that's what one hotel clerk told me). I made calling card calls that cost up to five times more for the same length of call than just dialing direct from my room. And I sent several faxes from a hotel in France for which the hotel charged me 3 francs each (about 50 cents at that time). I think that usually the only deal you get with a calling card is if you are calling your own number back in the US. Funny thing about that. When I am in Europe I can never seem to reach myself at home. And the absolute worst deal seems to be using a calling card to call from one European city to another. The rate actually seems to include calling the US and then reconnecting back to Europe. A couple of those calls cost me more than the calls back to the US&gt;

The comments by Patrick are most informative. <BR> <BR>To answer the phone card availability question: <BR>in Switzerland I bought one card at the post office and one at the tourist office in Zinal. In Paris, I bought a card at the post office. You can get them also, I am told, at stores displaying the Tabak sign. <BR> <BR>I opted for the phone card because I knew what it would do. And having the tool to call from any public phone was appealing. <BR>

Question for Patrick: you refer to "calling card" in your reply. Are you using this term interchangably with a prepaid phone card which can be purchased at a post office, tobacco shop, etc. or are you talking about a telephone credit card (i.e. ATT Calling Card)? Thanks. <BR>

No, by calling card, I mean an ATT or in my case an MCI credit card that they told me would bill to my home number at a very small cost. It is a total rip off, as far as I am concerned. That is the card that seems to give you a deal if you are calling your own number back in the US, but costs a fortune if you are calling any other number.