What is the best (easiest and cheapest) way to call the US from Italy? My calling card rate ($4.00 connection, about $2.00 a minute) seems pretty high. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Go into a tabacchi shop when you're over there and purchase a special calling card to call the U.S. I paid 10,000 lire (about $5) and received 90 minutes less than a month ago. Worked great.

If you want to consider purchasing a pre-paid cell phone (I was pleasantly surprised at how low the rates were), you might want to read about some experiences recently reported here on these threads: <BR> <BR>How & Where to Rent a Global Cell Phone in Italy? <BR> <BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/crossro...messagesframe& <BR> <BR>or <BR> <BR>Renting cell phones <BR> <BR>http://www.fodors.com/forums/crossro...=messagesframe <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Amy, You may just want to charge it to your hotel room. In Rome and in Chianti, I called directly from my hotel room to the US for between $3 and $4.

WE WERE IN IRELAND IN MAY AND THE BEST WAY TO CALL US IS TO GO TO AN INTERNET CAFE. WE SPENT 10 MINUTES ON THE PHONE FOR ABOUT $3.00. CAN ALSO CHECK YOUR E-MAIL AT THE SAME TIME. <BR>

We called our lond distance provider (MCI) and they ahd a international calling plan. We paid something like $5.00 or 10.00 for the month and got incredible rates on our calling card. We pad around $.15 per minute on our calls. When we got back we cancelled the plan and only paid the monthly fee once.

Dean, I was going to suggest the same thing because I have used the MCI program ($3/mo) several times and it was good to and from the US (12-17 cents per minute). I went to their web site and found the $10 program and there was no indication that it was good from Europe. Glad to know it still is. <BR> <BR>However, it seems to me that I have seen posts about a prepaid calling card available in Costco, etc., that you can continue to use in the US if you don't use it all abroad. Any info out there? I much prefer being able to call from my hotel room due to hours. <BR> <BR>

Easiest and cheapest is buy the phone card in the tabacco shop has a big letter T over the door ues the outside pay phones you have to break off the corner of the card and insert it They are also collectors items so save the card and sell it on e bay when you get home it will pay for the card I used the cards it only cost less than 50cents to call NY and check my voice mail avoid hotel phones service charges I have traved to italy alot and this is the best way and cheapest just like the first poster said

TO call Usa it costs really a few cents where do you think you are going to? 3rd world country? <BR> <BR> Anyway The cheapest is not to call

Amy...recommend a calling card. We just returned from France and London, made calls on my cr.cd to check on things, and received a tele bill for $472.00!!!!! Approx. $25.00a call for a few minutes...get a card and go to a tele booth. Good Luck