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Calling the US from Italy without an international cell phone

Calling the US from Italy without an international cell phone

Old Sep 15th, 2011, 12:32 PM
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Calling the US from Italy without an international cell phone

We are told that our Sprint cell phones won't work in Europe. We looked into a pre-paid cell phone which will cost us at least $80 plus the per minute charge of $1.99. Back in '03, people were talking about using phone cards that they purchased in Italy. Does anyone have a recommendation?
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Old Sep 15th, 2011, 12:34 PM
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You can buy international calling cards for 5 Euro for 200 minutes in any tabacchi shop. I have found that the minutes get used up faster if you call from a pay phone vs. calling from the phone in your hotel room. Don't know why, but that's been my experience.
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Old Sep 15th, 2011, 12:48 PM
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Where are you staying? I ask because the apartment we stayed in in Rome did not have a phone, and I don't recall seeing them in two of the other three hotels we stayed in during our trip. So I would have had to use a pay phone in order to use a calling card. There are many threads here about buying an unlocked cell phone (I got one on eBay a few years ago) and buying an Italian SIM card to put in it.

One other option would be Skype, if you will have wifi access where you're staying and a device to use it (a laptop, netbook or I've also used my iPod Touch several times).
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Old Sep 15th, 2011, 12:50 PM
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I was going to sugest as Susan P to buy an international calling card for a few euros in any tabacchi stop, I did not know that minutes get used up faster if you call from pay phones vs
a your hotel room, I wish to thank SUsan for the information, however does the hotel charge for the call? I guess it differs from hotel to hotel because some hotels charge for toll free calls too...anyway for years I have used the international calling cards and they are good for Europe or any other destination as well. Right now I am in Buenos Aires and they are very good, some better than others and you should try to get the best one for the country you plan to call.
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Old Sep 15th, 2011, 03:12 PM
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Pay phones are disappearing in Italy. Places that used to cell international phone cards have quit selling them. If you need to make calls, buy a phone.

>>>We looked into a pre-paid cell phone which will cost us at least $80 plus the per minute charge of $1.99.
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Old Sep 15th, 2011, 04:01 PM
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Got a computer or access to one? Use Skype.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 05:27 AM
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Another vote for Skype if you have a laptop with you that has a webcam/microphone. As long as you have an apartment or hotel with internet access and the party you want to speak with also has Skype you'll have video/audio contact. It worked well with a high-speed broadband or a WiFi connection.

We used it extensively last year while in Italy. You can't just "call" whenever you like, as the connecting party also needs to be logged in. Beacause of the time difference, we pre-arranged times when we would most likely be online and be logged into Skype.

It was fun, easy, worked super. BTW, Skype is free for this service.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 05:31 AM
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Google Voice is another option if you have a computer. You can call to a landline or cell phone. It's $10 for 10,000 minutes! My daughter is using it to stay in touch from Italy as she forgot her webcam at home.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 05:52 AM
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Thanks so much for your suggestions. We won't have a computer with us and don't know if we have access thru the hotels so Skype or Google Voice (that sounds like a great option if you have access) is probably not an option. I'll look into the unlocked cell - can you text from them as well? Our family is on different time zones so we're limited in times that we can call.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 08:36 AM
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Yes, you can text. TIM sends you a text after each call telling you how much you used and how much euro is left on the phone.

Internet cafes are disappearing just like the pay phones, but there are still a few left in Rome, Florence, Sorrento, etc. Many internet cafes have Skype on the computers for calls. I would double check that these are still open if you plan to use them. When using a public computer, be sure to log out of your e-mail or anything you access, not just click the X. I got on a computer at my hotel in Siena last week and the last person that had used the computer did not log out of their e-mail. Their entire e-mail account popped up. I have a travel e-mail on Google that I only use for traveling and nothing else. I don't log on to any other accounts from public computers.
http://www.made-in-italy.com/travel/...afes/index.htm
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 09:38 AM
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www.callineurope.com. Happy Travels!
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 09:46 AM
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They sell cheap mobile phones in Italy. There's no need to buy one in advance.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 12:11 PM
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We're in Florence now, with our son who is studying here. He brought an old global Blackberry from home which he unlocked (with a code he got from Verizon before he left). Then he brought the phone to a Vodaphone shop where they installed an Italian SIM for 20 Euros, for which he got 20 Euros worth of phone credit. The whole procedure took about 5 minutes.

He also bought a prepaid card - 0 Euros to receive calls or texts, 9 Euro cents per minute to call within Italy, and 40 cents per minute to make any international call. BBM is free and the data plan, including texting is 3 euros a month. All in all, the deal of the century compared to using a US phone here. (And cards are available at any newsstand.)

If you don't already have a phone, Doug is correct. There were basic phones for sale for under 30 euros.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 12:45 PM
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Just in case you decide to go with the card, there are pay phones in the Piazza Navona, on the eastern side. (Unless they have removed them since Feb, which I doubt.) As far as the hotel charging to use the phone in your room if there is one, that definitely depends on the hotel. Some charge, some don't.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 01:17 PM
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Skype. It's a no-brainer if you can find a free WiFi hot spot. Otherwise use the local telephone card. If you are a VIP then bring your mobile so you don't miss those critical calls from home or the home office --> "Hi Bob. It's raining here. What should I do?"
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 02:25 PM
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Oh, I should butt out, but there are more reasons than being a "VIP" to need a cell phone while traveling. Some people have elderly parents or children at home they want to be in touch with.

It wouldn't do me any good to use Skype or the internet to try to check in on my mother. She is 88 and doesn't have a computer.

I would Skype DD but she would need to be online, wouldn't she? If baby is sleeping, or eating, or anything else, perhaps it wouldn't be convenient for her. We do trade emails while traveling, but it has happened that we needed to speak to one another.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 02:27 PM
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By the way, Sallyj, I have a phone from Sprint that does work in Europe. I've used it in France and Italy. If you are due for a new phone, perhaps you could get one that you can use internationally.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 02:42 PM
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"They sell cheap mobile phones in Italy. There's no need to buy one in advance."

Doug is right. I bought a phone at a TIM store in Florence and have used it all over Europe. One time when I went into the store to get a "reload" of minutes, I was told that my SIM card had "died" and had to get a new one. I think this is still the cheapest way to deal with it, and besides, the Italian phones are 220, and so you have no current issues. I know that my iPhone says 110/220, but I worry nonetheless....
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 02:56 PM
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You can also get Skype calls on your mobile:

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/feat...s-and-mobiles/

I've considered this but never used this service because Skype on my computer can do it best for me.

It doesn't have to be a Skype-to-Skype call. I've often clicked on a highlighted phone number on a website and been able to reach a European landline and even a mobile phone through my netbook.
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Old Sep 16th, 2011, 03:40 PM
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Skype from mobile works on selected smartphones, and it has to be equipped with fast enough processor. On my 300Mhz ARM processor phone, Skype delay is so noticeable, and it is unusable. On my HTC with a 1Ghz ARM processor, the delay is hardly noticeable.

Connecting from Skype to landline works from any Skype account provided that the destination is a toll-free number. To call a non toll-free landline number, you need to put money into the Skype account. Also, to call a European cell phone, you also need money in your Skype account -- European cells operate on caller-pays all the cost model. The U.S. uses caller and the receiver both pay model.
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