We are finally leaving for Italy tomorrow and some last minute things have come up. i did not think it would be a big deal to buy an international phone card and use it to call home, but I have not found one that clearly tells me how much time I get for how much money. Is there another way to call the US? CAn I use my regular calling card from MCI at my hotel? Please advise soon!

Shreey,<BR><BR>You buy a phone card in Italy and you can use it in almost any payphone. They are available at many locations. They are easy to use and the cost is only pennies per minute. Have a good trip.<BR><BR>Greg<BR>

Dont' use your MCI calling card, it'll be really expensive. Which is why they don't freely disclose their rates unless you call them.

Sherry, if you are not planning on making a lot of calls or any really long ones, why not do us all a favor? Make the calls from your hotel by dialing direct and then report back here how much that cost. When I have done it, it saved me considerable money. You may want to check with your hotel first and ask what their rates are -- but most smaller hotels seem to just bill you their cost, which is often quite low. Compared to buying a phone card and not using up all the time, it is likely to save you money anyhow.

Maybe I wasn't totally clear, either. I did not mean to call direct from your hotel using your MCI card -- I can almost guarantee you that will cost you a lot more than just dialing and letting the hotel charge you for the call. Also if you are staying in a Hilton or Marriott type hotel, then they may really charge you, but if you are staying in smaller, family type hotels, I think you will save money on the calls.

I'd go with a prepaid card, at least I know I'll never have to pay more than the cost of the card. If I don't use it up I can either save it for the next trip or give it to someone else.