What’s the best and most economic way to make phone calls to the US from Paris? I know that in Spain the “locutorios” were very convenient because for 1 Euro you were able to call to the US for a couple of minutes and the internet access was also cheap. Is there’s something like that in Paris or is better to get a calling card?

Just get a US calling card from any Tabac shop for either 5,7 or 10 Euros and it will work either from you hotel room(without extra charge) or using minutes faster from a phone booth. I usually get about 250 minutes out of a 5 euro card.

Note that some hotel phones are set up so that you cannot make calls with a calling card.

I have never had any problems no matter what country I have been in.

Dutyfree
250 minutes for five euros is unbelievable. That's only one euro for fifty minutes. This is almost the same as SKYPE prices.

Blackduff

The actual cost of the call to telephone companies is only a small fraction of a cent per minute, so even at that rate, they still have very fat margins.

I looked onto a web site which shows the rates and WOW. That sure is cheap.

http://www.iptelshop.com/p/?id_from_...;idcountry=182


Mea Culpa

Blackduff

You can buy phone cards all over Paris where the rate is 1 eurocent per minute (+ connection fee, which is why the phone tells you on one call 'you have 380 minutes' and you talk 10 minutes, but the next call tells you 'you have 350 minutes').

I just use my home phone for calls to the US because it is a local call -- same price to my neighbor down the hall or 35 other countries around the world, including US; Canada, Japan, etc.

I can't imagine why certain phone companies are still trying to rip people off.

I too have run into hotels charging for calls even on a calling card. They can charge whatever they want. Be careful!

But don't you get a French-speaking operator when you try to use the card? I could never figure out how to work the one I got three years ago.

My cingular cell phone worked fine last year from Paris.

The 'African' and 'Indian' cards in my neighborhood speak all kinds of languages, from what I have been told. Most of the companies are based in the UK.

The phone cards that I always use offer the choice of English or whatever country's language I am in. It is very easy to understand as you just read the steps on the back of the card. I use the Banana card in Germany, Eurotel in the UK, Europa in Italy and Sicily and the one for France has a darker skinned lady on it (cannot remember the name of the card and I do not have one at home here right now-sorry!)

My Cingular/ATT phone is horribly expensive in Europe even with the call home program on it-something like a dollar a minute.
Kerouac-what phone do you have that you can get same city prices as everyone that I have looked into for my F/A job overseas is an arm and leg to use to call the US.Thanks!

Phone Cards: I have used the Europa card in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy & Sicily with excellent resulrts. The cost was about 5 euro and most were made from the hotel rooms, although you can use phones along the sidewalk.

However, last year, before I got a phone card, I called home from Sicily and the cost of the call was only about $1.50. According to people who live in Europe, calling the US is very inexpensive. it may depend on your phone company. Ciao!!mhm