stupid question about Costco phone card
 

Everyone recommends getting one of these to phone back to the US. But, will they also work within a European country? In the past, within a country we've always just used coins in the phones. Thanks.

Yes. With the card there is a list of "access numbers" for most of the European countries, which you dial when you are in that country, and when you follow the instructions, will ring any phone in the US.

There's a 1-800 number on the back of the card, I think, where you should call and check international calling rates back to the US before buying the card. I think the current Costco card is an MCI card, but the last one I got was a Sprint card that wound costing 50 cents/minute to call the US from Western Europe!!! I had to use this card last September - obviously, I did not recharge it.<BR><BR>I got one of the newer MCI Costco cards for Christmas and I think it is only about 20 cents/minute from Europe (depends on the country). Still not as cheap as you can supposedly get with a card you buy over there.<BR><BR>Andrew<BR>

I think julies' question was different from what is being answered. She's talking about using a US purchased card to call from somewhere like Paris to Nice. It is my understanding that if you have a US card, or use your own carrier's access number, you end up essentially paying for a call to the US to reconnect with the call back to the country you're already in -- not a good deal!!!

Yes, Patrick answered my real question. <BR><BR>Thanks for all your answers. Guess I'll also check on the real rate to call back to the US before I get one.

Can anyone suggest a calling card that you purchase in the UK with the lowest rates to the US?I am looking for the cards that cost &pound;5-10 that you can find in newstands etc.<BR>Thank You...

julies: I have yet to see a US-bought phone card that calls back home or inter-country as cheap as one bought in Europe. The last one I got in London (and there are TONS of different card options) ended up about 5¢ a minute to the USA and only about 2.5¢ for calls UK to France.<BR><BR>And I still had time left when I got home and it was usable in the States too.

Hi, Julie. My sister used a phone card purchased in US to call home from London last fall. She dialed the number on the card but had trouble getting connected. When it finally went through, she talked a long time, but there was still a charge to her hotel room - 50 pounds - about $75. When she queried the desk clerk, they said the call had gone through as if no card had been used. They had the records - time, # of minutes, etc. So, it's probably best to get a local card or use coins to be on the safe side.

The costco card will not work in Norway.You have to buy a card that only works in Norway. Other countries may have similar policies.