Calling Cards for travel
Cheap phone cards helpful when you are traveling, can also use from home
Phone calling cards are cheap, easy to buy and easy use, and are definitely a better calling option than calling from the phone in your hotel room.
Just ask anyone (including me!) whose ever been stunned by long distance phone charges when checking out of a hotel! Read on for my story.
The first time was in Cancun, when a $45 US phone call to Canada showed up on the bill. That time, though, a large corporation was footing the tab, but even then, we felt badly that they'd have to pay so much for a very short call home to check on the kids.
The second time, in Hong Kong, I thought I was smarter and wiser. I still made long distance calls from the hotel room BUT I used a North American phone company calling card. Imagine my horror when on checkout, the bill showed charges amounting to nearly $200.00 CAD! I was reallly stunned - how could this have happened? We only called home a few times from the hotel, and had used our phone card.
The hotel manager (I told you I was really shocked -- no one else could explain to my satisfaction why the charges were so high so I went to the top) perused the statement, saying that each time I dialled, the hotel automatically registered a service fee. Even though most of our calls did not go through -- the line was busy, or there was no answer, or we misdialled the codes and the call timed out before completion -- the hotel charged its fee each and every time.
I still challenged the basis for this fee, and the manager explained that the hotel installed a very sophisticated phone system for the convenience of the guests, and had to recover costs.
I countered with yes, but . . . the installation costs had long since been recouped and this was highway robbery, especially since many calls never rang through at all.
My bill was adjusted downward to reflect calls that did not go through, but I still paid nearly $150 PLUS my own phone card fees when I got home.
And, adding insult to injury, I found upon my return home that the phone company (who shall remain nameless unless you are into sprinting) had cancelled my card as calls were being made from Hong Kong to North America, and had tripped their security alerts.
Getting started with phone cards
Do yourself a favor: Get a cheap phone card:
Buy Online: Get a recommendation from a friend, or search online for 'calling cards'. The cards that work best for me may not be the best option for others. Rates are a lot lower using a card. For example, one card shows 1.8 cents per minute to call Australia from the USA! And a sample price to call USA or Australia from France is 2.7c per minute -- much cheaper than calling from a pay phone or hotel. Check to see that the card is rechargeable, so when it's run out, you simply go online and top up with another $10 or $20.
All you have to do is choose which country you will be calling FROM, and then choose which country you want to CALL TO. You'll be presented with a list of possible phone cards to buy, with the least expensive at the top of the list. The results show the best cards starting with the least expensive. Choose one that's rechargeable and pinless -- these cards are the easiest to use. The company emails the card to you.
Buy Locally: Both in Portugal and in Mexico, I've simply gone out to the corner store (convenience store) near the hotel and bought a card. Most work well. Start with a nominal amount on the card -- $10 - and try it out first. Then you will see if there are any surprises such as connection fees, etc. Do ask the clerk for recommendations based on where you want to call to.
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