International Phone Calling Tips

• Call from a public telephone unless you are positive that your hotel will not add a hefty surcharge.

• Use a calling card as their rates are usually the most reasonable. European calling cards are the easiest to use, since they usually eliminate the need to dial a long prefix or toll-free number manually when inserted into the card slot of a public phone. Most countries sell calling cards sale at post offices, tobacco stores, newsstands, supermarkets and souvenir shops. (Some public phones also allow the use of credit cards.)

• If you really want to use your hotel phone and plan to make frequent calls to the United States there are callback services that can save you money. A callback service works like it sounds. You call the service and hang up after the first ring. The service then calls you back with a U.S. dial tone allowing you to call using only the area code and local number as though you were still in the States.

• There is also the option of renting or buying a cell phone that is compatible with the international GSM standard and uses plug-in SIM cards to make calls at European rates.