I will be in amsterdam, munich, salzburg, and budapest in a few weeks:
What are my options for callung back to the states?
I know buying plan from tmobile is an option, rather expensive.
I would like other option, travelling to too many countries to by sim cards each stop.
Is there a call using the internet option?
Thanks for the help!
Cliff,
You didn't say what type of phone you're using or which network you're with (although I'm assuming it's T-Mobile). If your phone will work in Europe, I believe T-Mobile has some very cost effective roaming plans. Check their website for details.
You won't be able to use other SIM cards in Europe unless your phone is unlocked. Buying a card for each country is rather an awkward solution (IMO). Each time the card is changed, your phone number and terms of your calling plan change. Also, PAYG cards can be difficult to top-up outside the country of purchase. Using roaming with your home network or a travel SIM is a more efficient solution.
If you have a smart phone, most of the companies can set you up with a plan to let you call and text in Europe. If you don't have a smart phone, you can buy travel phones that let you pre-pay for so many minutes (you can add to it). I did that when I went to Europe three years ago. The phone cost around $50 (some cost less and more) and we pre-paid another $50. The cost per minute varied from country to country (we were in England, Holland, France and Russia). It was cheaper for us to call to the states than for family in the states to call us. We listed our CC with the company which would let us add minutes to the card as needed after the initial ones. On my next trip, I'll get a travel plan on my own phone through Verizon. It'll cost less than what the travel phone cost me 3 years ago. Another option to calling is installing SKYPE on your laptop and video chatting at pre-arranged times. Most places have wi-fi anymore and Europe is full of Internet cafes if you just want to e-mail.
You can sign up with T Mobile for the $50 monthly plan, and cancel it at any time. $.20 per minute is cheap for international calling.
The service is seamless--just like you're at home. Our granddaughter kept using her mother's speed dial calling us in Budapest at 3:30 a.m.--and she's 2 1/2 years old.
You can use a T Mobile phone, or you can use an unlocked ATT phone that's been unlocked.
skype or facetime or hangouts.
Call people with a smartphone on wifi and they are free.
Call a landline with skype and it is nearly free.
I use skype. It was only 3 cents a minute for people without skype accounts.
Skype is great for calls home. It costs a few cents a minute to call a land line phone number (you can call other Skype enabled computers for free). One of the nice features with Skype is you dial the number as if you were dialing from within the states, you don't have to worry about international codes.
Facetime is free for calling from one Apple product to another Apple product. I'm not sure if they've added the ability to use it for more calls (haven't used it for several years).
I also like WiFi for email and facebook - which also lets you stay in touch. WiFi is widely available in most hotels (may have to go to the lobby to get a strong signal), bars, and restaurants. If all else fails, you can always go to a McDonald's or Starbucks - they all offer free WiFi.
Last trip, we brought our iPad Mini, wi-if only model, with Skype and made calls from Germany and Austria back home to the U.S. Ridiculously cheap calls home. I pre payed $20 for minutes. During our 10 day trip, we didn't use up $5 worth. if we make a call every 6 months, even for just 1 minute, we keep our paid for credit.
Paul
Hi,
In all the places listed above, you can go to internet cafes, called Call Shops in Germany. The sign indicates, whatever the name is, it is place to use the internet and make cheap overseas phone calls.
In addition to cheap or free online calling apps, you also have these old-fashioned back-up options: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/sans-mobile.
The best option for calling the U.S. from Europe is to use a smartphone or tablet on a Wifi connection from your hotel. Download either the Skye or Viber app. With Skype you should set up an account and buy $10 worth of credit which will allow for hours of calls to any landline or cellphone in the U.S.
While the idea of having your cellphone with you in Europe is nice in theory, getting calls from people in the middle of the night isn't optimal. It is better to be able to call people in the morning or evening from your hotel, at least it is for me on the West Coast. Figure out how to retrieve your home or cell voicemail from another phone and you can stay in touch.
Not being constantly available will make your trip that much better.
