Contacting US when in Eastern Europe

Will you be bringing along a netbook or some other WiFi compatible device? Do you know if any of the hotels/hostels your are staying in have Wifi service or a terminal in the lobby?

With Skype installed on your Netbook, Laptop or smartphone, and an internet connection you can make dirt cheap calls for about .02 cents a minute.

http://www.skype.com

The T-Mobile phones we have are part of that 3G network. They are internet capable and I can view my emails from it as well as other websites. T-Mobile says there is a $15/MB charge to use email-I don't understand why?

OK-yes we have smart phones. I should download Skype to my phone?

Yeah give Skype a shot, they have software for most all devices. In order to make a call you have to set up an account with a minimum of $10USD. But before you hand over any money you can make a free test call to Skype. If you're happy with the software, and the sound quality it may work out for you.

Here's an old-fashioned answer, but it still works... pre-paid calling cards.

For email, there is often a public computer in hotels.

Skype is not a good choice unless you have some form of unlimited/very cheap data access, e.g., via WiFi, a netbook/notebook (WiFi or wired), or a local data plan. Mobile data roaming will be expensive; this is your rate of $15/MB. Skype will use ~0.5MB/min, so you'll be paying $7.50/min to use Skype.

My bad.... Paul is right, apparently Skype now had some sort of exclusive arrangement with Verizon, and discontinued the software for other devices. So unless you bringing along a netbook, Skype won't be a good fit.

My point is that while Skype works fine on some T-Mobile phones, Skype uses the data connection to make calls. This is fine if you have a cheap/free data connection (e.g., your unlimited data connection in the US). However, if you have to use international data roaming, you'll be charged ~$7.50/min for the data connection (Skype uses ~0.5MB/min for call data.) This is only for the data usage and completely separate from any charge Skype would have (e.g., for SkypeOut).

Hi,

I prefer using pre-paid calling cards and going to an internet cafe, which are all over and cheap.

OK-where do you get the calling cards? Do you then just type in an access code in your phone?

We will be in the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. (bicycle trip) Will one card work, or do you buy them in each country?

So, I guess we'll just get in to Prague and ask! Thanks for all the great suggestions-need to look more closely at Skype, sim cards, and prepaids. This really helps.

Internet cafes in Germany sell pre-paid calling cards...I bought one in Berlin. And they are sold at train stations in Germany if there is a Reisebank. Maybe that might be the case in eastern Europe. You could ask when you come across internet cafes in Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, etc.

I own an I-Touch, that's the Apple I-phone without the phone part. It is fairly new so the device comes with a earpiece/headphones that has a microphone attached. I downloaded Skype as an app and then signed up for a Skype account that allows unlimited calls to any phone in the US and Canada. The cost for that subscribtion is about $2.75 a month. I have been traveling in Greece for the last 3 weeks and whenever I found a place with free WiFi (airports, resturants, hotels, etc) I logged in and made a free call home. It was easy and very cheap. For local calls, I had a GSM cell phone with me but replaced the SIM card with one I bought there for 20E. Three weeks of local and international calls cost me less than 30 dollars.

some of the places I stayed allowed me to call from their ground line and I paid them afterwards. A 20 minute call cost me a couple of dollars.