Calling home from Western Europe

Local calling cards can be difficult to operate if you do not speak the local language. They are definitely the most affordable option outside of using high priced collect or credit card calls.

If a computer is accessible, Skype is a good option for making (free) internet phone calls.

I didn't find local calling cards difficult to use at all. If you press the correct button at the prompt, you can often get instructions in English. Though almost all operate on the same premise - dial a number, enter a pin # found on the calling card and then dial the country code for the US and the number you are trying to reach.

The local cards tend to offer the best rates. I've never gotten a dud card, but always tend to buy them in smaller denominations (10 Euro).

I didn't find the calling cards to be difficult at all. I've used them several times and find them to be very inexpensive and readily available at Tabac shops kiosks. Just plop it into the phone booth and dial the country code etc (rick steves covers this in perfect detail on this site). If you want to be able to call him at will you can go with one of two routes:
T-mobile or ATT international roaming. 1 buck a minute and small monthly charge with ATT. Or Cellular Abroad. Check the rates, cheaper for him to call you as I recall.

I used a calling card you just swipe at a phone booth, I got it at a Tabac in Paris,you just bought so many minutes. It was not that hard to use, I mean, I think most kids understand calling cards anyways as they are used to loading minutes onto their phones at home anyways( at least mine are as they pay for their own cell time and I don't sign cell contracts for underage kids myself) .
Tell him to get the smallest one as he will only need to call you a few times, since he will not have time to go and find a phone booth to phone you all the time , he will be too busy having fun!

Remember in the "olden" days when people didn't need to phone each other constantly ,, since it was so expensive. When I was young and did Europe for a few months ( before cell phones) you called home to say you arrived, once about halfway through, and then sent postcards,, !!

Tracy, while many posted about the calling card, its also just as affordable to use a cell phone. I have the Orange cell company and its inexpensive to call the US from any Western European country.

I'd rather use a cell since you can also get a hold of him (ie: emergency) and he doesn't have to search for a public phone.

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Cell phones are not inexpensive (to me) to call home. When I studied in France, I bought a cell phone to use to contact people in France, but would buy a callign card and use the pay phone otuside by building to phone home. I could get over an hour for 7.5 euros on a card, verus 10 min for 10 euros on my cell.