I'm going to be in Paris for 10 days and am looking for any tips to stay in touch inexpensively. I'd prefer an international cell phone, but the rental and cost per minute seems expensive. A calling card would be acceptable, but I've never heard of most of the companies that offer the lowest rates, so I'm not sure about quality. Can anyone offer some help/direction? Thank you!
Posted by
St. Louis, MO, USA
17 posts
Are you looking to stay in touch with someone in the states from Paris? I don't know if you have access to a computer and microphone while there but if you do Skype (www.skype.com) works wonders! My daughter is in
Italy and we talk to her over skype clearly.
Positives: Free, generally clear, can add video.
Negatives: Not always convenient, have to schedule the call usually by e-mail, not necessarily portable.
Posted by
miami, fl
6 posts
I was at Walgreens today and they sell International phones cards. You can use them from Europe to call back to states..$10 got 80 Minutes Holland to USA and its rechargeable
Posted by
Colorado Springs
334 posts
There are several options. The cheapest is to buy a phone card (the kind you scratch the code off). The tobacco shops have them. We actually purchased a Mobal international phone several years ago(mobal.com). Buying was cheaper than renting. The price per minute is fairly high (1.50 or so - varies by country), but for keeping in contact with quick calls it works well. Since we have to pay roaming on our cell phone anyway, it's not that much higher. Mobal has no monthly fee and we travel to Europe several times a year, so it has worked well for us.