<p>We have a good international plan through Verizon FIOS - $4.99/month for many more minutes than we would ever need. But the problem is that we can make these calls only from our home phone. Because of the time difference with Europe, DH needs to be able to make calls from his office. Our previous phone carrier allowed us to do this by dialing an 800 access number. Verizon does not.</p>
<p>Looking online, I see that lots of companies offer prepaid phone cards. I think it must be possible to use a different carrier for international calls on my Verizon plan, but they would not provide information on this. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any information on this? Using Skype is not an option.</p>
<p>Not sure why Sykpe is not an option but if you have iPhones, you can use a free app called Viber that gives you free calls and texts. You need access to wireless.</p>
<p>Skype is not an option because DH has to call people who are working in Germany, and he can’t assume that they all use Skype. We don’t have iPhones. I’m looking for a service with an 800 access number and low rates.</p>
<p>Get a Google Voice account, especially if you already use Gmail.</p>
<p>Then sign in , type your number to dial, it rings the phone you designate (mobil or home or office), then makes the connection. Calls to UK are 2¢, I assume calls to Germany are similar.</p>
<p>Calls (IMHO) are much better quality than skype or gizmo (voip). Sounds just like a phone call as far as I can tell.</p>
<p>We call our daughter EVERY week using Skype…our computer to HER cell phone. It is not free but there are very favorable minute rates (a one hour call costs us well less than $10). You can also purchase “plans” via Skype whereby the per minute costs are even less when you call certain locations more frequently. We find the voice quality is fine…it is especially good on our IPad…but is also fine on our computer. These are NOT video calls…voice only.</p>
<p>Just FYI, we are calling to one of the more expensive spots. Calls to Europe are much less expensive per minute.</p>
<p>We use dial91.com. It lets you register several numbers, so when you call access numbers you don’t need to enter your pin. Calls to may EU countries are 2 cents a min. When our son was in Europe, he could also use the same from those countries. Ofcourse the rates were higher.</p>
<p>If you set up gmail and google chat, you can configure the chat to allow long-distance calls. You’ll need to set up a google account (it can be the same as the google voice account) and you can call on your computer for very little to most countries on google chat. You can call any number that way, not just computer to computer calls (same is true for Google Voice, but I’m pretty sure the Google Chat calling is less expensive.).</p>
<p>SKYPE!!! “Get a Skype to go” number, then you can make international calls using any phone (even you cell). The rates are very reasonable, and the calls are very clear.
The people you are calling do not need to have Skype; you can call their cell phones or land lines.</p>
<p>I agree on Google Voice. We can place calls to be made using a phone (home, office, whereever) or place calls on the computer with a headset via GMail. International rates are very cheap and there’s built-in voicemail and transcription if someone calls you back.</p>
<p>Watch out on skype…
They published calling rate to xxx country is 2c/min, right? Wrong, while overall per min. charge is 2c, they have quietly added a “connection charge”. So if you made a 1 min. call, it might cost you 20c, while in a 60 min. call, the “connection charge” will be even out and it is not noticible any more, but it is there.</p>
<p>Skype also expires your minutes after three or six months if you don’t use them. I let them expire on my account as I found Google Voice to be a lot more convenient. The only feature that Skype has that Google Voice doesn’t have (that I would like) is the ability to make or receive calls on the iPad.</p>
<p>Another feature that skype has most other services don’t is the skype phone. You can buy a wireless skype phone that does not need a computer to connect to, it will connect to any wifi network that you have access anywhere in the world and receive/make calls independently. Your skype stored numbers and “contacts” will show up on the little phone screen. The phone is not cheap, its about $100 when I bought it as a gifit.</p>