Cheap international calls - any suggestions?

[ExTownie]

My partner's mother is about to move from France to Italy. I found her a reasonable call provider in France that cost 2 - 4 €cents per minute for international calls. From the UK I use 18185 which is even cheaper at 0.5p per minute.

I have been searching for the Italian equivalent of these kind of services, and I'm a bit lost. Not speaking Italian doesn't help my internet search. I wonder if anyone can recommend the cheapest way to make international calls from Italy (mostly to France, USA, Germany and UK). I have read that you can buy phonecards from the post office, which sounds a little impractical. I also found the call2.com service, but it also doesn't seem practical for frequent calls as you have to call a UK number, hang up, then pick up the phone when called back and only then, dial your international number.

Can anyone recommend a cheap, and hopefully practical alternative?

Thanks in advance,

ExTownie

[DavidandLinda]

We just use Telecom Italia and though it may not be the cheapest option we certainly have not found it expensive. We have an itemised bill and calls made after 6,30pm and at weekends to the Uk are very reasonable and one of us in particular can be known to chat for ages!!

[oil di lino]

hi we live in abruzzo and we used telcom it special packcage for phoning uk and it cost a lot we now buy carta telefonica internazionale cards they can be recharged after inichal purchase and for 25 eros you get 16 hours .they are not abit inpractical as you simply prefix a 4 figure infront of the code then dial the rest of the number there is no waiting and also english instuctions once you have your code you use your phone normaly an they tell you how much talk time you have left and you buy them and recharge them at any italia post office regards roy

[ExTownie]

Many thanks to both of you for your quick replies.

Originally Posted by oil di lino

hi we live in abruzzo and we used telcom it special packcage for phoning uk and it cost a lot we now buy carta telefonica internazionale cards they can be recharged after inichal purchase and for 25 eros you get 16 hours .they are not abit inpractical as you simply prefix a 4 figure infront of the code then dial the rest of the number there is no waiting and also english instuctions once you have your code you use your phone normaly an they tell you how much talk time you have left and you buy them and recharge them at any italia post office regards roy

That does sound a good rate - less than 3 €cents per minute. I hadn't realised that it would be so simple to use them. Do you happen to know if the rates are similar for France, USA and Germany?

Thanks again,

ExTownie



[I will have no internet access for the next 3 days so I may be a little slow to reply]

[iwanttobeinitaly]

I may well be wrong BUT the last time I was in Italy and rummaging around on the Telecom Italia site (trying to pay a bill and eventually discovered it was www.187.it I needed) I found an 'add-on' (so only for those who have Telecom Italia as a service provider) for 10 euros a month which gives UNLIMITED calls to Europe and the US (maybe other places but those were my places of interest so I paid particular attentuion to them).
For anyone who REALLY likes to chat and who have family in England and America (as we do) this could be very useful :D
Anyway i found it on the telecomitalia.it website - might be worth a look?

Lesley

[ExTownie]

Originally Posted by iwanttobeinitaly

I may well be wrong BUT the last time I was in Italy and rummaging around on the Telecom Italia site (trying to pay a bill and eventually discovered it was www.187.it I needed) I found an 'add-on' (so only for those who have Telecom Italia as a service provider) for 10 euros a month which gives UNLIMITED calls to Europe and the US (maybe other places but those were my places of interest so I paid particular attentuion to them).
For anyone who REALLY likes to chat and who have family in England and America (as we do) this could be very useful :D
Anyway i found it on the telecomitalia.it website - might be worth a look?

Lesley

Being linguistically-challenged, I couldn't see from the link if that package was still available. It does sound a great deal though for a high user. Can you see from the link if it's still available?

Many thanks,

ExTownie

[Away from computer now until Sunday]

[snappersass]

Have you tried skype
www.skype.com - you call from your computer via a microphone or headset, skype calls a landline, mobile anywhere in the world and is extremely cheap...if the other person you are calling has a computer with skype installed then it is free for as long as you can be on the internet for!!!! ABSOLUTELY GENIUS!!

[iwanttobeinitaly]

Originally Posted by ExTownie

Being linguistically-challenged, I couldn't see from the link if that package was still available. It does sound a great deal though for a high user. Can you see from the link if it's still available?
[Away from computer now until Sunday]

Had another rummage - and suspect it was only visible once I'd signed in so maybe isn't viewable unless you are logged in as a customer?
Here's the waffle - afraid it's in Italiano.
Have a vague recollection of Telecomony getting a mention in some other respect - can anyone remember that?
Shall try a search if I get a mo
HTH Lesley & Brian

Europa e Nord America a portata di mano
Con Teleconomy Internazionale potrai telefonare tutte le volte che vuoi ai tuoi amici e parenti lontani, senza preoccuparti della spesa telefonica: le chiamate verso i telefoni fissi di Stati Uniti, Canada e di tutti i Paesi dell'Europa Occidentale (Zona 1) sono gratis e senza limiti.

Se hai un parente o un amico all’estero per motivi di studio o di lavoro, questa nuova offerta di Telecom Italia ti consentirà di risparmiare enormemente sul costo delle chiamate.

I tuoi cari più lontani non sono mai stati così vicini!
Teleconomy Internazionale costa solo 10 Euro al mese (IVA inclusa). E se la abbini a Teleconomy No Problem potrai chiamare senza limiti in Italia, Europa Occidentale e Nordamerica a condizioni eccezionali!

Richiedi Teleconomy Internazionale chiamando il Servizio Clienti 187 o recandoti presso uno dei Negozi Punto 187.

Ricorda che puoi richiedere l'offerta Teleconomy Internazionale solo sulla linea telefonica di base.

[ExTownie]

Using Google Translate I end up with

"Europe and America North to hand capacity With International Teleconomy you will be able to telephone every time that you want to your friends and far relatives, without preoccuparti of the telephone expense: the calls towards the fixed telephones of United States, Canada and of all the Countries of Western Europe (Zone 1) are gratis and without limits. If you have a relative or a friend to the foreign country for job or study reasons, this offered new of Telecom Italy will concur you to save enormously on the cost of the calls. Your farther beloveds never have not been therefore near! International Teleconomy single coast 10 Euro to month (Vat enclosed). And if it binds together it to Teleconomy Not Problem you will be able to call without limits in Italy, Europe Occidentale and North America to exceptional conditions! You demand International Teleconomy calling the Service Customers 187 or bringing near one of the Storees Point to you 187. It remembers that you can only demand International the Teleconomy offer on the telephone line of base."

which isn't pretty, but it seems clear enough. It does sound a very useful package. I think the two options of this €10 per month package, and the carta telefonica internazionale card mentioned above are both really good deals. Which one works out to be better value will depend on the volume of calls.

Thanks again

ExTownie



snappersass - I have considered Skype, but the internet calls I have received from France and Grand Cayman were significantly poorer sound quality than the landlines. Maybe it has improved since then, but call quality is relatively important. Thanks a lot for the suggestion though. - ExTownie

[ExTownie]

iwanttobeinitaly - I wonder if you could help me a little more?

Do you know exactly how you go about signing up to this €10 package once you have a Telecom Italia line? My partner's mother speaks Italian, but isn't very computer-minded so I'd like to give her as complete instructions as possible.

Many thanks,

ExTownie