Posted on 01/02/2007 2:56:28 PM PST by carolinalivin
We are looking for advise on the best way to be able to call home for messages from various Asian cities: Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul.
We have a Samsung cingular and a Cingular 3125. Both fairly new.
We're open to using pay cards, pay phones, renting cell phones, changing our chipsetc.
Our basic need is to call home every other day or so and check messages and return calls. We can get messages at our hotels if need be.
You experience and recommendations are welcome.
If you bring a laptop and have an internet connection in your hotel, use Skype.
Thanx. Trying to get by without a laptop. Traveling as light as I can. Just will check mail in the cafes and hotel every so often.
Those international calling cards are a good deal when compared to how much phone companies charge per minute. We use those cards to call family in central america.
are the calls two way? Does it matter which country you are calling from or to?
Kansas?
Based on my experience traveling in Asia a few years ago, I think you'll get reasonable calling rates if you buy an A. T. & T. or M.C.I. calling card at Sam's Club or Costco. Or even buy both cards, just to be safe.
Then before you leave, have a complete list of the local access numbers -- plus the applicable rates for calls back to the USA -- for each country you'll visit. And be sure to note that there are multiple numbers for some countries, sometimes one number for pay phones and another for regular phones.
Once you are in Asia, you should also check with your hotels before calling one of the local access numbers, since many hotels add a hefty surcharge for such calls -- meaning that sometimes you'll get a much better price per call by using a public phone or a phone at somebody's home.
Another point to remember is that even if you use a hotel phone and must pay a surcharge, you can usually "batch" multiple calls into the USA without paying more than one surcharge, if you dial something like "###" or "***" when you finish one call and are ready to make the next. But in any case, you should talk with ATT or MCI customer service before you leave the USA, in order to know the exact sequence.
Now here's a potential problem: ATT or MCI may not let you "re-charge" your card via credit card when you're calling from outside the USA. Be sure to find out. Then if necessary, you can give a family member or a friend your calling card's "pin" and domestic access number, plus your credit card info, so that somebody may re-charge the card for you in case you run out of time.
thanx
I 2nd the SKYPE usage. I use it a lot and it works very well.
OOps...just saw your response to the 1st SKYPE mention. All most all convience stores, the ever present 7-11, sell phone cards. Also, just about all "Electronics" stores sell phone cards.
One thing to consider is your cell phone - does it have the right "chip" or "band."? There is some difference in the signals here.
Other Pac Rim guys comment?
I use Skype. I'm using Skype right now.
Not wanting to use a computer you might try a passport agency such as CIBT. They rent cell phones that will work in Asia. I am unsure of the cost though. The only problems the global travellers have had from my company is China.
I have heard that China has their own frequency network and that they have agreed to switch over, but not very soon.
Good luck with it. Yoroshiku.....
Thanx
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