When I was in UK I used to use those access numbers to call Canada. They were pretty straight forward and you didn't need to open an account with the service provider - just dial the access no. from your BT phone (or mobile) and then the dial your destination no. once prompted. And the call would get charged to your normal bill. Does anyone know of theres any such service here in Canada to call abroad? I tried to look it up but the ones I found want you to open an online account with them.

10-10-925 I think its called Yak Talk.

http://www.yak.ca/yak-long-distance

We used to get international phone cards from the local Mall, or news agent. Calls cost 2c-5c a min. Card cost $5 upward and no account to open.

I use 011-441, works a treat.

I think my phone plan gives me calls to the UK for 2 or 3c a minute. I may have mentioned before that when I first left the UK in 1977, calls "home" cost $US13 for 3 minutes from California. This was 0.1% of my annual income before tax at the time.

OP: stop complaining.

That's what we use. Or skype.

On my plan it is 4c a minute. Lasy year I spent nearly $1 calling the UK. Bloody outrageous.

Well it might be 4c on mine too but I think less. I really couldn't give a toss even though the OH (quite correctly and sensibly) spends typically 30 mins a day talking to her father in Newcastle. He is after all the only parent either of us have left.

I am not complaining. I am just looking for a convenient way to call from my office phone without them getting any intl: numbers on the bill

If you have relatives in the UK who are on O2, have them look into the O2 International Favourites plan. It's 10GBP per month.

The person who has the phone can select 3 numbers in Canada, including mobiles, that they can call for up to 3000 minutes per month (5h per day, so basically unlimited!). In addition, the owner can choose a local number in any one city, and anyone can call that number for free. That number then routes to the UK mobile, so the call is free (outside of the monthly fee) for both parties.

This is what I've been doing with my parents for the past 3 years. I'm still in the UK but my parents, family, and friends all call on my Toronto number and it comes through on my UK mobile for free. (Side note, this has also been convenient for job hunting!)

When we move, my husband's family is going to switch to O2 and get this deal to make things more simple in terms of sorting out long distance calling.

Alternatively, before O2 came out with this deal, my mom had a "calling card" (sort of) hooked up to her phone. My parents have their phone through Cogeco Home Phone, and my mom set up a standing order for $5 per month. She just dialled a 416 number first and then my number, and it would tell her how many minutes she had left. Unused minutes carried to the next month, and she could top up online at any time. I think the minute rate was around 3-4c/min as well, and it was quite convenient. She cancelled it when I got the deal with O2 though.

But won't the 10 10 whatever number turn up on the bill as an additional charge? If this si what you're after, you'd be better off to get a calling card from your local newsagent or convenience store. Typically a couple of cents a minute to the UK, and a local access number so unmetered calls from your office phone. Last one I had was from Goldline or some such - I think the UK rate was 1cent per minute. You don't need to sign up online, although I believe that if you do you can automate the otherwise slightly tedious access number + PIN + international number dialling thing and save your fingers some work...

Localtalk - each overseas number you use has a local number (on your usual exchange, so it looks just like a landline number in your town) associated with it. Works brilliantly and is 1c per min to the UK.

Thank you, I will get my family to look into this.

I use this calling card, which you can purchase either online or at 7-11:

http://www.ciciphonecard.com/cicieuro

1c/min to UK landlines