International Phone Card
Mar 7th 2004, 11:52 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
International Phone Card
Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks recommend
for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they charge
$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone card
in Italy. What's your experience?
Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
I may be restricted in time since I'll be leaving on March 16 (week from
Tuesday).
Thanks...orland
for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they charge
$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone card
in Italy. What's your experience?
Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
I may be restricted in time since I'll be leaving on March 16 (week from
Tuesday).
Thanks...orland
Mar 8th 2004, 8:21 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: International Phone Card
On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 07:52:50 -0500, "orland" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks recommend
>for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they charge
>$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone card
>in Italy. What's your experience?
>Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
>Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
>Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
There are two very cheap international phone cards in Italy. I've
posted about both of them recently, and you should be able to find my
posts in the google newsgroup archive. Both of these cards require
that you dial an 800 number (or a local access number), enter your PIN
and then dial the international number (preceded by "00" and the
country code, which is "1" for the US.) Both cards have instructions
in Italian and English.
One card is called the Sisal Edicard Europe and USA, which you can buy
wherever SuperEnaLotto tickets are sold (usually tobacco stores, but
some other places as well. Note that these are different from ordinary
Lotto tickets, and not all places that seel the latter also sell
SuperenaLottto. This card has rates of less than 3 euro cents a minute
to the US if you dial a toll-free number from a normal local phone. If
you dial from a cell phone or a public phone, the cost is considerable
higher. However, there are local access numbers all over Italy which
you can dial instead to get an even lower rate per minute (to which
must be added of course the cost of the local call.) The local access
number has the same rate from any phone, but the cost of the local
call will vary depending on the type of phone. You would definitely
be better off using the local access number from a public phone. The
local access numbers for Rome, Milan and Naples are printed on the
card, and you can find the others on the Sisal website (www.sisal.it)
The other card is only slightly more expensive and is sold in post
offices. It's called the Carta telefonica internazionale or
Internation telephone card. You would want to go to the PTShop window
or the Postal banking window, which is different from the window where
you buy stamps. It is usually obvious which is which. This card works
much the same way, and the rate is slightly more than 3 euro cents a
minute if you dial an 800 number from a normal phone. I don't know
what the rates are from cell phones and public phones, but I imagine
that they are also more expensive. I also don't know about local
access numbers. The post office web site had no information about this
card when I last checked a few weeks ago. In order to find the rate
for dialing the US, I called the number on the card and talked with a
man who obviously knew little more than I did and wasn't used to
answering such questions. He told me to hold on while he found the
information. I heard him drop the phone, ruffle through papers, and
then he got back on line to give me the rates. Obviously not a call
center, and I don't know if anyone there spoke English. However, when
you dial the 800 number you get instructions in both Italian and
English.
I would recommend the Sisal Edicard, which I use extensively without
problems. I don't have much experience with the postal phone card.
However, if you can't find a superenalotto vendor (they seem to be a
bit scarce in Rome), you can surely find a post office.
-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup
>Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks recommend
>for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they charge
>$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone card
>in Italy. What's your experience?
>Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
>Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
>Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
There are two very cheap international phone cards in Italy. I've
posted about both of them recently, and you should be able to find my
posts in the google newsgroup archive. Both of these cards require
that you dial an 800 number (or a local access number), enter your PIN
and then dial the international number (preceded by "00" and the
country code, which is "1" for the US.) Both cards have instructions
in Italian and English.
One card is called the Sisal Edicard Europe and USA, which you can buy
wherever SuperEnaLotto tickets are sold (usually tobacco stores, but
some other places as well. Note that these are different from ordinary
Lotto tickets, and not all places that seel the latter also sell
SuperenaLottto. This card has rates of less than 3 euro cents a minute
to the US if you dial a toll-free number from a normal local phone. If
you dial from a cell phone or a public phone, the cost is considerable
higher. However, there are local access numbers all over Italy which
you can dial instead to get an even lower rate per minute (to which
must be added of course the cost of the local call.) The local access
number has the same rate from any phone, but the cost of the local
call will vary depending on the type of phone. You would definitely
be better off using the local access number from a public phone. The
local access numbers for Rome, Milan and Naples are printed on the
card, and you can find the others on the Sisal website (www.sisal.it)
The other card is only slightly more expensive and is sold in post
offices. It's called the Carta telefonica internazionale or
Internation telephone card. You would want to go to the PTShop window
or the Postal banking window, which is different from the window where
you buy stamps. It is usually obvious which is which. This card works
much the same way, and the rate is slightly more than 3 euro cents a
minute if you dial an 800 number from a normal phone. I don't know
what the rates are from cell phones and public phones, but I imagine
that they are also more expensive. I also don't know about local
access numbers. The post office web site had no information about this
card when I last checked a few weeks ago. In order to find the rate
for dialing the US, I called the number on the card and talked with a
man who obviously knew little more than I did and wasn't used to
answering such questions. He told me to hold on while he found the
information. I heard him drop the phone, ruffle through papers, and
then he got back on line to give me the rates. Obviously not a call
center, and I don't know if anyone there spoke English. However, when
you dial the 800 number you get instructions in both Italian and
English.
I would recommend the Sisal Edicard, which I use extensively without
problems. I don't have much experience with the postal phone card.
However, if you can't find a superenalotto vendor (they seem to be a
bit scarce in Rome), you can surely find a post office.
-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup
Mar 8th 2004, 11:46 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: International Phone Card
"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 07:52:50 -0500, "orland" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks
recommend
> >for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they
charge
> >$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone
card
> >in Italy. What's your experience?
> >
> >Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
> >Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
> >Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
> There are two very cheap international phone cards in Italy. I've
> posted about both of them recently, and you should be able to find my
> posts in the google newsgroup archive. Both of these cards require
> that you dial an 800 number (or a local access number), enter your PIN
> and then dial the international number (preceded by "00" and the
> country code, which is "1" for the US.) Both cards have instructions
> in Italian and English.
> One card is called the Sisal Edicard Europe and USA, which you can buy
> wherever SuperEnaLotto tickets are sold (usually tobacco stores, but
> some other places as well. Note that these are different from ordinary
> Lotto tickets, and not all places that seel the latter also sell
> SuperenaLottto. This card has rates of less than 3 euro cents a minute
> to the US if you dial a toll-free number from a normal local phone. If
> you dial from a cell phone or a public phone, the cost is considerable
> higher. However, there are local access numbers all over Italy which
> you can dial instead to get an even lower rate per minute (to which
> must be added of course the cost of the local call.) The local access
> number has the same rate from any phone, but the cost of the local
> call will vary depending on the type of phone. You would definitely
> be better off using the local access number from a public phone. The
> local access numbers for Rome, Milan and Naples are printed on the
> card, and you can find the others on the Sisal website (www.sisal.it)
> The other card is only slightly more expensive and is sold in post
> offices. It's called the Carta telefonica internazionale or
> Internation telephone card. You would want to go to the PTShop window
> or the Postal banking window, which is different from the window where
> you buy stamps. It is usually obvious which is which. This card works
> much the same way, and the rate is slightly more than 3 euro cents a
> minute if you dial an 800 number from a normal phone. I don't know
> what the rates are from cell phones and public phones, but I imagine
> that they are also more expensive. I also don't know about local
> access numbers. The post office web site had no information about this
> card when I last checked a few weeks ago. In order to find the rate
> for dialing the US, I called the number on the card and talked with a
> man who obviously knew little more than I did and wasn't used to
> answering such questions. He told me to hold on while he found the
> information. I heard him drop the phone, ruffle through papers, and
> then he got back on line to give me the rates. Obviously not a call
> center, and I don't know if anyone there spoke English. However, when
> you dial the 800 number you get instructions in both Italian and
> English.
> I would recommend the Sisal Edicard, which I use extensively without
> problems. I don't have much experience with the postal phone card.
> However, if you can't find a superenalotto vendor (they seem to be a
> bit scarce in Rome), you can surely find a post office.
Thanks for all the information, but I want to make sure I understand... I
will be staying at a B&B in a very small town north of Rome near Rieti. It
seems from what you said that I can call directly from their phone and there
will be no charge to them? Is that correct?
To call a local access number, (if there is one for this town), would be
even less expensive if I use a payphone?
Do you know if the Sisal card might be sold at Rome airport? I won't be
going into Rome when I arrive, but head straight out to the B&B.
I checked prices at Ventrone (sp?) tonight and it seems that using local
access or private phone, I believe, the rate was also less than 3Euro cents.
Would this card be easier to get than Sisal? Since my Italian is about zero,
I'd like to make my life as easy as possible.
Thanks...orland
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 07:52:50 -0500, "orland" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks
recommend
> >for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they
charge
> >$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone
card
> >in Italy. What's your experience?
> >
> >Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
> >Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
> >Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
> There are two very cheap international phone cards in Italy. I've
> posted about both of them recently, and you should be able to find my
> posts in the google newsgroup archive. Both of these cards require
> that you dial an 800 number (or a local access number), enter your PIN
> and then dial the international number (preceded by "00" and the
> country code, which is "1" for the US.) Both cards have instructions
> in Italian and English.
> One card is called the Sisal Edicard Europe and USA, which you can buy
> wherever SuperEnaLotto tickets are sold (usually tobacco stores, but
> some other places as well. Note that these are different from ordinary
> Lotto tickets, and not all places that seel the latter also sell
> SuperenaLottto. This card has rates of less than 3 euro cents a minute
> to the US if you dial a toll-free number from a normal local phone. If
> you dial from a cell phone or a public phone, the cost is considerable
> higher. However, there are local access numbers all over Italy which
> you can dial instead to get an even lower rate per minute (to which
> must be added of course the cost of the local call.) The local access
> number has the same rate from any phone, but the cost of the local
> call will vary depending on the type of phone. You would definitely
> be better off using the local access number from a public phone. The
> local access numbers for Rome, Milan and Naples are printed on the
> card, and you can find the others on the Sisal website (www.sisal.it)
> The other card is only slightly more expensive and is sold in post
> offices. It's called the Carta telefonica internazionale or
> Internation telephone card. You would want to go to the PTShop window
> or the Postal banking window, which is different from the window where
> you buy stamps. It is usually obvious which is which. This card works
> much the same way, and the rate is slightly more than 3 euro cents a
> minute if you dial an 800 number from a normal phone. I don't know
> what the rates are from cell phones and public phones, but I imagine
> that they are also more expensive. I also don't know about local
> access numbers. The post office web site had no information about this
> card when I last checked a few weeks ago. In order to find the rate
> for dialing the US, I called the number on the card and talked with a
> man who obviously knew little more than I did and wasn't used to
> answering such questions. He told me to hold on while he found the
> information. I heard him drop the phone, ruffle through papers, and
> then he got back on line to give me the rates. Obviously not a call
> center, and I don't know if anyone there spoke English. However, when
> you dial the 800 number you get instructions in both Italian and
> English.
> I would recommend the Sisal Edicard, which I use extensively without
> problems. I don't have much experience with the postal phone card.
> However, if you can't find a superenalotto vendor (they seem to be a
> bit scarce in Rome), you can surely find a post office.
Thanks for all the information, but I want to make sure I understand... I
will be staying at a B&B in a very small town north of Rome near Rieti. It
seems from what you said that I can call directly from their phone and there
will be no charge to them? Is that correct?
To call a local access number, (if there is one for this town), would be
even less expensive if I use a payphone?
Do you know if the Sisal card might be sold at Rome airport? I won't be
going into Rome when I arrive, but head straight out to the B&B.
I checked prices at Ventrone (sp?) tonight and it seems that using local
access or private phone, I believe, the rate was also less than 3Euro cents.
Would this card be easier to get than Sisal? Since my Italian is about zero,
I'd like to make my life as easy as possible.
Thanks...orland
Mar 9th 2004, 3:45 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: International Phone Card
On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 19:46:44 -0500, "orland" <[email protected]> wrote:
>"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 07:52:50 -0500, "orland" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks
>recommend
>> >for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they
>charge
>> >$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone
>card
>> >in Italy. What's your experience?
>> >
>> >Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
>> >Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
>> >Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
>> There are two very cheap international phone cards in Italy.
[snip]
>Thanks for all the information, but I want to make sure I understand... I
>will be staying at a B&B in a very small town north of Rome near Rieti. It
>seems from what you said that I can call directly from their phone and there
>will be no charge to them? Is that correct?
If they have a normal phone (not a pay phone for the use of guests),
then there should be no charge to them if you use the 800 number. Cell
phones don't have free 800 number calls, but normally land line phone
services do. However, if you use the local access number it propbably
wouldn't be free, since normally local calls are not free in Italy.
There are some calling plans that allow free local calls, however. In
any case, there is a bewildering range of phone services in Italy, and
you should check with the owners of the B&B as to what the charges
would be for any particular type of call.
>To call a local access number, (if there is one for this town), would be
>even less expensive if I use a payphone?
The cost of the phone card call would be even cheaper. However, you
would have to pay the cost of the call to the local access number. To
do this, you might have to buy another card for use in pay phones.
Most of them don't take coins anymore. This card is called a "scheda
telefonica" and it can be bought at most news stands and in tobacco
stores. You have to break off one corner of it (the card shows you
where) and insert it in the phone. A little display will show you how
much money is left on the card.
>Do you know if the Sisal card might be sold at Rome airport? I won't be
>going into Rome when I arrive, but head straight out to the B&B.
Sorry, I really don't know. I don't remember seeing any tobacco shops
there, but since I don't smoke, I wasn't really looking for one. Shops
that sell superenalotto tickets usually have a sign outside saying so.
>I checked prices at Ventrone (sp?) tonight and it seems that using local
>access or private phone, I believe, the rate was also less than 3Euro cents.
>Would this card be easier to get than Sisal? Since my Italian is about zero,
>I'd like to make my life as easy as possible.
I don't know what Ventrone is. The Sisal card is very easy to use even
if you don't speak Italian. A message tells you to press "1" for
Italian or "2" for English as soon as you dial the 800 number. If
you're worried about buying one, just look for the Superenalotto sign
and hand the clerk a note with Sisal Edicard USA & Europe written on
it. You can get it in denomination of 5 euro, 10 euro, and on up. 5
euros will get you about 3 hours of conversation from a normal phone
dialing the 800 number.
-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup
>"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 07:52:50 -0500, "orland" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >Will be in Italy for 8 days and need to know which card you folks
>recommend
>> >for calling U.S. I found Global Calling on the net and it seems they
>charge
>> >$0.15/minute. I've also heard that I should buy an international phone
>card
>> >in Italy. What's your experience?
>> >
>> >Buy here (and which one and how) or in Italy?
>> >Will I be restricted to using a phone booth in Italy to place call?
>> >Does one buy a specific number of minutes to be used overseas only?
>> There are two very cheap international phone cards in Italy.
[snip]
>Thanks for all the information, but I want to make sure I understand... I
>will be staying at a B&B in a very small town north of Rome near Rieti. It
>seems from what you said that I can call directly from their phone and there
>will be no charge to them? Is that correct?
If they have a normal phone (not a pay phone for the use of guests),
then there should be no charge to them if you use the 800 number. Cell
phones don't have free 800 number calls, but normally land line phone
services do. However, if you use the local access number it propbably
wouldn't be free, since normally local calls are not free in Italy.
There are some calling plans that allow free local calls, however. In
any case, there is a bewildering range of phone services in Italy, and
you should check with the owners of the B&B as to what the charges
would be for any particular type of call.
>To call a local access number, (if there is one for this town), would be
>even less expensive if I use a payphone?
The cost of the phone card call would be even cheaper. However, you
would have to pay the cost of the call to the local access number. To
do this, you might have to buy another card for use in pay phones.
Most of them don't take coins anymore. This card is called a "scheda
telefonica" and it can be bought at most news stands and in tobacco
stores. You have to break off one corner of it (the card shows you
where) and insert it in the phone. A little display will show you how
much money is left on the card.
>Do you know if the Sisal card might be sold at Rome airport? I won't be
>going into Rome when I arrive, but head straight out to the B&B.
Sorry, I really don't know. I don't remember seeing any tobacco shops
there, but since I don't smoke, I wasn't really looking for one. Shops
that sell superenalotto tickets usually have a sign outside saying so.
>I checked prices at Ventrone (sp?) tonight and it seems that using local
>access or private phone, I believe, the rate was also less than 3Euro cents.
>Would this card be easier to get than Sisal? Since my Italian is about zero,
>I'd like to make my life as easy as possible.
I don't know what Ventrone is. The Sisal card is very easy to use even
if you don't speak Italian. A message tells you to press "1" for
Italian or "2" for English as soon as you dial the 800 number. If
you're worried about buying one, just look for the Superenalotto sign
and hand the clerk a note with Sisal Edicard USA & Europe written on
it. You can get it in denomination of 5 euro, 10 euro, and on up. 5
euros will get you about 3 hours of conversation from a normal phone
dialing the 800 number.
-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup
Mar 9th 2004, 4:47 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: International Phone Card
Much thanks Barbara. I think I've got! The company is Vectrone, not
Ventrone. I will check with the B&B to see what phone service they have and
I'm sure I'll get a card. It is surprising how many minutes one does get
with the cards. I surely won't use them all...orland
Ventrone. I will check with the B&B to see what phone service they have and
I'm sure I'll get a card. It is surprising how many minutes one does get
with the cards. I surely won't use them all...orland
