Thats great to know! Thanks Horace

You are most welcome.

I use Rebtel as a nice easy low cost solution. It's 1c per minute to a UK landline. Additionally, one feature I like, is you pre-register the numbers you're going to call and it gives you a local US number for each one. All you have to do is call the local US number, and the call connects to your party in the UK, and the bill goes on the Rebtel account. That way, I don't have to worry about running apps, coordinating software with the recipient, or dialing long numbers, inserting pausing in speed dials etc. I just call a 10-digit US number same as I would call anyone here, and that's it. Makes calling while driving to work in the morning very easy!

I've been using it for almost 2yrs now, and haven't had any issues.

-Matt

I keep in touch with friends across the pond via Skype, Facetime and iMessages (most have iPhones). I also use these methods to communicate with my family in the UK when I'm in the US. When I move to the US in August, I've persuaded my Mum to upgrade to an iPhone from a Blackberry so that we can also use Facetime and iMessages, at the moment I'm reliant on my not very reliable teenage brother who still lives at home to communicate via his iPhone or iPad.

When I've been there previously I bought an AT&T sim card which includes an international call package, so that has also been handy for calling home. It was fairly inexpensive and I'll probably go for the same thing when I move out there. Also, I have a 3 mobile contract in the UK and as long as it's attached to AT&T it can be used in the US as if it were still in the UK, so minutes, texts and data used are all included in the UK allowance. I only learned of this upon returning from my recent trip, but as my current contract doesn't run out until December I'll be using two phones for the first few months of being in the US.

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions.I downloaded Rebtel but my son sent me a link to some app Global Call which is running a calling promotion.I just got him some credit for $50 and it doubled upto $100 .

Google Voice. Set it up to automatically use it when dialing international numbers on your smartphone. US to UK - 2c per minute landlines, 10c per minute to mobiles.

Looks like Google voice offers the best rates but at the moment I'm using this new app since they are having an event promotion http://www.globalcall-1plus1.com . The normal call rate to call UK landlines are 3 cents but the promotion brings it down almost to 1.5 cents .

Okay, here is what we've done which gives our family and friends free phone calls to the US from the UK:

1. Set up our US phone service with Vonage. This gives us free unlimited cells to the UK from the US for around $25 PCM plus tax IIRC.

2. For an additional $5.00 a month, and as part of our US account, Vonage allows us to set up a local number in practically any area code in any country that redirects to our main US number should anyone call it. Hence, we set up one of these "ghost" numbers in our home town in the UK.

3. Our friends and family phone our local Vonage number in the UK, and hey presto our phone rings in Michigan. I.e. They get charged there local rate (which is free), and call to speak to us as much as they like.

4. Added benefit is that I can use this "ghost" UK number for any UK business contacts such as banks etc.

Is Viber free for calls then. Back & fro to the USA? I am here and USBF is California and we both really would love to chat on the phone. But I was under the impression that VIber isn't free for calls for the both of us. I have the app on my phone but I have never used it as for this belief of not being free for calling to USA or for himself to call me from the USA.
Hope this is free then I shall be on this in a shot.

These suggestions are great if you are calling US to UK/UK to US. In fact, I am now using Viber and it's great for calling friends.

What about business calls, though. When I get to the UK, there will be times when I need to call a US business landline. Maybe Vonage would be the answer? Does Vonage work from the UK to US? (I doubt businesses would use Skype, Facetime and Viber.)

Google Voice (using the Hangouts app on iOS), OR just take out a SIP service like sipgate.co.uk (1.5ppm to call the US).

If you're in the UK - I used to love the International Favourites service from O2. https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/internatio...tional-numbers

You get a US number assigned to your O2 mobile so that people in the US can call you and you nominate 3 US numbers to call. Great service and I wish one of the US carrier would do the same here!!

Is Viber UK to Viber USA, free calls?

Seems so. It's a bit soon for me to really know, though. My friends in the UK and I have only been using it a few days. Here is the description:

Viber - Free Phone Calls & Text for iOS - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com

*****

With Viber, everyone in the world can connect. Freely. More than 200 million Viber users call, text, and send photos worldwide - for free.

Viber is available for the iPhone and other smartphones. We are constantly introducing new features and platforms.

On Viber, your phone number is your ID. The app syncs with your mobile contact list, automatically detecting which of your contacts have Viber.
Free calls with HD sound quality
Groups with up to 40 participants
Send stickers and emoticons, making messaging fun!
Share locations
Push notifications guarantee that you never miss a call or message, even when Viber is off
Send videos and photos with just a few easy steps
No ads and 100% free*

Localized to: Czech, Danish, Greek, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish Swedish, Turkish, Korean, Dutch, Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, Indonesian, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Spanish, Catalan, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Portuguese (Brazil).

What's new in this version:

Support for all new Viber Desktop - on Windows and MacOS!!
Transfer live calls between Viber on your iPhone and Viber on Desktop
You can now send video messages to your friends

I have used VOIPO the last 4 years for all my landline calls (USA and UK etc.)
VoIP Services by VOIPO
All in they cost just under $7.00 per month for all USA/Canada "unlimited" (I prepay 2 years) and I add 20 hours of international calls for about another $7.00 p.m. Good quality service and as reliable as ANY POTS service and tremendous options.

I use VOIPO for international calls on price and also sound quality it's far better than any cell phone could every be.

FYI they also have a Beta service which for around $5.00 per month allow you to set up a UK based number so UK friends/family can call you by dialing a local number.