Phone Cards

A lot of American phone companies suggest that you buy your phone card before your trip to Europe. But did you know that some of these phone cards can cost you ten times too much? If you're an American that's planning a vacation in Europe, here's a few tips to keep in mind.

What you need to know about Phone Cards:

1. Phone cards have a face value (their cost in the local currency) that is divided among a number of minutes, also known as units. Oftentimes just using a pay phone will cost a few of these units -- even before your call begins. Read the fine print.

2. Phone cards usually come with a toll-free number and personal identification number (PIN) -- you call the toll-free number and enter your PIN before dialing home. Protect your PIN -- if you lose your card someone else can use it. That's why it's a good idea to buy a phone card with a small face value.

3. Some of the most expensive phone cards with the least number of minutes can be purchased at the airport. You can find these cards at the self service machines in many airport waiting areas.

4. Read the fine print and learn about the card's expiration date. Many phone cards expire within a number of weeks, measured from the date of purchase. (The 'purchase' might be determined by your first use of the card.) Some of the better cards expire within a number of months -- the expiration being measured from your last use.

5. Many people prefer phone cards that can be 're-charged'. This is basically buying more minutes for your phone card. People re-charge their card because it's oftentimes easier than buying a new one in a store. In America, a common method of re-charging a phone card is to call the phone card company's toll-free number and provide credit card details with the phone card's PIN. Within minutes the card is re-charged. Be aware however, that oftentimes the phone card company will require that a certain amount of money is spent to re-charge the card. For example, if a phone card originally had 240 minutes on it, then the phone card company might require that the phone card is re-charged back to a minimum of 240 minutes, at the same cost of the original 240 minutes. This can be an inconvenience for some people. In the UK, people buy phone cards at newsagents, convenience stores, supermarkets, forecourts and off licences just about everywhere. Many of those phone cards can be re-charged at the same types of stores with cash, in amounts as small as five pounds. This is accomplished by simply handing the phone card and cash to the counter attendant, who then swipes the card through a machine, and presto -- the card is re-charged!

6. Phone cards purchased in America and used in Europe can cost a lot more than phone cards purchased in Europe to call America. In fact, many USA phone cards simply don't work well in Europe. This is because a USA phone card that instructs you to dial a USA toll-free number will only be toll-free if you're located in the USA. Toll free numbers dialled in America begin with "1-800" or "1-888" ... European toll free numbers are different. For example in England a toll-free number begins with "0-800" ... Not all phone cards are the same. It's not impossible to dial a USA "1-800" number from Europe however. You just need to know the international access code, (usually 00) and then 1 (because "1" is the country code for the United States), and then the 800 number. For example, 001-800-555-5555. Phone books in phone booths? Not likely. In any case, just remember that the call will not be free. You will be charged direct-dialling rates.

7. In addition to the locations mentioned earlier, oftentimes hotels and Internet Cafes have phone cards for sale. If they don't, they can certainly tell you where to find one. Shop around -- they're available at numerous locations throughout Europe at different prices.

Need to know the country code for a particular place around Europe? Here's a list of phone codes.

Index:
	Placenames Around the World / U.S.A. / Britain