For those of you that place phone calls overseas

Daughter #2 and family are starting their overseas adventure in Japan for 3 years, courtesy of the USN.

Looking for your experience for what works, selecting calling plans, costs, etc..

 

Skype! Buy an inexpensive laptop and install it. It's the cat's pajamas and free.

 

Skype. If you already have Internet, you can't beat the price.

 

For once these 2 have the correct answer.

 

They can also use a TMobile phone and call for free

 

Hell with that. Enjoy the silence.

 

Most of my family has an iphone, so we facetime'd a lot, also works from my laptop
I had a google voice number routed with tapatalk, but while I was overseas it stopped letting you route it (so i had to call from my laptop)
whatsapp for texting

^ all free

 

I neither use Skype nor Facetime but the little I have seen them operate, Facetime >>>> Skype.

Results may more than likely vary....

 

Skype. Got it.

One question ... What's a Skype? Do they eat much? Can they be potty trained?

Have plenty of that, since I live beyond the end of the civilized world here...

 

It's a very easy-to-use application that allows you to make voice or video calls over the Internet from/to a computer or smartphone. It requires no skills at all, unless you're Doyle. Then, it's extremely complicated and you end up with four different logins, none of which you can remember the password for.

 

Skype and Facetime. Paying for overseas phone service is pointless. You can go to MCDonald and get free-wifi and use both services.

 

Got it. Even a DRC like me can figure it out, right?

 

I may have started a "I don't understand Skype" thread some time back.

 

One more for Skype. Wife and I have family in Europe. She is on it every day, hour at the time, we can't afford phone for that
Prepaid calling card for rare times when we need to call.

 

Let me put it this way: a old friend of mine in the DC area has twin 4 1/2-year-old boys. One of them has been calling me on Skype on his own for about a year now. Mommy realized there needed to be some ground rules last Thanksgiving as they were boarding a plane to visit family in Kentucky. When she asked the boy who he was talking to and he said "Papa," she thought he was joking until she realized she was missing her iPhone. That conversation ended pretty swiftly.

 

So, you're saying a 4.5 year old can work skype and the shyster can not? No shit?

 

A fact of which he is reminded with what I call friendly regularity. I will not let them forget that anytime soon. It comes up any chance I get.

 

But yeah, skype is that easy to use. Make sure the lap top you get has a built in mic, it beats wearing one of those time life operator headsets.

Oh, you can save your password so you don't have to keep creating ids.

Like Le' Papa said, you can video call, call and IM via it. I think you can even buy a skype phone to call a regular phone and it's cheaper than dirt.

 

If they want a more traditional phone, use Vonage. You can register multiple numbers with a single line so that no one has to use long distance to call (even other foreign countries). Not everyone is savvy with Skype or similar services.

 

OMG HAHAHAHAHA!!!!