How to make cheap calls from abroad?
Calling abroadTravelling often allows you to disconnect from your daily life, but that does not mean cutting yourself off from the world and your loved ones. Even abroad, there are some tips for communicating with them without affecting the balance of your budget.
keep your phone
To call while traveling, you can use the device you use every day in France or buy an old low-end phone for less than 30 € and easy to replace in case of loss. Simply make sure with your operator that your mobile phone can work abroad. If necessary, have it unlocked and ask to activate the international option no later than 48 hours before your departure.
Keep your SIM card
You can keep your French SIM card to call your loved ones from Brazil, Ireland or even Japan. In this way, you can keep a French package and continue to receive and send calls and messages in your host country. In addition, confirmation text messages for certain online transactions will continue to reach you directly, which is very practical for buying your plane ticket, for example. In addition, some operators offer special rates for travellers, such as the World option.
It should be noted that this solution is especially interesting for those who travel frequently because it requires a minimum period of commitment on your part. Also check with your operator the rates for calls from abroad before making a decision, as the cost of calls of this type is generally very expensive.
Buy a local SIM card
You can opt to buy a SIM card once you arrive on site. Very easy to find, it is cheap and you can recharge your credit regularly. This solution has the advantage of allowing you to benefit from the local rate when you make your calls. If you are traveling with several people, you can contact your travel companions or your friends on site at a lower cost. This chip allows you to control your expenses and not to worry about your telephone bill when you return to France.
As far as calls abroad are concerned, find out about the rates applied, which vary enormously depending on the operator and the country. For example, the minute of the call to France from Thailand is very affordable. On the other hand, if you plan to call your family from Kenya to tell them about your last safari, count up to 10 € for 3 minutes of communication.
Finally, it is good to know that if the purchase of a SIM card can be interesting to call while traveling, it is regulated in certain regions and may be subject to the possession of a passport and an address in the country. .
Use a landline
When travelling, you can also use the landline to call France.
Phone cards
Phone cards often have the advantage of being able to be used on all types of fixed telephones, even cabins. They also offer an attractive rate for international calls, which helps preserve your budget. Very practical, they are available almost everywhere.
The main disadvantage of this solution is the obligation to go through a number to obtain your international correspondent. If you have a poor command of English, you will have difficulty following the instructions which are generally given in the local language in addition to the language of Shakespeare. In some cases, charges are debited on connection, which is detrimental if you make short but frequent calls.
Cabins
Available all over the world, public booths simplify communication with your country of origin. They are also easy to use since all you need is a few coins, a prepaid phone card or a bank card to talk with your friends or family.
However, in many countries, the success of mobile telephony has led to the decline of telephone booths which are abandoned or no longer work. You sometimes have to drive several kilometers, or even go to the next town, to find one in good working order.
payphones
In some countries, particularly in Africa, payphones make it possible to call locally and to telephone abroad. These are small stalls that have several workstations (one per operator) in order to benefit from attractive rates. Always ask for the price per minute of communication before calling, to avoid overcharging.
Prices
With regard to the tariffs of communications by fixed telephone, they strongly depend on the country and the operator. Some operators, for example, offer an average rate of 39 cents for a call in Europe or from North America, compared to €1.30 for Oceania and Africa.
Go through apps
With advances in technology, calling while traveling is becoming easier and easier. It is possible to go to the end of the world and stay connected. You can use applications to contact your loved ones back in France, provided you can connect to the 3G network or WiFi.
Skype
It allows you to chat or make calls (with or without video) for free from a computer to another Skype user located elsewhere in the world and connected. Since Skype is often installed in Internet cafe computers, you only pay for the connection time to talk at length with your family or friends.
In addition, the availability of WiFi in most hotels, bars and cafes allows you to use Skype on most Smartphones. The only drawback of this solution is the obligation to buy credit to call your correspondent on his landline or mobile phone if he is not connected to the Internet. That said, the cost of communication remains very affordable.
However, in landlocked areas where there is no Internet, WiFi or 3G, you cannot use Skype.
Viber
Viber is a direct competitor to Skype. This software can be used on Smartphones, Mac or PC and it allows to make free calls to other users of this application. The transmission of messages and videoconferencing are possible as well as the automatic recovery of your list of contacts from your Smartphone.
The main drawback is in terms of data privacy because a log of your calls is kept on Viber's servers.
WhatsApp
User-friendly, the Whatsapp application allows members to chat and send messages for free. It is even possible to include photos or videos in these messages. This is an ideal way to send your loved ones images of your honeymoon in Lapland or the first rays of the sun filtering through the buildings of Manhattan. However, Whatsapp has a major drawback: the impossibility to make audio and video calls.
Calling to give news to loved ones may be necessary during your stay abroad. There are several solutions to keep in touch by communicating at a lower cost. However, you must be well informed about the current rates in order to select the most effective channel without falling into a financial abyss that you may have difficulty compensating for. Monitoring your consumption regularly can also help you control your budget.
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