Phone calls to and from Ireland

[riverdees05]

We are going to Ireland next month and need to be able to communicate back to the USA. What is the most reasonable way to make phone calls to and from Irleand?

[ace2000]

We are going to Ireland next month and need to be able to communicate back to the USA. What is the most reasonable way to make phone calls to and from Irleand?

If you're on a budget, then Skype is the way to go. You can purchase the premium plan and make calls to any landline or phone from overseas. The plan costs about $50 for the year.

[x3skier]

Skype is the way to go if you have access to WiFi. If not, get a cheap GSM Phone off of eBay (or have your own phone unlocked) and get a local SIM.

I have used Skype in the UK, Iceland, France and others to call the USA with almost always good results. Couple of times I could hear the person I was calling extremely clearly but they could not hear me at all. OTOH, the SIM route always worked.

Cheers

[chriskre]

I used a free Magic Jack app when I was in Spain and Cayman.
I have an iPhone and you need to have access to wi-fi but that wasn't a problem in either country.
Not sure about Ireland but the app is free and the calls back to the states were free.

Only problem is that it comes thru a 561 area code and nobody back home knows that number but I warned them ahead of time so they would pick up the phone. It's amazingly clear. You can't tell it's an internet phone at all.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free-...463926997?mt=8

It also uses your contacts already in your phone. I love this app.

[Carolinian]

If you are calling the same people each time. if you both get Skype for free, you can make free Skype to Skype calls computer to computer. My office uses Skype to Skype for business calls internationally, as it is much more secure than a regular phone. Security serives cannot crack it, which is why in some despootic countries they simply block Skype.

Otherwise sign up for Skype over the internet and use an Ireland address. You can put $10 Skype credit in your account and call computer to phone. Not sure what the per minute rate from Ireland is, but from where I am it is less than 2 euro cents a minute to the US.

[ace2000]

Otherwise sign up for Skype over the internet and use an Ireland address. You can put $10 Skype credit in your account and call computer to phone. Not sure what the per minute rate from Ireland is, but from where I am it is less than 2 euro cents a minute to the US.

We signed up for the Skype premium account (while in the US) and my daughter can make unlimited calls from France to any phone in the US.

[riverdees05]

Has anyone tried calling cards from ZapTel as a back up for Skype? Someone suggested those on the Cruise Critic Boards?

[GrayFal]

Another fan of Skype....did not know about the $50/yr plan - will look into this before my next trip.

[riverdees05]

What number do I use to make a Skype call from Ireland to US? 1- area code - telephone number? Or do I need to use the country code for US?

[riverdees05]

Also, is the cost per minute to call a landline in Ireland from the US the same as calling a landline in US from Ireland?