Calling Home
May 31st, 2003, 04:36 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 455
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Calling Home
What is the best way to call the US while I am in Vancouver. Can I buy a calling card while I am over there? I saw some calling cards on the internet, but they were all $20 - I am not going to want to talk that much. (just calling to check in)
May 31st, 2003, 04:52 PM
#2
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,944
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Phone companies vary across Canada, and I'm in the wrong province, but I helped a tourist with this yesterday, and the Toronto system will probably work in Vancouver, except with Telus, the local phone company, instead of Bell Canada.
In big shopping centers, and in telephone stores, you should be able to buy a $5 long distance card, that you slip into a slot in a pay phone. Get a genuine Telus card, rather than trying to save a dollar by buying some no-name card.
I went into a Bell store in Toronto today to see how inexpensive the cards were, and $5 was the minimum.
Or, for a quick call, just get a handful of Candian coins, and follow the instructions on the payphone to get started. Then a voice (may be real, may be a computer) will tell you to deposit some amount, and you can talk until you hear beeps and read on the front of the phone (a little computer-like screen) that you need to put in more money.
BAK
In big shopping centers, and in telephone stores, you should be able to buy a $5 long distance card, that you slip into a slot in a pay phone. Get a genuine Telus card, rather than trying to save a dollar by buying some no-name card.
I went into a Bell store in Toronto today to see how inexpensive the cards were, and $5 was the minimum.
Or, for a quick call, just get a handful of Candian coins, and follow the instructions on the payphone to get started. Then a voice (may be real, may be a computer) will tell you to deposit some amount, and you can talk until you hear beeps and read on the front of the phone (a little computer-like screen) that you need to put in more money.
BAK
May 31st, 2003, 04:52 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 916
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can buy $5 all over the place. Just go to a corner store - the mom & pop lottery/junkfood type shops seem to sell them. Be aware that the cards vary (some have horrible reception, others have hidden fees), etc.
May 31st, 2003, 08:52 PM
#4
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A friend of mine told me about this option: Either Sprint or Cingular Wireless offer cellular telephones which are able to have phone calls originate and receive in 180 different countries. The cost of these phones isn't very much and I can't remember the exact anachronym for the type of phone. Anyway, you simply sign up for a phone and a few days later you call the company and say that you would like to use it in Canada. There shouldn't be any additional charges to the service and it takes a day or two to set it up.
Jun 1st, 2003, 03:38 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,944
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
4rhodes has a point, and it may be even easier, if you have a cell phone.
My friend Charles, from New orleans, travels all over North America and his phone works everywhere he's been in Canada, with no need to do anything special except make sure he dials 1 and the area code before calling anywehre else in North America.
How much this costs is another question, but for a short call, it's probably no big deal.
BAK
My friend Charles, from New orleans, travels all over North America and his phone works everywhere he's been in Canada, with no need to do anything special except make sure he dials 1 and the area code before calling anywehre else in North America.
How much this costs is another question, but for a short call, it's probably no big deal.
BAK
