communicating with home

7 Apr 2010 Explorer1159917 said

Hello. I am planning on doing an european tour with contiki this summer and had a question about communicating with home. Did past travellers find it easy to commuicate with family and friends back home? Are hotel phones allowed to make long distance calls? Thank you

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• 7 Apr 2010 Danki said

  

  if u are taking a laptop, download Skype – this made things great and really cheap to get in touch with people at Christmas time when I was in Europe. I probably wouldnt use the hotel phone – it will cost heaps. If you dont have a laptop, buy a phone card and just use the public phones or buy the eKit SIM on offer from contiki and take an old mobile phone

  if u are taking a laptop, download Skype - this made things great and really cheap to get in touch with people at Christmas time when I was in Europe. I probably wouldnt use the hotel phone - it will cost heaps. If you dont have a laptop, buy a phone card and just use the public phones or buy the eKit SIM on offer from contiki and take an old mobile phone or Cancel
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• 7 Apr 2010 Ruthie said

  

  I downloaded skype onto my ipod touch last night. (go to itunes and search for skype application) its free to download.
  
  Yesterday I found some earphones that have a microphone attached. They cost $48. So we will be able to call home for free.
  
  Hoping wifi overseas isnt too slow and it will work okay…

  I downloaded skype onto my ipod touch last night. (go to itunes and search for skype application) its free to download.<BR><BR>Yesterday I found some earphones that have a microphone attached. They cost $48. So we will be able to call home for free.<BR><BR>Hoping wifi overseas isnt too slow and it will work okay... or Cancel
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• 7 Apr 2010 cdm115 said

  

  it’s a little bit of a hassle. Tell the family not to expect you to call much. You’ll need a calling card or a cell phone to actually talk with home. Some hotels will allow outside calls, which will allow you to use a phone card, some will not. I found trying every couple days will get you through with home about once a week – every country and calling card works a little differently.

  it's a little bit of a hassle. Tell the family not to expect you to call much. You'll need a calling card or a cell phone to actually talk with home. Some hotels will allow outside calls, which will allow you to use a phone card, some will not. I found trying every couple days will get you through with home about once a week - every country and calling card works a little differently. or Cancel
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• 7 Apr 2010 Katie said

  

  hey i found i managed to speak to my folks almost every day or second day.
  
  They bought a phone card back here in aus. And i gave them a copy of all the hotels n phone numbers where i was staying.
  
  Then whenever i was free, i would send them a text and say hey ill be in the hotel in half an hour or how everlong and then they would call. Sometimes it was a bit hard with time differences, I ended up having a conversation with my dad when i got in from a night out in amsterdam at 5am, and from a late night (or early morning) at 8.30 am in nice haha it made my parents think WTF? but at least they knew i was safe and i got to talk to them and all it cost me was an international txt msg!

  hey i found i managed to speak to my folks almost every day or second day.<BR><BR>They bought a phone card back here in aus. And i gave them a copy of all the hotels n phone numbers where i was staying.<BR><BR>Then whenever i was free, i would send them a text and say hey ill be in the hotel in half an hour or how everlong and then they would call. Sometimes it was a bit hard with time differences, I ended up having a conversation with my dad when i got in from a night out in amsterdam at 5am, and from a late night (or early morning) at 8.30 am in nice haha it made my parents think WTF? but at least they knew i was safe and i got to talk to them and all it cost me was an international txt msg! or Cancel
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• 9 Apr 2010 Explorer1163508 said

  

  There’s also another iphone application called Fring. They say you can make free calls to mobile phones. I’m not so sure how it works, but you can give it a try! I’m planning to use it when I leave.

  There's also another iphone application called Fring. They say you can make free calls to mobile phones. I'm not so sure how it works, but you can give it a try! I'm planning to use it when I leave. or Cancel
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• 11 Apr 2010 Explorer1159917 said

  

  Hey everyone,
  Thanks for your replies, they are helpful seeing that I haven’t done much travelling through Europe. On the same topic, I will have my ipod touch with me, and was wondering whether internet access is fairly easy to get (in hotels, cafe).
  Thanks

  Hey everyone,<BR>Thanks for your replies, they are helpful seeing that I haven't done much travelling through Europe. On the same topic, I will have my ipod touch with me, and was wondering whether internet access is fairly easy to get (in hotels, cafe).<BR>Thanks or Cancel
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