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Joined: Oct 2001
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I have same as Dita, although I don't really want or need to be calling home when out of the country on vacation because vacation to me means "vacate"! LOL. For those that do need/want to call home, I think At&T is a great plan with no hassles.

Joined: Aug 2007
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AT&T will let you add international calling for the time period you will be abroad, then remove it when you return home, so that you do not have to pay the monthly fee for the months when you are not traveling. Makes for pretty inexpensive calls.


I can never remember which is better . . . safe? . . . or sorry?
Joined: Apr 2006
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The last trip I took I added the international call plan for ATT which was only $5.99 for the month (and removed the next month as LA mentioned) however the discounted calls using the international plan were still $2.55/ minute to dial the US or make calls within the country I was in.

I'm a fan of traveling with a skype. Most internet cafes have headsets you can use. $0.02 per minute to the states.

Joined: Feb 2002
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k - i'm with you. also use AT&T, and use the monthly plan only when we travel. it served us well for a while. especially if one uses texting (much cheaper).

but, unlike some of you, we are (unfortunately) tied to our business these days, and we like to stay in close contact with our kids. the more we go, the more we end up making calls to friends within bz. last trip, AT&T screwed up big time and we got hammered with charges ($900+) that took 2 hours phone time to straighten out.

what everyone says is so...the rates aren't that bad if you don't use it much, but if something happens and you need to use it, you can really get walloped at month's end.

i also know others who like skype, but i haven't used it.

as always, JMHO, but i'll show ya those AT&T bills if you want to see...

Joined: Apr 2006
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yes, sj said it. if you are tied to a business best to look into skype or having a local phone in the country you are in. Texting on ATT is only 50 cents per text (in and out) however you can't do business on text.
For those that just need a few calls, use your regular phone and add internationally calling. For those that do business while traveling, you can log into your skype account nearly anywhere.

Last edited by *I Do* Belize Weddings; 07/28/08 03:07 PM.
Joined: Aug 2007
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agree - if you're going to use it a lot, you're going to pay a lot. For some reason I thought the initial question here pertained to the occassional check-in with kids. Running a business at home while traveling abroad is an entirely different proposition - something which requires foresight and planning and even then there is expense involved.


I can never remember which is better . . . safe? . . . or sorry?
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 20
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GoHawks Offline OP
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Since I'm only on the island for about 9 days, and I only want to call home to make sure the kids are doing well with Grandma and Grandpa I'll probably see what kind of reception we get with our phones and service and if need be buy a SIM. I've got an unlocked phone so that's not an issue.

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

Joined: Feb 2002
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gohawks, in your instance, you'll be fine with just adding international calling to your phone. it's worth a few bucks for the peace of mind.

LA, yes!! for us, even just checking in can be pricey all by itself. i hate to have to keep a call to my son to 10 minutes when he's telling me a joke, or how his day went, or that he misses me. at 3 calls a week, at 10 minutes each, to two sons (in different homes - sheesh!) costs us $153.00, and we didn't even check in at work yet, or see what time we're hooking up with a friend in bz...see how quickly it adds up?

we also learned the hard way that even if you leave a message saying not to leave a voicemail, people do - at international rates. now we know to block incoming voicemail. live & learn!

Joined: Aug 2007
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No kids here, so can't speak to that. But whatever option you exercise, blocking incoming voicemail is the one thing I would advise against. I don't always have my phone on me, but if there is an emergency, voicemail is still the fastest way to find out about it. As much as I love the hotels in San Pedro, they are not always good at either getting the message accurate or at delivery of whatever message they did get, if they remember to deliver it at all!


I can never remember which is better . . . safe? . . . or sorry?
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,255
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i would not count on a hotel either - that's a very good point. it does not block texts, and we tell our family and biz coveraget that if we do not pick up, send a text. i would also be able to see that they called in my history. like i said, live and learn - to be creative!

can anyone tell me more about skype? i'm reading the website, but it's kinda confusing...i would just get the phone, not carry a pc. do they issue you a number? does that number change in different countries for incoming calls? does one have to be in an internet cafe or hotel room to pick up the wifi, or does it work when walking down the street too?

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