Phone service in Canada

[escapeso]

So I have been talking to my phone provider and apparently service internationally is pretty expensive. But it would be nice to still be able to talk to current clients this week. Does anyone have any pointers that dont cost a bucket full of money. Some kind of limited time local calling card or somthing that would allow calls from Canada to the US.

[Dennis Pease]

I have Verizon and they changed my plan for the week I would be here, also contact you credit card companies to let them know you will be here other wise they will freeze your account thinking your card has been stolen.

Don;t use you air card for the computer, make sure you have wireless in your room. Air card time can run up your bill considerably unless you have an international card.

[RonnieG]

Good advice. In addition to exchange rate, VISA charges a 3% transaction fee on credit card charges made outside the US.

[FindCRE]

Thanks for the great info, guys. I would have been blabbing on the phone the whole time.

[Dennis Pease]

Make sure you let your credit card company know you will be using outside of the country or they will freeze your account thinking it was stolen. Simply call the 800 nimber on the back of the card.

Best exchange rate I got was dollar for dollar in Victoria. In Port Angeles I got $95 CN for $100 US.

[Discover Davis Homes]

I have verizon also and when I checked with them last week, they thought I should not add the Canadian plan on since I would only be there from Monday through Thursday. Phone service is supposed to work but all calls are considered roaming @ 49 cents a minute. Data instead of being unlimited is 2 cents per kilobyte. I've swiched my treo to push email much less frequently, will not use my wireless broadband card and will rely on wifi elsewhere.

[Dennis Pease]

.49 cents a minute? If you are like me that could be a huge bill. They will change your plan for free for the week and then change you back at no cost and possibly save you a huge phone bill.

Yes, you do not want to use the wireless air card. Hotels with wifi are the way to go.

[Susan Zanzonico]

Interesting info Dennis. I would've thought of the phone stuff, but internet and currency exchange.... I may be going to Canada a few weeks after the forum so this is helpful. Can you do currency exchange at airports?

[David Abernathy]

Probably the least expensive way to talk with the States will be Skype.

I use this on my laptop all the time and as long as I have an Internet connection there is no cost Skype to Skype or .02/minute almost everywhere else.