My wife is heading to Costa Rica with her sisters to see her dad. They will be all over the country during there stay but we'd like to stay in touch. I'm assuming a cell phone won't work (Verizon). What is the best way for her to call me? Would an international calling card work?
I'm sure Verizon has some international roaming plan if your wife's phone is of the GSM variety. Ask Verizon about that. Or you can go with the calling card.
Or you can get one of those calling cards which has a fixed number of minutes. It is much cheaper than using your long distance company unless you have a really cheap one. My long distance company spcialize in calling Asian countries which gives me a 3.5/min rate to China and 3.5 here in US.
Unfortunately, she won't have internet access in some her locations and it will be for a considerable time. I'm looking at calling cards but most are to call from the US to X. I'm not sure I can call from Costa Rica to the US on that same card. I get the feeling I can't. I did find a Costa Rica to US calling card. 38 cents a minute. I looked up Verizon and if I'm reading it right, I'd need a satellite phone, which they will rent me. The cost? Let's just say it's kind of pricey.
I am sure they have calling cards in Costa Rica, once she get there, she can buy a card. She can then call from any phone there. I bet they sell them in the airport, but you probably can get cheaper ones on the street.
If you are calling from the US to Costa Rica, just buy an AT&T calling card from Wal-Mart but make sure it has international calling capabilities. Depending on the country's rate will tell you how many minutes you have. For example, you can buy a card for $50 and if the rate is .20 per minute to call Costa Rica, you will have 250 minutes to use (I believe I did that right - it has been awhile). As for her calling you, when I was in Greece, there were cheap calling cards to call the US everywhere. I think all she would have to do is go to a store and ask for an international calling card or card to call the US.
Yea, I forgot that Verizon doesn't offer GSM phones. The only companies that offer a GSM standard phone are Cingular and T-Mobile. So calling cards are your only option, but those work pretty well. I've used them in Europe before so it should be no different in Costa Rica.
