Using Skype while traveling overseas?

[rsonc]

A friend just told me about this website but they have only used it a few times but never when travleling.

we are leaving on Tuesday for Ireland, Scotland and London. I would like to call my family on the phone or cell phone since they will be in/out of the house and traveling too during the 3 weeks that I am gone.

I am not sure if I am suppose to sign up for
US/Canada
Country
Worldwide

I am guessing worldwide since I will be traveling between countries and calling the US but I was not sure.

Also Do I need the phone number? and should I purchase one of those pay per min. cards or how does the phone number thing work?

I have been trying to read the information on the website but I am still confused and I don't have a lot of time to figure it out, if anyone else has traveled using Skype and can let me know the best way to do this I would appreciate it.

Thanks
susan

 

[Icarus]

I don't think you really sign up for any specific country. You just buy some skype credit, which will expire after something like 180 days. They do have monthly plans that might be better for long term use, but I doubt if you need/want that.

You are planning on making the calls from your computer, right? Your laptop when traveling? And you should try it before you leave to make sure it works well with your computer, headset, speaker, mic, or whatever you plan to use.

You only need a phone number if you want people to be able to use that number to call you on your computer from their landline or cell phone. If you are just dialing out, you don't need a number. Also, if they have computers with skype, computer to computer calls are free. You will get an id when you sign up. To call somebody computer-computer you need to know their skype id.

-David

 

[Dori]

Our son is teaching ESL in South Korea and this is how we keep in touch. We talk on Skype every other day and using the video option enables us to see each other as we chat. When DH and I visited him in Korea in early June, we used his computer to keep in touch with our daughter. Skype is great, and it is very easy to sign up for free.

Dori

 

[Don]

The same with us. Once a week from FL to Busan, SK. The live pictures of our son are a little blurry, though. It cold be his internet connection or simply a fingerprint on his built in camera.
I had upgraded Skype to the newest version and had trouble with getting it to recognize the camera, so I downgraded to the earlier version. My son did the same thing two weeks later, had the same trouble, and downgraded again, also.

 

[caribbeansun]

We use it all the time to video chat with relatives from Singapore to Australia to BC, etc.

We always do computer to computer calls without a problem. I use it to stay in touch with DW when I travel for business and have never had a problem.

Buying the credits is necessary when calling from computer to phone. I suspect the location you specify will factor into the pricing of the minutes but I've always done computer to computer so that is a guess on my part.

 

[sml2181]

I use it all the time - love it! I have a monthly subscription and it works great.

However, when I was at the WKORV last week, I wasn't able to open my Skype account. I don't know why - internet access was extremely slow and Skype just wouldn't work until the last day I was there. Tried it on 2 laptops. Got home yesterday and didn't have a problem at all getting in my account.
This was the first time I encountered this in 3 years or so.

Just saying - all is well as long as you have a good connection I guess.

 

[rsonc]

Looking at it online it looks like I can join for a month and then cancel it.. it said there is no commitment required... does anyone know if that is correct?

I wish they had a phone number to call to talk to someone but I can't find one listed on the website.

I am guessing if I do the unlimited I would need worldwide since I am traveling to multiple locations or do you think the country will work since all most of the calls will be going to the US but we might have to make calls to some of the tourist places or family while we are in Ireland, Scotland or London.

There will be 3 of us calling home so I think the unlimted would be best since I think it is around $20 a min. otherwise.. does that also seem correct.

Do you need to have a video camera on the computer to computer.. if so I will have to go buy one for this computer.

I will try to get everything hooked up today so I can see if it works.

Thanks
Susan

 

[Icarus]

Looking at it online it looks like I can join for a month and then cancel it.. it said there is no commitment required... does anyone know if that is correct?

I wish they had a phone number to call to talk to someone but I can't find one listed on the website.

I am guessing if I do the unlimited I would need worldwide since I am traveling to multiple locations or do you think the country will work since all most of the calls will be going to the US but we might have to make calls to some of the tourist places or family while we are in Ireland, Scotland or London.

There will be 3 of us calling home so I think the unlimted would be best since I think it is around $20 a min. otherwise.. does that also seem correct.

Do you need to have a video camera on the computer to computer.. if so I will have to go buy one for this computer.

I will try to get everything hooked up today so I can see if it works.

Thanks
Susan

I think you mean 20 cents a minute? Or, did you mean without skype? Rates vary. Calling from a hotel's phone will be the most expensive way usually. If you use your cell phone, it's probably something like $2 a minute or so, depending on your plan and provider and the country you are in, and you will pay that when getting and making calls, but even that is ridiculously expensive. skypes per minute rates are posted on their web site. For UK countries it's very cheap. more like 2 - 3 cents a minute I think, but you have to check.

I really think in your case, you should just by skype credit. $20 will probably be more than enough, and don't join a monthly plan. And you don't have to buy until you actually need it.

The video chat people are talking about is for computer-computer calls, which are free. Remember, I said that in my first reply? You don't need any skype credit or monthly plan for computer-computer calls.

Yes, you need a webcam if you want to do computer-computer video calls. If your laptop doesn't have a built-in webcam, logitech makes a good one. It's the Logitech quickcam pro 9000 for notebooks. I bought one on ebay for around $50, IIRC. You also need either speakers/mic or a headset, if the speakers/mic built into your laptop don't work very well. You have to try it. They will let you make a test call when you download their software, but you need to try calling somebody to really test it out.

Skype loses money, so it's unlikely they will have any live customer service you can contact.

-David

 

[easyrider]

We use skype. We call and recieve cell phone calls and land lines calls. In Mexico you need to use the Mexican area code for you call but to call home you just dial the number. I like the answering machine feature.

 

[pjrose]

My son opened an account about 3 years ago and put $10 on it. He uses it frequently to call computer-computer, and occasionally to call friends internationally. This year we used it daily to call the US from Mexico. It was 2c a minute, and we still have a chunk of that original $10 left.

If you just open an account with a small amount of money, there's not much to lose.

No, you do not need a video camera.

There are a few things that are a bit weird:

• Talking into your computer; that can be alleviated by using a headset.
• A slight delay in the conversation
• Hearing everyone else's Skype conversations in the resort lobby, if wireless isn't available in your unit.

Another option is to buy a MagicJack. It's a small doodad that goes into your USB port, and then you plug a physical phone (not a cell phone) into it. You dial on the phone pretty much as you would at home. It's 19.95 for the device including US long distance for the entire year. Even in another country, the MagicJack thinks it's in the US, so there is no additional cost to call US numbers. There is a cost and a sign-up if you want to call non-US numbers, though.

We use Magic Jack at home, and Skype when traveling. Both work well; the reasons why we use Skype and not MJ when traveling, are that our Mac laptop is not MagicJack compatible (needs to be an intel Mac - this is not an issue for a windows computer), and with Skype we don't have to pack the device or a physical phone.

Again, just sign up for Skype, put in a small deposit, and give it a try!

 

[hiointernat]

I've never used Skype for computer-to-phone calls, only for computer-to-computer calls. It has been great so far. And it's nice that's there's also an online chat option to go with it.

I would recommend going that route if you can. It may be trickier with coordination, but you save money in the long term and it's a nice interface anyway. The only downside is that if you have a lot of contacts/friends on Skype, then whenever you are signed in and they are signed in, they can call you without notice. I like to keep calls to planned times when I am travelling, since I have little time to spare.

 

[Icarus]

Again, just sign up for Skype, put in a small deposit, and give it a try!

You don't need to buy any skype credits to try it for computer-computer calls. You only need skype credits for computer to non-computer calls (landline or cell phone.)

-David

 

[pjrose]

You don't need to buy any skype credits to try it for computer-computer calls. You only need skype credits for computer to non-computer calls (landline or cell phone.)

-David

Right. I meant if OP was planning to call someone who was using a phone.

 

[Icarus]

Right. I meant if OP was planning to call someone who was using a phone.

yeah ... it's worth trying first with a friend in computer-computer mode before buying any credits. That's what I meant.

Make sure it works with your existing laptop, find out if you need a headset, etc, etc.

-David

 

[tompalm]

If you have a laptop less than three years old, it probably has a mic and you can use the speakers on the computer to listen. My laptop had that and I didn't even know until I tried Skype. If your computer is less than 18 months old, it probably has a built in web cam on it. If your laptop doesn't have a mic, all you need is a mic that cost about $6.00. I don't recommend buying an expensive webcam for a short trip.

Calling overseas has gotten so cheap in the last couple years. You can also download Skype to an I-phone and use the wi-fi to talk on Skype anywhere in the world. If you have T-Mobile, or AT&T, some of their phones have UMA, or wi-fi calling that is free. If your phone has UMA, just take a router with you and plug it in at your hotel room and use the cell phone wi-fi calling. Also, the I-pod touch has an ap for Skype, but you will need a mic for that I-pod touch.

We took our T-Mobile at home router overseas and it worked great for calls to and from the USA. However, that might be hauling too much stuff for a short trip. The laptop is probably all you need and a credit from Skype.

Also, use your computer to make local calls from your hotel room. Local calls might cost 2 - 6 cents per minute and a call from the hotel phone is $1.00 or more.

 

[Don]

BTW, you don't need to have a webcam. Skype gives you a choice of using one or not, so you can still talk to someone without seeing them.

 

[rsonc]

sounds great... I am going to try it out today before I leave and hopefully I can get it to work correctly.

I am looking at using the landlines more since my BIL and Dad does not have internet access and my DH is not on the computer a lot.. it would just be easier to call him without having to set up a time to meet on the computer.

I will see how it goes... thanks for all of your help!!

I am off to Europe today!!

Susan