Using Skype on holiday

Gillor

I am looking at various ways of reducing the cost of phoning the UK during the couple of weeks a year I am on holiday. A friend has suggested Skype via computer for free phone calls and I have been looking at their web site to try and get to grips with the concept.

Seems straightforward enough if I am making calls from the UK to anywhere in the world Skype-to-Skype but can anyone help with the following as I can’t seem to find the answers on Skype’s web site:

If I want to make calls to the UK from Spain do I need a separate number/account or do I simply open up my laptop and proceed as I would in the UK?

Is Skype-to-Skype still free?

What are the charges for making calls from Spain to land lines and mobiles in the UK?

JasX

you will need to arrange and pay for an inbternet connection wherever you are on holiday (eg use free/paid for wireless at your hotel/a coffee shop/McDonalds etc etc)

Once you are on the internet Skype doesn't care where in the world you are the charges are the same (UK, Spain, Siberia, the moon etc etc)

Work regularly takes me to west africa and I use Skypeout to make cheap 'local rate' calls back to the UK when I'm out there and to our offices out there when I'm at home in the UK

I've found this to be a very reliable travel headset, if you shop around you should be able to get it for about £15
http://www.microanvika.com/product.asp?TXT=INFO&PNO=SEN59305A&ref=froogle&cam=SEN59305A&key=433080

imho

If you have Hotmail or Yahoo Msn and your friend does, you can call on that for free. You both log into Msn and instead of messaging you click voice call .Its free

Gillor

Thanks for the quick responses - I have access to free wi-fi in Spain and I also have a headset so looks as if Skype will be the way to go.

On the issue of Skype to landline from Spain to the UK, any idea how I can check Skype’s charges? Unless I am looking in the wrong place their web site only seems to show the cost of calls emanating in the UK.

Lirin

Unsure about costing of Skype, but just adding that it's very useful.

I married in May, and have a sister in Australia who couldn't come home as her visa is being considered and she can't leave.

Was so surprising- and very sweet- of my brother-in-law to have Skype logged in- the first knew about it was at the start of the ceremony!

Only downside may have been me waving at my sister all the way through the ceremony because she was crying so much!

JasX

Gillor wrote: »

On the issue of Skype to landline from Spain to the UK, any idea how I can check Skype’s charges? Unless I am looking in the wrong place their web site only seems to show the cost of calls emanating in the UK.

I'll refer you to my earlier comment of Skype not caring where in the world you are calling from so long as you are on the internet

luci

Install www.internetcalls.com , which is similar to Skype, and calls to a UK landline are free.

Gillor

JasX wrote: »

I'll refer you to my earlier comment of Skype not caring where in the world you are calling from so long as you are on the internet

I am now confused (not difficult) as the Skype web site states the following:

"Call people who aren’t on Skype
You can use Skype to call landlines and mobiles worldwide, at low rates. Simply dial a phone number, then start saving.
Call phones worldwide:
from 1.2p/min1 or 69p/month"

So if I call from Skype to Skype it's free. If I call from Skype in Spain to landline UK is it free or chargeable? If chargeable how much?

Kevster

skype.com/intl/en/prices/call-rates/cheap-calls-to-united-kingdom?currency=GBP

for rates for calling uk numbers or below for all countries

skype.com/intl/en/features/prices/payg-rates/

JasX

Gillor wrote: »

So if I call from Skype to Skype it's free. If I call from Skype in Spain to landline UK is it free or chargeable? If chargeable how much?

First please stop quoting "when I use Skype in country XXXXX" it NEVER matters where you are calling FROM

Full price list is here

http://www.skype.com/intl/en/features/prices/payg-rates/?currency=GBP#viewAllRates

Prices for calling the UK from the moon/mars/your garden shed are listed below per minute:

United Kingdom 1.4p
United Kingdom - London 1.4p
United Kingdom - Mobile - Hutchison3G 16.6p
United Kingdom - Mobile - O2 16.6p
United Kingdom - Mobile - Orange 16.6p
United Kingdom - Mobile - Others 16.6p
United Kingdom - Mobile - T-Mobile 16.6p
United Kingdom - Mobile - Vodafone 16.6p
United Kingdom - Premium Rate - Band 1 28.8p
United Kingdom - Premium Rate - Band 2 57.50p
United Kingdom - Premium Rate - Band 3 86.3p
United Kingdom - Premium Rate - Band 4 £1.438
United Kingdom - Premium Rate - Band 5 £1.725
United Kingdom - Shared Cost - 0844 7.7p
United Kingdom - Shared Cost - 0845 8.4p
United Kingdom - Shared Cost - 0870 11.8p
United Kingdom - Shared Cost - 0871 14.8p
United Kingdom - Shared Cost-0843 7.7p
United Kingdom - Shared Cost-0872 14.8p
United Kingdom - Toll Free 0p

Gillor

Thanks for all the helpful advice – I think I have grasped the concept now (at last!)

Not so sure I will need the video facility so I will have a look at internetcalls.com as well as Skype but either way one of them - or both - will be downloaded before I go away. Helluva saving on mobile roaming costs!.