Peter Greenberg: Calling From Costa Rica

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-12-5

We are traveling to Costa Rica, and I need to make a call every day to my 94-year-old father back home. What would be the best and most economical way to place this call from Costa Rica to the United States?
-Sharon, Commerce Township, Mich.

When in Costa Rica, the most economical way to call the states (assuming you're going for a vacation of a month or less and not an extended stay) is most likely going to be a calling card. These cards are widely available in pharmacies, convenience stores, and the like, and can be used at most pay phones and public phones. When getting your cards, be sure to look for international calling cards, not local calling cards.

One other tip: Don't call from your hotel room phone unless you are absolutely sure there will be no additional charges. Even then, I would hesitate, because many hotels will charge you for a call, even if you use a calling card.

The absolute cheapest way to call would be to use Skype or similar free VOIP services at an Internet cafe. Of course, this would require your 94-year-old father to set up and use Skype on his computer, which may not exactly be convenient.