International Calls Guide

There are loads of ways to make cheap, and even free, calls across seas. Just follow our guide and start making savings.

1. VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol as VoIP is known, is a way of making telephone calls using your broadband connection. VoIP manifests itself in various ways, but can basically be made either from one PC to another, or to call a traditional landline.

Three million people are expected to be using VoIP for PC to PC calls by the end of the year, with another million using it to call landlines (Ofcom, 2006).

Using VoIP through your PC with a headphones and a microphone can be done in two ways. You can either make calls via an interface like MSN Messenger, Skype or Google Talk, or use your PC to call a landline. If you choose the first option and know when the person you want to call will be online, then you can call them completely free of charge. You can also install webcams and make free video calls.

If you go for the second option and want to call a landline, or have installed a VoIP phone to use like a normal phone, then you will need to pay for your calls. However, you can sign up to a company like Vonage, where call charges are very competitive.

If you get you broadband via a cable connection then VoIP can save you even more money as you won’t need to pay for line rental on a home phone. You can even get a geographical phone number for people to call you on. You might find that you lose some quality on your calls with VoIP though.

2. Prefix numbers

Prefix dialling codes, used by companies such as Planet Talk and Just Dial, allow you to make cheap calls from your landline or mobile without making a prepayment or taking out a contract. You just look up the access number for the country you want to call, dial the number (which usually starts with 0870 or 0845), and follow the instructions.

The call will show up on your phone bill as the 0870 or 0845 access number and you will only be charged for calling that number, not the country you connected with.

You can even make calls using your free inclusive mobile minutes if the access number is included in your allowance. But you should check whether or not these numbers are included as this varies by provider.

3. Call cards

These work in much the same way as prefix numbers, except that they are prepaid, and you have to buy a card in advance. You can buy them in newsagents and on the internet, and you simply scratch the card to reveal the pin, dial the access number and then enter your pin, and follow the instructions.

4. Switch your home phone provider

You can get cheap calls just by switching to a more competitive provider. For example, a standard rate weekend call to South Africa with BT Together Option 1 would cost 46p per minute, while the same call using YourCalls would only cost 34p per minute, which drops to 3.87p if you choose South Africa as your “Golden Destination”.

TalkTalk also offer great rates on international calls using their 18418 prefix number, offering reduced and inclusive worldwide calls. With their Talk 3 and Talk 2 price plans, calls to South Africa are 5p per minute, while calls to Europe, North, South and Central America and Australasia are all included in the price plan.

You can also save on you line rental by switching home phone provider, as most are cheaper than BT’s £11 a month (using Direct Debit), so it really is worth switching.

International Rate Finder Select the destination ---- Please Select ----AustraliaFranceIndiaSouth AfricaUnited StatesAaland IslandsAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongo, Democratic Republic Of TheCongo, Republic Of TheCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D'ivoire (Ivory Coast)Croatia (Hrvatska)CubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFiji IslandsFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard And Mcdonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City)HondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle Of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea NorthKorea SouthKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian AuthorityPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint HelenaSaint Kitts And NevisSaint LuciaSaint Pierre And MiquelonSaint Vincent and The GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbia and Montenegro (Formerly Yugoslavia)SeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and The South Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe Are you calling a mobile or a landline? ---- Please Select ---- Landline Mobile Select when you are making most calls ---- Please Select ---- Day Evening Weekend

5. Think about your needs

Bear in mind your user habits and needs. If you’re very busy and don’t have time to buy call cards then that probably isn’t the best option for you. If you only tend to call destinations that would be included in a price plan, then you should consider switching. And if you have loads of free minutes on your mobile left over at the end of the month, then perhaps you can use them up with a prefix number.

It all depends on your needs and what lengths you’re prepared to go to, to get cheaper calls.

But whatever option works best for you, don’t continue paying over the odds to talk to your friends and family abroad. Use our Calculator to find the best deal on home phones.