Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you'll pay exorbitant rates of about $20 per megabyte (figure around
40 cents per email downloaded, or about $3 to view a typical web
page)—much more expensive than it is back home. If you know you'll be
doing some data roaming, it's far more affordable to sign up for a limited
international data-roaming plan through your carrier (but be very clear on
your megabyte limit to avoid inflated overage charges). In general, ask
your provider in advance how to avoid unwittingly roaming your way to a
huge bill.
Landline Telephones
As in the US, these days most Europeans make the majority of their calls on
mobile phones. But you'll still encounter landlines in hotel rooms and at pay
phones.
Hotel-Room Phones:
Calling from your hotel room can be great for local
calls and for international calls if you have an international phone card (de-
scribed later). Otherwise, hotel-room phones can be an almost criminal rip-off
for long-distance or international calls. Many hotels charge a fee for local and
sometimes even“toll-free” numbers—always askfortheratesbeforeyoudial.
Incoming calls are free, making this a cheap way for friends and family to
stay in touch (provided they have a long-distance plan with good international
rates—and a list of your hotels' phone numbers).
Public Pay Phones:
There are no pay phones in Estonia, and they're be-
coming hard to find in Scandinavian countries as well. You're likely to see
them only in railway stations, airports, and medical facilities. To make calls
from public pay phones, you'll need a prepaid phone card, described next.
Types of Telephone Cards
There are two types of phone cards: insertable (for pay phones) and interna-
tional (cheap for overseas calls and usable from any type of phone). A phone
card works only in the country where you bought it, so if you have a live card
at the end of your trip, give it to another traveler to use—most cards expire
three to six months after the first use.
