Anybody know of a cheaper than 19¢ per minute charge to call cell phones in Spain?

[rgG]

My daughter is studying in Spain this summer and has only limited access to Skype, for free calling back home. Thanks to the way cell phone billing works in Spain, she is able to receive calls on her cell phone for free, but that means I have to pay from my end to call her. If she had access to a landline in Spain, which she doesn't, I would be able to only pay 2¢ per minute, but since I have to call her cell, the cheapest rate I have been able to find is with Google voice for 19¢ per minute. While this is a lot better than her calling me and paying the cell rate from her end, I was wondering if anyone here knew of a free or cheaper way for me to call.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it. BTW, Google Voice works well. I just add money to my account, dial in to my GV number, dial her number and it connects right up. The quality is pretty good, too. It seems to be as good as most cell calls here, so I can't complain about the quality, I would just like to pay less.

[Racer X]

international calling card perhaps? http://www.callingcards.com/shopping/rate_table1.asp

[thermarest]

I doubt you'll find any better. I've never seen or heard of a way to get around the "caller pays" model used in Europe and, well, most of the world on cell phones.

[Aardvark]

I use Tracfone. I haven't used the International Service but they so allow International calls to 60 countries at the domestic rates. Not sure but Spain may be included.

You would probably have to invest in a cell provided by Tracfone. They use many on the common cells but they "mess" with the hardware.

I think you could beat the 19cent rate with some wise purchases of Air Time.

You could start a little research here:
http://www.tracfoneild.com/?AID=ILDHPB

[iaJim]

There's a commercial on XM radio that advertises calls for around 7 cents a minute to foreign companies, but I can't remember the name.

[iaJim]

This is it: http://pennytalk.aitrk.com/?source=AITRK&teng=go

I don't know anything about it, and it looks like they only save you a portion of a call overseas.

[rgG]

Thanks for the info about Tracfone. I used Tracfone for years, but never realized that you could do that. As a matter of fact, I just switched my mom from Tracfone and I think she has some minutes that are still good, so that might be a way to use them up. I have some old Tracfones lying around, so I could activate one and give it a try. I need to make sure that Spain is on the list.

Edit: well it was a good thought, but they don't allow you to use the Tracfone service to call Cell Phones in Spain. You can call a landline, just not a cell phone.

That is the trouble I am having everywhere. Calling a cell phone as opposed to a landline is what runs the cost up.

It looks like a couple of the calling cards mentioned have lower rates, but they do charge maintenance fees and they bill in 3 minute increments, so they might not be that much cheaper, but they may be some cheaper.

Thanks again, all. And if anyone else has any other ideas, keep posting.

[space-time]

10.7 cents/minute

http://www.nonoh.net/en/calling-rates.html

nonoh.net

put 10 Euro (now a little over $10) and you have 120 days of dirt cheap calls and then also cheap calls. The rates below are in USD

OK, so how does this work? after you make a deposit (10 euro), for the first 120 days, calls from US to Spain (and many other countries) to landline are FREE and to mobiles are $0.099 +tax which comes to 10.7 US CENTS.

Spain  (Landline) SuperDeal!**	FREE*	  FREE*

Spain  (Mobile)	0.099	  0.107

after the 120 free days, the landline calls are no longer free, but are pretty cheap

Spain  (Landline) SuperDeal!**	0.012	  0.014

and the calls to cell phones stay the same as before (10.7 cents). Whatever credit you have left after the 120 days, you can continues to use. If you only call cell phones, then there is no difference, but if she has a landline in her room, then you can call FREE for 120 days and very cheap after.

PM if you need more info