Phone calls to Russia

[Saltheart]

Other than Skype, what's the most efficient way of making calls to Russia while using a cell from the US?  Calling card?  Long distance plan?   

She has a cell as well and I am assuming/hope that she doesn't incur any charges as long as it's an incoming call.  We do skype a bit, but as I have some out of town stuff coming up, I would prefer to switch to phone calls for awhile.

Thanks a bunch

-Salty

[SomeGuy]

She should not incur any charges for incoming calls; their mobile plans/providers are sane, relatively speaking, compared to many of ours.

Can you not use Skype for smartphones/mobile phones?
I haven't bothered with calling cards for years, but if skype for smartphones isn't an option, maybe someone can recommend a preferred calling card service.

[FredC]

Magicjack is pennies per minute depending on exactly where you are calling. You can also add your cell phone to your account to use it for calling.

[Vaughn]

Though it's designed for calling India, we've been using this card for many years to
call Mom and Sis in Russia. You get much more mileage if you'll bother to call the local access
numbers rather than the toll free access line. Whichever way you go, good luck!

http://www.uniontelecard.com/phonecards/2064/bharat/

[GoodOlBoy]

NOBEL (1 second) works pretty good for us:
http://www.nobelcom.com/phone-cards/calling-Russia-from-United-States-1-237.html

GOB

[Lazarus]

You get much more mileage if you'll bother to call the local access
numbers rather than the toll free access line.

I agree!
The same with NOBEL.

Lazarus :evil:

[Saltheart]

Hey, this is great!  Thanks guys!

[JR]

NOBEL (1 second) works pretty good for us:
http://www.nobelcom.com/phone-cards/calling-Russia-from-United-States-1-237.html

GOB

+1, works well

[yarm]

If you have a smartphone, there are several VOIP apps and Googlevoice. The have better rates typically than Skype, but some are sketchy, with bad connection.

In my experience, Googlevoice on an Android phone is very solid, the rate to call a cell phone in Russia is something around 8c/minute. The good part is that you can set your phone to automatically use Googlevoice for all international calls, you don't have to dial any access numbers.

The other one I use is Truphone, which is also good, and unlike google, can call over Wifi, which not only means you don't use any cell phone minutes if you don't want to, but also that you can use it to make calls with the same rates anywhere in the world, if you have wifi access. Its rates are also cheaper than google's, I think something like 7c/min for Russia, last time I checked.

[Muzh]

For calls we use www.mywdt.com Calls to Russia on average are 3 cents/min. Crystal clear and no drop calls.

[SomeGuy]

If you have a smartphone, there are several VOIP apps and Googlevoice. The have better rates typically than Skype, but some are sketchy, with bad connection.

In my experience, Googlevoice on an Android phone is very solid, the rate to call a cell phone in Russia is something around 8c/minute. The good part is that you can set your phone to automatically use Googlevoice for all international calls, you don't have to dial any access numbers.

The other one I use is Truphone, which is also good, and unlike google, can call over Wifi, which not only means you don't use any cell phone minutes if you don't want to, but also that you can use it to make calls with the same rates anywhere in the world, if you have wifi access. Its rates are also cheaper than google's, I think something like 7c/min for Russia, last time I checked.

I haven't seen much difference in rates between skype, google voice, and most others, but in my case, it's calling Belarus, which is roughly a quarter per minute +/- a few cents.  If anyone's found a significantly lower cost per minute into Belarus, I'd be very interested, but each new voip option I've seen is usually within a cent, sometimes a cent less for land, but then equal or more for mobile, so overall it isn't worth changing from skype for us.

Skype and google rates:
http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/payg-rates/#viewAllRates
http://www.google.com/voice/rates

[Faux Pas]

Other than Skype, what's the most efficient way of making calls to Russia while using a cell from the US?  Calling card?  Long distance plan?   

She has a cell as well and I am assuming/hope that she doesn't incur any charges as long as it's an incoming call.  We do skype a bit, but as I have some out of town stuff coming up, I would prefer to switch to phone calls for awhile.

Thanks a bunch

-Salty

Not so fast my friend! It depends on her plan. My wife had one phone and two sim cards from two different companies and plans when she was still in Russia. Both cards were a usage charge by the minute. In other words she had X number of minutes for X number of rubles. At one time IIRC one of the cards had a surcharge for an incoming non-local number. I very rarely ever called her cell unless she asked me to, which she did on occasion. Normally, I just called the home phone. She may very well incur extra charges for you calling her cell number. At the time she paid about 5 cents per incoming text as well.

I too used a Nobel card. They had the best rates I had found at the time. Of course we eventually went to Skype and the Nobel went out.

Recently I went to the new iphone 4G and I gotta tell you that the Skype is quite impressive and free.

[Saltheart]

Ok - how about the other way around, is there a preferred plan for her to call me... whether it's from her cell phone or land line?  I don't mind paying for a pin number for her... the Nobel.com one looks like it's about 12 cents a second to call the US from Russia (rounding up by 1 second).  The Skype stuff I understand, I guess I'm looking for that flexibility of her being able to call me from wherever/whenever but she doesn't have a smart phone.

[Muzh]

Magic Jack.

[GQBlues]

Ok - how about the other way around, is there a preferred plan for her to call me... whether it's from her cell phone or land line?  I don't mind paying for a pin number for her... the Nobel.com one looks like it's about 12 cents a second to call the US from Russia (rounding up by 1 second).  The Skype stuff I understand, I guess I'm looking for that flexibility of her being able to call me from wherever/whenever but she doesn't have a smart phone.

Salty-

Yes, Magic Jack. VOiP.

You mentioned she'll be here soon and if the two of you decided to continue with your relationship...trek to your nearest retailer, bestbuy, target, etc....and pick yourself up a Magic Jack. Activate it in your computer, assign/pick-up a number (your area code, if you so desire, or even a customized one for an extra charge), and have her take it back with her and all she'll have to do is plug it in in her computer in Russia (or anywhere in the world with an internet connection) and she can call you anytime for free.

Of course, in the event something happened with your relationship and the two of you broke-up, then you pick up that tab for the rest of the year's service then just make sure you cancel it when it expires.

Not quite sure though if they have a unit, or apps, for smart phone as of yet.

[Saltheart]

Rockin'!

Had never heard of it before.  Will look into it.

[chivo]

Another option might be a simple phone card available at kiosks around Russia depending on the city she lives in. I use one called "calling mama" and it's available in about 15 major Russian cities. $5 gets you around 4 hrs to the states (landline), at least from Moscow. Probably not much different from some of the bigger cities.

I use it for my non skype calls and it's very easy to use.

[Faux Pas]

Rockin'!

Had never heard of it before.  Will look into it.

So you're the guy on the Geico commercial that lives under a rock?  I don't know how anyone hasn't heard of MagicJack.

Maybe you mentioned it earlier and I missed it. If so I apologize but didn't you mention you have Skyped with this woman? Skype computer to computer is free. There are also some very reasonable plans for computer to phone or phone to phone. If she doesn't have a computer you might be better picking her up a good cheap used laptop to send back for her to use. That might cut through some hassle and bullkaka of phone plans and the like

[GQBlues]

So you're the guy on the Geico commercial that lives under a rock?  I don't know how anyone hasn't heard of MagicJack.

I just attended the recent electronics show and used one of those Dick Tracy wristwatch video phones. My only surprise was it wasn't (Apples) Jobs' creation. No other bells and whistles, just your average voice-activated/command (SYNC-like) full colored video phone.

When not in use, the clock is displayed in either analog or digital mode.

One guy I play golf with have his GPS in his wristwatch. Although right now he is limited in the courses he can actually download. I wanted to bet him for it with my outdated uPro but he wouldn't bite...

[Anotherkiwi]

So you're the guy on the Geico commercial that lives under a rock?  I don't know how anyone hasn't heard of MagicJack.

Not everyone lives where you do, Faux Pas!  I had never heard of it until I saw it mentioned on here.

For myself, I use Call2 - it's an English site, and normally the calls are crystal-clear.  I did have problems with dropped calls to Ukraine when I first started using it, but now it's like she's standing next to me (whoever she may be!).  Rates from the USA are as low as 3 cents a minute (to St Petersburg) - average to Russia is about 7 cents to landlines and 9 to 13 cents to mobiles (depending on the carrier).  Ukraine is more expensive - 16 cents to landlines and 16-23 cents to mobiles.  Average from Russia to USA is 7.5 cents a minute.

[GQBlues]

No worries AnotherKiwi. MagicJack compared to what you have in your neck of the woods is actually archaic. What's available to you even actually have the apps on cell phones 

http://www.voipbuster.com/en/index.html

Voice-Over Internet Protocol has been around for over a decade now. It's the same system everyone uses on worldwide call centers.

[Faux Pas]

Not everyone lives where you do, Faux Pas!  I had never heard of it until I saw it mentioned on here.

For myself, I use Call2 - it's an English site, and normally the calls are crystal-clear.  I did have problems with dropped calls to Ukraine when I first started using it, but now it's like she's standing next to me (whoever she may be!).  Rates from the USA are as low as 3 cents a minute (to St Petersburg) - average to Russia is about 7 cents to landlines and 9 to 13 cents to mobiles (depending on the carrier).  Ukraine is more expensive - 16 cents to landlines and 16-23 cents to mobiles.  Average from Russia to USA is 7.5 cents a minute.

No, one literally was living under a rock not to hear of Magicjack in the U.S.. The first time I recall hearing of Magicjack was at least 7-8 years ago. One in the U.S. couldn't help hearing of it with the non-stop inane infomercials running 24-7. Even then it was a pretty good deal at about $200 for the equipment $29.95 a month to call anywhere in North America. It worked fair if one had a broadband connection. GQ is correct voip has been around at least a decade, maybe longer and probably Magicjack that long as well. Magicjack was probably the first commercial voip I saw although I remember buying a phone that was supposed to work on the internet about 10 years ago. It did work but not very well with a 56K phone line modem. I didn't realize you Kiwis were that far out of the loop, technologically speaking 

[Saltheart]

Well, I certainly don't think I've been living under a rock, but if I have, it's been a very nice rock and I think I shall remain there 

I got on the internet in 88 with a 300 baud modem (when we used to use Gopher, Archie, Finger, etc.) and have been on it since and consider myself fairly technically literate, etc...  I don't watch infomercials, maybe we differ there   Honestly wasn't aware of Magic Jack...if I was, it's never registered as something as memorable or something I need to lodge in my brain.

I'm of course aware of VOIP.

What I was getting at was that I don't want to always be tethered to Skype in order to call her...or vice versa.  I want to find an efficient, relatively reasonable way of contacting each other either by landline or cell.  I can use skype on my cell phone to call her which is fine when I'm not near my computer, but AFAIK it requires her to be at her computer.  She doesn't have a smart phone that has Skype loaded on it.  I want to be able to reach her cell, landline and vice versa.  She isn't thrilled at the idea of me buying calling cards or supporting her in that fashion as she feels she is more than capable of pulling her own weight but with that said, I was hoping to find a low cost way of doing this that still allows for a lot of flexibility and doesn't overly put her out.

As a side note, I did tell her that I read that Russian Women will sometimes refuse politely up to 3x on something, she got a kick out of that, said there was "some" truth to that, so I told her I will be asking her 2 more times to let me buy some calling cards, etc., and she just laughed.  

[Faux Pas]

What I was getting at was that I don't want to always be tethered to Skype in order to call her...or vice versa.  I want to find an efficient, relatively reasonable way of contacting each other either by landline or cell.  I can use skype on my cell phone to call her which is fine when I'm not near my computer, but AFAIK it requires her to be at her computer.  She doesn't have a smart phone that has Skype loaded on it.  I want to be able to reach her cell, landline and vice versa. 

Well Salty, understand she is on another continent. Certain luxuries you enjoy communicating with someone in North America doesn't necessarily apply to Eastern Europe. Some concessions must be made. You could always go to snail mail. You write the letter at your leisure and mail it. She receives it 3 weeks later and reads it at her leisure. 

[Saltheart]

Sounds perfect!  Perhaps Horse and Carriage might work too.