Hi
I purchased this phone service just 20 dollars and was very sorry that I did. I had nothing but trouble with it as did several other people I spoke to. One person found it worked okay. Just wanted to warn you before you buy.
First I made some calls from a pay phone using the only nmber that worked in Paris and got charged 59cents a minute rather than the expected 8 cents a minute. Apparently you have to be on a special payphone that you put coins into to get the right rate. I called customer service and they were not overly helpful, even a bit rude,so I asked to speak to someone in charge and there was no one in charge. I called back again and got someone more helpful and was put thru on my call at 8cents a minute if I paid a service charge of $2. for them connecting me.

My friend had the same experience.

Also in some towns the initial call number just doesn't work. I gave up looking for the right kind of payphone and just called late at night from my hotel room. In Italy you pay almost nothing 1:30 E for 4 calls with over 30 minutes of total talk time after 12 at night. Was great. However in Frankfurt at the Sheraton the opposite occured. 2:95E for 1st minute and 4:95E for each subsequent minute. Didn't expect such extremes as I had called at a reasonable price from other German locations.

I hope this helps so that others don't have the same problems with e-kit that I did and some of my tour mates.
sandy

sounds like people would be better off buying one of those phone cards once they get to their destination, if they need to call home. I had a look at the website last week & thought it sounded like too much hassle to bother with.

I don't tend to call home anyway. I keep in touch by email & if someone needs to call me urgently, I've left contact numbers with rellies.

cheers,
ClareS

Clare- Do you get intrenet from cafes or hotel? We won't be bringing a laptop...so I'm wondering the best way to do that?

Sorry to hear you had trouble with Ekit.
We used the Ekit card - but accessed the dialing codes with our mobile phone and never had any problems.
It is getting more difficult to find public phones and the ones we saw in Paris all used local phone cards - no cash.
You need to check with each hotel on any costs with accessing the dialing codes - some charge and some don't.
Why we like the Ekit card is that it is an international card - it can be used everywhere.
When in the US a few years ago we bought a phone card in Califonia and later found out it was only of use in that area and could not be used in NY - so useless if you are travelling around.

I guess it really depends where you use the ekit card from. I have never tried to use it at a pay phone, I have only used the hotel phone. I have used it in Italy, Austria, Germany and Greece with no problems. I did have to pay in the hotel in Athens to be connected (.47 Euro per call). But after paying $36 to call home from London one year for a very short call, I will continue to use the ekit card.

But like rmcrf said about using their cell phone to call home, and I used only the hotel phone, so I really guess it depends where you use it.

Hi Hibiscus,

I get internet probably mostly from the hotels (esp. if it's free! ), but occasionally I've got it from internet cafes. But this time, because I've heard that internet cafes in Italy want a copy of your passport (& I kind of have issues with that), I think I'll just stick to using internet at the hotels (unless they're charging an arm & a leg to use it ) as I figure, they have your passport details already.

I don't bring a laptop. I have enough stuff to carry & keep an eye on.

cheers,
ClareS

I guess even in Italy it depends on the venue. We used internet places in Rome and Florence and were never asked for our passports although I think they're supposed to ask (this is something to do with security and potential subversive activity, is it?).

Brenda

I purchased the e-kit and thought that it was great.

I did a little research on the e-kit site and made sure it had "free-call" or local numbers in most of the cities I was in. I used the hotel room phone to access it most of the time. The most I was charged for a local call was E1.5 (untimed call). You should find that most hotels will not charge extortionately for a local call.

As for internet - yes Brenda - it has a lot to do with people using the internet for "inappropriate" content. "Big brother" can usually find out where access to an "inappropriate" site has been gained from. Hotels and internet cafes need to protect themselves.

I have found that most hotels in Europe now have computers with internet access available for guests. You just need to ask. Nothing in the room documentation at The Westin in Rotterdam told me that included with the room (even on a TT) was 1 hour free internet. When I asked at the desk about internet they told me! Even when I have had to pay I have not found internet to be extortionately priced. Still cheaper than the phone - even if you have to pay E6 for 1 hour its cheaper than the phone and you can send 1 email to tonnes of people and check your banking, etc!