Your intrepid reporter Skypes home using his laptop and a stray WiFi signal by a canal in Venice. I use Skype on my laptop and smartphone and WiFi (either free-ranging hotspots, or at my hotels) to make free video calls back home. Now I make video calls home as often as I want-and it doesn't cost me a single penny. I used to spend hundreds of dollars a year on international calling plans and phone cards, which, for a monthly fee (usually $35), would allow me to call home for 5¢ per minute-plus a $5 connection fee on each call. Use Skype to call home from Italy for free (if 'home' has a computer otherwise, again: only 7¢ per minute to call a land line) (I find I have to top it off with $10 only every 6–8 months or so-and I call abroad a lot for my work.)Īnother idea: get an Italian cellphone and have your friends and family back home use Skype to call you (though that will bump you up to the cellphone fee of 8¢ per minute).

You just download the software, install it, open an account, and put a little bit of money into it via PayPal or a credit card. Incremental plans: cheapskates can also buy monthly minutes: $1.19/month for 120 min., $3.99 for 400 min.$13.99/month unlimited plan to up to 60 countries.$8.99/month unlimited plan to call 20 European countries.and Canada obviously won't work for travel abroad, but you could get one of the following: If you plan to be a heavy user-perhaps the Italy trip is a semester abroad and will involve much more calling than a short vacation-and don't want to pay 2.1¢ per minute to 'Skype out' to land line phones, you can also sign up for a unlimited monthly plan.

Is skype free to use