Purchase a calling card ahead of time or when you arrive at your destination. Select the card that works best for you regarding total minutes of talk time and costs per minute. Rates will vary depending on the country you are in and the country you are calling.
Rent a global cell phone. You can pay for minutes ahead of time and easily return the phone when you get back home.
Download Skype to your smartphone (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry). Depending on the country you're calling from, calls can be as low as 2.3¢ per minute. You can prepay to attain minutes or enroll in a subscription plan, which often results in even cheaper rates.
Make a collect call. Pick up your cell phone and press "0." Inform the operator that you'd like to place a collect call and await his or her instructions.
Confirm with your cell phone provider the rate you will be charged per minute while traveling. Depending on the plan you're enrolled in, you may already have a low-cost travel service plan.
