question about student discounts & telephone calls - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

dsuarez · 07-06-2005, 11:06 PM

i have a couple of questions. If a student discount exists at a particular establishment, do I need one of those International Student ID cards to get it, or can I get it with just my regular College ID (the one I use at school).

also-my parents really want me to call every once and a while (international), and I imagine I am going to make a few calls within europe too. Should I buy a phone card while abroad, or is it possible to buy a phone card in the US that will work over there? can I use phone cards at any pay phone?

**omisan** · 07-07-2005, 12:39 AM

Student discount: Depends on the place. Some will accept any ol' college ID, whereas some will require you to have an ISIC card. There've been some discussions on here as to whether they're worthwhile. I'm too old and long done with school for that, so I haven't really looked into it.

International calls: If you can find a card here that's a good deal and will allow you to call from overseas (just check the details on the package) then go for it. Sure, you may find better deals wherever you end up overseas, but who wants to spend that extra time running around looking for phone cards? As far as using them on any payphone - it really varies by country and location. In London, for example, I could ONLY use cards on some phones, and only coins on others. In Costa Rica, the phones would only take local calling cards, but there were other international phones (mostly in the hostels and internet cafes) that took foreign cards. Best bet is probably to get one with just enough minutes and a reasonable rate at home, and if you need to buy a local one, grab one. It shouldn't cost too much, wherever you are.

**beergal** · 07-07-2005, 12:43 AM

i get away with my uni card pretty much everywhere in europe

dsuarez · 07-07-2005, 08:08 AM

where do they sell uni cards?

Tack · 07-07-2005, 07:36 PM

I had a friend go to europe with phone cards from Costco. There is a number on the back which you call to make them international card minutes with an accsess code. then if you still have minutes left on them when you get back you call and it changes back over. Might be worth looking into.

gdtms · 08-05-2005, 07:40 AM

I was looking into the whole ISIC card thing too. I also found and international youth travel card...they sound like a good idea but I'm curious if they are advantageous or not. Anyone have one of these or know if they're worth it?

**space virgin** · 08-05-2005, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dsuarez@Jul 7 2005, 03:07 PM
where do they sell uni cards?

They "sell" (read: issue) them at the University or College you're enrolled in.

Kari · 08-05-2005, 09:53 AM

I have found that it is cheaper to buy calling cards in Italy to call the USA then to use the ones from home. I get cards that are 10 euro and give me 400 minutes. If you are calling from a pay phone they sometimes charge you extra minutes but overall I have found it is way cheaper to get the cards while in Italy.

**space virgin** · 08-05-2005, 10:09 AM

Calling cards seem to vary in price wildly. In Spain, my friend was able to pick up cards dirt cheap that had hundreds of minutes on them (rather like Italy as described above, it seems). But in France, 10 euros wouldn't even get 100 minutes.

And usually the cards that you get in one country will not work if you try to use it in another one-- so use up all those minutes while you can!

**kingcrazylegs** · 08-05-2005, 10:38 AM

there are services that you call through the internet with a microphone and ear phones that are usually quite cheap. There are many if you search for them.