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Dozens of kinds of calling cards are available. They vary somewhat in how they work and their per-minute rates and other charges. Some cards are issued by big players such as AT&T and MCI, which bill your calls to your account back home or to an account set up just for your calling card. They have toll-free numbers in each European country that make it easy to call home and reach a U.S. operator if you need to ask a question. Other cards are "prepaid," meaning you pay at the time you buy them, either with cash or by putting a certain amount of value on them using a credit card. A big advantage is that you know there's a limit on how much you'll be spending on a call. The disadvantage is that you may run out of credit in the middle of a call. (The major phone companies also have prepaid plans.)

You could spend hours comparing the various choices, but I suggest this strategy: Before leaving home, obtain a card from one of the major companies. There is usually little or no charge to obtain one of these, though if you don't have an existing account there may be a credit check and the process may take a couple of weeks. Make sure that you request an international card and ask about monthly fees, per-call fees and per-minute rates from the countries you plan to visit.

Armed with that card and information, you'll be all set to make calls. However, once you arrive in your destinations, consider using the local prepaid calling cards, depending on how often you're going to call and how long you plan to talk. Prepaid calling cards have been common in Europe far longer than in the United States, and you can obtain them at tobacco shops, convenience stores, airports and train stations. (Often a business will have a window logo indicating phone cards can be purchased there.)

The prepaid cards often come in several "denominations" -- equivalent to $10 or $20 worth of calls, or more. These cards can be used from most public pay phones, which sometimes have the international calling rates posted. This method may be less expensive than your home calling card method, mainly because you avoid certain service charges. If you're only going to make one $2 call, of course, buying a $10 card won't be a bargain.

Whatever you do, be cautious in making calls from a hotel, even with a calling card. European hotels are notorious for tacking on their own hefty fees to phone calls made from within, so clarify with the front desk whether there will be any surcharge. To be on the safe side, make your calls from public phones.

For a copy of an article that compared 18 calling cards, send $5 and a request for the February 1998 Consumer Reports Travel Letter to CRTL, 101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, NY 10703-1057.

Among phone companies that issue calling cards that can be used from abroad are AT&T, phone (800) 331-1140 or (800) 222-0300; MCI, (800) 444-3333; and Global One, a Sprint affiliate, at (800) 859-4626.

For a drive to Florida from the New York area, can you suggest sources for attractions along the way that we might stop at to break up our journey?

Interstate 95 is the mother road between the Northeast and Florida, so check out "A Field Guide to Interstate 95: The Traveler's Companion to the History, Geography and Trivia That Lie Beneath the Nation's Busiest Highway," by John Cribb (Rowman & Littlefield). It doesn't point out theme parks and popular playgrounds along the way -- it focuses on historical and geographical features that you probably wouldn't discover on your own.

A cleverly designed book that does mention theme parks as well as historical attractions is "On the Road USA: Pleasures and Treasures to Enjoy ...Within Easy Reach of the Interstate Exits," a large-format book published by Reader's Digest that covers all the main interstate routes and provides a wealth of small photos. It offers a paragraph of description for its stops and contact information. The book was published in 1989 and you may have to find it in a library or used-book store.

A guide that can help you plan your drive and describes all the rest stops is the "I-95 Interstate Exit Guide," available for $9.95 from Starsystems, 447 Old Henniker Rd. Hopkinton, NH 03229, or order by calling (603) 746-3010. The Web site has an order form and tips and construction alerts for I-95 travel.

You can sometimes save by using coupons contained in newsprint coupon guides found at rest stops. One such guide that pinpoints I-95 motels and offers coupons is the Traveler Discount Guide, available for $3 by calling (800) 332-3948. The parent company produces 16 guides covering 35 states with more than 4,600 hotels. Another company offering similar coupons guides is Mr. Interstate, phone (800) 556-1218.
salon.com | Dec. 9, 1999

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