Phone cards are particularly beneficial for the traveler, and for anyone without a cell (mobile) phone. Instead of making collect calls, credit card calls or third party calls, you just get a phone-card. You dont have to pump coins in the pay phone, or pay ridiculously large hotel charges.

You can use a calling card at any time. Many people have found that the competition and price-cutting in calling card rates is so fierce that it pays to use them exclusively for any long distance calls. Others pay a little more so not to be bothered with the long strings of access codes all the time. On the road however, there are times when a calling card is your very best option, even though you should also consider buying a temporary wireless cell phone with wireless phone cards.

Some prepaid calling cards can be swiped on certain pay phone machines; others are done through a 1-800-number and a PIN (Personal Identification Number). Non-prepaid cards are billed to a credit card or your calling card account, and require a PIN number. In almost all cases, its better to buy only dial-code cards; they are more versatile, and you don't have to go looking for a telephone that accepts the swipe card. Additionally, you can choose from prepaid or standard (non-prepaid) calling cards. In some countries, its better to use phones and buy cards that are run by the city phone network, some private companies charge much more than the government does for using their phones and phone systems. Typically, the large telephone corporations (www.call-and-talk.com) charge similar rates; their prepaid cards usually come in substantially cheaper than their standard calling card rates. However, many calling card offers beat the big guys by quite a bit on price.

There are many small phone companies who have found the best phone route to a given country, whether its by DSL, by Wireless connection, or partly by Wireless Internet, or even partially by land line. Most reputable card companies will tell you how much you have used at the beginning and end of each call and many phones will count down the remaining time. Many phone cards can be found in airport dispensing machines, which often take only cash, so you may need some local currency first. Certain phone cards are also "rechargeable. This can be especially helpful when using the card for Internet access, as you will not need to type a new access code into your modem dialing strings.