Cheapest Ways to Make a Call to Russia
If you want to make a call to Russia, it is better not to use your regular mobile or home phone plan as the rates will most likely be much higher than the rates of other providers who specialize in international calling. There are several relatively cheap services you can use to make a call to Russia. The price you pay will depend on what you use (home phone or cellular), where exactly in Russia you are calling (Moscow, a cell phone or a home phone), and some other factors. Several cents can be a big difference when you make frequent long calls to Russia.
Startec
One of the good options to make a call to Russia is using Startec. You can use their service both for calling from your home phone and cell phone. The price differs though, depending on the type of phone you call to in Russia:
to Russian home phones - 3.9 cents
to Russian mobile phones - 5.9 cents
For now this company offers the cheapest option for people who want to use a their own phone to make a call.
Skype
Everyone knows Skype as a reliable program for long-distance calls. Skype's peculiarity is that it is a good option for those who travel to different countries and cannot use their phone all the time, but can use internet connection. The rates are a little bit higher than with Startec, unless you want to call to Moscow and Saint Petersburg:
to Russian home phones – 5.5 cents
to Russian mobile phones – 8.2 cents
to Moscow (home phones) – 2.4 cents
to Saint Petersburg (home phones) – 2.4 cents
With Skype you'll have to install a program on your computer and probably use a microphone, headphones or a headset if you do not have a mic built in your computer.
Rebtel
Rebtel would be convenient and the cheapest option for those who make calls to home phones in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. But in general Rebtel is a little more expensive than the ones mentioned above. The system is easy to use with any local home or cell phone, and the quality is very high. Here are the rates:
to Russian home phones – 7.9 cents
to Russian mobile phones – 6.9 cents
to Moscow (home phones) – 1.9 cents
to Saint Petersburg (home phones) – 1.9 cents
All prices listed above were posted for April 2010, and may change with time.
