Inexpensive long distance rates and plans. Cheap long distance rates! The cheapest national calling card and direct calling rates can be found within the long distance rate advice on this page. Other inexpensive long distance rates are found in the links from this page.
Basic instructions for long distance international calling  to Europe, Asia, etc are here  The top 10 ways to make international long distance calls for much less!

Advice for inexpensive travel is here and also on the long distance advice page you are about to read.

Why travel such a long distance before viewing My Pictures of Germany (over 1400!)
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Jonathan's Top 5 cheapest

Ways to keep in touch when placing long distance phone calls within America

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SAVE MONEY!!!
If you will use this search before doing anything else, you can save a whole lot of time and money.
 It's taken a long time for me to put this calling card and phone plan search together, but
it has been worth it, because so many people are saving money!
It's available for you to use for free!

This search tool compares the cheapest rates from 50 companies for free!
 
  Lines: State-to-State Min:

     In State Min:  


After having a lot of success helping people find the cheapest rates on calling internationally, I decided to put up a page with information about the cheapest long distance rates when calling within America.

As with the international calling page, the advice for the cheapest calling within America can be found on this page.  If you want the best rates on cheap international and national calling cards, as well as airfares, be sure to check out the links on this page marked with a cheap long distance rate advice picture 3

-   Side note -

If you simply want find a great long distance rate,
use the long distance rate calculator by clicking the red arrow below.

With the best rate calculator,
you simply type what long distance number you want to call,
and the rate calculator will find you the best rate.
 cheap long distance calling search

But the above search, highlighted in the yellow box, is better

- End of Side note -

1.  Do call
Use a calling card!  Contrary to popular belief, the "phone company" (in your area) will not give you very good long distance rates on calling nationally or internationally.  Chances are, if you're using one of the big phone companies, (AT & T, MCI WorldCom, Qwest, etc) you are not getting the cheapest long distance rates for calling within America.  When you use a prepaid calling card to get cheaper long distance rates, you may have to dial more numbers, but in the long run, it can save you a good deal of money.

Different calling cards for different areas will get you the best long distance rates.  To get the cheapest long distance rates, check out the calling card links to the right.  I have included the two best calling card sites that I know of, Noblecom and IDT. 

Note:  Not calling is not recommended and not a good idea if you want people to think you're still alive.  If you are faking your own death to escape a crazy ex, AT&T bill collectors, over-involved parents, or defaulted student loans, then not calling may be your best bet.  Otherwise, call your people.  They'll love to hear from you!

 


cheap long distance advice picture 5 Recommended Long Distance Plan! cheap long distance advice picture 5
 5 cents per min. Long Distance Calling Plan! Save over 40% versus AT&T, MCI and Sprint with idt!
 

2.  Have your loved ones set up a 1-800 #.

I don't know really anything about this.  Talk to AT&T or Qwest if you want to try it.  I would however recommend using a calling card over this.  Calling with a calling card within America may seem a bit ridiculous when you're calling from your own home, but if it saves you 5 cents or more per minute, isn't it worth it?  Especially for calls that you're making from someone else's home?

Qwest

 

3. Get a cell phone

Sprint PCS, even though some people complain about the company, has a great plan for nationwide long distance.  You have probably heard about the all digital, nationwide network from that wierdo guy in the TV ads.  It works like this... you pay your monthly fee for a certain number of minutes during the day and a certain number of minutes during nights and weekends, and then your calls are not charged additionally for any long distance calls you make.  It's a good plan if you make a lot of long distance calls, especially nights and weekends.

Note:  Be careful not to exceed your minutes.  Sprint does not offer you much graciousness when you exceed your time limit.  My charges when I go over my minutes are something like 40 cents/minute.

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cheap long distance advice picture 4      4.5 cents /minute Unlimited Long Distance at LowerMyBills.com!     national long distance graphic 1

4. You can always use 1016868

(Updated 9/20/02 Long distance rates cheaper than 1016868.  Click here.)

Just like with international calls, 1016868 works for calls within America.  
To use this in the states, you have to call from a phone which is registered to someone (can't be a pay phone), and it can't have long distance blocking on the service. 

Calling Nationally
Dial 1016868 first.  Then dial 1, and the number.  Simple as that.  An example would be 1016868 + 1+(303) 555-5555

(Calling internationally)
Dial 1016868 first.  Then the international calling number (011 from the US), then the country code, then the phone number.  So calling Germany would go something like this.  1016868, then 011, then 49, then the number.  Without this number, dialing long distance to Germany directly, my parents were charged over (overcharged) $1.00/minute.  When they used this number, it became 9 cents/minute.

1016868

 

 

(Updated 9/20/02 Long distance rates cheaper than 1016868.  Click here.)


5. 10-10-220, another dial around number.

If you haven't seen the ads, you either don't have a TV, don't turn your TV on, or are somewhere in hiding.  (Living with Elvis no doubt--not that there's anything wrong with that...Elvis was a great performer; it's just that he's dead now.)  1010220 is supposed to save people a buck or two--that's what the advertisements say.  I've used it, and it's convenient, but if you get your own dial around number, it's often cheaper than 10-10-220 or 1016868.  I've highlighted a couple of companies to the right which allow you to sign up for your own dial around, ideally saving your more than a buck or two.

These are often cheaper than 10-10-220

cheapest long distance rates 1CogniDial Toll Free
Dial Around (6.9 cents/minute and cheaper inside U.S.A.)

cheapest long distance rates 1AccuDiaL
works as a calling card - you can take it with you and use it from any other US phone

cheap long distance advice and international calling card   Great International Calling Card Search! international calling cards and cheap long distance advice picture 3
Do You need an International Calling Card for when you go abroad?
Do you need an inexpensive rate for a call you need to make from where you are now?
Try this search for some great calling cards and great rates!
 
International calling cards from America
International calling cards to the world

If you're interested, much more study abroad/work abroad advice is available at my Germany Photos index


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