Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

Cost of phone calls to Australia

(10 Posts)
Spice101 Mon 25-Jan-21 08:11:50

My friend in UK does not have a smart phone

Thanks Esspee, I don’t have trouble with the technology but my friend has no interest in being a part of it which does make things difficult

Sister Act my friend does have me listed as a number for reduced calls but it does not include mobiles.

Calendargirl Mon 25-Jan-21 07:52:47

Good point Esspee, I hadn’t realised the OP was calling from landline to mobile.

Ashcombe Mon 25-Jan-21 07:50:09

I recommend using WhatsApp as my DD1, who is in Australia, and I regularly connect by that means. Sometimes, DH and I use it to connect from France if his landline is flaky, although mostly we use Zoom.

Esspee Mon 25-Jan-21 07:43:38

Everyone please remember that the OP will only have a mobile so she is asking the cost of calls either mobile to mobile or U.K. landline to mobile.

Esspee Mon 25-Jan-21 07:41:02

If you both have smartphones all you have to do is download an app called WhatsApp then all calls to each other are free.
Not only that but you can see each other too if you want.

I know it may sound daunting struggling with new technology so why not ask someone to set it up on your phones and explain how to use it. It is very simple to use.

Calendargirl Mon 25-Jan-21 07:28:40

I have an international call plan with my phone company. It’s about £7 /£8 a month, think it covers 300 minutes, and can chat up to an hour at a time.

Suits me for phoning my daughter in Australia, I like a proper phone call, we can chat as she prepares dinner. I ring her once a week.

That’s with Plusnet.

GagaJo Mon 25-Jan-21 07:21:47

When my daughter was living in the US I used a service where I dialled a number first, followed by her phone number. It lowered the cost to about 2p a minute.

Grammaretto Mon 25-Jan-21 07:18:35

Although we usually use WhatsApp to call NZ. when our DS was here for his dad's funeral he used the landline assuming it was free or very cheap and the signal is stronger. I had a shock when the phone bill came. Each call home to his family was costing about £20 per half hour chat.
A good idea to check this out Spice101

SisterAct Mon 25-Jan-21 06:57:07

My twin lives in Australia and we use watsap on the mobiles which is free, (as long as the WiFi line does not dip out)
If she contacts her landline provider I used to be able to have 5 numbers for friends and family abroad included, not sure if it included a mobile ?

(30 years ago when she first went it was £1 a minute ?? 1 call each a year and lots of letters)

Spice101 Mon 25-Jan-21 06:06:14

Hello everyone,

I wonder if anyone can give me an approximate idea of the cost of calling from a landline in the UK to a mobile in Australia?

I have a friend in UK and ring her every couple of weeks and have long talks. Occasionally she calls me landline to landline but we are moving and will not have a landline. I know it is much cheaper for me to ring the UK than it is for calls from the UK.

Friend does not have a computer so FaceTime, Skype etc. are not an option. She does have a mobile but does not like to use it as she says it is expensive.