dear david, i am traveling to austraila in may, i plan to call home, do they sell pre-paid phone cards there?- Estelle, location unknown (probably USA judging from the spelling of “travelling”)

I find it truly incredible the number of people who manage to call me David, particularly in e-mails. It’s like they read the first two letters of my name, then assume they know what comes next. I wonder if people called David often get called Daniel, or if David is the default Da name?

Australia is a sophisticated twenty-first century western society, with a well-developed communications industry. Yes, they sell pre-paid phone cards here. Lots of them. In fact you can barely walk down the street without seeing posters advertising their call rates plastered all over shop windows.

Which one is best will depend on precisely where you’re planning to call from (some provide local access numbers only in certain cities, with a surcharge for calling from elsewhere) and where to, since the rates vary wildly. Bear in mind the prepaid cards you can buy in your home country may also work in Australia, so shop around. The Phone Card Selector FAQ provides some good general advice.

• Phone Card Selector - FAQ

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